This review presents the phytochemical constituents of the genus Plectranthus reported up to 1999. Only a tetrameric derivative of caffeic acid was isolated from P. japonicus, but a group of long-chain alkylphenols, of possible taxonomic significance in the genus, was also isolated. As a genus of the subfamily Nepetoideae, Plectranthus is free from iridoid glycosides and rich in essential oil (i.e. > 0.5% volatile oil on a dry weight basis). Diterpenoids are the more common secondary metabolites in Plectranthus. The majority of them are highly modified abietanoids. This seems to be similar to the pattern of diterpenoids observed for Salvia, but no clerodane diterpenoids were found in Plectranthus.

Thiourea mediates cooperative glycosidation through hydrogen bonding. N,N'-Diarylthiourea as cocatalyst enforces an SN2-type acid-catalyzed glycosidation even at room temperature (see scheme; Bn=benzyl). From O-(α-glycosyl) trichloroacetimidates as glycosyl donors and various acceptors, β-glycosides are preferentially or exclusively obtained.

. J. Chem. 64, 871 (1986).The kinetics of triethylamine (TEA) catalyzed deydrochlorination of a series of N-aryl-C-ethoxycarbonylfonnohydrazidoyl chlorides la-m have been studied under pseudo-first-order conditions in 4:l (v/v) dioxane-water solution at 30°C. For all compounds studied, the kinetics followed the rate law: kobs = k2 (TEA). The values of the overall second-order rate constants for the studied compounds were correlated by the equation: log k2 = 0.533 u --0.21 8. The results are compatible with a mechanism involving a fast reversible deprotonation step leading to the anion of 1, followed by rate-determining step involving the loss of the chloride ion from the anion. The reaction constants of these two steps were estimated to be 0.845 and -0.312, respectively. [Traduit par la revue]

Luminescent glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (GS-AuNCs) with tunable emissions have been efficiently synthesized by a solution-based microwave method.