A subtle change in catalyst structure can sometimes improve catalytic activity dramatically, as we found in our recent study on a-aminoxylation, tandem O-nitroso aldol/Michael reactions, and Mannich reactions catalyzed by the siloxyproline 4, a highly active proline surrogate (Scheme 1).[1] The simple introduction of a siloxy group into the proline structure leads to an increase in the catalytic activity, thus allowing a decrease in catalyst loading and shorter reaction times, without compromising the enantioselectivity, and is accompanied by broadening of the substrate scope. This higher activity can be attributed to the increased solubility of 4 in organic solvents. The fact that the substitution of a hydroxy group for a siloxy group can dramatically affect catalytic activity prompted us to investigate other catalytic systems, and these investigations led us to the diphenylprolinol silyl ether 2. The parent diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinemethanol (1, diphenylprolinol), a commercially available amino alcohol developed by Corey and co-workers, has proved to be a very useful ligand for asymmetric synthesis: B-alkylated oxazaborodine is a useful catalyst for the CBS reduction, [2] while an effective, asymmetric Lewis acid catalyst prepared from B-aryl oxazaborodine and a Brønsted acid promotes the Diels-Alder reaction of a broad range of substrates with excellent enantioselectiv-

Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels changing their volumes and shapes in response to various stimulations have potential applications in multiple fields. However, these hydrogels have not yet been commercialized due to some problems that need to be overcome. One of the most significant problems is that conventional stimuli-sensitive hydrogels are usually brittle. Here we prepare extremely stretchable thermosensitive hydrogels with good toughness by using polyrotaxane derivatives composed of α-cyclodextrin and polyethylene glycol as cross-linkers and introducing ionic groups into the polymer network. The ionic groups help the polyrotaxane cross-linkers to become well extended in the polymer network. The resulting hydrogels are surprisingly stretchable and tough because the cross-linked α-cyclodextrin molecules can move along the polyethylene glycol chains. In addition, the polyrotaxane cross-linkers can be used with a variety of vinyl monomers; the mechanical properties of the wide variety of polymer gels can be improved by using these cross-linkers.

Going green: The synthetically very important aldol reaction can proceed in water without a metal catalyst with excellent enantioselectivity. The key to the reaction is a small, synthetic organic catalyst based on trans‐hydroxyproline with a siloxy group. Thus, this method is an environmentally friendly process for the synthesis of chiral molecules.

We prepared a mechanically tough, highly transparent elastomer by using a polyrotaxane cross-linker acting as a molecular pulley.

A subtle change in catalyst structure can sometimes improve catalytic activity dramatically, as we found in our recent study on a-aminoxylation, tandem O-nitroso aldol/Michael reactions, and Mannich reactions catalyzed by the siloxyproline 4, a highly active proline surrogate (Scheme 1).[1] The simple introduction of a siloxy group into the proline structure leads to an increase in the catalytic activity, thus allowing a decrease in catalyst loading and shorter reaction times, without compromising the enantioselectivity, and is accompanied by broadening of the substrate scope. This higher activity can be attributed to the increased solubility of 4 in organic solvents. The fact that the substitution of a hydroxy group for a siloxy group can dramatically affect catalytic activity prompted us to investigate other catalytic systems, and these investigations led us to the diphenylprolinol silyl ether 2. The parent diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinemethanol (1, diphenylprolinol), a commercially available amino alcohol developed by Corey and co-workers, has proved to be a very useful ligand for asymmetric synthesis: B-alkylated oxazaborodine is a useful catalyst for the CBS reduction, [2] while an effective, asymmetric Lewis acid catalyst prepared from B-aryl oxazaborodine and a Brønsted acid promotes the Diels-Alder reaction of a broad range of substrates with excellent enantioselectiv-

A catalytic enantioselective direct conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes using diphenylprolinol silyl ether as an organocatalyst has been developed. Using this methodology as a key step, short syntheses of therapeutically useful compounds have also been accomplished.

A definition of the scope of aromatic substrates that participate with catharanthine in an Fe(III)-mediated coupling reaction, an examination of the key structural features of catharanthine required for participation in the reaction, and the development of a generalized indole functionalization reaction that bears little structural relationship to catharanthine itself are detailed. In addition to providing insights into the mechanism of the Fe(III)-mediated coupling reaction of catharanthine with vindoline suggesting the reaction conducted in acidic aqueous buffer may be radical mediated, the studies provide new opportunities for the preparation of previously inaccessible vinblastine analogs and define powerful new methodology for the synthesis of indole-containing natural and unnatural products.

A study on the impact of catharanthine C10 and C12 indole substituents on the biomimetic Fe(III)-mediated coupling with vindoline led to the discovery and characterization of two new and substantially more potent derivatives, 10’-fluorovinblastine and 10’-fluorovincristine. In addition to defining a pronounced and unanticipated substituent effect on the biomimetic coupling, fluorine substitution at C10’, which minimally alters the natural products, was found to uniquely enhance the activity 8-fold against both sensitive (IC50 = 800 pM, HCT116) and vinblastine-resistant tumor cell lines (IC50 = 80 nM, HCT166/VM46). As depicted in the X-ray structure of vinblastine bound to tubulin, this site resides at one end of the upper portion of the T-shaped conformation of the tubulin-bound molecule, suggesting the 10’-fluorine substituent makes critical contacts with the protein at a hydrophobic site uniquely sensitive to steric interactions.