Imidazoles from rhodium

Jonathan Ellman and co-workers from Yale have reported in ACIE on a rhodium catalyzed reaction to form pyrroles.

ACIE paper

Thiophenes from Simmons-Smith

Kanchugarakoppal Rangappa and co-workers at the University of Mysore in India have reported in Tetrahedron Letters on the synthesis of thiophenes using a Simmons-Smith reagent.

TL paper

Sulfones to alkenes

Adrian Schwann and co-workers from the University of Guelph have reported in JOC on a method to convert sulfones to alkenes via a  Ramberg–Bäcklund rearrangement.

JOC paper

Oxazoles from cascade

An-Xin Wu and co-workers from Central China Normal University have published in Tetrahedron on a metal free oxazole synthesis from a methyl ketone and a primary amine.

Tetrahedron paper

Importance of basic science

There is a growing popularity of interdisciplinary research funding, and it seems that many people are forgetting the basic science because basic science seems to be getting less and less money. I would like to point out in Larry Overman’s interview, he talked about how MRI and atmospheric ozone depletion were discovered from basic science and not from interdisciplinary research. So even though many people are trying to become interdisciplinary scientists because that is the trend right now – let’s not forget the importance of knowing one subject really well and being able to contribute to the benefit of society that way one day.

Overman’s interview

1,4-conjugate addition in water

Bruce Lipshutz and co-workers have reported in JACS on a organocuprate Michael addition in WATER.

JACS paper

Aspidophytine synthesis

Hidetoshi Tokuyama and co-workers from Tohoku University have reported in Tetrahedron on a synthesis of aspidophytine.

Tetrahedron paper

Aspidospermidine from cyclobutanone

Jun’ichi Matsuo and co-workers from Kanazawa University have reported in ACIE on the synthesis of aspidospermidine.

ACIE paper

Intramolecular diamination with NIS

Ulrich Hennecke and co-workers at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität have reported in Organic Letters on an olefin diamination process using NIS.

OL paper

Tetarimycin A

Sean Brady and co-workers from Rockefeller University have reported in JACS on the isolation of tetarimycin A, which had a MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of 1.5 micrograms/mL against S. aureus 6538P.

JACS paper