β-Strand inspired bifacial π-conjugated polymers that are soluble despite the absence of pendant solubilizing chains are reported. Precise tunability of the bifacial monomer height enables control of polymer solubility and intermolecular interactions.

A 'transition-metal-free' oxidative coupling of 2-oxindoles has been demonstrated in the presence of 1.2 equiv each of potassium tert-butoxide and iodine. The method yields a diverse range of structurally different homo- and heterodimerized 2-oxindoles bearing vicinal all-carbon quaternary centers of great synthetic importance. A radical-driven pathway has been tentatively proposed.

A highly enantioselective decarboxylative allylation of a mixture of enol carbonates and allyl esters has been achieved. The strategic viability of this methodology has been demonstrated through the total synthesis of cyclotryptamine alkaloids (-)- and (+)-folicanthine (1 a) and the formal total synthesis of (-)-chimonanthine (1 b), (+)-calycanthine (1 c), and (-)-ditryptophenaline (1 d).