Improved synthesis of C8–C20 segment of pectenotoxin-2

Readily available alkylbenzenes as precursors for one-pot preparation of buta-1,3-dienes under DDQ visible-light photocatalysis in benzotrifluoride

Easily accessible alkylbenzenes are highly valuable starting materials and solvents in synthetic organic chemistry for production of pharmaceuticals, plastics, synthetic rubber, dyes, etc. Herein, by employing alkylbenzenes as precursors, an...

Oxidative homodimerization of substituted olefins by DDQ visible light photocatalysis

A metal-free approach for the synthesis of buta-1,3-dienes from olefins using visible-light and catalytic amounts of DDQ is disclosed.

Function-Oriented Studies Targeting Pectenotoxin 2: Synthesis of the GH-Ring System and a Structurally Simplified Macrolactone

A chemical foundation for function-oriented studies of pectenotoxin 2 (PTX2) is described. A synthesis of the bicyclic GH-system, and the design and synthesis of a PTX2-analogue, is presented. While maintaining critical features for actin binding, and lacking the Achilles’ heel for the natural product’s anticancer activity (the AB-spiroketal), this first-generation analogue did not possess the anticancer properties of PTX2, an observation that indicates the molecular significance of features present in the natural product’s CDEF-tetracycle.