Visible-Light Photocatalytic Decarboxylation of α,ß-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids: Facile Access to Stereoselective Difluoromethylated Styrenes in Batch and Flow.

The development of synthetic methodologies which provide access to both stereoisomers of α,ß-disubstituted olefins is a challenging undertaking. Herein, we describe the development of an operationally simple and stereoselective synthesis of difluoromethylated styrenes via a visible-light photocatalytic decarboxylation strategy using fac-Ir(ppy)3 as the photocatalyst. Meta- and para-substituted cinnamic acids provide the expected E-isomer. In contrast, ortho-substituted cinnamic acids yield selectively the less stable Z-product, whereas the E-isomer can be obtained via continuous-flow processing through accurate control of the reaction time. Furthermore, our protocol is amenable to the decarboxylative difluoromethylation of aryl propiolic acids.

Evidence for a Link Between Fkbp5/FKBP5, Early Life Social Relations and Alcohol Drinking in Young Adult Rats and Humans.

Alcohol misuse has been linked to dysregulation of stress, emotion, and reward brain circuitries. A candidate key mediator of this association is the FK506-binding protein (FKBP5), a negative regulator of the glucocorticoid receptor. The aim of the present study was to further understand the Fkbp5/FKBP5-related genetic underpinnings underlying the relationship between early life social relations and alcohol drinking. The effect of maternal separation and voluntary alcohol drinking on Fkbp5 expression was investigated in the brain of young adult rats, whereas the interaction effect of the functional FKBP5 single nucleotide polymorphism rs1360780 genotype and parent-child relationship on problematic drinking was examined in young adult humans. In rats, Fkbp5 expression in the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area, core regions of the reward system, was affected in a region-dependent manner and in opposite direction by maternal separation and alcohol drinking. Fkbp5 expression in the cingulate cortex was affected by the combined effect of maternal separation and alcohol drinking. In humans, the TT genotype, in the presence of a poor relationship between the child and parents, was associated with problematic drinking behavior. The present findings suggest that Fkbp5 expression in mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic regions associates with early life stress-mediated sensitivity to alcohol drinking and that FKBP5 genotype interacts with parent-child relationship to influence alcohol drinking. These findings are the first to point to a role of FKBP5 in propensity to alcohol misuse and call for studies of the underlying molecular mechanisms to identify potential drug targets.