Electroreduction of quinones under aprotic conditions

Chemistry of Lipoquinones: Properties, Synthesis, and Membrane Location of Ubiquinones, Plastoquinones, and Menaquinones

Lipoquinones are the topic of this review and are a class of hydrophobic lipid molecules with key biological functions that are linked to their structure, properties, and location within a biological membrane. Ubiquinones, plastoquinones, and menaquinones vary regarding their quinone headgroup, isoprenoid sidechain, properties, and biological functions, including the shuttling of electrons between membrane-bound protein complexes within the electron transport chain. Lipoquinones are highly hydrophobic molecules that are soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in aqueous solution, causing obstacles in water-based assays that measure their chemical properties, enzyme activities and effects on cell growth. Little is known about the location and ultimately movement of lipoquinones in the membrane, and these properties are topics described in this review. Computational studies are particularly abundant in the recent years in this area, and there is far less experimental evidence to verify the often conflicting interpretations and conclusions that result from computational studies of very different membrane model systems. Some recent experimental studies have described using truncated lipoquinone derivatives, such as ubiquinone-2 (UQ-2) and menaquinone-2 (MK-2), to investigate their conformation, their location in the membrane, and their biological function. Truncated lipoquinone derivatives are soluble in water-based assays, and hence can serve as excellent analogs for study even though they are more mobile in the membrane than the longer chain counterparts. In this review, we will discuss the properties, location in the membrane, and syntheses of three main classes of lipoquinones including truncated derivatives. Our goal is to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between experimental and computational methods and to incorporate properties-focused considerations when proposing future studies relating to the function of lipoquinones in membranes.

A facile construction of oxygen heterocycles by the reaction of benzoxepine-4-carboxylates with dihaloalkanes and activated alkynes

This manuscript describes the preparation of heterocyclic compounds such as naphtho[1,3]-dioxoles (3a-h), [1,4]-dioxines (4a-h), [1,4]-dioxepines (5a-c), [1,4]-dioxocines (6a-c) and diethyl 2-(2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)naphtho[1,3]dioxoles (8a-f). These heterocyclic compounds have been achieved by the reaction of benzoxepine-4-carboxylates (1a-h) with dihaloalkanes (2a-e) and activated alkyne (7a) for the first time. This work represents the first example for the construction of utile oxygen heterocycles by the formation of C-C and C-O bonds in a one step process.

Synthetic Organic Electrochemical Methods Since 2000: On the Verge of a Renaissance

Electrochemistry represents one of the most intimate ways of interacting with molecules. This review discusses advances in synthetic organic electrochemistry since 2000. Enabling methods and synthetic applications are analyzed alongside innate advantages as well as future challenges of electroorganic chemistry.

When aryldiazonium salts meet vinyl diazoacetates: a cobalt-catalyzed regiospecific synthesis of N-arylpyrazoles

A cobalt-catalyzed C-N bond formation between aryl diazonium salts and vinyl diazoacetates has been developed under relatively mild conditions. The N-arylpyrazoles have been prepared in moderate to high yields in a regiospecific way.