Synthesis of Cyclohexanones by a Tandem Photocatalyzed Annulation

The rapid synthesis of cyclic scaffolds is of high importance to the chemistry community. Strategies for the convergent synthesis of substi-tuted carbocycles and heterocycles remain underexplored despite the plethora of applications that these cyclic motifs have in the phar-maceutical and materials industries. Reported herein is a tandem carbene and photoredox-catalyzed process for the convergent synthesis of substituted cycloalkanones via a formal [5+1] cycloaddition. Featuring two distinct photoredox cycles and a novel α-oxidation of ben-zylic ketones, this reaction offers a mild approach to construct two contiguous C–C bonds and eliminates the need for strong bases or expensive metal catalysts. The utility of this method is highlighted through various product diversification reactions that allow access to a range of important cyclic scaffolds.

Fostering Research Synergies between Chemists in Swiss Academia and at Novartis

We present a short overview of the way Novartis chemists interact and collaborate with the academic chemistry community in Switzerland. This article exemplifies a number of collaborations, and illustrates opportunities to foster research synergies between academic and industrial researchers. It also describes established programs available to academic groups, providing them access to Novartis resources and expertise.

A Focused Review of Synthetic Applications of Lawesson’s Reagent in Organic Synthesis

Lawesson’s reagent (LR) is a well-known classic example of a compound with unique construction and unusual chemical behavior, with a wide range of applications in synthetic organic chemistry. Its main functions were rounded for the thionation of various carbonyl groups in the early days, with exemplary results. However, the role of Lawesson’s reagent in synthesis has changed drastically, and now its use can help the chemistry community to understand innovative ideas. These include constructing biologically valuable heterocycles, coupling reactions, and the thionation of natural compounds. The ease of availability and the convenient usage of LR as a thionating agent made us compile a review on the new diverse applications on some common functional groups, such as ketones, esters, amides, alcohols, and carboxylic acids, with biological applications. Since the applications of LR are now diverse, we have also included some new classes of heterocycles such as thiazepines, phosphine sulfides, thiophenes, and organothiophosphorus compounds. Thionation of some biologically essential steroids and terpenoids has also been compiled. This review discusses the recent insights into and synthetic applications of this famous reagent from 2009 to January 2021.

The need for a new generation of substructure searching software

Advances in synthetic chemistry mean that the molecules now synthesized include increasingly complex entities with mechanical bonds or extensive frameworks. For these complex molecular and supramolecular species, single-crystal X-ray crystallography has proved to be the optimal technique for determining full three-dimensional structures in the solid state. These structures are curated and placed in structural databases, the most comprehensive of which (for organic and metallo–organic structures) is the Cambridge Structural Database. A question of increasing importance is how users can search such databases effectively for these structures. Here some of the classes of complex molecules and supramolecules and the challenges associated with searching for them are highlighted. The idea of substructure searches that involve topological searches as well as searches for molecular fragments is developed, and significant enhancements are proposed to substructure search programs that are both achievable and highly beneficial for both the database user community and the broader chemistry community.

F-Based Small Group Decoration of Heteroarenes via C-H Activation: Medicinal Chemistry Rationale and late-stage Synthetic Methods

: The use of F-based decorations in drug discovery started from the development of fluorocorticoids and fluorochinolones (1950s and 1980s, respectively), and has resulted in about 20% of approved drugs on the Market containing fluorine. From a medicinal chemistry perspective, the installation of F-based small groups (e.g., CF3, -CF2H, -OCF3, -OCF2H, -SCF3, -SCF2H) necessarily impacts on physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicological properties of small molecules. Accordingly, a huge interest in this topic is constantly arising in the medicinal chemistry community. Focusing on heteroarenes, the synthetic access to these substitutions is guaranteed by a number of effective reactions such as Minisci-type reaction, photochemistry or electrochemistry C-H activation. The aim of this work is to analyze the rationale in using these groups in medicinal chemistry and highlight the currently available synthetic toolbox of C-H activation for their introduction on heteroarenes of pharmaceutical interest. A particular focus has been given to those procedures amenable to the late-stage functionalisation process.

FAIR and Open Data in Science: The Opportunity for IUPAC

At the start of 2020, IUPAC’s Committee on Publications and Cheminformatics Data Standards (CPCDS) formed a Task Force to propose guidelines for the dissemination and sharing of machine-readable chemical data. These guidelines would be for IUPAC to adopt internally and recommend to the wider chemistry community.

In Memoriam – Dr. Consolacion Y. Ragasa

On April 14, 2021, the Philippine chemistry community lost one of its most prolific researchers due to the COVID19 virus. Herein we reflect on the extraordinary life and work of Dr. Consolacion Y. Ragasa. We highlight her story, her scientific contributions, and the huge impact she left, not only on her students and colleagues but also on the scientific research community.

Ab Initio Calculations of Dissociation Energy of Water Molecule on Near-Term Quantum Devices Using the Pennylane Interface to Quantum Hardware

<br><br>Fault-tolerant quantum computers may be far off, however solving real world quantum chemistry problems on near-term quantum devices is possible through the Pennylane which provides interface to use any of the quantum hardware provided by any of the quantum hardware providers such as IBM, Google or Microsoft. A demonstrated use of Pennylane to solve real world quantum chemical problems on near-term quantum devices is shown. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations of dissociation energy of water molecule on the near-term quantum hardware using the Pennylane interface yielded a dissociation energy comparable to experiment and therefore it is recommended that the quantum chemistry community use near-term quantum devices to leverage quantum computing advantage to solve quantum chemical problems.<br><br>

Ab Initio Calculations of Dissociation Energy of Water Molecule on Near-Term Quantum Devices Using the Pennylane Interface to Quantum Hardware

<br><br>Fault-tolerant quantum computers may be far off, however solving real world quantum chemistry problems on near-term quantum devices is possible through the Pennylane which provides interface to use any of the quantum hardware provided by any of the quantum hardware providers such as IBM, Google or Microsoft. A demonstrated use of Pennylane to solve real world quantum chemical problems on near-term quantum devices is shown. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations of dissociation energy of water molecule on the near-term quantum hardware using the Pennylane interface yielded a dissociation energy comparable to experiment and therefore it is recommended that the quantum chemistry community use near-term quantum devices to leverage quantum computing advantage to solve quantum chemical problems.<br><br>