Gram-scale selective telomerization of isoprene and CO toward 100% renewable materials.

Carbon dioxide (CO) is an ideal chemical feedstock due to its abundance, low cost, low toxicity and its role as a greenhouse gas. Telomerization with butadiene give rise to functional small molecules and polymers with significant CO content, but the fossil origin of the olefin offsets sustainability benefits. Here, we present a palladium-catalyzed telomerization of CO with isoprene, two of the most prevalent organic compounds in the atmosphere, yielding "COOIL", an ideally 100% renewable δ-lactone containing 24 wt% CO, with high selectivity and turnover numbers above 100.

Structure-Guided Discovery of -Hexahydro-pyrido-oxazinones as Reversible, Drug-like Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitors.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a key enzyme involved in the metabolism of the endogenous signaling ligand 2-arachidonoylglycerol, a neuroprotective endocannabinoid intimately linked to central nervous system (CNS) disorders associated with neuroinflammation. In the quest for novel MAGL inhibitors, a focused screening approach on a Roche library subset provided a reversible benzoxazinone hit exhibiting high ligand efficiency. The subsequent design of the three-dimensional -hexahydro-pyrido-oxazinone (-HHPO) moiety as benzoxazinone replacement enabled the combination of high MAGL potency with favorable ADME properties.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Rhodium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydroarylation Reaction Involving Reversible C-C Bond Activation.

Carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds are ubiquitous but are among the least reactive bonds in organic chemistry. Recently, catalytic approaches to activate C-C bonds by transition metals have demonstrated the synthetic potential of directly reorganizing the skeleton of small molecules. However, these approaches are usually restricted to strained molecules or rely on directing groups, limiting their broader impact.

Activity-Based Approach for Selective Molecular CO Sensing.

Carbon dioxide (CO) impacts every aspect of life, and numerous sensing technologies have been established to detect and monitor this ubiquitous molecule. However, its selective sensing at the molecular level remains an unmet challenge, despite the tremendous potential of such an approach for understanding this molecule's role in complex environments. In this work, we introduce a unique class of selective fluorescent carbon dioxide molecular sensors (CarboSen) that addresses these existing challenges through an activity-based approach.

Metal-Catalyzed Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage of Unstrained Alcohols.

The functionalization of molecules by cleaving inert carbon-carbon single bonds is regarded as a great synthetic challenge due to their inherent stability. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the activation of small rings relying on the release of strain energy. By contrast, the number of catalytic methodologies for the activation of unstrained carbon-carbon single bonds is still limited.