[This corrects the article on p. 100 in vol. 41.].

Energy conservation in chemotrophic anaerobic bacteria.

The human diet contains a great variety of natural mutagens and carcinogens, as well as many natural antimutagens and anticarcinogens. Many of these mutagens and carcinogens may act through the generation of oxygen radicals. Oxygen radicals may also play a major role as endogenous initiators of degenerative processes, such as DNA damage and mutation (and promotion), that may be related to cancer, heart disease, and aging. Dietary intake of natural antioxidants could be an important aspect of the body’s defense mechanism against these agents. Many antioxidants are being identified as anticarcinogens. Characterizing and optimizing such defense systems may be an important part of a strategy of minimizing cancer and other age-related diseases.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/221/4617/1256.full.pdf

Dietary carcinogens and anticarcinogens Oxygen radicals and degenerative diseases

III. Foldamer Research 3910 A. Overview 3910 B. Motivation 3910 C. Methods 3910 D. General Scope 3912 IV. Peptidomimetic Foldamers 3912 A. The R-Peptide Family 3913 1. Peptoids 3913 2. N,N-Linked Oligoureas 3914 3. Oligopyrrolinones 3915 4. Oxazolidin-2-ones 3916 5. Azatides and Azapeptides 3916 B. The â-Peptide Family 3917 1. â-Peptide Foldamers 3917 2. R-Aminoxy Acids 3937 3. Sulfur-Containing â-Peptide Analogues 3937 4. Hydrazino Peptides 3938 C. The γ-Peptide Family 3938 1. γ-Peptide Foldamers 3938 2. Other Members of the γ-Peptide Family 3941 D. The δ-Peptide Family 3941 1. Alkene-Based δ-Amino Acids 3941 2. Carbopeptoids 3941 V. Single-Stranded Abiotic Foldamers 3944 A. Overview 3944 B. Backbones Utilizing Bipyridine Segments 3944 1. Pyridine−Pyrimidines 3944 2. Pyridine−Pyrimidines with Hydrazal Linkers 3945

A field guide to foldamers.

Since the discovery of organic azides by Peter Griess more than 140 years ago, numerous syntheses of these energy-rich molecules have been developed. In more recent times in particular, completely new perspectives have been developed for their use in peptide chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and heterocyclic synthesis. Organic azides have assumed an important position at the interface between chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science. In this Review, the fundamental characteristics of azide chemistry and current developments are presented. The focus will be placed on cycloadditions (Huisgen reaction), aza ylide chemistry, and the synthesis of heterocycles. Further reactions such as the aza-Wittig reaction, the Sundberg rearrangement, the Staudinger ligation, the Boyer and Boyer-Aube rearrangements, the Curtius rearrangement, the Schmidt rearrangement, and the Hemetsberger rearrangement bear witness to the versatility of modern azide chemistry.

Organic Azides: An Exploding Diversity of a Unique Class of Compounds

The design and implementation of cascade reactions is a challenging facet of organic chemistry, yet one that can impart striking novelty, elegance, and efficiency to synthetic strategies. The application of cascade reactions to natural products synthesis represents a particularly demanding task, but the results can be both stunning and instructive. This Review highlights selected examples of cascade reactions in total synthesis, with particular emphasis on recent applications therein. The examples discussed herein illustrate the power of these processes in the construction of complex molecules and underscore their future potential in chemical synthesis.

Cascade reactions in total synthesis.

Synthese des allyl-2 hydroxy-1' ethyl-3 (et hydroxy-1'-butyl-3) methoxy-5 naphtoquinones-1,4 a partir de bicyclo [4.2.0] octatriene-1,3,5one-7

A brief, convergent, regioselective synthesis of naphthoquinones. A formal synthesis of nanaomycin A and deoxyfrenolicin

The synthesis and thermolysis of 4-allyl-4-arylcyclobutenones are detailed. Allylcyclobutenones were prepared through the trapping of the cyclobutenonium cation generated by treatment of 4-hydroxycyclobutenones with Lewis acids. A study of the nucleophilic trapping revealed the following mechanistic highlights:  the most likely intermediate is the cyclobutenonium cation, the regioselectivity of the allylation reaction is dictated by attack at the site most suited to stabilize the cation, and the rate of allylation is dependent on carbocation formation. Thermolysis of 4-allyl-4-arylcyclobutenones made possible a study of the competitive [2 + 2] cycloaddition and 6π electrocyclization. A judicious choice of substituents allows some control of the selectivity between the two pathways. The substituents control this selectivity through a combination of imposed electronics in the dienylketene intermediate, the relative ketenophilicity of the 4-position substituent, and the relative contortion substituents in th...

Synthesis and Thermal Rearrangements of 4-Allyl-4-arylcyclobutenones

Synthesis of 2-multiprenylphenols and 2-multiprenyl-6-methoxyphenols, biosynthetic precursors of the ubiquinones

Thermal rearrangements of 2-allenyl- and 2-alkynyl-3-(2-ethenylphenyl)-4,4-dimethoxycyclobutenones were studied. At ambient temperature, the allenyl compounds undergo an electrocyclic cascade to give bicyclo[4.2.0]octadienyl-fused cyclobutenones. These unusual tetracyclic cyclobutenones were shown to be viable synthetic precursors to benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-diones, compounds representing the framework of the angucycline group of naturally occurring antibiotics. In contrast, the 2-alkynylcyclobutenones are stable at ambient temperature but undergo a facile rearrangement at 110 degrees C (toluene) to give the previously unknown naphthalene derivatives, 1,2-dihydro-2,2-dimethoxy-1-(3-alkenylidene)naphtho[2,1-b]furans.

Rearrangements of cyclobutenones. Electrocyclic ring closure and thermal ring expansions of 3-allenyl- and 3-alkynyl-2-dienyl-4,4-dimethoxycyclobutenones.

Harold W. Moore

Papers

A brief, convergent, regioselective synthesis of naphthoquinones. A formal synthesis of nanaomycin A and deoxyfrenolicin

Synthesis and Thermal Rearrangements of 4-Allyl-4-arylcyclobutenones

Synthesis of 2-multiprenylphenols and 2-multiprenyl-6-methoxyphenols, biosynthetic precursors of the ubiquinones

Rearrangements of cyclobutenones. Electrocyclic ring closure and thermal ring expansions of 3-allenyl- and 3-alkynyl-2-dienyl-4,4-dimethoxycyclobutenones.

A new synthetic route to 2-azetidinones. Ring contraction of 4-azido-2-pyrrolinones to 3-cyano-2-azetidinones