The nickel-catalyzed hydroarylation of 1,3-dienes with arylboronic acids using a secondary homoallyl carbonate as a surrogate for the 1,3-diene and hydride source has been developed. The synthetic strategy allowed an efficient access to a wide array of hydroarylation products in high yields with high functional group compatibility without the use of an external hydride source. Mechanistic experiments indicated that the alkene-directed oxidative addition and subsequent β-hydride elimination would be a critical process in this transformation.

We examined bacteria capable of transforming lignin-derived compounds into industrially or economically valuable substances from the seawater after the Great East Japan Earthquake-caused tsunami. Pseudomonas sp. ITH-SA-1 produced water-soluble fluorescent substances from the lignin-derived aromatic, syringaldehyde (SYAL). They: are polymeric substances derived from 3-O-methyl gallate produced through transformation of SYAL via syringate; are not known compounds reported previously; have excitation/emission peaks at 365/498 nm, respectively; and have an average molecular weight of 7.2 kDa. Despite the fact that aromatic structure generally plays an important role in the planarity and rigidity of organic fluorescent substance, the spectroscopic analyses revealed that aromatic rings were not detected in the molecules. Their activity is particularly rare and the biotransforming capabilities will contribute to the development of new basic techniques for the effective utilization of lignin.

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