No abstract

By combining two green and efficient catalysts, such as the commercially available enzyme laccase from Trametes versicolor and the stable free radical 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO), the oxidation in water of some primary alcohols to the corresponding carboxylic acids or aldehydes and of selected secondary alcohols to ketones can be accomplished. The range of applicability of bio-oxidation is widened by applying the optimized protocol to the oxidation of enantiomerically pure 2-arylpropanols (profenols) into the corresponding 2-arylpropionic acids (profens), in high yields and with complete retention of configuration.

No abstract

No abstract

We applied Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH) to the enantioselective synthesis of six (2S)-2-arylpropanols, useful intermediates in the synthesis of Profens. The influence of substrate structure and reaction conditions on yields and enantioselectivity were investigated. The high yields and high enantioselectivity towards the (S)-enantiomer obtained in the bioreduction of 2-arylpropionic aldehydes, clearly indicate the achievement of a DKR process through a combination of an enzyme-catalyzed kinetic reduction with a chemical base-catalyzed racemization of the unreacted aldehydes. The racemization step is represented by the keto-enol equilibrium of the aldehyde and can be controlled by modulating pH and reaction conditions.

A simple, convenient, and practical method for the synthesis of α-amino nitriles through a one-pot, three-component Strecker reaction of a carbonyl compound, amine, and acetone cyanohydrin in water has been developed. Reactions proceed very efficiently without any catalyst at room temperature with high chemoselectivity and give, in some cases,

No abstract

The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms is one of the greatest challenges in the clinical management of infectious disease. New antimicrobial agents are therefore urgently required, particularly in the treatment of chronic and recurrent infections often associated with antibiotic-resistant pathogens, as in the case of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This study reports the antibacterial activity of a series of monocyclic β-lactams with an alkylidenecarboxyl chain or electron-withdrawing groups such as 4-OAc, 4-SAc, and 4-SO(2)Ph at the C4 position of the ring. N-Unsubstituted and N-thiomethyl derivatives were compared. A total of 33 azetidinones were tested for their activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial clinical isolates. The combination of an N-thiomethyl group and a benzyl ester on the 4-alkylidene side chain were found to increase the potency against Gram-positive bacteria. The N-thiomethyl group clearly elevated the activity of 4-acetoxyazetidinones relative to the corresponding NH derivatives. The most active compounds showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 4 and 8 mg L(-1) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from pediatric patients with CF.