Dinuclear Rare-Earth β-Diketiminates with Bridging 3,5-Di-butyl-catecholates: Synthesis, Structure, and Single-Molecule Magnet Properties.

The dinuclear β-diketiminato complex [LClDy(μ-Cl)DyL(THF)] () (L = {2,6-PrCH-NC(Me)CHC(Me)N-2,6-PrCH}) was obtained by reaction of DyCl with KL in a molar ratio of 1:1 and used for the preparation of the mixed-ligand complex [LDy(μ-3,5-Cat)] () by salt metathesis reaction with 3,5-CatK (3,5-Cat -3,5-di--butyl-catecholate). Reactions of 3,5-CatNa with [LLnCl(THF)] (Ln = Dy, Y) ligated with the less bulky ligand L = {2,4,6-MeCH-NC(Me)CHC(Me)N-2,4,6-MeCH} afforded the mixed-ligand THF-containing complexes [LLn(μ-3,5-Cat)(THF)] (Ln = Dy (), Y ()). All new complexes were fully characterized, and the solid-state structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

The Diels-Alder Approach towards Cannabinoid Derivatives and Formal Synthesis of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Based on the Diels-Alder reaction of vinylchromenes with electron-poor dienophiles, we developed a strategy for the synthesis of tetrahydrocannabinol derivatives. Substituted vinyl chromenes could be converted with several dienophiles to successfully isolate several complex molecules. These molecules already contain the cannabinoid-like base structure and further processing of one such derivative led to a precursor of Δ -tetrahydrocannabinol.

Six hydrophobins are involved in hydrophobin rodlet formation in Aspergillus nidulans and contribute to hydrophobicity of the spore surface.

Hydrophobins are amphiphilic proteins able to self-assemble at water-air interphases and are only found in filamentous fungi. In Aspergillus nidulans two hydrophobins, RodA and DewA, have been characterized, which both localize on the conidiospore surface and contribute to its hydrophobicity. RodA is the constituent protein of very regularly arranged rodlets, 10 nm in diameter.

A unified strategy for the asymmetric total syntheses of diversonol and lachnone C.

A unified synthetic strategy for the asymmetric syntheses of the natural products diversonol and lachnone C was developed by using the domino vinylogous aldol-oxa-Michael reaction as the enantioselective key step. Further transformations include dihydroxylation, lactol-opening by a Wittig-reaction, and lactonization. The obtained chromone lactones, a class of mycotoxins, can further be converted to tetrahydroxanthones by a Dieckmann condensation.