Themed collection Celebrating excellence in research: women of organic chemistry

Nanoparticle-catalysed borylation is one of the most convenient methods for the synthesis of organoboranes to overcome the confines of homogeneous catalysis such as recyclability and heavy metal contamination.

The conversion of furfuryl alcohols by the Piancatelli reaction (and its C- and N-variants) provided highly functionalized cyclopentenones (intermolecular) and spirocycles (intramolecular).

An exhaustive and critical overview of synthetically relevant methods for intermolecular cross-acyloin condensation reactions is reported.

This review updates the major progress in the field of enantioselective transformations promoted by chiral magnesium catalysts, covering the literature since 2007, illustrating the power of these green catalysts to promote many types of reactions.

Multi-enzyme cascades provide a wealth of valuable chemicals. Efficiency of reaction schemes can be improved by spatial organization of biocatalysts. This review will highlight various methods of spatial organization of biocatalysts: fusion, immobilization, scaffolding and encapsulation.

Robust, environmentally friendly reductants enable highly enantioselective reactions in the presence of chiral catalysts.

Highly efficient streamlined total synthesis of complex prioritized gangliosides was achieved chemoenzymatically by sequential one-pot multienzyme (OPME) reactions with facile C18 cartridge purification schemes followed by high-yield acylation.

Enzyme-instructed self-assembly was regulated by photo-irradiation to turn on the fluorescence as well as to induce a disassembly process.

Pd-Catalyzed tandem N-arylation of primary amines with aryl halides to synthesize phenoxazine and phenothiazine derivatives.

This work describes a new way to screen for i-motif binding compounds and several new families of ligands with potential for use in experiments into the structure and function of i-motif DNA.

Imidazolium-labeled (ITag-) glycosides have been used to harness the glycosyltransferase activity directly from human breast milk (HBM). The technology is exemplified in the synthesis of biologically relevant oligosaccharide analogs, ITag-LacNAc, ITag-Lewis^x and ITag-Lewis^a, in a matter of days from (HBM) without isolating the enzymes.

We present a mild, convenient method for direct conversion of Allocam protected peptides to disulfide-containing protected peptides on solid support.

Computations reveal that the potential for aromaticity gain and loss in nucleobases play key roles in modulating base pairing strengths.

New campestarene derivatives bear functional groups designed to facilitate the formation of supramolecular assemblies of these 5-fold symmetric building blocks.

The 4n − 1 repeat pattern for poly-2′-deoxycytidine i-motifs results from ideal loop lengths and core base pairs.

Bacterial lipopeptide fluorescent probes were developed as TLR2 ligands, and their time-lapse monitoring of cellular internalization was performed.

A 10-step synthesis of the antimalarial lead, ¹³C₁₈-enriched plasmodione, and of seven putative metabolites is described.

A method for the light-driven synthesis of aryl and vinyl alkyl thioethers from a range of C(sp²)–I bonds is reported.

We report on the development of a dual molecular recognition probe for hydrogen bond acceptors.

QM(DFT)/MM calculations and molecular dynamics simulations on wild-type retaining α1,4-N-acetylhexosaminyltransferase (EXTL2) and Arg293Ala, Asp246Ala, Arg293Ala/Asp246Ala and Asp246Glu mutants are used to understand the role of these two residues.

Pseudouridine modifications in helix 69 of bacterial ribosomes impact aminoglycoside interactions by altering the RNA conformational states and accessibility to chemical probes.

Complexation of a hydrophobic guest induces the self-assembly of peptide based cavitands to form hydrogen-bonded ordered capsules in polar solvents.

Gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation/aromatization of pyrrole-ynes to functionalized indolizines through the construction of the pyridine ring of indolizines has been developed.

Regioselective reactivity of the 1-methyl group of free-base dipyrrins is explored, including discussion of tautomerism to provide exocyclic alkenyl reactivity.

Introduction of an endo-carboxylate in a building block for dynamic combinatorial chemistry resulted in amplification of a new host with a K_d of 200 nM for dimethyllysine, a biologically important post-translational modification.

Irradiation of nanocrystals of azide 1 results in a solid-to-solid photoreaction that forms imine 2 in high chemical yield.

A Pd-catalyzed ortho-selective halogenation of benzoxazinone and quinazolinone scaffolds has been described employing N-halosuccinimide via C–H bond activation.

The enantioselective synthesis of a functionalized intermediate comprising 6 of the 7 stereocenters of schiglautone A is reported and features a lithiation–borylation enzymatic resolution sequence.

Multi-responsive polypeptide-based hydrogels exhibited thermo-, mechano-, and enzyme-responsive properties, enabling performance as a delivery system for encapsulation and release of naproxen.

The formation of N-aroylsulfoximines via a copper-catalyzed oxidative decarboxylative coupling of α-keto acids with NH-sulfoximines is reported.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes catalyse the reversible reduction of prochiral ketones to the corresponding alcohols.

N-Mesyloxycarbamates undergo intramolecular C–H amination reactions to afford oxazolidinones in good to excellent yields in the presence of rhodium(II) carboxylate catalysts.

Divergent synthesis of N-alkyl-3-sulfonylindoles and N-alkyl-3-sulfanylindoles from 2-alkynyl-N,N-dialkylanilines and sulfonyl hydrazides has been described.

A degradation intermediate, a pro-metabolite and an enzyme inhibitor have been synthesised to study the biodegradation of fosfomycin in R. huakuii PMY1.

A simple benzylic oxidation of ethano-Tröger's base derivatives affords novel twisted amides for structure and reactivity studies.