Latest development in the synthesis of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA): a critical review

• Fabio Tonin and
• Isabel W. C. E. Arends

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 470–483, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.33

• reduction) and the specific hydroxylation and dehydroxylation of suitable positions in the steroid rings. In this minireview, we critically analyze the state of the art of the production of UDCA by several chemical, chemoenzymatic and enzymatic routes reported, highlighting the bottlenecks of each

• ), showing a molecular weight around 30 kDa and a homodimeric or homotetrameric quaternary structure. Reported 7α-HSDHs were isolated from both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria: the state of art, together with the cofactor dependence and the specific activities, are summarized in Table 2 [33][63][64][65][66

Fluorogenic PNA probes

• Tirayut Vilaivan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 253–281, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.17

• the principle, showcase state-of-the-art technologies and update recent developments in the areas of fluorogenic PNA probes during the past 20 years. Keywords: DNA; fluorescence; molecular beacons; molecular probes; oligonucelotides; RNA; Review Introduction The development of molecular probes that

• fluorogenic oligonucleotide probes exist [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], very few have specifically dealt with fluorogenic unnatural oligonucleotide probes [18][19]. This review aims to fill this gap by introducing the principle, showcasing state-of-the-art technologies and updating recent

Polarization spectroscopy methods in the determination of interactions of small molecules with nucleic acids – tutorial

• Tamara Šmidlehner,
• Ivo Piantanida and
• Gennaro Pescitelli

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 84–105, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.5

Synthetic mRNA capping

• Fabian Muttach,
• Nils Muthmann and
• Andrea Rentmeister

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 2819–2832, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.274

• -the art methods and give directions for choosing the appropriate approach. We also discuss the preparation and properties of mRNAs with non-natural caps providing novel features such as improved stability or enhanced translational efficiency. Keywords: cap analogue; cap synthesis; click chemistry

Synthesis and application of trifluoroethoxy-substituted phthalocyanines and subphthalocyanines

• Satoru Mori and
• Norio Shibata

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 2273–2296, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.224

• treatment method [17] and other applications. Incidentally, fluorine is one of the elements that is expected to improve the state-of-the-art science technology [18]. Fluorine is located at the top right of the periodic table of elements excluding the noble gas elements of group 18. The size of fluorine is

Detection of therapeutic radiation in three-dimensions

• John A. Adamovics

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1325–1331, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.129

• developed which requires a corresponding verification of the impact on patients. This article reviews the state of the art in the development of chemical detectors used to characterize the three-dimensional shape of therapeutic radiation. These detectors are composed of polyurethane, radical initiator and a

From chemical metabolism to life: the origin of the genetic coding process

• Antoine Danchin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1119–1135, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.111

• . This is based on the involuntary occultation of what is nevertheless an obvious fact: to run a program requires a machine! We know, certainly, that having a CD with a state-of-the-art operating system (OS) is useless if it is not placed in an actual computer, and that this (information-rich) computer

G-Protein coupled receptors: answers from simulations

• Timothy Clark

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1071–1078, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.106

• experiments. The more important development is, however, the power of modern hardware. For years, 10 ns simulations were state of the art. These simulations had little relevance for real biological systems, which are generally far slower. It became evident from studies on transcription factors that

DMAP-assisted sulfonylation as an efficient step for the methylation of primary amine motifs on solid support

• Johnny N. Naoum,
• Koushik Chandra,
• Dorit Shemesh,
• R. Benny Gerber,
• Chaim Gilon and
• Mattan Hurevich

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 806–816, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.81

• 10.3762/bjoc.13.81 Abstract Several multistep strategies were developed to ensure single methylation of amines on solid support. These strategies rely on the introduction of the o-NBS protecting/activating group as a key step. We found that the state-of-the-art strategies fail for the methylation of

• proved highly efficient in solid-phase synthesis of a somatostatin analogue bearing three Nα-methylation sites that could not be synthesized using the previously described state-of-the-art methods. Keywords: N-methylation; nucleophilic addition; solid phase; somatostatin; sulfonylation; Introduction

• peptides, proteins, and small molecules on solid support, in addition to other organic compounds in solution phase [22][24][25][27]. We found that the introduction of a single methyl group to an amine adjacent to a hindered moiety using the state-of-the-art strategies is extremely challenging (Figure 1A

Continuous-flow processes for the catalytic partial hydrogenation reaction of alkynes

• Carmen Moreno-Marrodan,
• Francesca Liguori and
• Pierluigi Barbaro

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 734–754, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.73

• process, aimed at illustrating the state of the art in the field and the benefits of the approach. Generalities on theory and methods for flow chemistry can be found in excellent textbooks and reviews [40][41] and will not be treated in detail. The present review could have been structured according to

Fluorescent carbon dots from mono- and polysaccharides: synthesis, properties and applications

• Stephen Hill and
• M. Carmen Galan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 675–693, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.67

• ideal balance of cation and anion valence was found when using CuSO4 which afforded CDs with QY of up to 9.5%, in-line with the state-of-the-art at the time. As an alternative, Kang et al. showed the following year that nitrogen-doped water-soluble fluorescent CDs could be afforded in a one-step

Total synthesis of a Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 12F CPS repeating unit hexasaccharide

• Peter H. Seeberger,
• Claney L. Pereira and
• Subramanian Govindan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 164–173, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.19

• approach. A convergent [3 + 3] total synthesis strategy failed, most likely due to steric crowding around the trisaccharide acceptor. The synthesis of 1 is an illustrative example of the challenges associated with state-of-the-art oligosaccharide assembly including steric, conformational, remote

Catalytic Wittig and aza-Wittig reactions

• Zhiqi Lao and
• Patrick H. Toy

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 2577–2587, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.253

• section summarizes how arsenic and tellurium-based catalytic Wittig-type reaction systems were developed first due to the relatively easy reduction of the oxides involved. This is followed by a presentation of the current state of the art regarding phosphine-catalyzed Wittig reactions. The second section

Effects of solvent additive on “s-shaped” curves in solution-processed small molecule solar cells

• John A. Love,
• Shu-Hua Chou,
• Ye Huang,
• Guilllermo C. Bazan and
• Thuc-Quyen Nguyen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 2543–2555, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.249

• led to leaps in state-of-the-art efficiencies and improved understanding of structure–property relationships. The well-defined molecular structures have inherent amenability to purification, batch-to-batch reproducibility and monodispersity, which make them an attractive alternative to their polymeric

• not yet on par with the state of the art, the drastic change in curve shape is important in understanding the nature of solvent additives and their effects on solution processed BHJ devices. a) Molecular structures and b) energy levels of p-SIDT(FBTTh2)2 and p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2 highlighting the

From supramolecular chemistry to the nucleosome: studies in biomolecular recognition

• Marcey L. Waters

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1863–1869, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.175

• 7 and I promptly sawed into the picnic table in the backyard). In fact, my high school art teacher encouraged me to pursue art as a career, and for a time I considered architecture. And while early on chemistry was my favorite field of science, I was not inspired by it in High School or in general

A flow reactor setup for photochemistry of biphasic gas/liquid reactions

• Josef Schachtner,
• Patrick Bayer and
• Axel Jacobi von Wangelin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1798–1811, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.170

• impacted the art of organic synthesis and manufacture [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. The efficiency of chemical reactions can be greatly enhanced over common batch processes and new approaches to the optimization of established reaction protocols and the execution of hitherto unfeasible processes can be enabled

Organic chemistry meets polymers, nanoscience, therapeutics and diagnostics

• Vincent M. Rotello

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1638–1646, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.161

• dissect, and I started pursuing photography. My efforts in this domain progressed until I started considering art as a career. Alongside this artistic pathway, however, I developed an interest in chemistry. What intrigued me at the start was connectivity – how atoms could be strung together. I explored

• both art and photography at Illinois Institute of Technology, but science and scientists ended up deciding me. It started with Chem. 237, Organic Chemistry. This course was taught by Pete Johnson, who introduced me to retrosynthetic analysis, and in the process showed me how I could achieve the

On the cause of low thermal stability of ethyl halodiazoacetates

• Magnus Mortén,
• Martin Hennum and
• Tore Bonge-Hansen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1590–1597, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.155

• organic chemists ever since Theodor Curtius synthesized ethyl diazoacetate (EDA, 1) for the first time in 1883 [1]. Even today, after more than a century of research, diazo compounds still play an important role in state-of-the-art organic chemistry in areas such as for example C–H functionalization [2

Star-shaped and linear π-conjugated oligomers consisting of a tetrathienoanthracene core and multiple diketopyrrolopyrrole arms for organic solar cells

• Hideaki Komiyama,
• Chihaya Adachi and
• Takuma Yasuda

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1459–1466, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.142

• heterojunction (BHJ) architectures have rapidly increased to approximately 10% [5], approaching those of state-of-the-art polymer-based OSCs [6][7]. To produce high-performance OSCs, the donor materials are required to possess suitable frontier orbital energy levels, high carrier mobility, excellent film-forming

3,6-Carbazole vs 2,7-carbazole: A comparative study of hole-transporting polymeric materials for inorganic–organic hybrid perovskite solar cells

• Wei Li,
• Munechika Otsuka,
• Takehito Kato,
• Yang Wang,
• Takehiko Mori and
• Tsuyoshi Michinobu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1401–1409, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.134

• -type semiconducting polymers, such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and the state-of-the-art narrow band gap polymers, such as poly[2,5-bis(2-decyldodecyl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4(2H,5H)-dione-(E)-1,2-di(2,2’-bithiophen-5-yl)ethane (PDPPDBTE), were successfully applied to the HTM in the PSCs [11][12

NeoPHOX – a structurally tunable ligand system for asymmetric catalysis

• Jaroslav Padevět,
• Marcus G. Schrems,
• Robin Scheil and
• Andreas Pfaltz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1185–1195, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.114

• state-of-the-art oxazoline-based ligands is the high cost of tert-leucinol as starting material, which reduces their potential for industrial-scale application. We therefore thought of ways to replace the tert-butyloxazoline ring by an equally effective oxazoline unit derived from a less expensive

• coordination to the iridium center. Palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution As phosphinooxazoline ligands were originally designed for asymmetric palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions, we tested the new NeoPHOX ligands in this reaction as well. For comparison with state-of-the-art ligands, we chose the

Supramolecular chemistry at the interface of biology, materials and medicine

• Eric V. Anslyn and
• Steven C. Zimmerman

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1101–1102, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.105

• ; molecular recognition; molecular sensors; What do art, auto-mechanics, a rural Australian and Chinese village, two civil wars, and house building have to do with supramolecular chemistry? Unless you are an avid cover-to-cover reader of the Thematic Series of the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry and

• supramolecular chemistry is today, how it got there, and where it is going, and (2) to provide personal, autobiographies of leading practitioners of the field. The most important goal was to have a diverse group of experts in the field of supramolecular chemistry give an account of the state-of-the-art from

Efficient syntheses of climate relevant isoprene nitrates and (1R,5S)-(−)-myrtenol nitrate

• Sean P. Bew,
• Glyn D. Hiatt-Gipson,
• Graham P. Mills and
• Claire E. Reeves

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1081–1095, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.103

• initiated. Interestingly, although silver nitrate has been widely employed for the synthesis of structure and function diverse benzyl nitrates; the analogous reaction affording allylic nitrates using allylic halide starting materials has, surprisingly, been reported only once [37]. The lack of prior art

Bifunctional catalysis

• Darren J. Dixon

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1079–1080, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.102

• field continues to expand at an impressive pace. The present Thematic Series serves to highlight the current state-of-the-art of bifunctional catalysis from new bifunctional catalyst design and development, their application in new asymmetric metholodgy development, to their application in natural

Marine-derived myxobacteria of the suborder Nannocystineae: An underexplored source of structurally intriguing and biologically active metabolites

• Antonio Dávila-Céspedes,
• Peter Hufendiek,
• Max Crüsemann,
• Till F. Schäberle and
• Gabriele M. König

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 969–984, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.96

• offer the chance for an effective metabolomics-guided natural product and genome mining platform. In conclusion, the application of these promising state-of-the-art approaches to marine myxobacteria should expand our knowledge on novel secondary metabolites in these organisms, and help to systematically