Development of group IV molecular catalysts for high temperature ethylene-α-olefin copolymerization reactions.

This Account describes our research related to the development of molecular catalysts for solution phase olefin polymerization. Specifically, a series of constrained geometry and nonmetallocene (imino-amido-type) complexes were developed for high temperature olefin polymerization reactions. We have discovered many highly active catalysts that are capable of operating at temperatures above 120 °C and producing copolymers with a useful range of molecular weights (from medium to ultrahigh depending on precatalyst identity and polymerization conditions) and α-olefin incorporation capability.

Implementation of basic quality control tests for malaria medicines in Amazon Basin countries: results for the 2005-2010 period.

Background: Ensuring the quality of malaria medicines is crucial in working toward malaria control and eventual elimination. Unlike other validated tests that can assess all critical quality attributes, which is the standard for determining the quality of medicines, basic tests are significantly less expensive, faster, and require less skilled labour; yet, these tests provide reproducible data and information on several critical quality attributes, such as identity, purity, content, and disintegration. Visual and physical inspection also provides valuable information about the manufacturing and the labelling of medicines, and in many cases this inspection is sufficient to detect counterfeit medicines.

Two Remarkable Epimerizations Imperative for the Success of an Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (+)-Aigialospirol.

Two remarkable epimerization processes were uncovered during our pursuit of an enantioselective synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol featuring a cyclic acetal tethered ring-closing metathesis. Through modeling, we were able to turn these two unexpected epimerizations to our advantage via modeling to ensure a successful and concise total synthesis, thereby firmly establishing cyclic acetal tethered RCM as a powerful strategy in natural product synthesis. Most importantly, calculations allowed us to fully understand the nature and the mechanistic course of these two epimerizations that were imperative to the total synthesis efforts.

A Rhodium(I)-Xylyl-BINAP Catalyzed Asymmetric Ynamide-[2 + 2 + 2] Cycloaddition in the Synthesis of Optically Enriched N,O-Biaryls.

A rhodium(I)-xylyl-BINAP catalyzed asymmetric [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of achiral conjugated aryl ynamides with various diynes is described here. This asymmetric cycloaddition provides a series of structurally interesting chiral N,O-biaryls with excellent enantioselectivity along with a modest diastereoselectivity with respect to both C-C and C-N axial chirality.

A highly stereoselective synthesis of chiral alpha-amino-beta-lactams via the Kinugasa reaction employing ynamides.

A highly stereoselective synthesis of chiral alpha-amino-beta-lactam through an ynamide-Kinugasa reaction is described. In addition, a mechanistic model is illustrated here to rationalize the observed diastereoselectivity, which depends on both the initial [3 + 2] cycloaddition step and the subsequent protonation for which both are highly selective.

An enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol.

A concise and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol is described here, featuring the first complex natural product synthesis that employs a cyclic ketal-tethered ring-closing metathesis strategy and an unexpected stereoselective epimerization of a benzylic hydroxyl group. The 15-step synthetic sequence illustrates the proof-of-concept that such an approach can be competitive with the classical spiroketal formation in the natural product synthesis.

Stereochemical control of both C-C and C-N axial chirality in the synthesis of chiral N,O-biaryls.

A Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of achiral ynamides is described here. This work demonstrates a unique concept of stereochemical control of both the C-C and C-N axial chirality and provides an approach to the synthesis of chiral N,O-biaryls as well as chiral anilides.

Synthesis of unsaturated organotrifluoroborates via Wittig and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination.

The stereoselective synthesis of unsaturated organotrifluoroborates by using the Wittig and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination is described. These reactions were general for both alkyl- and aryltrifluoroborates. The synthesis of di- and trisubstituted olefins was achieved by using formyl- and acetyl-substituted organotrifluoroborates.

cis-dihydroxylation of unsaturated potassium alkyl- and aryltrifluoroborates.

[reaction: see text] The cis-dihydroxylation of olefin-containing potassium alkyl- and aryltrifluoroborates proceeds readily in moderate to excellent yields. The resulting diols are efficient coupling partners in Suzuki-Miyaura-type reactions with both alkenyl and aryl bromides.

Efficient synthesis of B-alkylated oxazaborolidines derived from ephedrine and norephedrine.

[reaction: see text] Representative B-butyl- and B-methyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines derived from ephedrine and norephedrine were prepared in good yield and excellent purity by one-pot treatment of B-H oxazaborolidines with the corresponding organolithium reagent and subsequent hydrolysis of the cyclic borohydride intermediate with anhydrous ammonium chloride.