Neue Cyclosporine aus Tolypocladium inflatum. Die Cyclosporine K–Z

Novel Cyclosporins from Tolypocladium inflatum. The Cyclosporins K–Z The fungus T. inflatum produces a plethora of oligopeptides, the cyclosporins, which exhibit remarkable biological activities. Cyclosporin A, the main metabolite, represents a potent immunosuppressant which opened new ways in the immunotherapy of bone marrow and organ transplantations. In addition to the already described cyclosporins A–I, we report now the isolation of the cyclosporins K–Z. The structural assignments of these novel congeners are based on chemical degradation, correlation reactions, mass spectra, and extensive analysis of ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectra. All cyclosporins are cyclic undecapeptides differing from each other by minor variations in the amino-acid sequence. Comparison of the immunosuppressive and antifungal effects furnished new information concerning structure-activity relationships.     

Detailed‐atomistic molecular modeling of small molecule diffusion and solution processes in polymeric membrane materials

Atomistic molecular modeling techniques have proven to be a very useful tool for the investigation of the structure and dynamics of dense amorphous membrane polymers and of transport processes in these materials. As illustrations, the results of extensive atomistic molecular dynamics investigations on the transport of different small molecules in flexible chain rubbery and stiff chain glassy polymers are discussed. For this purpose bulk polymer models and interface models for liquid feed mixtures in contact with the upstream site of the respective membrane have been employed. A comparison between the static structure and the dynamic behavior of the free volume in the simulated flexible chain rubbery polymers and stiff chain glassy polymers reveals qualitative differences which are decisive for experimentally observable differences in the diffusion of small molecules in these materials. The simulation results for the interface models reflect important features of experimentally well characterized pervaporation processes.     

Synthesen von Carotinen mit ψ-Endgruppen und (Z)-Konfiguration an terminalen konjugierten Doppelbindungen

Syntheses of Carotenes with ψ-End Groups and (Z)-Configuration at Terminal Conjugated Double Bonds Five carotenes bearing (5Z)-ψ-end groups were synthesized and carefully characterized: (5Z)-lycopene ( 6 ), (5Z5′Z)-lycopene ( 7 ), (5′Z)-neurosporene ( 8 ), (5′Z)-β,ψ-carotene ( 12 ), and (5′Z)-ε,ψ-carotene ( 14 ).     

Tunable single-site ruthenium catalysts for efficient water oxidation

The catalytic water oxidation activity of mononuclear ruthenium complexes comprising a pyridine-functionalized abnormal triazolylidene ligand can be adjusted by modification of the triazolylidene substituents, which is readily achieved through click-type cycloaddition chemistry, affording some of the most active ruthenium catalysts known thus far for water oxidation (TONs > 400, TOFs close to 7000 h(-1)).     

Dihydroxy(4-thiomorpholinomethyl)benzoic acid: from molecular asymmetry to diode characteristics

One of the challenges in molecular electronics is to design molecules which can be used as functional units in electronic devices. The subject of our investigations is an asymmetrical molecule, dihydroxy(4-thiomorpholinomethyl)benzoic acid (TMBA), whose structural and electronic properties are characterized. The self-assembly behavior of TMBA on Au(111) surfaces resulting in highly ordered monolayers is obtained using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Furthermore, investigations on the electronic properties of the combined metal/molecule system reveal an orbital mediated tunneling process and tunneling decay constants for the carboxylic and thiomorpholino group. Thus, a diode-like character of TMBA is shown to be caused by intrinsic electronic properties of different molecular moieties.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative synthesis of 2-pyridones through C-H/N-H bond functionalizations

An inexpensive ruthenium catalyst enabled oxidative annulations of alkynes by acrylamides with ample scope, which allowed for the preparation of 2-pyridones employing various electron-rich and electron-deficient acrylamides as well as (di)aryl- and (di)alkyl-substituted alkynes.