Nobel Laureates of the University of California

All animals except sponges produce mucus. Across the animal kingdom, this hydrogel mediates surface wetting, viscosity, and protection against microbes. The primary components of mucus hydrogels are mucins-high molecular weight O-glycoproteins that adopt extended linear structures. Glycosylation is integral to mucin function, but other characteristics that give rise to their advantageous biological activities are unknown. We postulated that the extended conformation of mucins is critical for their ability to block microbial virulence phenotypes. To test this hypothesis, we developed synthetic mucin mimics that recapitulate the dense display of glycans and morphology of mucin. We varied the catalyst in a ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to generate substituted norbornene-derived glycopolymers containing either cis- or trans-alkenes. Conformational analysis of the polymers based on allylic strain suggested that cis- rather than trans-poly(norbornene) glycopolymers would adopt linear structures that mimic mucins. High-resolution atomic force micrographs of our polymers and natively purified Muc2, Muc5AC, and Muc5B mucins revealed that cis-polymers adopt extended, mucin-like structures. The cis-polymers retained this structure in solution and were more water-soluble than their trans-analogs. Consistent with mucin's linear morphology, cis-glycopolymers were more potent binders of a bacterial virulence factor, cholera toxin. Our findings highlight the importance of the polymer backbone in mucin surrogate design and underscore the significance of the extended mucin backbone for inhibiting virulence.

3,3′,5,5′-Tetra-tert-butyl-2′-sulfanyl[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-ol (H2[tBu4OS]) was prepared in 24 % yield overall from the analogous biphenol using standard techniques. Addition of H2[tBu4OS] to Mo(NAr)(CHCMe2Ph)(2,5-dimethylpyrrolide)2 led to formation of Mo(NAr)(CHCMe2Ph)[tBu4OS], which was trapped with PMe3 to give Mo(NAr)(CHCMe2Ph)[tBu4OS](PMe3) (1(PMe3)). An X-ray crystallographic study of 1(PMe3) revealed that two structurally distinct square pyramidal molecules are present in which the alkylidene ligand occupies the apical position in each. Both 1(PMe3)A and 1(PMe3)B are disordered. Mo(NAd)(CHCMe2Ph)(tBu4OS)(PMe3) (2(PMe3); Ad=1-adamantyl) and W(NAr)(CHCMe2Ph)(tBu4OS)(PMe3) (3(PMe3)) were prepared using analogous approaches. 1(PMe3) reacts with ethylene (1 atm) in benzene within 45 minutes to give an ethylene complex Mo(NAr)(tBu4OS)(C2H4) (4) that is isolable and relatively stable toward loss of ethylene below 60 °C. An X-ray study shows that the bond distances and angles for the ethylene ligand in 4 are like those found for bisalkoxide ethylene complexes of the same general type. Complex 1(PMe3) in the presence of one equivalent of B(C6F5)3 catalyzes the homocoupling of 1-decene, allyltrimethylsilane, and allylboronic acid pinacol ester at ambient temperature. 1(PMe3), 2(PMe3), and 3(PMe3) all catalyze the ROMP of rac-endo,exo-5,6-dicarbomethoxynorbornene (rac-DCMNBE) in the presence of B(C6F5)3, but the polyDCMNBE that is formed has a random structure.

Through relatively straightforward techniques that begin with Mo(NAr)(CH-t-Bu)[OCMe(CF3)2]2 (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3), we have prepared Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(OMesityl)2, [Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(OC6F5)2]2, Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(OC6F5)2(MeCN), Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(OC6F5)2(bipyridyl), Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(Cl)2(bipyridyl), Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(Cl)(OHMT)(MeCN) (OHMT = O-2,6-(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)2C6H3), and Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(Pyrrolide)(OHMT). X-ray studies reveal that in five compounds the alkylidene isomer (A) is that in which the phenyl group in the alkylidene points toward the imido nitrogen. In Mo(NAr)(CMePh)(OC6F5)2(MeCN) the isomer in which the methyl group points toward the imido nitrogen (isomer B) has cocrystallized with isomer A (12%). In two 14e compounds that contain isomer A, the Mo═C-C angles differ by 30-36°, consistent with a Mo...C-Hβ agostic interaction. Several of the complexes reported here react readily with ethylene, 1-decene, or cyclooctene to give the expected products, thus confirming their viability as initiators or intermediates in metathesis reactions.

Mo(C-t-Bu)(CH-t-Bu)(Cl)(PMe2Ph)2 (1) was prepared as off-white crystals in 26% yield through addition of 2.5 equiv of Mg(CH2-t-Bu)2 to Mo(O)[OC(CF3)3]4 in diethyl ether followed by 3 equiv of PMe2Ph and a workup that includes dichloromethane (the source of Cl). Compound 1 is largely a syn isomer initially that equilibrates to give approximately a 1:1 mixture of syn and anti isomers within 1-2 h. Compound 1 reacts with Li(3,5-dimethylpyrrolide) to give Mo(C-t-Bu)(CH-t-Bu)(η1-Me2Pyr)(PMe2Ph)2 (2a) as a pale yellow solid in 76% yield, and 2a reacts with Ph3SiOH to give a mixture of syn and anti Mo(C-t-Bu)(CH-t-Bu)(OSiPh3)(PMe2Ph)2 (3a) in 84% yield. All three compounds tend to lose PMe2Ph to give 14e monophosphine complexes with the formulas Mo(C-t-Bu)(CH-t-Bu)(X)(PMe2Ph) (X = Cl, Me2Pyr, or OSiPh3), none of which could be isolated. X-ray studies show the structures of 1, 2a, and 3a to be analogous with τ values of 0.45, 0.53, and 0.69, respectively.

Nitriles are found in many bioactive compounds, and are among the most versatile functional groups in organic chemistry. Despite many notable recent advances, however, there are no approaches that may be used for the preparation of di- or tri-substituted alkenyl nitriles. Related approaches that are broad in scope and can deliver the desired products in high stereoisomeric purity are especially scarce. Here, we describe the development of several efficient catalytic cross-metathesis strategies, which provide direct access to a considerable range of Z- or E-di-substituted cyano-substituted alkenes or their corresponding tri-substituted variants. Depending on the reaction type, a molybdenum-based monoaryloxide pyrrolide or chloride (MAC) complex may be the optimal choice. The utility of the approach, enhanced by an easy to apply protocol for utilization of substrates bearing an alcohol or a carboxylic acid moiety, is highlighted in the context of applications to the synthesis of biologically active compounds.

Catalytic cross-metathesis is a central transformation in chemistry, yet corresponding methods for the stereoselective generation of acyclic trisubstituted alkenes in either the E or the Z isomeric forms are not known. The key problems are a lack of chemoselectivity—namely, the preponderance of side reactions involving only the less hindered starting alkene, resulting in homo-metathesis by-products—and the formation of short-lived methylidene complexes. By contrast, in catalytic cross-coupling, substrates are more distinct and homocoupling is less of a problem. Here we show that through cross-metathesis reactions involving E- or Z-trisubstituted alkenes, which are easily prepared from commercially available starting materials by cross-coupling reactions, many desirable and otherwise difficult-to-access linear E- or Z-trisubstituted alkenes can be synthesized efficiently and in exceptional stereoisomeric purity (up to 98 per cent E or 95 per cent Z). The utility of the strategy is demonstrated by the concise stereoselective syntheses of biologically active compounds, such as the antifungal indiacen B and the anti-inflammatory coibacin D.

Ring-closing metathesis is a widely used chemical transformation that can generate organic macrocycle compounds; here, an approach is described by which the E-stereoisomer of a macrocycle is generated selectively, exemplified by synthesizing the antibiotic recifeolide and the anti-cancer drug pacritinib.

Cis,syndiotacticA-alt-B copolymers, where A and B are two enantiomerically pure trans-2,3-disubstituted-5,6-norbornenes with "opposite" chiralities, can be prepared with stereogenic-at-metal initiators of the type M(NR)(CHR')(OR")(pyrrolide). Formation of a high percentage of alternating AB copolymer linkages relies on an inversion of chirality at the metal with each propagating step and a relatively fast formation of an AB sequence as a consequence of a preferred diastereomeric relationship between the chirality at the metal and the chirality of the monomer. This approach to formation of an alternating AB copolymer contrasts dramatically with the principle of forming AB copolymers from achiral monomers and catalysts.

One shortcoming of olefin metathesis has been that acyclic alkenyl halides could not be generated efficiently and stereoselectively; but now halo-substituted molybdenum alkylidene species are shown to be able to participate in high-yielding olefin metathesis reactions that afford acyclic 1,2-disubstituted Z-alkenyl halides.

Biological nitrogen fixation is enabled by molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase enzymes, which effect the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia using an Fe7MoS9C active site, referred to as the iron molybdenum cofactor or FeMoco. In this mini-review, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular and electronic structure of FeMoco. The advances in our understanding of the active site structure are placed in context with the parallel evolution of synthetic model studies. The recent discovery of Mo(III) in the FeMoco active site is highlighted with an emphasis placed on the important role that model studies have played in this finding. In addition, the reactivities of synthetic models are discussed in terms of their relevance to the enzymatic system.