The rapid emergence and spread of multi-resistant bacteria have created an urgent need for new antimicrobial agents. We report here a series of amphipathic α,α-disubstituted β-amino amide derivatives with activity against 30 multi-resistant clinical isolates of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including isolates with extended spectrum β-lactamase – carbapenemase (ESBL-CARBA) production. A ...

We have developed a carbonylative approach to the synthesis of diversely substituted 2-aroylbenzoate esters featuring a new protocol for the carbonylative coupling of aryl bromides with boronic acids and a new strategy to favour carbonylative over non-carbonylative reactions. Two different synthetic pathways – (i) the alkoxycarbonylation of 2-bromo benzophenones and (ii) the carbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura ...

The asymmetric Rh‐catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds was originally developed by Mikami and co‐workers but gives only moderate enantiomeric excesses. In order to understand the factors controlling the enantioselectivity and to propose novel ligands for this reaction, we have used computational and experimental methods to study the Rh‐catalyzed hydrocarboxylation with ...

The first course in organic chemistry is tough for many students, and motivation may be an additional serious problem if you are taking the course as a part of your study program but do not intend to become a chemist. The combination of long, speedy traditional lectures, complicated material and the use of an important new language (electron flow arrows) does not contribute to easing the cognitive ...

A range of hitherto unexplored biomass‐derived chemicals have been evaluated as new sustainable solvents for a large variety of CO₂‐based carboxylation reactions. Known biomass‐derived solvents (biosolvents) are also included in the study and the results are compared with commonly used solvents for the reactions. Biosolvents can be efficiently applied in a variety of carboxylation reactions, ...

A formal C−H carboxylation of unactivated arenes using CO₂ in green solvents is described. The present strategy combines a sterically controlled Ir‐catalyzed C−H borylation followed by a Cu‐catalyzed carboxylation of the in situ generated organoboronates. The reaction is highly regioselective for the C−H carboxylation of 1,3‐disubstituted and 1,2,3‐trisubstituted benzenes, 1,2‐ or ...

Mimics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as a promising class of antimicrobial agents. We report the analysis of five tetrasubstituted, cationic, amphipathic heterocycles as potential AMP mimics. The analysis showed that the heterocyclic scaffold had a strong influence on the haemolytic activity of the compounds, and the hydantoin scaffold was identified as a promising template for ...

A method for the generation of unprecedented vinyl carbenoids from sulfoxonium ylides has been developed and applied in the synthesis of a diverse array of heterocycles such as indolizines, pyrroles, 3‐pyrrolin‐2‐ones, and furans. The reactions proceed by FeBr₂ catalysis under mild reaction conditions with a broad substrate scope. A reaction pathway involving iron carbenoids is proposed ...

The copper-NHC-catalyzed carboxylation of organoboranes with CO₂ was investigated using computational and experimental methods. The DFT and DLPNO-CCSD(T) results indicate that nonbenzylic substrates are converted via an inner-sphere carboxylation of an organocopper intermediate, whereas benzylic substrates may simultaneously proceed along both inner- and outer-sphere CO₂ insertion ...