Friday, June 6, 2014

Friday Fun: RCDEYM

Readers: Do you recognize that acronym?

Hint: It's a reaction related to RCM, with a taxane twist...

I've seen some strange nicknames in the organic literature, but this one takes the cake. How do you even pronounce it* in casual conversation? Is muttering "R-C-D-E-Y-M" actually more efficient than saying its real name?

Ye Gods.

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* "Racadaim?"

If you're truly stumped, click here or here for an answer. 

3 comments:

  1. Forgive me for being utterly repulsed once I figured it out. As a polymer chemist, I spend my time opening rings, not closing them.

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  2. It'd probably be a nice oxidase substrate for Baran's group if it didn't take 13 steps to make. If you wanted really simplified analogs with the bottom diol intact, the structure seems useful, but if not, it seems like a long way to Tipperary. At least if you made TaxolXXXXXpaclitaxel (#@%& BMS!) withit you wouldn't have to resolve it in the middle of the synthesis.

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  3. It's probably not more efficient than saying the full name, but writing it...after the fifth time or so of writing it I would want an acronym, unless I had a macro to bring up the full name. Readers might get tired of the full name, too.

    "Rack 'daim" dienynes, maybe?

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