1.
Synthesis of the Scalarane Sesterterpenoid 16-deacetoxy-12-episcalarafuranacetate , Xi-Bo Chen, Qian-Jia Yuan, Jing Wang, Si-Kai Hua, Jiagmeng
Ren, and Bu-Bing Zeng
The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 2011, pp 7216-7221
DOI: 10.1021/jo2008127
Mechanism: Scheme 2: Conversion 5 to 6 and 7 to 8
DIBALH reduction and Wittig reaction
Significance: Marine Natural Products
2.
Asymmetric Synthesis of an Antagonist of Neurokinin Receptors: SSR 241586 ,
Thomas-Xavier Metro, Anne Cochi, Domingo Gomez Pardo, and Janine Cossy
The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 2011, pp 2594-2602
DOI: 10.1021/jo102471r
Mechanism: Schemes 4 and 6: Conversion 4 to 5 and 8 to 9
Imine formation and Grignard reaction
Significance: Broad disease treatment
3.
Ratiometric Fluorescent Chemosensor for Hg2+ Based on Heptamethine
Cyanine Containing a thymine Moiety, Hong Zheng,* Xiao-Juan Zhang, Xin Cai,
Qing-Na Bian, Min Yan, Ge-Hui Wu, Xue-Wang Lai, and Yun-Bao Jiang
Organic Letters (Articles ASAP)
Publication Date (Web): April 9, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol3004047
Mechanism: Schemes 1: Conversion 5 to 4
Conversion of carboxylic acid to acid chloride to ester
Significance: Synthesis of chemosensors for detection of heavy metals

4.
Construction of the Azocane (Azacyclooctane) Moiety of the Lycopodium
Alkaloid Lycopladine H via an Intramolecular Hydroaminomethylation
Strateg y, Joshua R. Sacher and Steven M. Weinreb
Organic Letters (Articles ASAP)
Publication Date (Web): April 9, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol3007277
Mechanism: Schemes 1 and 2: Conversion 4 to 5 and 8 to 9
Ketone reduction and Grignard reaction
Significance: Synthetic challenge and various biological properties
5.
Asymmetric Michael Addition of Substituted Rhodanines to α,β-Unsaturated
Ketones Catalyzed by Bulky Primary Amines , Feng Yu, Haoxiang Hu, Xiaodong
Gu, and Jinxing Ye
Organic Letters (Articles ASAP)
Publication Date (Web): April 6, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol300489q
Mechanism: Table 1 and Scheme 3: Conversion 2a + 3a to 4a and 4a to 9
Michael reaction and LDA promoted cyclization
Significance: antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, and antitumor activities
6.
Mukaiyama–Michael Reactions with Acrolein and Methacrolein: A Catalytic
Enantioselective Synthesis of the C17–C28 Fragment of Pectenotoxins , Eeva K.
Kemppainen, Gokarneswar Sahoo, Arto Valkonen, and Petri M. Pihko
Organic Letters , pp 1086–1089
Publication Date (Web): February 1, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol203486p
Mechanism: Scheme 2 and Table 2: Conversion 23 to 24 and formation of 18a and b
DIBALH reduction, Grignard, Mukaiyama-Michael reaction
Significance: Cytotoxicity

7.
Total Synthesis of an Oxepine Natural Product, (±)-Janoxepin
, Richard G.
Doveston, René Steendam, Stuart Jones, and Richard J. K. Taylor
Organic Letters, pp 1122–1125
Publication Date (Web): January 30, 2012 (Letter)
DOI : 10.1021/ol300039x
Mechanism: Scheme 2 and Scheme 3: Conversion 5 to 9 and 12 to 13
Condensation reactions
Significance: Anti-malarial activity
8.
Rapid Access to Conformational Analogues of (+)-Peloruside A , Zhiming Zhao and Richard E. Taylor
Organic Letters, pp 669–671
Publication Date (Web): January 11, 2012 (Letter)
DOI : 10.1021/ol203268t
Mechanism: Scheme 1: Formation of 3 and 5
LDA alkylation, Grignard, Aldol condensation (Don’t worry about the Dess-
Martin mechanism after the Aldol condensation)
Significance: cancer chemotherapeutic potential
9.
A Concise Total Synthesis of (±)- and (−)-Okilactomycin D
, Dawen Niu and
Thomas R. Hoye
Organic Letters , pp 828–831
Publication Date (Web): January 24, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol203355g
Mechanism: Scheme 3: Conversion of 16 to 17 and 19 to 20
Grignard, Wittig, DIBALH reduction
Significance: antitumor, antimicrobial, and cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition

10.
Synthetic Studies toward Lapidilectine-Type Kopsia Alkaloids , Erica E. Schultz,
Brian G. Pujanauski, and Richmond Sarpong
Organic Letters , pp 648–651
Publication Date (Web): January 3, 2012 (Letter)
DOI: 10.1021/ol203302f
Mechanism: Scheme 2: Conversion of 19 to 13
Dieckmann condensation, NaBH
4
reduction, amide-ester formation
Significance: anti-cancer