Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aryl Vinyl Sulfides via 1,3-Oxathiolanes As Vinyl Sulfide Surrogates.

A nontraditional approach to synthesizing aryl vinyl sulfides is described. 2,2-Diphenyl-1,3-oxathiolane slowly liberates a vinyl sulfide anion under basic conditions. Using a Pd/Xantphos catalyst system to activate a wide range of aryl bromides, this transient sulfide species can be effectively trapped and fed into a traditional Pd/Pd catalytic cycle.

Computational exploration of a protein receptor binding space with student proposed peptide ligands.

Computational molecular docking is a fast and effective in silico method for the analysis of binding between a protein receptor model and a ligand. The visualization and manipulation of protein to ligand binding in three-dimensional space represents a powerful tool in the biochemistry curriculum to enhance student learning. The DockoMatic tutorial described herein provides a framework by which instructors can guide students through a drug screening exercise.