Interview with Prof. Dr. Benjamin List: Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2021

In an interview with Benjamin List, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, members of the Young Chemists’ Network (JCF) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) asked him about his science, his career, and the academic system. Benjamin List, Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Germany, was awarded the Nobel Prize together with David W. C. MacMillan (Princeton University, USA) for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis. After studying chemistry at the Free University of Berlin, he received his doctorate from Goethe University in Frankfurt. He discovered the amino acid proline to be an efficient catalyst and thus co-founded the field of organocatalysis. In 2016, he received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, which is considered the most important research award in Germany.     

Macrolides. Recent Progress in Chemistry and Biochemistry

The progress of macrolide chemistry and biochemistry over the past several years has indeed been remarkable. This review attempts to cover the important contributions which have been made in the fields of structural and synthetic chemistry as well as in the biosynthesis and mode of antimicrobial activity of the “polyoxo” macrolide antibiotics. Emphasis has been placed on the recent synthetic achievements in this field.     

A chemistry field in search of applications statistical analysis of U.S. fullerene patents

The paper is examining the U.S. patenting activity on the application of fullerenes and shows that despite some pessimistic manifestations in this respect in the current literature there are many promising approaches regarding the pragmatic aspects of this field of chemistry.     

Supramolecular photochemistry. A paradigm for the 1990s?

The emerging field of supramolecular chemistry, which involves “chemistry beyond the molecule” and which emphasizes non-covalent intermolecular bonding and structures, also provides an intellectual basis for a new vision of photochemistry, namely supramolecular photochemistry. Supramolecular photochemistry embraces not only the principles of supramolecular chemistry, but also the principles of supramolecular physics which deal with the influence of static and fluctuating electric and magnetic fields on photochemical reactions. Thus, the combination of intermolecular forces, sometimes quite weak individually but strong cooperatively, and electrical and magnetic forces “beyond the molecule” provide exciting opportunities to control the course of new photochemical reactions and to investigate important examplar reactions in novel ways.     

现代固态有机化学之父——Gerhard M.J.Schmidt

本文主要介绍了GerhardM.J.Schmidt教授的生平、代表性的科研工作及其意义、影响和应用,从中展现出他的优秀品质、治学精神、杰出成就以及影响力。Schmidt教授少年早慧,求学艰辛,天赋独特,痴迷科学,为科学事业奋斗终身,在多个领域都有着卓越的成就,其中以固态有机化学领域最具代表性。他在科研的同时还担任诸多行政职务,为魏茨曼研究所、以色列乃至全世界的科学发展做了许多贡献。     

Fluorine-containing cyclohexadienones - synthesis and properties.

The Review is devoted to methods of synthesis and chemical properties of polyfluorinated cyclohexadienones - ‘proarenes’ whose chemistry is the plentiful field of new synthetic ways to fluoroaromatic compounds.     

Introducing Field Environmental–Analytical Chemistry in the Quantitative Analysis Laboratory

Advances in instrumentation and technology now provide the ability to perform many quantitative determinations in the field. Additionally, the potential for sample degradation and analyte decomposition make it necessary to determine certain analytes (e.g., dissolved oxygen) in the field when conducting environmental analyses. Unfortunately, field environmental—analytical chemistry is not a substantial portion of the analytical chemistry curriculum at many institutions. Students in lower-level analytical chemistry courses are often non-chemistry science majors, particularly at institutions with small chemistry departments. We report here on an experiment in which field environmental-analytical chemistry is introduced in the quantitative analysis laboratory. In the context of a water quality assessment of a local river, students determine temperature, pH, ORP, nitrate nitrogen, and ammonia nitrogen at several points in the river. The experimental objective is to determine the potential effects local agricultural practices and treated wastewater discharge may be having on the water composition. The pedagogical objective is to expose these students to the difficulties involved in making analytical determinations in unfamiliar and/or disruptive settings.     

Synthesis of Aminotelechelic Polymers with the Redox System TiCl3/NH2OH in the Hydrochloric Aqueous Phase. I. Polymerization Possibilities and Limits

Among recent progress in the field of macromolecular chemistry, of considerable interest has been the synthesis of α, ω-ordifunctional polymers. These polymers, called “telechelic” polymers, are interesting because many reactions are possible on their functional end-groups:     

绿色化学的进展

绿色化学是一门从源头上阻止污染的化学,近年来这方面的研究主要是围绕化学反应,原料,催化剂,溶剂和产品的绿色化开展的。根据这条主线,评述了绿色化学的一些主要研究进展。最后介绍了我国绿色化学的活动。     

Atom probe tomography - a high throughput screening tool for atomic scale chemistry

The objective of this paper is to examine the challenges and opportunities in high throughput screening of atomic scale chemistry via a technique known as atom probe tomography. While there are numerous methods that exist in the field of throughput screening, even at the nanoscale, most of the effort is on screening properties , rather than chemistry and/or structure. In this overview, we discuss the role atom probe tomography can have as a high throughput screening tool of atomic scale chemistry. Particular emphasis on the study of organic/ biological materials is given along with the needs and challenges to make atom probe tomography more widespread in the field of combinatorial chemistry.     

绿色化学理念在高分子化学实验教学中的渗透

绿色化学是促进人类与自然和谐发展的化学,培养绿色化学意识是实现社会可持续发展的基本要求。高分子化学实验是高等院校高分子材料专业或材料化学高分子方向本科生开设的一门必修课,对学生进行绿色化学教育具有非常有利的条件。文章分析了在高分子化学实验课程中开展绿色化学教育的必要性与可行性;介绍了高分子化学实验教学中开展绿色化学教育的具体措施。通过绿色化学理念在高分子化学实验教学中渗透,在提高学生动手能力的同时,又增强了学生的绿色化学意识。     

Compounds labelled with short-lived beta(+)-emitting radionuclides and some applications in life sciences. The importance of time as a parameter.

Some examples of recent development of the synthesis of compounds labelled with short-lived beta(+)-emitting radionuclides will be discussed with an emphasis on the importance of time in selecting a synthetic strategy. Furthermore the use of such labelled compounds to monitor certain processes in areas within the field of analytical chemistry and in various applications in drug development will be presented.     

Emergences of supramolecular chemistry: from supramolecular chemistry to supramolecular science

We describe the field of supramolecular chemistry as a consequence of the progress of chemistry from its premises to recent achievements. Supramolecular chemistry has been claimed to be an emergent field of research taking its roots in chemistry. According to the definitions of emergences related to hierarchy or more recently to scope, supramolecular chemistry is shown to have bottom-up or top-down emergences. The bottom-up emergence, directly related to hierarchy by definition, opens up the world of nanochemistry and nanomaterials while the top-down one, attributable to scope due to the implication of supramolecular chemistry in other fields of research, open the world of supramolecular biochemistry. Both emergences lead supramolecular chemistry to become a supramolecular science. Combining supramolecular chemistry with biology opens new direction in the study of life and it origin.     

Patterned self-assembled beads in silicon channels.

A novel technique enabling selective bead trapping in microfluidic devices without the use of physical barriers is presented in this paper. It is a fast, convenient and simple method, involving microcontact printing and self-assembly, that can be applied to silicon, quartz or plastic substrates. In the first step, channels are etched in the substrate. The surface chemistry of the internal walls of the channels is then modified by microcontact printing. The chip is submerged in a bead slurry where beads self-assemble based on surface chemistry and immobilize on the internal walls of the channels. Silicon channels (100 microm wide and 50 microm deep) have been covered with monolayers of streptavidin-, amino- and hydroxy-functionalized microspheres and resulted in good surface coverage of beads on the channel walls. A high-resolution pattern of lines of self-assembled streptavidin beads, as narrow as 5 microm, has also been generated on the bottom of a 500 microm wide and 50 microm deep channel. Flow tests were performed in sealed channels with the different immobilized beads to confirm that the immobilized beads could withstand the forces generated by water flowing in the channels. The presented results indicate that single beads can be precisely positioned within microfluidic devices based on self-assembly which is useful as screening and analysis tools within the field of biochemistry and organic chemistry.     

分析化学的“昨天、今天和明天”

简述了分析化学的发展历史。分析化学的"昨天",从基于物理化学的溶液理论,以目视可见为工具的"化学分析",进入以物理方法为基础的仪器分析,因此有人提出"化学正在走出分析化学";分析化学的"今天",因为它的主体任务是解决物质的分子原子结构和成分,所以又回归化学领域;对分析化学的"明天"寄厚望,分析化学走出历来仅仅以"为他人报告提供数据"的技术支持者的角色,成为"实际问题解决者",利用分析化学中综合分析的"剖析技术",为新产品开发创制的"反工艺研究"做出独特的贡献。     

分子识别指导下的有机分子设计、合成和组装——世纪交替时代的有机化学

在21世纪即将来临之际,有机化学将面临生命科学、环境科学和材料科学越来越多的挑战。本文回顾了在分子识别指导下的有机分子的设计、合成和组装这个新领域的诞生和发展,认为这个领域将成为新世纪有机化学发展的一个重要方向。它的发展和应用不仅使得有机化学可能较好地面对新挑战,同时能推动有机合成化学自身的发展。     

Nanoporous materials: a good opportunity for nanosciences

This paper emphasizes the wide possibilities open to organometallic chemistry by the bottom-up approach for nanosciences. In this new field of research, organometallic chemistry and coordination chemistry are in position to play a very important role in the development of nanomaterials. At first, organometallic and coordination chemistries will be the mothers of plenty of nanotools, which are the elemental bricks of nanosciences. The nanomaterials are obtained from them either by inclusion in a matrix (Nanocomposites) or by grafting methods (grafted nanomaterials). However, the most exciting field of investigation are the nanostructured hybrid materials which permit to open new fields of investigation such as self-organization of organic moieties or the coordination chemistry in the solid. Some examples are given. Moreover, the organometallic chemistry performed on both the framework and the pores of the nanoporous solids obtained by sol-gel chemistry in the presence of structure directing agents is opening the way to smart materials. These materials will have the ability to couple interactively two different properties.     

Green chemistry: Analytical and chromatography

Nowadays, the environment protection and the personal health and safety are given more consideration in the field of chemistry, thus resulting in an increased number of published researches about how to work according to green instructions, to follow up the recommendations of environmental agencies and to obtain better clean handling of chemistry. In this review, green chemistry definition, importance, principles, and some recent applications in the field of green chemistry were discussed. In addition, the review summarizes the evolution of green analytical chemistry (GAC) with its specific principles and how to make the analytical process more environmentally benign with special emphasis on recent applications of GAC. Moreover, the green chromatography, its methods, and some of its applications were outlined. Finally, different techniques available up till now for the assessment of greening of the methods were also presented.