Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry - Volume 15, Issue 5, 2018

Noscapine is an opium alkaloid which has been historically used as an anti-tussive medicine. Its activity is attributed to its ability to bind stoichiometrically to tubulin, thus arresting cell division at the metaphase stage and leading to apoptosis. Its action as a safe, low toxicity drug has been confirmed and many different routes of synthesizing its naturally occurring, biologically active (-)-α isomer have been established. Read More

The efficient construction of C-C bonds with multiple stereocenters has been of synthetic interest to the synthetic community. This review describes the organocatalytic cascade, domino or tandem synthesis of spirocarbocycles that evolved through the use of small organic catalysts. Spirocarbocycles are frequently observed in organic compounds in nature, and the formation of spirocarbocycles is vital in contemporar Read More

This paper describes the importance of lipases as biocatalysts in various organic applications. Additionally, the influence of different immobilization techniques of enzymes on their catalytic activity and operational stability were investigated. There are many factors affecting the effectiveness and stereoselectivity of lipases in reactions of kinetic resolution. However, the optimization of reaction parameters is essential to obtain high Read More

Catecholamine neurotransmitters are crucial molecules for physiological processes in human metabolism and are involved in the progression of various neurological diseases. Conventional analytical methods for their determination are based on time-consuming and laboratory intensive procedures. Hence, a rapid and simple method for the detection of these key brain chemicals is important to improve the human health Read More

Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is an important component in the global carbon cycle, including more than three times as much carbon as both the atmosphere and the terrestrial vegetation. However, it is difficult to analyze soil organic matter chemistry due to its complexity and diversity resulting from microbial and physicochemical transformations of organic remains of vegetal, microbial and animal origins. Pyrolysis–gas Read More

The carbohydrate derived non-ionic gemini surfactants have emerged as a result of our present day interest in environmentally compatible chemicals. The literature, including patents, describing the emerging area of carbohydrate derived non-ionic gemini surfactants is reviewed. The present review paper deals with synthesis, surface-active properties and biological properties of carbohydrate derived non-ionic gemini Read More

Wittig- and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination remains a series of powerful reactions in the tool kit of organic synthesis. In the following article, an overview of the scope of Wittig and HWE olefination reactions in water or in multiphasic media under phase transfer conditions is presented. Special emphasis is given to one-pot, multi-component transformations. In the following article, the work on Wittig- and Horn Read More

Six-membered chalcogen, element (S, Se, N)-containing heterocycles attracted attention due to their biological activities. This mini-review presents methods for the preparation of these heterocycles modified by introduction of two chloromethylidene groups into their molecules. Methods for the synthesis of bis(1,3-dihalogeno-1-propen-2-yl) chalcogenides and their oxides, and methods of their heterocyclization with sodium sulfid Read More