Reviews – Page 5 – Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog

Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Review: Glycoconjugates degradation – the enzymes involved and their probes

09 Aug 2011

Glycoconjugates play a major role in a number of biological processes, for example modulating cellular interactions, and chemical tools have been instrumental in understanding these aspects of the glycosciences.

In this OBC Perspective Herman Overkleeft and co-authors provide an overview of the enzymes involved in the degradation of glycoconjugates, and the activity-based probes that have been used to study these enzymes, along with the advantages and disadvantages of these probes. Addressing all facets of carbohydrate enzymology, the authors identify a number of key areas for future development in the field.

Are you a glycoscientist or a bioorganic chemist? Then this OBC Perspective is for you! Download the article to read the full details:
Irreversible inhibitors and activity-based probes as research tools in chemical glycobiology
Martin D. Witte, Gijsbert A. van der Marel, Johannes M. F. G. Aerts and Herman S. Overkleeft
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05531C, Perspective

Comments Off on Review: Glycoconjugates degradation – the enzymes involved and their probes

Work on bacterial lipoteichoic acids in the press!

28 Jun 2011

The hot Perspective article from Richard Schmidt, Christian Pedersen, Yan Qiao and Ulrich Zähringer has been picked up by several media outlets interested in their work on bacterial lipoteichoic acids.

The team reported the synthesise of several LTAs – which are important important constituents of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria – and carried out studies on their biological activity. More work is needed to understand the recognition of LTAs by the innate immune system, but this work suggests that it is indeed the lectin pathway that LTAs interact with and paves the way for an improved understanding of infection by Gram-positive bacteria.

Here are some of the places the research has been highlighted:

Download the original Perspective article here for all the details:

Chemical synthesis of bacterial lipoteichoic acids: An insight on its biological significance
Richard R. Schmidt, Christian M. Pedersen, Yan Qiao and Ulrich Zähringer
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 2040-2052
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB00794C

Comments Off on Work on bacterial lipoteichoic acids in the press!

Dioxazaborocanes: old adducts, new tricks

17 Jun 2011

This Emerging Area article from Hélène Bonin and Emmanuel Gras (CNRS) discusses the recent developments in dioxazaborocane chemistry that the authors believe may make it a viable fluoride-free alternative to organotrifluoroborate salts.

The review covers the synthesis and properties as well as the applications of dioxazaboracanes in organic chemistry. The recent uses of dioxazaboracanes as direct reactants, rather than as boronic ester or acid protecting groups, are highlighted and the authors hope that a better understanding of their structures in solution will increase the use of these compounds in direct synthesis.

Dioxazaborocanes: old adducts, new tricks
Hélène Bonin, Thomas Delacroix and Emmanuel Gras
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011,
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05330B

Comments Off on Dioxazaborocanes: old adducts, new tricks

Most cited OBC Perspective articles free to access!

17 Jun 2011

The OBC Editorial team has collected the most cited Perspectives published in our journal in the last 5 years and you can now download them for free!

Perspective articles are either a concise and critical appraisal, or a personal viewpoint of activity in a specialist area of organic chemistry of current interest, and are not intended to be comprehensive reviews of the literature. They are normally published by invitation of the Editorial team but suggestions from authors are welcome and enquiries should be directed to the Editor.

Find the top 5 most cited Perspectives in the last 5 years below. Our congratulations and thanks to the authors!

Recognition and activation by ureas and thioureas: stereoselective reactions using ureas and thioureas as hydrogen-bonding donors
Yoshiji Takemoto
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2005, 3, 4299-4306
DOI: 10.1039/B511216H

DNA-programmed assembly of nanostructures
Kurt V. Gothelf and Thomas H. LaBean
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2005, 3, 4023-4037
DOI: 10.1039/B510551J

Bifunctional transition metal-based molecular catalysts for asymmetric syntheses
Takao Ikariya, Kunihiko Murata and Ryoji Noyori
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2006, 4, 393-406
DOI: 10.1039/B513564H

Analysis of the reactions used for the preparation of drug candidate molecules
John S. Carey, David Laffan, Colin Thomson and Mike T. Williams
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2006, 4, 2337-2347
DOI: 10.1039/B602413K

Density functional theory with dispersion corrections for supramolecular structures, aggregates, and complexes of (bio)organic molecules
Stefan Grimme, Jens Antony, Tobias Schwabe and Christian Mück-Lichtenfeld
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2007, 5, 741-758
DOI: 10.1039/B615319B

Comments Off on Most cited OBC Perspective articles free to access!

Cascade reactions and multiple rings – OBC emerging area

19 May 2011

Cascade or domino processes have become one of the Holy Grails in organic synthesis. They allow the sequential formation of multiple new bonds and therefore, the one-pot synthesis of new and complex organic molecules.

The formation of new cyclic frameworks in a controlled-one synthetic operation is almost a dream come true for synthetic chemists due to the complexity and challenging structure of these heterocycles.

In this review article, Edward Anderson, at Oxford University, gives us a selective overview of cascade reactions as applied to natural product synthesis. We invite you to download it and read this excellent accounting of recent cascade-based polycyclic reactions towards the synthesis of natural products.

Cascade polycyclisations in natural product synthesis
Edward A. Anderson
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1OB05212H, Emerging Area

Comments Off on Cascade reactions and multiple rings – OBC emerging area

Catalytic asymmetric C-H insertions-OBC perspective

19 May 2011

Asymmetric catalytic intramolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions are pivotal reactions in the world of organic chemistry and there is a considerable amount of literature on this topic.

Michael Doyle and his colleagues at University of Maryland, have now written a very original and different review on the catalytic C-H insertion process in comparison with other approaches for the synthesis of selected synthetic targets, lactones and lactams, which have been of biological or medicinal interest. They discuss these well-defined targeted molecules for which there have been multiple examples of their synthesis. They conclude by saying that the catalytic route through chiral dirhodium(II) carboxamidates is the most appropriate method for the stereoselective carbon–hydrogen insertion reactions that produce biologically relevant lactones and lactams.

If you want to find out more about the different synthetic approaches and the advantges of using one over the other, download this very interesting review.

Intramolecular catalytic asymmetric carbon–hydrogen insertion reactions. Synthetic advantages in total synthesis in comparison with alternative approaches
Michael P. Doyle, Maxim Ratnikov and Yu Liu
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB00698J, Perspective

Comments Off on Catalytic asymmetric C-H insertions-OBC perspective

Most cited OBC Emerging Areas free to download!

11 May 2011

The OBC editorial team has collected the most cited Emerging Areas published in our journal in the last 5 years. You can now download them for free!

Emerging Areas are short, forward-looking feature articles on particularly topical subjects. These articles are generally submitted following invitation; however the editorial team are happy to consider suggestions for review articles. If you have an idea for a review topic please contact the Editor.

Find below the top 5 most cited emerging areas in the last 5 years. Congratulations to the authors and thanks!

Asymmetric organocatalysis
Jayasree Seayad and Benjamin List
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2005, 3, 719-724
DOI: 10.1039/B415217B

The golden gate to catalysis
Anja Hoffmann-Röder and Norbert Krause
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2005, 3, 387-391
DOI: 10.1039/B416516K

σ-Chelation-directed C–H functionalizations using Pd(II) and Cu(II) catalysts: regioselectivity, stereoselectivity and catalytic turnover
Jin-Quan Yu, Ramesh Giri and Xiao Chen
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2006, 4, 4041-4047
DOI: 10.1039/B611094K

A hitchhiker’s guide to G-quadruplex ligands
David Monchaud and Marie-Paule Teulade-Fichou
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2008, 6, 627-636
DOI: 10.1039/B714772B

“Frustrated Lewis pairs”: a concept for new reactivity and catalysis
Douglas W. Stephan
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2008, 6, 1535-1539
DOI: 10.1039/B802575B

Comments Off on Most cited OBC Emerging Areas free to download!

Review: Carbohydrate chemistry in drug discovery

27 Apr 2011

Carbohydrates are the most diverse and one of the most important classes of biomolecules in nature. However, it is still difficult to find carbohydrate-based drugs in the market nowadays. The high polarity of this kind of drugs represents an issue for the pharmacological properties. Therefore, understanding and being able to modify these properties would help with the development of more ‘drug-like’ carbohydrate-based drugs.

In this review, M Carmen Galan and co-workers at University of Bristol, give and up-date on the latest advancements in carbohydrate chemistry and the role thy play in drug discovery.

If you want to find out more, download it now.

Carbohydrate chemistry in drug discovery
M. Carmen Galan, David Benito-Alifonso and Gregory M. Watt
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 3598-3610
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB01017K

Comments Off on Review: Carbohydrate chemistry in drug discovery

Emerging area: unlocked nucleic acids

27 Apr 2011

The continuing search for modified nucleic acids with improved properties for use in molecular diagnostics, gene- and RNA-targeting therapies has now lighted on unlocked nucleic acids monomers – which act as acyclic RNA mimics. Unlocked nucleic acids monomers (UNA) were first synthesised over a decade ago, but only now has their potential for therapeutics really been explored.

Structure of a UNA monomer

In this Emerging Area article, Anna Pasternak and Jesper Wengel (University of Southern Denmark) find that UNA monomers inserted into oligonucleotides can modulate the thermodynamic stability of DNA and RNA structures such as duplexes, quadruplexes and i-motifs. This, they hope, will open up new options for designing new quadruplex-based aptamer drugs and superior siRNA constructs due to their high silencing activity and low toxicity.

Download the article to read the full details:

Unlocked nucleic acid – an RNA modification with broad potential
Anna Pasternak and Jesper Wengel
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 3591-3597
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB01085E

Comments Off on Emerging area: unlocked nucleic acids

Review: Mannich–Michael vs. aza-Diels–Alder approaches to piperidine derivatives

13 Apr 2011

Andrew Whiting and colleagues at University of Durham and Merck Research Laboratories, question whether the mechanism of the aza-Diels–Alder reaction is step wise as opposed to concerted when using
oxygenated dienes.

This review explain the mechanistic details as well as scope of the reaction in future.

Mannich–Michael versus formal aza-Diels–Alder approaches to piperidine derivatives
P. Ricardo Girling, Takao Kiyoi and Andrew Whiting
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 9, 3105-3121
DOI: 10.1039/C0OB00996B

Comments Off on Review: Mannich–Michael vs. aza-Diels–Alder approaches to piperidine derivatives

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog