thermocalc — A poor man's approach to computational thermochemistry

We present thermocalc, a Perl module to perform the automated calculation of atomization energies and heats of formation for lists of molecules. The methods used are based on density functional theory and second‐order perturbation theory to ensure that data sets of medium sized to large molecules can be run at reasonable throughput rates. The quantum chemical calculations are performed using the program package TURBOMOLE in a three‐step protocol. In a first step, a pre‐optimization of the structure and a zero‐point energy calculation are performed. As second step, a geometry optimization is being carried out, and the last step is a single point energy calculation. The level of theory used in the different steps can be modified by the user to allow for customized protocols. The performance of example protocols is investigated on different test sets of molecules. In the course of this work, a simple, but efficient one‐parameter correction term based on the shared electron numbers has been developed, which reduces the error of calculated heats of formation significantly. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Theory of GC2 — an unusual approach

In contrast to traditional theoretical approaches by calculation of (nonexistent) theoretical plates, a unified theory of gas chromatography as given by a definition of the resolution analogue to methods in signal processing or spectroscopy using the well-known Kovacz indices as fundamental scale. A derivation of the thusly defined resolution from basic physical principles yields very practical formulae for peak width, maximum load, substance flow in peak maximum, concentration of substance in the carrier gas and other interesting parameters in dependence of capillary diameter, capillary length, film thickness, carrier gas speed, viscosities etc. Diagrams show favourite conditions for detectors responding on absolute substance flow (e.g. FID) or on concentrations.     

The influence of recycling on the properties of wood fibre — Plastic composites

The manufacture of composites offers the greatest flexibility to convert and utilize waste plastics, paper and wood into high-value products. This paper reports on two studies regarding the recycling of these materials. In one study, recycling was simulated by regrinding and injection-moulding composites of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and old newsprint (ONP) eight times. The results indicated that reprocessing had only minor deleterious effect on the mechanical properties (tensile and flexural). The viscosity of neat PP decreased with repeated recycling indicating some thermo-oxidative degradation. The overall rheological character of PP composites did not change much. PE composites, on the other hand, showed increasing melt flow with reprocessing. The second study examined the effects of various coupling agents on the properties of multicomponent PP composites. Maleated polypropylene (MAPP) was the most effective coupling agent.     

Low energy,low temperature mass spectra. 6—A synoptic view

A review is presented of the low energy, low temperature mass spectra of a number of organic compounds, namely alkanes, alkanols, ethers, amines, alkanals, alkanones, alkanoic acids and alkanoic esters. The main fragmentation routes are described and the simplification of the mass spectra as compared with the 70 eV equivalents is emphasized.     

A reduced-restricted-quasi-Newton–Raphson method for locating and optimizing energy crossing points between two potential energy surfaces

We present a method for the location and optimization of an intersection energy point between two potential energy surfaces. The procedure directly optimizes the excited state energy using a quasi-Newton–Raphson method coupled with a restricted step algorithm. A linear transformation is also used for the solution of the quasi-Newton–Raphson equations. The efficiency of the algorithm is analyzed and demonstrated in some examples. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 18 :992–1003, 1997     

A powerful new nitrile hydratase for organic synthesis — aromatic and heteroaromatic nitrile hydrolyses — a rationalisation

A powerful new nitrile hydratase organism, Rhodococcus rhodocrous AJ270 has been isolated that efficiently hydrolyses all kinds of nitriles to amides and/or acids. This paper shows that aromatic and heterocyclic nitriles are readily hydrolysed to acids but, that those bearing an adjacent-substituent (which may be an ortho substituent or an adjacent heteroatom in the ring) give amides in good yield but only slowly proceed to acids.     

Group transfer polymerization — A critical overview

Available evidence on the mechanism of group transfer polymerization is presented. The data are discussed in terms of the possibility that the chain carriers are enolate anions rather than the originally suggested pentacoordinate silicon complexes.     

Low–energy,low-temperature mass spectra. 8—The McLafferty rearrangement

The McLafferty rearrangement giving rise to the McLafferty ion, the complementary ion and a protonated molecule is discussed in the cases of the alkenes, alkanals, alkanones, alkanoic acids and alkanoic esters, in terms of the low-energy, low-temperature mass spectra. Based on the behaviour of the alkanals, which show a series of peaks corresponding to [M ? C_nH_2n]⁺˙, it is suggested that these also involve McLafferty rearrangements from rearranged distonic ions. The same processes are held to be responsible for similar series of peaks in the case of the alkenes and that of the amines. Where possible the energetics of the processes concerned are discussed. The low-energy mass spectra of the linear alkenes propene to octene and those of the octenes are reported.     

A formal synthesis of (—)-patchouli alcohol from (—)-carvone

Enantiomerically pure 6-acetyl-1,3,3-trimethyl bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one, a key intermediate for synthesis of (-)-patchouli alcohol, was facilely synthesized from the adduct of a monomethylated (-)-carvone 2 and methyl acrylate.