General Protocol to Obtain D-Glucosamine from Biomass Residues: Shrimp Shells, Cicada Sloughs and Cockroaches.

A general protocol is developed to obtain D-glucosamine from three widely available biomass residues: shrimp shells, cicada sloughs, and cockroaches. The protocol includes three steps: (1) demineralization, (2) deproteinization, and (3) chitin hydrolysis. This simple, general protocol opens the door to obtain an invaluable nitrogen-containing compound from three biomass residues, and it can potentially be applied to other chitin sources.

An Aminocatalyzed Michael Addition/Iron-Mediated Decarboxylative Cyclization Sequence for the Preparation of 2,3,4,6-Tetrasubstituted Pyridines: Scope and Mechanistic Insights.

A novel, scalable strategy for the preparation of 2,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted pyridines is described. This protocol has two steps: an aminocatalyzed addition of ketones to alkylidene isoxazol-5-ones, followed by an iron-mediated decarboxylative cyclization event. Mechanistic insights for both steps are provided based on HRMS-ESI(+) studies.

Michael Addition of Soft Carbon Nucleophiles to Alkylidene Isoxazol-5-ones: A Divergent Entry to β-Branched Carbonyl Compounds.

A novel, divergent strategy toward the synthesis of β-branched (and linear) carbonyl compounds is developed by taking advantage of alkylidene isoxazol-5-ones as key building blocks. The yields obtained range from good to excellent, therefore making the described methods attractive options for building such molecules.