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Chemical synthesis is the process by which one or more chemical reactions are performed with the aim of converting a reactant or starting material into a product or multiple products. Chemical synthesis is at the heart of much chemistry research as it is the basis for discovering compounds with new physical or biological properties.
The precision synthesis of cyclic polymers with ultrahigh molar mass (UHMM) and circularity is challenging. Now, a method that involves superbase-mediated living linear-chain growth followed by macromolecular cyclization triggered by protic quenching enables the on-demand production of UHMM cyclic polymers with a narrow dispersity and closed-loop chemical recyclability.
The idea that three different free radicals could be used together to carry out specific steps in a chemical reaction has long been implausible. A ‘radical sorting’ strategy now achieves this feat to make organic molecules.
The widespread use of organoboronic acids has prompted the development of synthetic methodologies to meet the demands on structural diversity and functional group tolerance. Herein, the authors disclose a divergent radical dechloroborylation reaction enabled by dinuclear gold catalysis with visible light irradiation.
A robust organometallic platform is developed for stoichiometric cross-couplings of common aryl and alkyl electrophiles under a single set of conditions. Inexpensive and persistent organonickel complexes are prepared by electrolysis and implemented in the diversification of drug-like molecules with high reliability from a diverse set of alkyl precursors.
Asymmetric versions of radical-mediated alkene difunctionalizations featuring hydrocarbon precursors are currently elusive. Here the authors report an asymmetric vicinal alkene dicarbofunctionalization based on the activation of C(sp3)–H bonds through the combination of photocatalysed hydrogen atom transfer and nickel catalysis.
The fluorine isotope 18F is a PET nuclide used for imaging studies, but the incorporation of [18F]HF into 2,2-difluorovinyl groups to generate radiotracers and labeling reagents has only been achieved in low yields. Here, using a combination of Et3SiH and TEMPO in the absence of oxidizing agents is shown to afford a higher yield, better product quality, and controllable selectivity between the formation of a S–F or C–F bond.
Amides are important intermediates in organic chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry, but their low reactivity requires catalysts and/or harsh reaction conditions to esterify them. Here, the authors report a versatile and mild dimethyl sulfate-mediated reaction to activate and esterify C—N bonds, achieving up to 95% amide bond cleavage.
The precision synthesis of cyclic polymers with ultrahigh molar mass (UHMM) and circularity is challenging. Now, a method that involves superbase-mediated living linear-chain growth followed by macromolecular cyclization triggered by protic quenching enables the on-demand production of UHMM cyclic polymers with a narrow dispersity and closed-loop chemical recyclability.
Irreproducible synthetic methods consume time, money, and resources. Here, we highlight the steps Nature Synthesis takes to help authors make their synthetic procedures as reproducible as possible.
The idea that three different free radicals could be used together to carry out specific steps in a chemical reaction has long been implausible. A ‘radical sorting’ strategy now achieves this feat to make organic molecules.