Electrochemical Cyclisation

Scientists at Scripps Research have made a major breakthrough in organic synthesis, successfully creating complex natural products known as dragocins A-C. These compounds, isolated from a marine cyanobacterium, have a unique structure with an unusual C-4'-oxidised ribose architecture. The key to their success is an innovative electrochemical cyclization method that allows the team to efficiently construct a challenging 9-membered ring. This groundbreaking work opens up new possibilities in organic chemistry and demonstrates the team's creative approach to tackling complex structures.

My work illustrates a key step in this synthesis: the formation of the ring by electrochemical cyclisation. The scene is heavily inspired by the setup they use in their lab, and includes the substrate of the reaction as well as lightning to represent the reaction taking place.