Lignin, a major component of lignocellulose, is the largest source of aromatic building blocks on the planet and harbors great potential to serve as starting material for the production of biobased products. Despite the initial challenges associated with the robust and irregular structure of lignin, the valorization of this intriguing aromatic biopolymer has come a long way: recently, many creative strategies emerged that deliver defined products via catalytic or biocatalytic depolymerization in good yields. The purpose of this review is to provide insight into these novel approaches and the potential application of such emerging new structures for the synthesis of biobased polymers or pharmacologically active molecules. Existing strategies for functionalization or defunctionalization of lignin-based compounds are also summarized. Following the whole value chain from raw lignocellulose through depolymerization to application whenever possible, specific lignin-based compounds emerge that could be in the fu...

Bright Side of Lignin Depolymerization: Toward New Platform Chemicals

The present review is devoted to summarizing the recent advances (2015-2017) in the field of metal-catalysed group-directed C-H functionalisation In order to clearly showcase the molecular diversity that can now be accessed by means of directed C-H functionalisation, the whole is organized following the directing groups installed on a substrate Its aim is to be a comprehensive reference work, where a specific directing group can be easily found, together with the transformations which have been carried out with it Hence, the primary format of this review is schemes accompanied with a concise explanatory text, in which the directing groups are ordered in sections according to their chemical structure The schemes feature typical substrates used, the products obtained as well as the required reaction conditions Importantly, each example is commented on with respect to the most important positive features and drawbacks, on aspects such as selectivity, substrate scope, reaction conditions, directing group removal, and greenness The targeted readership are both experts in the field of C-H functionalisation chemistry (to provide a comprehensive overview of the progress made in the last years) and, even more so, all organic chemists who want to introduce the C-H functionalisation way of thinking for a design of straightforward, efficient and step-economic synthetic routes towards molecules of interest to them Accordingly, this review should be of particular interest also for scientists from industrial R&D sector Hence, the overall goal of this review is to promote the application of C-H functionalisation reactions outside the research groups dedicated to method development and establishing it as a valuable reaction archetype in contemporary R&D, comparable to the role cross-coupling reactions play to date

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A comprehensive overview of directing groups applied in metal-catalysed C-H functionalisation chemistry.

During the past decades, synthetic organic chemistry discovered that directing group assisted C–H activation is a key tool for the expedient and siteselective construction of C–C bonds. Among the v...

Bidentate Directing Groups: An Efficient Tool in C-H Bond Functionalization Chemistry for the Expedient Construction of C-C Bonds.

The use of vanillin as a building block for the chemical industry is discussed in this article. Vanillin is currently one of the only molecular phenolic compounds manufactured on an industrial scale from biomass. It has thus the potential to become a key-intermediate for the synthesis of bio-based polymers, for which aromatic monomers are needed to reach good thermo-mechanical properties. After a first part dedicated to the current sourcing of vanillin, this article focuses on the alkaline oxidation lignin-to-vanillin process, reporting advantages and limits, discusses the various postdepolymerization methods for product isolation and finally examines the outlook for the wider use of vanillin as a key building block for the chemical industry.

Vanillin Production from Lignin and Its Use as a Renewable Chemical

Pyrazole and its derivatives are considered a pharmacologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of pharmacological activities. The presence of this nucleus in pharmacological agents of diverse therapeutic categories such as celecoxib, a potent anti-inflammatory, the antipsychotic CDPPB, the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, difenamizole, an analgesic, betazole, a H2-receptor agonist and the antidepressant agent fezolamide have proved the pharmacological potential of the pyrazole moiety. Owing to this diversity in the biological field, this nucleus has attracted the attention of many researchers to study its skeleton chemically and biologically. This review highlights the different synthesis methods and the pharmacological properties of pyrazole derivatives. Studies on the synthesis and biological activity of pyrazole derivatives developed by many scientists around the globe are reported.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Pyrazole Derivatives: A Review

A highly efficient approach to vanillin starting from 4-cresol

Cu(OAc)2-catalyzed remote benzylic C(sp3)–H oxyfunctionalization for CO formation directed by the hindered para-hydroxyl group with ambient air as the terminal oxidant under ligand- and additive-free conditions

A method for concurrent synthesis of vanillin and isovanillin has been developed by a nonregioselective Vilsmeier–Haack reaction of O-alkyl guaiacols. O-Alkylation of guaiacol provided the corresponding O-alkyl guaiacol (1), which was then formylated with N-methylformanilide/phosphorus oxychloride to give a mixture of 4-alkoxy-3-methoxy-benzaldehyde (2) and 3-alkoxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (3). Finally, the obtained mixture underwent a selective dealkylation by anhydrous aluminium trichloride, while leaving methyl groups intact to simultaneously achieve the significant fine chemicals vanillin and isovanillin.

Ya-Fei Ji

Papers

A highly efficient approach to vanillin starting from 4-cresol

Cu(OAc)2-catalyzed remote benzylic C(sp3)–H oxyfunctionalization for CO formation directed by the hindered para-hydroxyl group with ambient air as the terminal oxidant under ligand- and additive-free conditions

Concurrent synthesis of vanillin and isovanillin

Alternate Synthesis of Apixaban (BMS-562247), an Inhibitor of Blood Coagulation Factor Xa

Tandem C-C/C-N Formation via Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Activation/Styrenation and Sequential Annulation of O-Methylketoxime with Styrenes.