Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Modification and Functionalization of the Guanidine Group by Tailor-made Precursors
Published on: April 27, 2017
Guanidine-guanidinium cooperation in bifunctional artificial phosphodiesterases based on diphenylmethane spacers;
Riccardo Salvio1, Luigi Mandolini, Claudia Savelli
1Dipartimento di Chimica and IMC-CNR Sezione Meccanismi di Reazione, Università La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy. riccardo.salvio@uniroma1.it
Abstract:
Diphenylmethane derivatives 1-3, decorated with two guanidine units, are effective catalysts of HPNP transesterification. Substitution of the methylene group of the parent diphenylmethane spacer with cyclohexylidene and adamantylidene moieties enhances catalytic efficency, with gem-dialkyl effect accelerations of 4.5 and 9.1, respectively. Activation parameters and DFT calculations of the rotational barriers around the C-Ar bonds indicate that a major contribution to the driving force for enhanced catalysis is entropic in nature.
Related Concept Videos
Phosphodiester Linkages
Phosphodiester bond forms when a phosphoric acid molecule (H3PO4) links with two hydroxyl groups (–OH) of two other molecules, forming two ester bonds. Two water molecules are released in this process. The phosphodiester bond is commonly found in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and plays a critical role in their structure and function.
Phosphodiester Bonds Link Nucleotides Together
DNA and RNA are polynucleotides or long chains of nucleotides that are linked together. A nucleotide is...
GTPases and their Regulation
Large G-proteins, also known...

