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In the popular science review, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the Periodic Table of chemical elements by D.I. Mendeleev, the elements of the 5th (main) Group (namely nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth) are considered. The history of these elements discovery and some their properties are shortly described. The elements of the fifth group are also called “the elements of life”, which is linked with both the development of living organisms themselves and their compounds importance for human life. The review confirms this thesis in a popular-science form, using the available literature data on the role of chemical compounds of Group 5th elements in the development of living nature as well as in the progress of human civilization.

Novel calix[4]resorcinols containing four triazole fragments on the aromatic substituents of the calixarene framework were synthesized via a one-step condensation of resorcinol and its derivatives with 4-(1-benzyl-1H-[1,2,3]triazol-4-ylmethoxy)benzaldehyde. The macrocyclic products are rctt- and/or rccc-isomers, which were isolated and characterized by NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The same products were also prepared via the click-reaction of benzyl azide with previously synthesized calix[4]resorcinols containing four alkyne terminal groups on the aromatic substituents. In this case, only rctt-diastereomers of the corresponding calixarenes were isolated, which is governed by conformational features of the starting macrocycles.

The approach to the novel 1-[(2-aminoethyl)sulfonyl]-2-arylpyrrolidines via unique intramolecular cyclization/aza-Michael reactions of N-(4,4-diethoxybutyl)ethenesulfonamide have been developed, which benefits from high yields of target compounds, mild reaction conditions, usage of inexpensive and low-toxic reagents, and allows for wide variability in both amine and aryl moieties. Biotesting with whole-cell luminescent bacterial biosensors responding to DNA damage showed that all tested compounds are not genotoxic. Tested compounds differently affect the formation of biofilms by Vibrio aquamarinus DSM 26054. Some of the tested compounds were found to suppress the bacterial biofilms growth and thus are promising candidates for further studies.