Artemisinin synthesis

Silas Cook and colleague at Indiana University have reported in JACS on a synthesis of artemisinin using a molybdenum promoted in situ formation of singlet oxygen to form the endoperoxide.

JACS paper

E alkene from E/Z-mixture

Ever want to selectively isolate the E-isomer of a E/Z-mixture of alkenes?  Well Hoveyda and Schrock have reported in JACS on the use of a molybdenum catalyst (monoaryloxide-pyrrolide – ie:  MAP – complex with molybdenum) in the presence of ethylene to completely abolish the Z-alkene from the mixture via ethenolysis.

JACS paper

Z-selective Olefin Metathesis

Hoveyda and co-workers at Boston College have reported in Nature on a Z-selective olefin metathesis reaction.

 

Nature paper

Isolysergol Synthesis

Stephen Martin and co-worker at UT Austin have published in Organic Letters on an asymmetric synthesis of isolysergol via an enantioselective ring closing metathesis reaction to afford the dihydropiperidine ring.  They used a chiral molybdenum catalyst for the ring closing metathesis reaction.

OL paper