Alpha-functionalization of non-activated aliphatic amines: ruthenium-catalyzed alkynylations and alkylations.

Novel catalytic alpha-functionalizations of non-activated aliphatic amines with silylated alkynes are reported. In the presence of the Shvo catalyst alkylations and alkynylations proceed highly selectively to the branched amines.

First iron-catalyzed synthesis of oximes from styrenes.

Aryl-substituted olefins react with t-butyl nitrite and sodium borohydride in the presence of iron(ii)phthalocyanine to give oximes in moderate to high yields.

2-keto-4-(methylthio)butyric acid (keto analog of methionine) is a safe and efficacious precursor of L-methionine in chicks.

Relative bioefficacy and toxicity of Met precursor compounds were investigated in young chicks. The effectiveness of DL-Met and 2-keto-4-(methylthio)butyric acid (Keto-Met) to serve as L-Met precursors was quantified using Met-deficient diets of differing composition. Efficacy was based on slope-ratio and standard-curve methodology. Using L-Met as a standard Met source added to a purified diet, DL-Met and Keto-Met were assigned relative bioefficacy values of 98.5 and 92.5%, respectively, based on weight gain. Relative bioefficacy values of 98.5 and 89.3% were assigned to DL-Met and Keto-Met, respectively, when chicks were fed a Met-deficient, corn-soybean meal-peanut meal diet. Thus, both DL-Met and Keto-Met are effective Met precursor compounds in chicks. Additionally, growth-depressing effects of L-Met, DL-Met, and Keto-Met were compared using a nutritionally adequate corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with 15 or 30 g/kg of each compound. Similar reductions in weight gain, food intake, and gain:food ratio were observed for each compound. Subjective spleen color scores, indicative of splenic hemosiderosis, increased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing intakes of each compound, suggesting a similarity in overall toxicity among these compounds. Because conversion of Keto-Met to L-Met in vivo merely requires transamination, Keto-Met may prove to be a useful supplement not only in food animal production, but also as a component of enteral and parenteral formulas for humans suffering from renal insufficiency.

Thiourea-based non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase as bifunctional organocatalysts in the asymmetric Strecker synthesis.

The potential of novel and known pyridyl thiourea derivatives (non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNI) of HIV reverse transcriptase) as bifunctional organic catalysts in the asymmetric Strecker synthesis was investigated. It was shown that incorporation of the imidazolyl moiety in place of a pyridyl group results in a new thiourea derivative that displays a much higher catalytic activity.