A study by University of Iowa Professor Leonard MacGillivray’s research group has published a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Journal editors selected to highlight the paper as a “Spotlight” article, a high honor.
The paper, “Supramolecular Construction of an Aldehyde–Cyclobutane via the Solid State: Combining Reversible Imine Formation and Metal–Organic Self-Assembly,” was published in June. Its authors are Shalisa M. Oburn, Dale C. Swenson, S.V. Santhana Mariappan, and MacGillivray.
Article abstract:
“A combination of metal–organic self-assembly and reversible imine formation is used to achieve an organic synthesis via the solid state. Imine bond formation is employed to install a pyridyl to the alkene trans-cinnamaldehyde while Ag(I) ions are used in a second step to assemble the pyridyl-functionalized alkene into a geometry in the solid state for an intermolecular [2 + 2] photodimerization. The alkene undergoes the cycloaddition reaction via a 1D coordination polymer to generate a pyridyl-functionalized cyclobutane stereoselectively and in quantitative yield. Removal of the pyridyl group affords the aldehyde-functionalized cyclobutane α-truxilaldehyde.”
MacGillivray is a professor in the Department of Chemistry, part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, as well as in the College of Pharmacy.