A highly regio- and stereoselective synthesis of novel β,γ-disubstituted γ-lactams with either an anti or syn relative configuration was developed from readily available epoxide and aziridine acetates. The key steps include the regio- and diastereocontrolled nucleophilic ring-opening of these three-membered heterocycles followed by mild reductive cyclization of the γ-azido ester intermediate. The method was also extended to an asymmetric synthesis of (4R,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-phenylpyrrolidin-2-one from a chiral epoxide acetate. The main features of this versatile synthesis of functionalized γ-lactams include the involvement of inexpensive reagents and mild conditions together with high chemical efficiency.

Recebido em 22/8/05; aceito em 3/2/06; publicado na web em 30/8/06RECENT ADVANCES IN THE PREPARATION OF AZIRIDINES AND THEIR APPLICATION IN ORGANIC SYNTHESIS. This article surveys a selection of the most recent advances in aziridine synthesis. Novel synthetic methods and new insights into existing methodologies for the selective construction of the title compounds reported in the past decade are discussed in terms of synthetic applicability and environmentally benign conditions. Mechanisms involving stereoselective preparation of structurally diverse aziridines are also presented in order to highlight the most important issues associated with the synthesis of these versatile building blocks.

The activity of Pd catalysts for C–C coupling reactions is evaluated by using UV-vis spectroscopy and a Heck model reaction.

The one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis of a series of αylidene δ-lactones from (Z)-2-(bromomethyl)-2-alkenoates (derived from Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction) in an aqueous environment is reported. The protocol includes regioselective base-mediated allylation of ethyl acetoacetate with (Z)-2-(bromomethyl)-2-alkenoates followed by decarboxylative hydrolysis, carbonyl reduction of the keto carboxylate intermediate, and acid-mediated cyclization of the resulting δ-hydroxy acid to furnish the α-ylidene δ-lactones with good overall yields. The synthesis was also performed in the stepwise mode, which allowed the isolation and full characterization of each intermediate involved in the one-pot method. The main features of this efficient transformation include the fast reaction rates, the use of a benign aqueous medium, the use of inexpensive and readily available reagents, the production of nearly innocuous residues, and the requirement for a single work-up and purification stage at the end of the process.

Menaquinone (MK) is an electron carrier molecule essential for respiration in most Gram positive bacteria. A crucial step in MK biosynthesis involves the prenylation of an aromatic molecule, catalyzed by integral membrane prenyltransferases of the UbiA (4‐hydroxybenzoate oligoprenyltransferase) superfamily. In the classical MK biosynthetic pathway, the prenyltransferase responsible is MenA (1,4‐dihydroxy‐2‐naphthoate octaprenyltransferase). Recently, an alternative pathway for formation of MK, the so‐called futalosine pathway, has been described in certain micro‐organisms. Until now, five soluble enzymes (MqnA‐MqnE) have been identified in the first steps. In this study, the genes annotated as ubiA from T. thermophilus and S. lividans were cloned, expressed and investigated for prenylation activity. The integral membrane proteins possess neither UbiA nor MenA activity and represent a distinct class of prenyltransferases associated with the futalosine pathway that we term MqnP. We identify a critical residue within a highly conserved Asp‐rich motif that serves to distinguish between members of the UbiA superfamily.

No abstract

No abstract

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C18H16N2O4, adopts a T-shaped conformation with E stereochemistry for the imine double bond. The (3-nitro­benzyl­idene)amino fragment is almost planar, the mean planes of phenyl ring and nitro group forming a dihedral angle of 8.9 (3)°. In the 3-phenyl­acryloyl unit, the acrylic ester fragment is also almost planar, with the phenyl ring twisted by 41.44 (7)°. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter­actions into chains running parallel to [01].