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A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology in the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2019 / Biocatalysis is the use of biological systems, such as enzymes, to perform chemical transformations on organic compounds. These enzymes catalyse reactions as whole cell systems or in isolated forms and have been found to exhibit high regio- and stereoselectivity towards chiral compounds. Lipases have been extensively used to catalyse kinetic resolutions of chiral compounds such as the Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts. The MBH adducts and their esters are important intermediates in organic synthesis and have been found to be valuable in the production of biologically active compounds. In this study, we expressed and partially purified the Pseudomonas fluorescens P26504 lipase in an active and soluble form to catalyse the kinetic resolution on MBH acetates to obtain enantiopure MBH adducts. The Pseudomonas fluorescens P26504 lipase was overexpressed in BL21 (DE3) pLysS cells at 25 °C for 16 hours, with 1mM IPTG concentration. Enzymatic assays were conducted after partial purification using p-nitrophenyl esters. The recombinant enzyme was highly active towards short chain esters and showed moderate activity towards medium chained esters. The Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction was conducted, giving rise to racemic MBH adducts derived from benzaldehyde and hydro-cinnamaldehyde. The second step of the reaction was acetylation, producing chiral MBH acetates. A lipase-catalysed kinetic resolution was set-up, using the partially purified recombinant P. fluorescens P26504 lipase and the MBH acetates. TLC plate analysis showed that the recombinant lipase was able to hydrolyse both MBH acetates. However, further studies can be done to determine the enantioselectivity of the recombinant P. fluorescens P26504 lipase using chiral HPLC, which is more definitive. / TL (2020)

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The generality of the [4+1] cyclopentene annulation was demonstrated by the total synthesis of (±)-pentalenene and its C-9 epimer which were prepared in a stereocontrolled manner in analogy with the synthesis of (±)-isocomene, (±)-hirsutene and (±)-pentalenic acid. The key features of this synthesis involved preparation of acid 161, its conversion to diazoketone 148, intramolecular cyclopropanation of this substance to vinylcyclopropane 163 and the vinylcyclopropane-cyclo pentene rearrangement of several derivatives of 195 to triquinanes 147, 146, 197, and 204. A detailed study of temperature, conformation, and electronic effects on the diradical scission of vinylcyclopropanes of type 195 was carried out under pyrolytic conditions. Conclusive results regarding conformational stability at C-9 were also attained and exploited in the context of stereocontrol at this center. As a result of this synthesis, several new methods of functional transformations emerged, such as the selective reduction of conjugated esters and a new method of preparation of enolethers from carboxylic acids. / Master of Science / incomplete_metadata

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Organic Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / ortho-Deoxygrisan (38), a spirodienone was synthesised from bisphenol (42) using both conventional and microwave assisted methods. The bisphenol (42) was synthesised from phenol (52) by conventional and microwave assisted methods. Benzophenone (43) was synthesised from compound (49) which in turn was synthesised from compound (53) by chromic acid oxidation in acetic anhydride or acetic acid. Compound (53) was synthesised from bisphenol (42) by mono-acetylation method.Acid-catalysed rearrangement of ortho-deoxygrisan (38) in the absence of light was investigated. Chromatography of the reaction mixture afforded compound (D) as a major component. Attempts to synthesise ortho-grisan (50) from benzophenone (43) were unsuccessful. Microwave assisted selenium dioxide oxidation of compound (53) gave a yellow compound C. The spectra of this compound were very similar to the spectra of ortho-deoxygrisan (38). However, selenium dioxide was reacted with compound (53) in the absence of microwave to give a yellow solid B. The 1H NMR spectral data of this compound led to the proposed structure B for it. / National Research Foundation.