The carbon molecule in the foreground is shaking as if suspended by a rubber band. It embodies the structure of ‘cyclic allene’, which is made by consecutive double bonds of three carbon atoms.
This week, Science featured on the cover of cyclic allene, which is used to selectively synthesize lysodendric acid A, a substance used in pharmaceuticals because of its antioxidant properties.
A team led by Professor Neil Garg of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) developed a method for selectively synthesizing only one of the enantiomers of lysodendic acid A and published it in the international journal ‘Science’ on January 19th.
Many molecules, including lysodendoric acid A, exist in two distinct states, just like the right and left hands. These are called enantiomers. Enantiomers have completely different properties even though they have similar molecular structures. One substance has a medicinal effect, but the corresponding enantiomer may be ineffective or even dangerous.
Chemically removing different enantiomers when synthesizing materials is a complicated and expensive process. Professor Garg’s team developed a fast and efficient method for producing one enantiomer of lysodendolic acid A using cyclic allene as an intermediate. Using the 12-step reaction process developed by the research team, it is possible to selectively produce only enantiomers of the lysodendolic acid A molecule.
Cyclic allene was discovered in the 1960s, but it exists only for a brief moment during a chemical reaction and has not been used in chemical processes. “By challenging the traditional thinking, we can use cyclic allenes to make complex molecules like lysodendolic acid A,” Garg said. “I hope many people will use this to develop new drugs.”
