Organic Chemistry Research Articles

General instability of dipeptides in concentrated sulfuric acid as relevant for the Venus cloud habitability

Recent renewed interest in the possibility of life in the acidic clouds of Venus has led to new studies on organic chemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid. We have previously found that the majority of amino acids are stable in the range of Venus’ cloud sulfuric acid concentrations (81% and 98% w/w, the rest being water). The natural next question is whether dipeptides, as precursors to larger peptides and proteins, could be stable in this environment. We investigated the reactivity of the peptide bond using 20 homodipeptides and find that the majority of them undergo solvolysis within a few weeks, at both sulfuric acid concentrations. Notably, a few exceptions exist. HH and GG dipeptides are stable in 98% w/w sulfuric acid for at least 4 months, while II, LL, VV, PP, RR and KK resist hydrolysis in 81% w/w sulfuric acid for at least 5 weeks. Moreover, the breakdown process of the dipeptides studied in 98% w/w concentrated sulfuric acid is different from the standard acid-catalyzed hydrolysis that releases monomeric amino acids. Despite a few exceptions at a single concentration, no homodipeptides have demonstrated stability across both acid concentrations studied. This indicates that any hypothetical life on Venus would likely require a functional substitute for the peptide bond that can maintain stability throughout the range of sulfuric acid concentrations present.

Skeletal Editing by Hypervalent Iodine Mediated Nitrogen Insertion.

Hypervalent iodine reagents are versatile and readily accessible reagents that have been extensively applied in contemporary synthesis in modern organic chemistry. Among them, iodonitrene (ArI=NR), is a powerful reactive species, widely used for a single-nitrogen-atom insertion reaction, and skeletal editing to construct N-heterocycles. Skeletal editing with reactive iodonitrene components has recently emerged as an exciting approach in modern chemical transformation. These reagents have been extensively used to produce biologically relevant heterocycles and functionalized molecular architectures. Recently, the insertion of a nitrogen-atom into hydrocarbons to generate N-heterocyclic compounds using hypervalent iodine reagents has been a significant focus in the field of molecular editing reactions. In this review, we discuss the rapidly emerging field of nitrene insertion, including skeletal editing and nitrogen insertion, using hypervalent iodine reagents to access nitrogen-containing heterocycles, and the current mechanistic understanding of these processes.

Electrochemical Non‐Directed Arene C−H Amination

AbstractElectrosynthesis represents a dynamic field in organic chemistry for the development of important and selective reactions. Among the most interesting electrosynthetic transformations is the non‐directed arene C−H amination. Despite increasing reports, the quest for a non‐directed electrochemical arene C−H amination capable of accommodating a wide range of arenes and amines with high site‐selectivity remains ongoing. Non‐directed electrochemical C−H amination presents a metal‐free, mild approach for synthesizing complex aminated compounds of interest in pharmaceuticals and natural products. This concept aims to introduce the concept of non‐directed electrochemical C−H amination and provide an overview of the recent advances in the field as well as the current limitations and potential directions.

Iron- and base-catalyzed C(α)-alkylation and one-pot sequential alkylation-hydroxylation of oxindoles with secondary alcohols.

The utilization of economical and environmentally benign transition metals in crucial catalytic processes is pivotal for sustainable advancement in synthetic organic chemistry. Iron, as the most abundant transition metal in the Earth's crust, has gained significant attention for this purpose. A combination of FeCl2 (5 mol%) in the presence of phenanthroline (10 mol%) and NaOtBu (1.5 equivalent) proved effective for the C(α)-alkylation of oxindole, employing challenging secondary alcohol as a non-hazardous alkylating agent. The C(α)-alkylation of oxindole was optimized in green solvent or under neat conditions. The substrate scope encompasses a broad array of substituted oxindoles with various secondary alcohols. Further post-functionalization of the C(α)-alkylated oxindole products demonstrated the practical utility of this catalytic alkylation. One-pot C-H hydroxylation of alkylated oxindoles yielded 3-alkyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles using air as the most sustainable oxidant. Low E-factors (3.61 to 4.19) and good Eco-scale scores (74 to 76) of these sustainable catalytic protocols for the alkylation and one-pot sequential alkylation-hydroxylation of oxindoles demonstrated minimum waste generation. Plausible catalytic paths are proposed on the basis of past reports and control experiments, which suggested that a borrowing hydrogen pathway is involved in this alkylation.

Discovery of a new class of bacterial heme-containing C[dbnd]C cleaving oxygenases

Previously, some bacteria were shown to harbour enzymes capable of catalysing the oxidative cleavage of the double bond of t-anethole and related compounds. The cofactor dependence of these enzymes remained enigmatic due to a lack of biochemical information. We report on catalytic and structural details of a representative of this group of oxidative enzymes: t-anethole oxygenase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (TAOSm). The bacterial enzyme could be recombinantly expressed and purified, enabling a detailed biochemical study that has settled the dispute on its cofactor dependence. We have established that TAOSm contains a tightly bound b-type heme and merely depends on dioxygen for catalysis. It was found to accept t-anethole, isoeugenol and O-methyl isoeugenol as substrates, all being converted into the corresponding aromatic aldehydes without the need of any cofactor regeneration. The elucidated crystal structure of TAOSm has revealed that it contains a unique active site architecture that is conserved for this distinct class of heme-containing bacterial oxygenases. Similar to other hemoproteins, TAOSm has a histidine (His121) as proximal ligand. Yet, unique for TAOs, an arginine (Arg89) is located at the distal axial position. Site directed mutagenesis confirmed crucial roles for these heme-liganding residues and other residues that form the substrate binding pocket. In conclusion, the results reported here reveal a new class of bacterial heme-containing oxygenases that can be used for the cleavage of alkene double bonds, analogous to ozonolysis in organic chemistry.

Recent Advances in Heterogeneously Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Derivatives and N-heterocyclic Compounds

Oxidation of alcohols in an oxidant-free condition, commonly known as the acceptorless dehydrogenation (AD) reaction, has recently emerged as one of the widely used processes in synthetic organic chemistry. Alcohol acts as an excellent chemical precursor that produces a variety of dehydrogenated value-added products such as carbonyls, acids, acetals, and several coupling products, followed by the concomitant evolution of molecular hydrogen gas. AD reaction of alcohol, therefore, can be considered as a vital reaction for the hydrogen economy using alcohols as a liquid hydrogen carrier. Over the past decade, the growing importance of AD reactions has set the way for the continuous development of various homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems. With the advantage of reusability and recyclability, heterogeneous catalysts have now become more promising and significant in the catalytic domain. This review aims to make an overview of the transition metal-based heterogeneous catalytic system of acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenation reaction reported till December, 2023.

Seaweeds as Source of Bioactive Pigments with Neuroprotective and/or Anti-Neurodegenerative Activities: Astaxanthin and Fucoxanthin.

The marine kingdom is an important source of a huge variety of scaffolds inspiring the design of new drugs. The complex molecules found in the oceans present a great challenge to organic and medicinal chemists. However, the wide variety of biological activities they can display is worth the effort. In this article, we present an overview of different seaweeds as potential sources of bioactive pigments with activity against neurodegenerative diseases, especially due to their neuroprotective effects. Along with a broad introduction to seaweed as a source of bioactive pigments, this review is especially focused on astaxanthin and fucoxanthin as potential neuroprotective and/or anti-neurodegenerative agents. PubMed and SciFinder were used as the main sources to search and select the most relevant scientific articles within the field.

Magnetic Nanoparticles‐Supported Synthesis of Pyrazole Scaffolds: A Review

AbstractIn the present era, the concept of green in organic synthesis has a unique and irreplaceable place. Specifically, nanoparticle has gained much more attention due to its various properties related to the concept of green chemistry. In this context, magnetic nanoparticle has been widely used in the organic synthesis over last one decade. Among organic compounds, pyrazole and its scaffolds are recognized as a privileged structure as it represents a promising area for identification of lead structures towards the discovery of new synthetic drug molecules and other valuable candidates. Several commercial drugs such as Sildenafil, Rimonabant, Celecoxib and many other compounds in biological testing and preclinical evaluation, illustrate the wide therapeutic spectrum in this class of drug scaffolds. Accordingly, the magnetic nanoparticles have an irreplaceable place in the synthesis of pyrazole derivatives and it is a green and easy methodology to the organic chemists. The present manuscript represents the assimilation of literature pertaining to green aspects of magnetic nanoparticles for the synthesis of highly diversified and valuable derivatives of pyrazole.

Advances in the Synthesis and Physiological Metabolic Regulation of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the direct precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), is involved in the regulation of many physiological and metabolic reactions in the body. NMN can indirectly affect cellular metabolic pathways, DNA repair, and senescence, while also being essential for maintaining tissues and dynamic metabolic equilibria, promoting healthy aging. Therefore, NMN has found many applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. At present, NMN synthesis strategies mainly include chemical synthesis and biosynthesis. Despite its potential benefits, the commercial production of NMN by organic chemistry approaches faces environmental and safety problems. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, it has become possible to construct microbial cell factories to produce NMN in a cost-effective way. In this review, we summarize the chemical and biosynthetic strategies of NMN, offering an overview of the recent research progress on host selection, chassis cell optimization, mining of key enzymes, metabolic engineering, and adaptive fermentation strategies. In addition, we also review the advances in the role of NMN in aging, metabolic diseases, and neural function. This review provides comprehensive technical guidance for the efficient biosynthesis of NMN as well as a theoretical basis for its application in the fields of food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Baeyer-Villiger oxidation: a promising tool for the synthesis of natural products: a review.

Baeyer-Villiger oxidation is a well-known reaction utilized for the synthesis of lactones and ester functionalities from ketones. Chiral lactones can be synthesized from chiral or racemic ketones by employing asymmetric Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. These lactones act as key intermediates in the synthesis of most of the biologically active natural products, their analogues, and derivatives. Various monooxygenases and oxidizing agents facilitate BV oxidation, providing a broad range of synthetic applications in organic chemistry. The variety of enzymatic and chemoselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidations and their substantial role in the synthesis of natural products i.e., alkaloids, polyketides, fatty acids, terpenoids, etc. (reported since 2018) have been summarized in this review article.

Qualitative Test for Hydrocarbons: A Laboratory Experiment to Reinforce the Different Types of Reactions and Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry

Qualitative Test for Hydrocarbons: A Laboratory Experiment to Reinforce the Different Types of Reactions and Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry

First-in-Human Evaluation of [18F]FDOPA Produced by Organo-Photoredox Reactions.

Photoredox is a powerful synthetic tool in organic chemistry and has been widely used in various fields, including nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. In particular, acridinium-based organophotoredox radiolabeling has significantly impacted the production and discovery of positron emission tomography (PET) agents. Despite their extensive use in preclinical research, no PET agents synthesized by acridinium photoredox labeling have been tested in humans. [18F]FDOPA is clinically used for tumor diagnosis and the evaluation of neuropsychiatric disorders, but its application is limited by complex synthesis methods, the need for expensive modules, and/or the high cost of consumable materials/cassettes. In this report, we integrated a photoredox labeling unit with an automated module and produced [18F]FDOPA for human study. This research not only represents the first human study of a PET agent generated by acridinium-based organophotoredox reactions but also demonstrates the safety of this novel labeling method, serving as a milestone/reference for the clinical translation of other PET agents generated by this technique in the future.

Photocatalytic Three-Component Acylcarboxylation of Alkenes with CO2.

γ-Keto acid is a valuable chemical motif in a wide range of fields including organic, biological, and medicinal chemistry. However, its single-step synthesis is challenging because of the mismatch of the carbonyl polarity and low tolerance of carboxylic acids. Herein, we report the single-step syntheses of γ-keto acids using alkenes and CO2. Our photocatalytic system enabled the transformation of alkenes under mild conditions in high yields (up to 95%) with broad substrate generality (35 examples).

Customized Photoelectrochemical C-N and C-P Formation Enabled by Tailored Deposition on Photoanodes.

Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) is burgeoning as an innovative solution to organic synthesis. However, the current PEC system suffers limited reaction types and unsatisfactory performances. Herein, we employ efficient BiVO4 photoanode with tailored deposition layers for customizing two PEC approaches toward C-N and C-P formation. Notably, our process proceeds under mild reaction conditions, easily available substrates, and ultra-low potentials. Beyond photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, customized PEC offers high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and substantial applicability for decorating drug molecules, highlighting its promising potential to enrich the synthetic toolbox for broader organic chemistry of practical applications.

Yuki Nagashima.

"My long-term goal is to expand the chemical space of organic compounds for drug discovery, by utilizing underutilized physical chemistry in current organic chemistry… My favorite name reaction is the Miyaura borylation reaction…" Find out more about Yuki Nagashima in his Introducing… Profile.

Customized Photoelectrochemical C–N and C–P Formation Enabled by Tailored Deposition on Photoanodes

Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) is burgeoning as an innovative solution to organic synthesis. However, the current PEC system suffers limited reaction types and unsatisfactory performances. Herein, we employ efficient BiVO4 photoanode with tailored deposition layers for customizing two PEC approaches toward C–N and C–P formation. Notably, our process proceeds under mild reaction conditions, easily available substrates, and ultra‐low potentials. Beyond photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, customized PEC offers high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and substantial applicability for decorating drug molecules, highlighting its promising potential to enrich the synthetic toolbox for broader organic chemistry of practical applications.

A Review on Functionalization of Benzo-5,6-Fused Bicyclic Heteroaromatic Compounds.

Over the decades, functionalized heteroaromatic compounds and their scaffolds have drawn the significant attention in synthetic organic chemistry as well as in interdisciplinary sciences due to their prevalence in natural products, hormones, vitamins, and their applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, veterinary products, dyes and pigments, bio-imaging, semiconductors, and optoelectronics, etc. This review explores various synthetic strategies for functionalization of numerous 5,6 benzo-fused heteroaromatic derivatives such as indole, aza-indole, benzofuran, benzothiophene, benzimidazole, benzoxazole, benzothiazole and benzotriazole through various methods including C-H activation, cross-coupling, metal catalysis, photo-catalysis, electrocatalysis and organocatalysis in recent years (2019-2023). Highly functionalized heterocyclic scaffolds are the important precursors for synthesizing many bioactive drugs like fenbendazole, viozan,Griseofulvin, zileuton,flunoxaprofen, natural products, and optoelectronic materials, etc.

Probing the Limit of the Number of Saturated Atoms for Achieving Hyperconjugative Aromaticity.

Aromaticity is a fundamental concept in organic chemistry. Hyperconjugative aromaticity, also known as hyperconjugation-induced aromaticity, has evolved from its origin from main group substituents to transition metal analogues, establishing itself as an important category of aromaticity. Additionally, aromatic compounds comprising two sp3-carbon atoms have recently been reported both experimentally and computationally. However, what is the maximum number of sp3-hybridized atoms needed to maintain hyperconjugative aromaticity? Here, we report that hyperconjugative aromaticity can be achieved in hexa-substituted indoliums and octa-substituted pyrroliums, possessing three-five sp3-hybridized carbon/nitrogen atoms by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The aromaticity was confirmed by using various aromaticity indices, i.e., NICS, MCI, and EDDB. Notably, the strong electron-donating ability and aurophilicity of Au(I) substituents play a pivotal role in maintaining the aromaticity and structural integrity. In addition, increasing the number of hyperconjugative centers will decrease the aromaticity in these five-membered rings. Our findings highlight the significance of transition metal substituents in hyperconjugative aromaticity and offer a novel approach for designing aromatic organometallics.

Dual N-Heterocyclic Carbene/Transition Metal Catalysis.

N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis has been developed as a versatile method for the enantioselective synthesis of complex organic molecules in organic chemistry. Merging of N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis with transition metal catalysis holds the potential to achieve unprecedented transformations with broad substrate scope and excellent stereoselectivity, which are unfeasible with individual catalyst. Thus, this dual catalysis has attracted increasing attention, and numerous elegant dual catalytic systems have been established. In this review, we summarize the recent achievements of dual NHC/transition metal catalysis, including the reaction design, mechanistic studies and practical applications.

State of the Art in Molecular Catalysis in Europe

In this editorial, I would like to provide an overview of the eleven contributions to the Special Issue entitled “State of the Art in Molecular Catalysis in Europe”, which is part of the Organic and Polymer Chemistry Section of Catalysts [...]