Tonsil Actisil FF, which is a commercial bentonitic clay, promotes the formation of cycloveratrylene macrocycles and benzyl oligomers from the corresponding benzyl alcohols in good yields under microwave heating and infrared irradiation in the absence of solvent in both cases. The catalytic reaction is sensitive to the type of substituent on the aromatic ring. Thus, when benzyl alcohol was subs...

Benzyl beta-D-galactofuranoside was efficiently obtained from 1,2,3,5,6-penta-O-benzoyl-alpha,beta-D-galactofuranose, via benzyl 2,3,5,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-beta-D-galactofuranoside. Conditions for the O-debenzylation were investigated in order to evaluate the synthetic application of the benzyl group as an anomeric protector of a galactofuranose moiety in synthetic strategies involving galactofura...

D-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and unnatural L-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 were prepared in gram-quantities from D- and L-2,6-di-O-benzyl-myo-inositol by a chemical phosphorylation and deprotection step in high yield and purity without extensive purification. The optically pure benzyl derivatives were obtained by enzyme-catalyzed resolution of racemic 2,6-di-O-benzyl-myo-inositol under acyl-transfer conditions in vinyl a...

Gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes (Au-NHC) with symmetric (bis-benzyl, -propyl and -mesityl substituents) and dissymmetric (mesityl and alkyl--benzyl or propyl--substituents) NHC ligands were synthesized and tested as catalysts for the addition of methanol to 3-hexyne, as a representative internal alkyne. While symmetric ones--bis-alkyl (propyl or benzyl) or bis-mesityl systems--displaye...

O-benzyl-L-serine carboxyanhydrides were synthesized via diazotization of O-benzyl-L-serine with sodium nitrite in aqueous sulfuric acid solution followed by cyclization of the resulting serine-based α-hydroxy acid with phosgene. Degradable, water-soluble poly(α-hydroxy acids) bearing pendant hydroxyl groups were readily prepared under mild conditions via ring-opening polymerization of O-benzyl...

The trans-diequatorial 3,4-diol of 2,5-di-O-benzyl-D-chiro-inositol cleaved selectively with the periodate ion in the presence of the trans-diaxial 1,6-diol to give a dialdehyde (dialdose) from which 3,6-di-O-benzyl-D-manno-tetrahydroxyazepane (1) was made. The trans-diaxial 1,6-diol of 3,4-di-O-allyl-2,5-di-O-benzyl-D-chiro-inositol was not cleaved satisfactorily by periodate, but replacement ...

As part of an ongoing project aimed at developing vaccine candidates against Cryptococcus neoformans the preparation of tri- and tetrasaccharide thioglycoside building blocks, to be used in construction of structurally defined part structures of C. neoformans GXM capsular polysaccharide, was investigated. Using a naphthalenylmethyl (NAP) ether as a temporary protecting group and trichloroacetim...

S-Benzylhomocysteine, containing isotopic atoms, has proved to be a key intermediate in the synthesis of labeled methionine and related compounds (1). The need of the optically active isomers of these tagged compounds for various metabolic investigations has prompted us to work out a method for the resolution of S-benzylhomocysteine which would be particularly suitable for small quantities of S...

Photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohols in aqueous suspensions of rhodium ion-modified titanium(iv) oxide (Rh(3+)/TiO2) in the presence of O2 under irradiation of visible light was examined. In the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde was obtained in a high yield (97%) with >99% conversion of benzyl alcohol. Rh(3+)/TiO2 photocatalysts having various physical properties w...