Ester coupling reactions – an enduring challenge in the chemical synthesis of bioactive natural products

In this review we investigate the use of complex ester fragment couplings within natural product total syntheses. Using examples from the literature up to 2014 we illustrate the state-of-the-art as well as the challenges within this area of organic synthesis.

A multi-analytical approach to amber characterisation

Increased need for non-destructive investigation methods in archaeology has become a major issue since sampling is in most cases restricted in view of the importance or uniqueness of the objects. For this reason, preliminary investigation using non-destructive techniques was performed on five samples of amber beads obtained from different excavation and archaeological sites. The use of FTIR and micro-Raman analysis revealed the presence of carboxyl, peroxide, hydroxyl, and complex ester functional groups as well as single and double bonds in the structure of the studied resin varieties. Further analysis of the amber samples from both archaeological and geological types by XPS, XRF, and SEM showed the presence of sulfur and a wide range of trace elements on the surface of the analysed samples. Our results proved that the combination of structural-molecular and surface elemental techniques for amber characterisation provides a very useful and simple methodology for the description of geological and archaeological amber samples from different regions of Europe.

Green Ester Lubricants Based on Rapeseed Acid and their Lubricity

Several complex esters were synthesized from phthalic anhydride, neopentyl glycol and rapeseed acid. Their rheological properties, biodegradability and tribological properties were measured. It was found that the complex esters have a wide viscosity range of 126~325mm2/s at 40°C with viscosity indices about 127~143, and solidifying points lower than-38°C. The maximum non seizure load of a complex ester with degree of polymerization 1.42 is as high as 735 N, with a wear scar diameter of 0.41mm, superior to mineral oil. The biodegradation rates are higher than 73%, and the thermal stability is good. So these complex esters are a class of green synthetic ester oils with excellent properties.