Noncovalent interactions define and modulate biomolecular structure, function, and dynamics. In many protein secondary structures, an intimate interaction exists between adjacent carbonyl groups of the main-chain amide bonds. As this short contact contributes to the energetics of protein conformational stability as well as protein−ligand interactions, understanding its nature is crucial. The intimacy of the carbonyl groups could arise from a charge−charge or dipole−dipole interaction, or n→π * electronic delocalization. This last putative origin, which is reminiscent of the Bürgi−Dunitz trajectory, involves delocalization of the lone pairs (n) of the oxygen (Oi−1) of a peptide bond over the antibonding orbital (π*) of the carbonyl group (Ci=Oi) of the subsequent peptide bond. By installing isosteric chemical substituents in a peptidic model system and using NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and ab initio calculations to analyze the consequences, the intimate interaction between adjacent carbonyl groups is shown to arise primarily from n→π* electronic delocalization. This finding has implications for organic, biological, and medicinal chemistry.

The oxidative conversion of alicyclic ketones into lactones with permonosulfuric acid was discovered by Baeyer and Villiger in 1899, and in their honor the general process by which ketones are converted into esters or lactones is now known as the Baeyer–Villiger reaction. The literature on this synthetically useful process has been reviewed comprehensively through 1953 in Volume 9 of Organic Reactions , and less comprehensive reviews of the reaction have appeared since then. More recent investigations have led to the development of new synthetic reagents, to improvements in experimental reaction conditions, and to a better understanding of regiochemical and stereochemical aspects of the reaction. Baeyer–Villiger reactions now often can be carried out with functional group chemoselectivity and regiochemical control. Although the recent removal from commerce of 90% hydrogen peroxide and reagents based upon this oxidant are a setback to Baeyer–Villiger reaction methodology, alternative reagents, catalysts, and methods described in this review are available to fill the gaps. The definition of the Baeyer–Villiger reaction is somewhat fuzzy, and can be considered to include both ketones and aldehydes. In addition to the traditional use of organic and inorganic peracids as oxidants, examples of oxygen insertion reactions using hydrogen peroxide, alkyl peroxides, and several metal ion oxidants are considered to fall within the scope of this chapter and are included in the tabular survey.

Among the proteinogenic amino acids, only proline is a secondary amine and only proline has a saturated ring. Electronegative substituents on C-4 (that is, C(gamma)) have a substantial effect on the trans/cis ratio of the prolyl peptide bond and the pucker of the pyrrolidine ring. 2-Azabicyclo[2.1.1]hexane is, in essence, a proline analogue with two C(gamma) atoms, one in each of the two prevalent ring puckers of proline. Here, 2-azabicyclo[2.1.1]hexane analogues of 2S-proline, (2S,4S)-4-hydroxyproline, and (2S,4S)-4-fluoroproline residues were synthesized, and their trans/cis ratios were shown to be invariant in a particular solvent. Thus, the substitution of a proline residue on C-4 affects the trans/cis ratio by altering the pucker of its pyrrolidine ring. This finding has implications for the conformation of collagen, which has an abundance of 2S-proline and (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline residues, and can be stabilized by (2S,4R)-4-fluoroproline and (2S,4S)-4-fluoroproline residues.