Epoxides: an underestimated lipid oxidation product

Immense gains in understanding of mechanisms and effects of lipid oxidation have been achieved in the nearly 90 years over which lipid oxidation has been an active research focus. Even so, the substantial questions still being raised about lipid oxidation in this special issue show clearly that missing pieces remain and must be considered for full accounting of this important reaction in any system. In this context, epoxides are spotlighted as a critical overlooked product of lipid autoxidation - underestimated in analysis, underestimated in presence as a functionally active and competitive intermediate and product of lipid oxidation, and underestimated in potential contributions to impact of lipid oxidation on other molecules and cell functions. Logical reasons for ignoring or not finding epoxides are offered in historical development of lipid oxidation knowledge. Reactions generating lipid epoxides in autoxidation are reviewed, limitations in detecting and tracking epoxides are outlined to explain why epoxides may not be detected when they should be present, and justifications for increased research and analysis of epoxides are argued. The main goal is to provide a context for recognizing epoxides as critical products that must be accounted for in determining the state rather than extent of lipid oxidation and in tracking its consequences in oils, foods, personal care products, and tissues. A secondary goal is to stimulate new research using contemporary analyses to fill in the gaps of knowledge about epoxide formation, structure, and reactions in lipid autoxidation.

Tailored Dynamic Viscoelasticity of Polyurethanes Based on Different Diols

The development of damping and tire materials has led to a growing need to customize the dynamic viscoelasticity of polymers. In the case of polyurethane (PU), which possesses a designable molecular structure, the desired dynamic viscoelasticity can be achieved by carefully selecting flexible soft segments and employing chain extenders with diverse chemical structures. This process involves fine-tuning the molecular structure and optimizing the degree of micro-phase separation. It is worth noting that the temperature at which the loss peak occurs increases as the soft segment structure becomes more rigid. By incorporating soft segments with varying degrees of flexibility, the loss peak temperature can be adjusted within a broad range, from -50 °C to 14 °C. Furthermore, when the molecular structure of the chain extender becomes more regular, it enhances interaction between the soft and hard segments, leading to a higher degree of micro-phase separation. This phenomenon is evident from the increased percentage of hydrogen-bonding carbonyl, a lower loss peak temperature, and a higher modulus. By modifying the molecular weight of the chain extender, we can achieve precise control over the loss peak temperature, allowing us to regulate it within the range of -1 °C and 13 °C. To summarize, our research presents a novel approach for tailoring the dynamic viscoelasticity of PU materials and thus offers a new avenue for further exploration in this field.

p-Toluenesulfonic acid adorned on MCM-41: an efficient and mild catalyst for the regio/chemo-selective hydrolysis of terminal isopropylidene acetals

Regio/chemo-selective hydrolysis of a 5,6-O-isopropylidene group over a 1,2-O-isopropylidene group is accomplished to obtain corresponding diols in good to excellent yields within 4-5 hours using the p-toluenesulfonic acid impregnated MCM-41 (PTSA-MCM-41) catalyst in acetonitrile and water (9:1, v/v) at room temperature. Other sensitive hydroxyl protecting groups such as naphthyl, toluoyl, pivaloyl, benzoyl, and benzyl are compatible with this methodology. The low cost of the PTSA-MCM-41 catalyst and ease of separation of product from the reaction mixture are significant advantages of this method, which makes it useful in the multigram scale operation.

Design and Synthesis of a Ferrocene-Based Diol Library and Application in the Hetero-Diels-Alder Reaction

Diol scaffolds have been utilized as highly effective catalysts and ligands in a wide range of catalytic asymmetric transformations. For scaffolds to be successful as broadly used motifs, they should be prepared cheaply through facile routes and be easily handled. Herein, the synthesis of a family of planar chiral diols based on a modular and robust three-step route is described, which yields catalytically active diols in >99 % de and >99 % ee, with up to seven different chiral elements. These diols have been characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis, which provides clear evidence for the likely transition state when applied in the asymmetric hetero-Diels-Alder reaction. Without altering the stereochemistry of the catalyst backbone, it is possible to access both enantiomers of the product by varying the substitution of the catalyst at the α-position.

Poly(dithiophosphate)s, a New Class of Phosphorus- and Sulfur-Containing Functional Polymers by a Catalyst-Free Facile Reaction between Diols and Phosphorus Pentasulfide

Novel poly(dithiophosphate)s (PDTPs) were successfully synthesized under mild conditions without any additive in the presence of THF or toluene diluents at 60 °C by a direct, catalyst-free reaction between the abundant phosphorus pentasulfide (P₄S₁₀) and glycols such as ethylene glycol (EG), 1,6-hexanediol (HD) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). GPC, FTIR, ¹H and ³¹P NMR analyses proved the formation of macromolecules with dithiophosphate coupling groups having P=S and P-SH pendant functionalities. Surprisingly, the ring-opening of THF by the P-SH group and its pendant incorporation as a branching point occur during polymerization. This process is absent with toluene, providing conditions to obtain linear chains. ³¹P NMR measurements indicate long-time partial hydrolysis and esterification, resulting in the formation of a thiophosphoric acid moiety and branching points. Copolymerization, i.e., using mixtures of EG or HD with PEG, results in polymers with broadly varying viscoelastic properties. TGA shows the lower thermal stability of PDTPs than that of PEG due to the relatively low thermal stability of the P-O-C moieties. The low T_gs of these polymers, from -4 to -50 °C, and a lack of PEG crystallites were found by DSC. This polymerization process and the resulting novel PDTPs enable various new routes for polymer synthesis and application possibilities.

Metal-free Photocatalytic Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of C-C Bonds in 1,2-Diols

The preparation of carbonyl compounds by the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds in 1,2-diols under mild reaction conditions is a very significant reaction and is widely employed in various scenarios. Avoiding the use of harmful stoichiometric oxidants and adopting a greener chemical process remain a challenge for this reaction to date. In this manuscript, a heterogeneous metal-free photocatalytic strategy without any additive was developed for aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds in 1,2-diols at ambient conditions with visible light. The reaction mechanism was further studied through a series of control experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, the catalytic system showed a broad substrates scope, including aliphatic (linear or cyclic) 1,2-diols, benzylic, alkenyl 1,2-diols, and α-hydroxy acids (such as lactic acid). Thus, this strategy could serve as a method for the transformation of 1,2-diols to corresponding carbonyl compounds by the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds.

Synthesis of Dicarboxylic Acids from Aqueous Solutions of Diols with Hydrogen Evolution Catalyzed by an Iridium Complex

A catalytic system for the synthesis of dicarboxylic acids from aqueous solutions of diols accompanied by the evolution of hydrogen was developed. An iridium complex bearing a functional bipyridonate ligand with N,N-dimethylamino substituents exhibited a high catalytic performance for this type of dehydrogenative reaction. For example, adipic acid was synthesized from an aqueous solution of 1,6-hexanediol in 97 % yield accompanied by the evolution of four equivalents of hydrogen by the present catalytic system. It should be noted that the simultaneous production of industrially important dicarboxylic acids and hydrogen, which is useful as an energy carrier, was achieved. In addition, the selective dehydrogenative oxidation of vicinal diols to give α-hydroxycarboxylic acids was also accomplished.

Production of Hydroxy Acids: Selective Double Oxidation of Diols by Flavoprotein Alcohol Oxidase

Flavoprotein oxidases can catalyze oxidations of alcohols and amines by merely using molecular oxygen as the oxidant, making this class of enzymes appealing for biocatalysis. The FAD-containing (FAD=flavin adenine dinucleotide) alcohol oxidase from P. chrysosporium facilitated double and triple oxidations for a range of aliphatic diols. Interestingly, depending on the diol substrate, these reactions result in formation of either lactones or hydroxy acids. For example, diethylene glycol could be selectively and fully converted into 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)acetic acid. Such a facile cofactor-independent biocatalytic route towards hydroxy acids opens up new avenues for the preparation of polyester building blocks.

Understanding the Localization of Berylliosis: Interaction of Be2+ with Carbohydrates and Related Biomimetic Ligands

The interplay of metal ions with polysaccharides is important for the immune recognition in the lung. Due to the localization of beryllium associated diseases to the lung, it is likely that beryllium carbohydrate complexes play a vital role for the development of berylliosis. Herein, we present a detailed study on the interaction of Be²⁺ ions with fructose and glucose as well as simpler biomimetic ligands, which emulate binding motives of saccharides. Through NMR and IR spectroscopy as well as single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, complemented by competition reactions we were able to determine a distinctive trend in the binding affinity of these ligands. This suggests that under physiological conditions beryllium ions are only bound irreversibly in glycoproteins or polysaccharides if a quasi ideal tetrahedral environment and κ⁴‐coordination is provided by the respective biomolecule. Furthermore, Lewis acid induced conversions of the ligands and an extreme increase in the Brønstedt acidity of the present OH‐groups imply that upon enclosure of Be²⁺, alterations may be induced by the metal ion in glycoproteins or polysaccharides. In addition the frequent formation of Be‐O‐heterocycles indicates that multinuclear beryllium compounds might be the actual trigger of berylliosis. This investigation on beryllium coordination chemistry was supplemented by binding studies of selected biomimetic ligands with Al³⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Li⁺, which revealed that none of these beryllium related ions was tetrahedrally coordinated under the give conditions. Therefore, studies on the metabolization of beryllium compounds cannot be performed with other hard cations as a substitute for the hazardous Be²⁺.

Stereoselective Synthesis and Investigation of Isopulegol-Based Chiral Ligands

A library of isopulegol-based bi-, tri- and tetrafunctional chiral ligands has been developed from commercially available (−)-isopulegol and applied as chiral catalysts in the addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. Michael addition of primary amines towards α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone, followed by reduction, was accomplished to provide aminodiols in highly stereoselective transformations. Stereoselective epoxidation of (+)-neoisopulegol, derived from natural (−)-isopulegol, and subsequent oxirane ring opening with primary amines afforded aminodiols. The regioselective ring closure of N-substituted aminodiols with formaldehyde was also investigated. Hydroxylation of (+)-neoisopulegol resulted in diol, which was then transformed into aminotriols by aminolysis of its epoxides. Dihydroxylation of (+)-neoisopulegol or derivatives with OsO₄/NMO gave neoisopulegol-based di-, tri- and tetraols in highly stereoselective reactions. The antimicrobial activity of aminodiol and aminotriol derivatives as well as di-, tri- and tetraols was also explored. In addition, structure–activity relationships were examined by assessing substituent effects on the aminodiol and aminotriol systems.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide Decreases Levels of Oxylipin Diols in Mouse Liver

Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is widely used as a solvent and cryopreservative in laboratories and considered to have many beneficial health effects in humans. Oxylipins are a class of biologically active metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that have been linked to a number of diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of DMSO on oxylipin levels in mouse liver. Liver tissue from male mice (C57Bl6/N) that were either untreated or injected with 1% DMSO at 18 weeks of age was analyzed for oxylipin levels using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). A decrease in oxylipin diols from linoleic acid (LA, C18:2n6), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n3) and docosahexeanoic acid (DHA, C22:6n3) was observed 2 h after injection with DMSO. In contrast, DMSO had no effect on the epoxide precursors or other oxylipins including those derived from arachidonic acid (C20:4n6) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3). It also did not significantly affect the diol:epoxide ratio, suggesting a pathway distinct from, and potentially complementary to, soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors (sEHI). Since oxylipins have been associated with a wide array of pathological conditions, from arthritis pain to obesity, our results suggest one potential mechanism underlying the apparent beneficial health effects of DMSO. They also indicate that caution should be used in the interpretation of results using DMSO as a vehicle in animal experiments.

Giant Heterometallic [Mn36Ni4]0/2- and [Mn32Co8] "Loops-of-Loops-and-Supertetrahedra" Molecular Aggregates

We report the synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of the giant heterometallic [Mn₃₆Ni₄]^2−/0 (compounds 1, 2)/[Mn₃₂Co₈] (compound 3) “loops-of-loops-and-supertetrahedra” molecular aggregates and of a [Mn₂Ni₆]²⁺ compound (cation of 4) that is structurally related with the cation co-crystallizing with the anion of 1. In particular, after the initial preparation and characterization of compound [Mn₂Ni₆(μ₄-O)₂(μ₃-OH)₃(μ₃-Cl)₃(O₂CCH₃)₆(py)₈]²⁺[Mn₃₆Ni₄(μ₄-O)₈(μ₃-O)₄(μ₃-Cl)₈Cl₄(O₂CCH₃)₂₆(pd)₂₄(py)₄]²⁻ (1) we targeted the isolation of (i) both the cationic and the anionic aggregates of 1 in a discrete form and (ii) the Mn/Co analog of [Mn₃₆Ni₄]²⁻ aggregate. Our synthetic efforts toward these directions afforded the discrete [Mn₃₆Ni₄] “loops-of-loops-and-supertetrahedra” aggregate [Mn₃₆Ni₄(μ₄-O)₈(μ₃-O)₄(μ₃-Cl)₈Cl₂(O₂CCH₃)₂₆(pd)₂₄(py)₄(H₂O)₂] (2), the heterometallic Mn/Co analog [Mn₃₂Co₈(μ₄-O)₈(μ₃-O)₄(μ₃-Cl)₈Cl₂(μ₂-OCH₂CH₃)₂(O₂CCH₃)₂₈(pd)₂₂(py)₆] (3) and the discrete [Mn₂Ni₆]²⁺ cation [Mn₂Ni₆(μ₄-O)₂(μ₃-OH)₄(μ₃-Cl)₂(O₂CCH₃)₆(py)₈](ClO₄)(OH) (4). The structure of 1 consists of a mixed valence [Mn28IIIMn8IINi4II]²⁻ molecular aggregate that contains two Mn8IIINi2II loops separated by two Mn6IIIMn4II supertetrahedral units and a [Mn2IIINi6II]²⁺ cation based on two [Mn^IIINi3II(μ₄-O)(μ₃-OH)_1.5(μ₃-Cl)_1.5]⁴⁺ cubane sub-units connected through both mono- and tri-atomic bridges provided by the μ₄-O²⁻ and carboxylate anions. The structures of 2–4 are related to those of the compounds co-crystallized in 1 exhibiting however some differences that shall be discussed in detail in the manuscript. Magnetism studies revealed the presence of dominant ferromagnetic interactions in 1–3 that lead to large ground state spin (S_T) values for the “loops-of-loops-and-supertetrahedra” aggregates and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions in 4 that lead to a low (and possibly zero) S_T value. In particular, dc and ac magnetic susceptibility studies revealed that the discrete [Mn₃₆Ni₄] aggregate exhibits a large S_T value ~ 26 but is not a new SMM. The ac magnetic susceptibility studies of the [Mn₃₂Co₈] analog revealed an extremely weak beginning of an out-of-phase tail indicating the presence of a very small relaxation barrier assignable to the anisotropic Co²⁺ions and a resulting out-of-phase ac signal whose peak is at very low T.

An Alcohol Dehydrogenase from the Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Family of Enzymes for the Lactonization of Hexane-1,6-diol

Biocatalytic production of lactones, and in particular ϵ-caprolactone (CL), have gained increasing interest as a greener route to polymer building blocks, especially through the use of Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs). Despite several advances in the field, BVMOs, however, still suffer several practical limitations. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-mediated lactonization of diols in turn has received far less attention and very few enzymes have been identified for the conversion of diols to lactones, with horse-liver ADH (HLADH) remaining the catalyst of choice. Screening of a diverse panel of ADHs, AaSDR-1, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family, was found to produce ϵ-caprolactone from hexane-1,6-diol. Moreover, cofactor regeneration by an NADH oxidase eliminated the requirement of co-substrates, yielding water as the sole by-product. Despite lower turnover frequencies as compared to HLADH, higher selectivity was found for the production of CL, with HLADH forming significant amounts of 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid and adipic acid through aldehyde dehydrogenation/oxidation of the gem-diol intermediates. Also, CL yield were shown to be dependent on buffer choice, as structural elucidation of a Tris adduct confirmed the buffer amine to react with aliphatic aldehydes forming a Schiff-base intermediate which through further ADH oxidation, forms a tricyclic acetal product.

A Two-Step Oxidative Cleavage of 1,2-Diol Fatty Esters into Acids or Nitriles by a Dehydrogenation-Oxidative Cleavage Sequence

Dehydrogenative oxidation of vicinal alcohols catalyzed by a commercially 64 wt.% Ni/SiO₂ catalyst leads to the formation of α-hydroxyketone. This first step was developed without additional solvent according to two protocols: "under vacuum" or "with an olefin scavenger". The synthesis of ketols was carried out with good conversions and selectivities. The recyclability of the supported nickel was also studied. Acyloin was then cleaved with oxidative reagent "formic acid/hydrogen peroxide", which is cheap and can be used on a large scale for industrial oxidation processes. The global yield of this sequential system was up to 80 % to pelargonic acid and azelaic acid monomethyl ester without intermediate purification. By treating the acyloin intermediate with hydroxylamine, nitriles were obtained with a good selectivity.

Ruthenium(0)-Catalyzed Cycloaddition of 1,2-Diols, Ketols, or Diones via Alcohol-Mediated Hydrogen Transfer

Merging the characteristics of transfer hydrogenation and carbonyl addition, a broad new class of ruthenium(0)-catalyzed cycloadditions has been developed. As discussed in this Minireview, fused or bridged bicyclic ring systems are accessible in a redox-independent manner in C-C bond-forming hydrogen transfer reactions of diols, α-ketols, or 1,2-diones with diverse unsaturated reactants.

Aqueous-Phase Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol over Re Promoted Ru Catalysts Encapuslated in Porous Silica Nanoparticles

Activity improvement of Ru-based catalysts is needed for efficient production of valuable chemicals from glycerol hydrogenolysis. In this work, a series of Re promoted Ru catalysts encapuslated in porous silica nanoparticles (denoted as Re-Ru@SiO₂) were prepared by coating silica onto the surface of chemically reduced Ru-polyvinylpyrrolidone colloids, and were used to catalyze the conversion of glycerol to diols and alcohols in water. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) were used to characterize these nanoparticles. Effects of Ru/Si atomic ratio, Re addition, glycerol and catalyst concentrations, reaction time, temperature, and hydrogen pressure were investigated. Re addition retarded the reduction of ruthenium oxide, but increased the catalyst reactivity for glycerol hydrogenolysis. Due to its greater Ru content, Re-Ru@ SiO₂ showed much better activity (reacted at much lower temperature) and more yields of 1,2-propanediol and overall liquid-phase products than Re-Ru/SiO₂ (prepared by conventional impregnation method) reported before. The rate of glycerol disappearance exhibited first-order dependence on glycerol concentration and hydrogen pressure, with an activation energy of 107.8 kJ/mol. The rate constant increased linearly with increasing Ru/Si atomic ratio and catalyst amount. The yield of overall liquid-phase products correlated well with glycerol conversion.

Synergistic Configuration of Diols as Brønsted Bases

As viscous hydroxylic organic compounds, diols are of interest for their functional molecular conformation, which is based on inter- and intramolecular hydrogen (H)-bonds. By utilising steady-state electronic and vibrational spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and computational analyses, we report the association of the hydroxyl groups of diols via intra- or intermolecular H-bonds to enhance their reactivity as a base. Whereas the formation of an intermolecularly H-bonded dimer is requisite for diols of weak intramolecular H-bond to extract a proton from a model strong photoacid, a well-configured single diol molecule with an optimised intramolecular H-bond is revealed to serve as an effective Brønsted base with increased basicity. This observation highlights the collective role of H-bonding in acid-base reactions, and provides mechanistic backgrounds to understand the reactivity of polyols in the acid-catalysed dehydration for the synthesis of cyclic ethers at the molecular level.

Diols as Dienophiles: Bridged Carbocycles via Ruthenium(0)-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenative Cycloadditions of Cyclohexadiene or Norbornadiene

Highly exo-selective ruthenium(0) catalyzed transfer hydrogenative cycloadditions of 1,2-diols with cyclohexadiene or norbornadiene are described. Novel bridged bicyclic ring systems are accessible from the diol, α-ketol or 1,2-dione oxidation levels with complete control of diastereoselectivity.

Synthesis of ergostane-type brassinosteroids with modifications in ring A

Herein, we present a new strategy for the preparation of a broad range of brassinosteroid biosynthetic precursors/metabolites differing by the ring A fragment. The protocol is based on the use of readily available phytohormones of this class bearing a 2α,3α-diol moiety (epibrassinolide or epicastasterone) as starting materials. The required functionalities (Δ2-, 2α,3α- and 2β,3β-epoxy-, 2α,3β-, 2β,3α-, and 2β,3β-dihydroxy-, 3-keto-, 3α- and 3β-hydroxy-, 2α-hydroxy-3-keto-) were synthesized from 2α,3α-diols in a few simple steps (Corey-Winter reaction, epoxidation, oxidation, hydride reduction, etc.).

Phosphorus-Sulfur Heterocycles Incorporating an O-P(S)-O or O-P(S)-S-S-P(S)-O Scaffold: One-Pot Synthesis and Crystal Structure Study

A new one-pot preparative route was developed to synthesize novel organophosphorus-sulfur heterocycles via the reaction of the four-membered ring thionation reagent [2,4-diferrocenyl-1,3,2,4-diathiadiphosphetane 2,4-disulfide (FcLR, a ferrocene analogue of Lawesson's reagent)] and alkenyl/aryl-diols and I₂ (or SOCl₂) in the presence of triethylamine. Therefore, a series of five- to ten-membered heterocycles bearing an O-P(S)-O or an O-P(S)-S-S-P(S)-O linkage were synthesized. The synthesis features a novel application of the multicomponent reaction, providing an efficient and environmentally benign method for the preparation of the unusual phosphorus-sulfur heterocycles. Seven representative X-ray structures confirm the formation of these heterocycles.

Cofactor Engineering for Enhanced Production of Diols by Klebsiella pneumoniae From Co-Substrate

Diols, such as 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) and 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), have several promising properties for many synthetic reactions. Here, the cofactor engineering strategy, including the construction of Entner-Doudoroff pathway and transhydrogenase-based NADH regeneration system, was applied in producing diols from mixtures of glucose and glycerol. Entner-Doudoroff pathway had a high regeneration rate of NAD(P)H. This work described a strategy to administrate intracellular NADH/NAD⁺ ratio and improved the concentration of diols. The improvement of NADH/NAD⁺ ratio also effected gene transcription level of the central carbon pathway and cell growth. Finally, the intracellular NADH/NAD⁺ ratio in KP-APZDUT was increased by 92.8% compared to the KP-T and the concentration, yield and productivity of diols were increased to 110.8 g L^-1 , 0.78 mol mol^-1 , and 3.46 g Lh^-1 , respectively. The strategy described here provides an approach to achieve a recombinant strain which is capable of producing diols with high yield and productivity. To the best of our knowledge, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway has not yet been used to produce 1,3-PDO or 2,3-BDO in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

High-Throughput Assay for Enantiomeric Excess Determination in 1,2- and 1,3-Diols and Direct Asymmetric Reaction Screening

A simple and efficient method for determination of the yield, enantiomeric/diasteriomeric excess (ee/de), and absolute configuration of crude chiral diols without the need of work-up and product isolation in a high throughput setting is described. This approach utilizes a self-assembled iminoboronate ester formed as a product by dynamic covalent self-assembly of a chiral diol with an enantiopure fluorescent amine such as tryptophan methyl ester or tryptophanol and 2-formylphenylboronic acid. The resulting diastereomeric boronates display different photophysical properties and allow for fluorescence-based ee determination of molecules containing a 1,2- or 1,3-diol moiety. This method has been utilized for the screening of ee in a number of chiral diols including atorvastatin, a statin used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Noyori asymmetric hydrogenation of benzil was performed in a highly parallel fashion with errors <1 % ee confirming the feasibility of the systematic examination of crude products from the parallel asymmetric synthesis in real time and in a high-throughput screening (HTS) fashion.

Heterogeneous Sodium-Manganese Oxide Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of 1,2-Diols

The aerobic oxidative cleavage of 1,2-diols using a heterogeneous catalyst only based on earth-abundant metals manganese and sodium is reported for the first time. This reusable catalyst cleaves a variety of substrates into aldehydes or ketones with high selectivity. The reaction requires small catalytic loadings and is performed under mild conditions using ambient pressure O₂ or air as the oxidant while producing water as the only by-product. Mechanistic investigations reveal a monodentate, two-electron oxidative fragmentation process involving a Mn^IV species. The eco-friendly, innocuous catalyst is compatible with a wide range of functional groups and conditions, making it highly competitive with classical reagents, such as periodic acid or lead tetraacetate, as a preferred method for activated 1,2-diols.

Supported Molybdenum Catalysts for the Deoxydehydration of 1,4-Anhydroerythritol into 2,5-Dihydrofuran

Efficient deoxygenation strategies are crucial for the valorization of renewable feedstocks. Deoxydehydration (DODH) enables the direct transformation of two adjacent hydroxyl groups into a double bond. Supported molybdenum-based catalysts were utilized for the first time in DODH. MoO_x /TiO₂ showed superior catalytic activity compared to common molybdenum salts. The catalyst efficiently converted 1,4-anhydroerythritol into 2,5-dihydrofuran in the presence of 3-octanol as reducing agent, showing high reproducibility and stability.

Thiol-Ene Step-Growth as a Versatile Route to Functional Polymers

A new use of the thiol-ene reaction to generate functional, redox-tunable polymers is described. To illustrate the versatility of this approach, tailored divinyl ether monomers were polymerized with triethylene glycol dithiol to yield polymers containing either a carbonate or zwitterionic phosphocholine within the polymer backbone. Similarly, dithioerythritol was polymerized with triethylene glycol divinyl ether to yield a polymer with pendant diols and show how functional groups can be designed into either the divinyl ether or dithiol monomer. Using the thioether functional group inherent to this polymerization, all three polymers were selectively and quantitatively oxidized to either sulfoxides or sulfones by treatment with dilute hydrogen peroxide or mCPBA, respectively. With these illustrative examples, it is shown that the thiol-ene polymerization is a broad-reaching method to access a class of new redox-active polymers which contain varied and dense functional-group compositions.

Association of symmetrical alkane diols with pyridine: DFT/GIAO calculation of 1 H NMR chemical shifts

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shifts of the free diol and of its 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 hydrogen-bonded complexes with pyridine have been computed for five symmetrical alkane diols on the basis of density functional theory, by applying the gauge-including atomic orbital method to geometry-optimized conformers. For certain conformers, intramolecular OH···OH interactions, evidenced by high NMR OH proton shifts, are further enhanced on going from the free diol to the corresponding 1 : 1 diol/pyridine complex. This is confirmed by atoms-in-molecules and non-covalent interaction plots. The computed OH and CH proton shifts for the diol and the two complexes correlate well with values obtained by analysing data from the NMR titration of the diols in benzene against pyridine. Shift values for the diols in neat pyridine are calculated by weighting the shifts of the various protons in the three forms (free diol, 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 diol/pyridine complexes) according to the experimentally determined association constants. The results are in good agreement with those observed, and after empirical scaling, the root mean square difference is 0.18 ppm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sustainable Pathways to Pyrroles through Iron-Catalyzed N-Heterocyclization from Unsaturated Diols and Primary Amines

Pyrroles are prominent scaffolds in pharmaceutically active compounds and play an important role in medicinal chemistry. Therefore, the development of new, atom-economic, and sustainable catalytic strategies to obtain these moieties is highly desired. Direct catalytic pathways that utilize readily available alcohol substrates have been recently established; however, these approaches rely on the use of noble metals such as ruthenium or iridium. Here, we report on the direct synthesis of pyrroles using a catalyst based on the earth-abundant and inexpensive iron. The method uses 2-butyne-1,4-diol or 2-butene-1,4-diol that can be directly coupled with anilines, benzyl amines, and aliphatic amines to obtain a variety of N-substituted pyrroles in moderate-to-excellent isolated yields.

Simple Preparation of Rhodococcus erythropolis DSM 44534 as Biocatalyst to Oxidize Diols into the Optically Active Lactones

In the current study, we present a green toolbox to produce ecological compounds like lactone moiety. Rhodococcus erythropolis DSM 44534 cells have been used to oxidize both decane-1,4-diol () and decane-1,5-diol () into the corresponding γ- () and δ-decalactones () with yield of 80% and enantiomeric excess (ee) = 75% and ee = 90%, respectively. Among oxidation of meso diols, (-)-(1S,5R)-cis-3-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]non-7-en-2-one (5a) with 56% yield and ee = 76% as well as (-)-(2R,3S)-cis-endo-3-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]dec-7-en-2-one (6a) with 100% yield and ee = 90% were formed. It is worth mentioning that R. erythropolis DSM 44534 grew in a mineral medium containing ethanol as the sole source of energy and carbon Chirality 28:623-627, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Screening, Molecular Cloning, and Biochemical Characterization of an Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Pichia pastoris Useful for the Kinetic Resolution of a Racemic β-Hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl Ketone

The stereoselective synthesis of chiral 1,3-diols with the aid of biocatalysts is an attractive tool in organic chemistry. Besides the reduction of diketones, an alternative approach consists of the stereoselective reduction of β-hydroxy ketones (aldols). Thus, we screened for an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) that would selectively reduce a β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketone. One potential starting material for this process is readily available by aldol addition of acetone to 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone. Over 200 strains were screened, and only a few yeast strains showed stereoselective reduction activities. The enzyme responsible for the reduction of the β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketone was identified after purification and subsequent MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis. As a result, a new NADP(+) -dependent ADH from Pichia pastoris (PPADH) was identified and confirmed to be capable of stereospecific and diastereoselective reduction of the β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketone to its corresponding 1,3-diol. The gene encoding PPADH was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). To determine the influence of an N- or C-terminal His-tag fusion, three different recombinant plasmids were constructed. Interestingly, the variant with the N-terminal His-tag showed the highest activity; consequently, this variant was purified and characterized. Kinetic parameters and the dependency of activity on pH and temperature were determined. PPADH shows a substrate preference for the reduction of linear and branched aliphatic aldehydes. Surprisingly, the enzyme shows no comparable activity towards ketones other than the β-hydroxy-β-trifluoromethyl ketone.

Synthesis of Water-Dispersed Ferrecene/Phenylboronic Acid-Modified Bifunctional Gold Nanoparticles and the Application in Biosensing

Phenylboronic acids can form tight covalent bonds with diol-containing biomolecules. In this work, water-dispersed bifunctional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified with ferrecene (Fc)-derivatized peptides and 4-mercaptophenylboronic acids (MBA) (denoted as Fc–MBA–AuNPs) were synthesized and characterized by UV/vis spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. To demonstrate the application and the analytical merits of the nanoparticles in biosensing, glycoprotein avidin was tested as a model analyte. Specifically, avidin was captured by the biotin-covered gold electrode via the strong biotin-avidin interaction. Then, Fc–MBA–AuNPs were attached by the captured avidin through the formation of tight covalent bonds between the boronic acid moieties of Fc–MBA–AuNPs and the oligosaccharides of avidin. As a result, a detection limit of 0.2 pM was achieved. We believe that the bifunctional nanoparticles would found many applications in amplified detection of diol-containing species by rational design of the surface chemistry of electrode.

Heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of biobased levulinic and succinic acids in aqueous solutions

Supported noble-metal catalysts (Ru, Pd or Pt) and the corresponding Re-promoted catalysts exhibit a high activity for the hydrogenation of biobased carboxylic acids. Levulinic acid and succinic acid are converted into the lactones or the diols depending on the nature of the catalyst and the reaction conditions. The highest selectivity to 1,4-pentanediol of 82 % is achieved at 140 °C in the presence of the 1.9 % Ru-3.6 % Re/C catalyst.

Cascade- and orthoamide-type Overman rearrangements of allylic vicinal diols

This article describes the details of two new types of Overman rearrangement from allylic vicinal diols. Starting from identical diols, both bis(imidate)s and cyclic orthoamides were selectively synthesized by simply changing the reaction conditions. Whilst exposure of the bis(imidate)s to thermal conditions initiated the double Overman rearrangement to introduce two identical nitrogen groups in a single operation (the cascade-type Overman rearrangement), the reaction of cyclic orthoamides resulted in a single rearrangement (the orthoamide-type Overman rearrangement). The newly generated allylic alcohols from the orthoamide-type reaction can potentially undergo a variety of further transformations. For instance, we demonstrated an Overman/Claisen sequence in one pot. The most conspicuous feature of this method is that it offers precise control over the number of Overman rearrangements from the same allylic vicinal diols. This method also excludes the tedious protecting-group manipulations of the homoallylic alcohols, which are necessary in conventional Overman rearrangements. All of the performed rearrangements proceeded in a completely diastereoselective fashion through a chair-like transition state.

Asymmetric diboration of terminal alkenes with a rhodium catalyst and subsequent oxidation: enantioselective synthesis of optically active 1,2-diols

Pin it down: A highly enantioselective diboration of terminal alkenes with chiral 1 and bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2 pin2 ) was realized. Subsequent oxidation of the diboron adducts with sodium peroxoborate readily gave the corresponding optically active 1,2-diols in high yields and high enantioselectivities.

Synthesis and stability of new spiroaminoborate esters

New spiroaminoborate esters derived from 1,1-diphenylprolinol, ephedrine and dihydroquinine with different alkoxy substituents were prepared as stable crystalline compounds and characterized by spectroscopical analysis and specific rotation. The structure of the spiroborate 4 derived from 1,1-diphenylprolinol and dicyclohexyl-1,1'-diol was confirmed by X-ray analysis.

Scaffolding Catalysis: Expanding the Repertoire of Bifunctional Catalysts

Inducing an intramolecular reaction is a powerful means of accelerating reactions. Though this mechanism of catalysis is common in enzymes, it is underutilized in synthetic catalysts. This article outlines our group's recent efforts to use reversible covalent bonding to induce an intramolecular reaction, allowing for rate acceleration as well as control of the selectivity in the desymmetrization of 1,2-diols.

Systematic investigations on the reduction of 4-aryl-4-oxoesters to 1-aryl-1,4-butanediols with methanolic sodium borohydride

4-Aryl-4-oxoesters undergo facile reduction of both the keto and the ester groups with methanolic NaBH₄ at room temperature to yield the corresponding 1-aryl-1,4-butanediols whereas 4-alkyl-4-oxoesters furnish the corresponding 1,4-butanolides via selective reduction of the keto moiety. Results of a detailed and systematic investigation of the reaction are described.

In vitro transformation of rodent cells by K-region derivatives of polycyclic hydrocarbons

The K-region epoxides and cis-dihydrodiols derived from benz(a)anthracene and from dibenz(a,h)-anthracene have been found to be more active in the production of malignant transformation in hamster embryo cells than the hydrocarbons or the corresponding K-region phenols. The K-region epoxides derived from benz(a)-anthracene and from 3-methylcholanthrene were also active in transforming a clone of ventral prostate cells from the C3H mouse that was not readily transformed by the parent hydrocarbons. The phenols were the most toxic compounds tested but did not transform cells; this confirms that toxicity and transformation are not directly related events. The results obtained support the view that metabolism of polycyclic hydrocarbons precedes toxicity and transformation in rodent cells in culture.