NMR-filtered virtual screening leads to non-metal chelating metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors.

There are no clinically useful inhibitors of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), which are a growing problem because they hydrolyse almost all β-lactam antibacterials. Inhibition by most reported MBL inhibitors involves zinc ion chelation. A structure-based virtual screening approach combined with NMR filtering led to the identification of inhibitors of the clinically relevant Verona Integron-encoded MBL (VIM)-2.

Silver-catalyzed benzylation and allylation of tertiary alkyl bromides with organozinc reagents.

Silver salts catalyze the benzylation and allylation of tertiary alkyl bromides with organozinc reagents. The reactions create quaternary carbon centers efficiently. Treatment of gem-dibromoalkanes with benzylic or allylic zinc reagents under silver catalysis leads to dibenzylation or diallylation.

Copper-catalyzed reaction of alkyl halides with cyclopentadienylmagnesium reagent.

Treatment of alkyl halides, including tertiary alkyl bromides, with cyclopentadienylmagnesium bromide in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper(II) triflate yielded the corresponding cyclopentadienylated products in high yields. The following hydrogenation of the products provided alkyl-substituted cyclopentanes.

Silver-catalyzed benzylation and allylation reactions of tertiary and secondary alkyl halides with grignard reagents.

Treatment of alkyl halides, including tertiary alkyl bromides, with benzylic or allylic Grignard reagent in the presence of a catalytic amount of silver nitrate in ether yielded the corresponding cross-coupling products in high yields. The coupling reactions of tertiary alkyl halides provide efficient access to quaternary carbon centers.

N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in cobalt-catalyzed sequential cyclization/cross-coupling reactions of 6-halo-1-hexene derivatives with Grignard reagents.

[reaction: see text] N-Heterocyclic carbene/cobalt systems effectively catalyze sequential cyclization/cross-coupling reactions of 6-halo-1-hexene derivatives with trialkylsilylmethyl and 1-alkynyl Grignard reagents, which phosphine and amine ligands did not promote.

1,2-Migration of phosphorus-centered anions on ate-type copper carbenoids and its application for the synthesis of new potent phosphine ligands.

[chemical reaction: see text]. Diorganophosphide anions, which usually function as nontransferable ligands on mixed cuprates, undergo smooth 1,2-migration on ate-type copper carbenoids. Phosphinodisilylmethylcoppers prepared by this protocol are converted into the corresponding phosphines, which can be used as bulky, highly basic and air-stable ligands.