The development of green and sustainable methods for the conversion of aldehydes to carboxylic acids is of high academic and industrial interest. We demonstrate herein a practical and efficient light-promoted...

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (GIVA cPLA2) is the only PLA2 that exhibits a marked preference for hydrolysis of arachidonic acid containing phospholipid substrates releasing free arachidonic acid and lysophospholipids and giving rise to the generation of diverse lipid mediators involved in inflammatory conditions. Thus, the development of potent and selective GIVA cPLA2 inhibitors is of great importance. We have developed a novel class of such inhibitors based on the 2-oxoester functionality. This functionality in combination with a long aliphatic chain or a chain carrying an appropriate aromatic system, such as the biphenyl system, and a free carboxyl group leads to highly potent and selective GIVA cPLA2 inhibitors (X I(50) values 0.00007–0.00008) and docking studies aid in understanding this selectivity. A methyl 2-oxoester, with a short chain carrying a naphthalene ring, was found to preferentially inhibit the other major intracellular PLA2, the calcium-independent PLA2. In RAW264.7 macrophages, treatment with the most potent 2-oxoester GIVA cPLA2 inhibitor resulted in over 50% decrease in KLA-elicited prostaglandin D2 production. The novel, highly potent and selective GIVA cPLA2 inhibitors provide excellent tools for the study of the role of the enzyme and could contribute to the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

The synthesis of both trans- and cis-diastereomers of pyrrolidinine-thioxotetrahydropyrimidinone bearing either a fluorine or a hydroxyl group was accomplished. The new compounds were tested for their catalytic properties in a variety of asymmetric organic transformations and compared with the first generation catalyst. It was found that the new catalysts could efficiently catalyze the reactions in brine, without the use of organic solvent, and by employing an almost stoichiometric amount of reagents. Thus, the products were isolated by simple extractions, avoiding the use of chromatography in excellent yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities.

SummaryOrganocatalysis, now running its second decade of life, is being considered one of the main tools a synthetic chemist has to perform asymmetric catalysis. In this review the synthesis of six-membered rings, that contain multiple chiral centers, either by a ring closing process or by a functionalization reaction on an already existing six-membered ring, utilizing bifunctional (thio)ureas will be summarized. Initially, the use of primary amine-thioureas as organocatalysts for the above transformation is being discussed, followed by the examples employing secondary amine-thioureas. Finally, the use of tertiary amine-thioureas and miscellaneous examples are presented.

A novel and efficient metal-free catalyzed hydroacylation of dialkyl azodicarboxylates is reported. Graphite flakes were found to be the most efficient catalyst among other carbon-based materials to promote this reaction. This unprecedented catalytic activity can be expanded into a wide substrate scope of aliphatic aldehydes bearing various functional groups, leading to the corresponding products in good to excellent yields.