Exploiting Chitin as a Source of Biologically Fixed Nitrogen: Formation and Full Characterization of Small-Molecule Hetero- and Carbocyclic Pyrolysis Products.

Pyrolysis of variously pretreated or untreated samples of chitin () and certain congeners at 150-350 °C afforded a range of platform molecules, as exemplified by compounds , , , , and . All of these products have been fully characterized, including by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Pathways for the formation of them are proposed and theoretical studies of certain aspects of these described.

Total Synthesis of (+)-Viridianol, a Marine-Derived Sesquiterpene Embodying the Decahydrocyclobuta[ d]indene Framework.

A total synthesis of the title sesquiterpene 4 is described that starts with the chiral, non-racemic cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 10 obtained through the whole-cell biotransformation of p-iodotoluene. Compound 10 is elaborated over seven steps, including Negishi cross-coupling and intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) cycloaddition reactions, to ketone 7 that engages in a photochemically promoted 1,3-acyl migration and so affording cyclobutanone 6. Compound 6 was converted over further steps into the title compound 4.