Featured in this issue

In this issue's Emerging Area, also a hot article, Takanori Shibata and Kyoji Tsuchikama (Waseda University, Japan) describe recent advances in inter- and intramolecular enantioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of alkynes and alkenes catalysed by transition metal complexes. 

The Perspective, by Philippe Barthélémy (Université Victor Segalen, France) and colleagues, highlights the synthesis, organisation and biotechnological applications of amphiphiles derived from nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides. 

Featured on the outside front cover is an investigation by Hendrik Eberhard and Oliver Seitz (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany) into the factors affecting the formation of depsipeptides via a side reaction of the solid-phase synthesis of phosphotyrosine-containing peptides. 


Outside cover for issue 8

Meanwhile, the inside front cover depicts a study by Christian Melander and colleagues (North Carolina State University, US) into the synthesis and biological assay of the marine alkaloid oroidin and a small library of reverse amide 2-aminoimidazoles. 


Inside cover for issue 8. Image courtesy of Marc M. Ellis / H2O Pictures

This issue contains one further hot article: a study by Gerald Pattenden and co-workers (University of Nottingham, UK) into the total synthesis of (-)-ulapualide A, a novel tris-oxazole macrolide from marine nudibranchs.

Richard Kelly