Titanosilicalite-1 (TS-1) in combination with sulfated zirconia efficiently catalyzes the epoxidation of 1-octene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The presence of both octahedral zirconium and sulfate species in the catalysts enhances the epoxidation rates.

A new hexaprismane Co(II)6(μ3-OH)6 cluster-based three-dimensional coordination polymer ({Co(μ3-OH)(HCOO)0.72(CH3COO)0.28}n, Co6-CP) was successfully synthesized and characterized with single-crystal XRD, IR spectra, TGA spectra and elemental analysis. Co6-CP was used as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the aerobic epoxidation of various alkenes. For the catalytic epoxidation of trans-st...

The taccalonolides are microtubule stabilizers isolated from plants of the genus Tacca. Taccalonolide AF is 231 times more potent than the major metabolite taccalonolide A and differs only by the oxidation of the C-22,23 double bond in A to an epoxy group in AF. In the current study, 10 other rare natural taccalonolides were epoxidized and in each case epoxidation improved potency. The epoxidat...

This highlight discusses developments in transition metal-catalysed alkene and alkyne hydroacylation reactions over the past three years. The discussion summarizes the development of new catalyst systems for alkene and alkyne hydroacylation and applications to the synthesis of important ketone building blocks. The highlight captures transition metal-catalysed alkene and alkyne hydroacylation at...

In the past two decades, alkene metathesis has risen in prominence to become a significant synthetic strategy for alkene formation. Many total syntheses of natural products have used this transformation. We review the use, from 2003 to 2015, of ring-closing alkene metathesis (RCM) for the generation of dihydrofurans or -pyrans in natural product synthesis. The strategies used to assemble the RC...

   Mo-doped SnO2 nanoparticles were prepared using hydrothermal method. The average grain size obtained by varying calcinations temperature from 160 to 500 oC showed the different sizes. Prepared materials characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also the FTIR and the UV–Vis absorptive spectra have been carried out. Mo- doped SnO...

A treatment of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum with high light (HL) in the visible range led to the conversion of diadinoxanthin (Dd) to diatoxanthin (Dt). In a following treatment with HL plus supplementary ultraviolet (UV)-B, the Dt was rapidly epoxidized to Dd. Photosynthesis of the cells was inhibited under HL + UV-B. This is accounted for by direct damage by UV-B and damage because of...

The reactivity of the C12-21 alkene of some erythromycin A derivatives was studied. This double bond was easily oxidized to the corresponding epoxide with excellent stereoselectivity. A single crystal X-ray structure showed that the epoxide moiety was on the same side as the acetonide. When an erythromycin derivative containing a C12-21 alkene was treated with diazomethane a [3+2] cycloaddition...

Polyoxomolybdates were generated in situ by treating a carboxylic acid-functionalized ionic liquid with an aqueous solution of sodium molybdate. This reaction mixture was applied in the catalytic epoxidation of olefins using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. The influence of acid and catalyst concentration as well as of the reaction temperature was investigated. The system showed a good performance...

Chlorogenic acid (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid) inhibited haematin- and haemoglobin-catalysed retinoic acid 5,6-epoxidation. Some other phenol compounds (caffeic acid and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) also showed inhibitory effects on the haematin- and haemoglobin-catalysed epoxidation, but salicylic acid did not. Of the above compounds, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid were potent inhibitors co...