An enantioconvergent Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with donor-acceptor cyclopropanes is described. The reaction is catalyzed by pybox•MgI2 and proceeds via a type I dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DyKAT).

Aminobenzaldehydes bearing a pendant 3,5-dinitrophenyl group react thermally with N-substituted α-amino acids to form unprecedented benzoazepine-fused isoindolines. The reaction proceeds via a dearomatization/ rearomatization sequence involving an intramolecular (3 + 2)-cycloaddition between the in situ formed azomethine ylide and the dinitroarene. Various glycine derivatives are tolerated as well as branched substrates based on cyclic, α-mono-, and α,α-disubstituted amino acids, giving single diastereomers in many cases. The method is scalable and gives products with a nitro group ready for further manipulation.

Summary Communication of information through the global switching of conformation in synthetic molecules has hitherto entailed the inversion of chirality. Here, we report a class of oligomer through which information may be communicated through a global reversal of polarity. Ethylene-bridged oligoureas are constitutionally symmetrical, conformationally flexible molecules organized by a single chain of hydrogen bonds running the full length of the oligomer. NMR reveals that this hydrogen-bonded chain may undergo a coherent reversal of directionality. The directional uniformity of the hydrogen-bond chain allows it to act as a channel for the spatial communication of information on a molecular scale. A binding site at the terminus of an oligomer detects local information about changes in pH or anion concentration and transmits that information—in the form of a directionality switch in the hydrogen-bond chain—to a remote polarity-sensitive fluorophore. This propagation of polarity-encoded information provides a new mechanism for molecular communication.

) and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (MICs ≥4 µg mL -1

The chiral pool-derived 1,1'-ditosyl-2,2'-biaziridine has been established as a valuable building block for the divergent synthesis of enantiopure vicinal diamines. Efficient procedures for the regioselective ring opening of the biaziridine with oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon nucleophiles are described. The strategic use of nucleophiles bearing pendant functionality allows further elaboration of the acyclic products to a variety of 2,2'-bicyclic-embedded diamines. Desymmetrization of the biaziridine has also been accomplished via the selective monoaddition of organocuprates.

Synthetic small molecular antimicrobial peptidomimetics represent a promising new class of potential antibiotics due to their membrane-disrupting ability and their decreased propensity for bacterial resistance. A library of 43 mono-and di-cationic biaryl 1,2,3-triazolyl peptidomimetics was designed and synthesized based upon previously established lead biarylpeptidomimetics and a known pharmacophore. A reliable, facile and modular synthetic pathway allowed for the efficient synthesis of multiple unique scaffolds which were subjected to divergent derivatization to furnish the amphiphilic compounds. In vitro testing revealed enhanced antibacterial efficacy against a range of pathogenic bacteria, including bacterial isolates with methicillin, vancomycin, daptomycin, or multi-drug resistance. Preliminary time-kill kinetics and membranedisruption assays revealed a likely membrane-active mechanism for the tested peptidomimetics. An optimal balance between hydrophobicity and cationic charge was found to be essential for reduced cytotoxicity/ haemolysis (i.e. membrane selectivity) and enhanced Gram-negative activity. The cationic biaryl amphiphile 81 was identified as a potent, broad-spectrum peptidomimetic with activity against Gram-positive (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-MIC = 2 μg/mL) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli-MIC = 4 μg/mL) pathogenic bacteria.

A trans-diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed dearomative [3 + 2] cycloaddition between vinylcyclopropane dicarboxylates and 3-nitroindoles has been developed. The reaction provides densely functionalized cyclopenta­[b]­indolines with versatile vinyl and nitro-groups. The addition of a halide additive was found to be critical for the diastereoselectivity of the reaction, which is proposed to be a result of a rapid π-σ-π interconversion between the intermediates allowing for Curtin–Hammett control. A switch in diastereoselectivity to afford products with the vinyl and nitro groups cis to each other is observed with a 4-substituted 3-nitroindole.

Thirty two new binaphthyl-based, functionalized oxazole and thiazole peptidomimetics and over thirty five novel leucine-containing intermediate oxazoles and thiazoles were prepared in this study. This includes the first examples of the direct C-5 arylation of an amino acid dipeptide-derived oxazole. Moderate to excellent antibacterial activity was observed for all new compounds across Gram positive isolates with MICs ranging from 1-16 μg mL(-1). Results for Gram negative E. coli and A. baumannii were more variable, but MICs as low as 4 μg mL(-1) were returned for two examples. Significantly, the in vitro results with a fluoromethyl-oxazole derivative collectively represent the best obtained to date for a member of our binaphthyl peptide antimicrobials.