Dynamic NMR study of the flexibility of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4,6-diaryl-pyrylium salts

Dynamic NMR investigations of a number of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4,6-diaryl-pyrylium salts were carried out. The barrier to rotation of the partial C, N double bond was determined and proved to be in the range of 62 to 63 kJ/mol. Quantum chemical calculations of bond orders and electron densities of the different atoms in the molecules show the distinct double bond character of the exocyclic C, N bond. This is in agreement with the relatively high barrier to rotation. By quantum chemical ab initio 3-21G calculations, the dynamic behaviour of this kind of compounds was simulated; two pairs (image and mirror image) of ground state conformations, in coincidence with the experiment, were obtained. Received: 10 May 1996 / Revised: 1 July 1996 / Accepted: 4 July 1996     

Reaction Engineering Aspects of α-l,4-D-Glucan Phosphorylase Catalysis

Some important process properties of α-l,4-D-ghican phosphorylases isolated from the bacteriumCorynebacterium callunae and potato tubers (Solatium tuberosum) were compared. Apart from minor differences in their stability and specificity (represented by the maximum degree of maltodextrin conversion) and a 10-fold higher affinity of the plant phosphorylase for maltodextrin (K _M of 1.3 g/L at 300 mM of orthophosphate), the performances of both enzymes in a continuous ultrafiltration membrane reactor were almost identical. Product synthesis was carried out over a time course of 300–400 h in the presence or absence of auxiliary pullulanase (increasing the accessibility of the glucan substrate for phosphorolytic attack up to 15–20%). The effect of varied dilution rate and reaction temperature on the resulting productivities was quantitated, and a maximum operational temperature of 40°C was identified.     

The Lewis basicity of the [Pt3(μ-CO)3(PR3)3] clusters and the X-ray crystal structure of [{ZnI2}{Pt3(μ-CO)3(PPh(i-Pr)2)3}]

The cluster compounds [Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PR₃)₃] act as Lewis bases towards the metal halides of Group XI, MX, Group XII, MX₂, and Group XIII, MX₃, to form cluster compounds of the composition [{MX_n}{Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PR₃)₃}]. The X-ray crystal structure, NMR and IR data are given for the compound [{ZnI}{Pt₃(μ-CO)₃(PPh(i-Pr)₂)₃}].     

Improved column preparation and performance in capillary electrochromatography

Problems encountered in capillary electrochromatography, i.e. non-reproducible column manufacture, bubble formation during usage, short column lifetimes and limited choice of packing particles are addressed by the development of fritless or single-frit, internally tapered, segmented and dead-volume free coupled capillary columns. The Van Deemter plots measured demonstrate the performance of these high-quality capillaries which are suitable for capillary electrochromatography as well as for capillary high-performance liquid chromatographic applications.     

Frequency-domain photopyroelectric spectroscopy of condensed phases (PPES): A new,simple and powerful spectroscopic technique

A new, powerful, and experimentally very convenient spectroscopic technique is described. The technique uses pyroelectric polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) thin film detectors in contact with solid or liquid samples. The instrumental and spectral characteristics of photopyroelectric spectroscopy (PPES) are presented, and its advantages over conventional photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) are discussed.     

Zur Kenntnis des Faktors F430 aus methanogenen Bakterien: Struktur des proteinfreien Faktors

Factor F430 from Methanogenic Bacteria: Structure of the Protein-free Factor Factor F430, the porphinoid nickel-containing coenzyme of the methylcoenzyme-M reductase of metanogenic bacteria is shown to be the 3³,8³,12²,13³,18²-pentaacid derivative of the pentamethylester F430M, the structure of which had been determined previously (see structural formulae 1 and 2 ). The structure assignment rests on chromatographic, UV/VIS-, CD-, IR-, and ¹³C-NMR-spectroscopic as well as FAB-mass spectral comparision of F430 with F430M and the pentaacid prepared by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of F430M. In the cells of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, factor F430 is present in a ‘bound’ and also, depending on the growth conditions, in ‘free’ form, the latter being defined as the part of total F430 that can be extracted from the cells under extremely mild conditions (80% EtOH at 0–4°). From the (protein)-‘bound’ form, F430 is extracted by subsequently treating the cells at 0–4° with 80% EtOH containing (e.g.), 2m LiCi. From both sources, the extracted factor is the same pentaacid, and there is no indication for the existence of a protein-free F430 species that would contain additional (covalently bound) structural elements.     

Computer-Assisted Solution of Chemical Problems—The Historical Development and the Present State of the Art of a New Discipline of Chemistry

The topic of this article is the development and the present state of the art of computer chemistry, the computer-assisted solution of chemical problems. Initially the problems in computer chemistry were confined to structure elucidation on the basis of spectroscopic data, then programs for synthesis design based on libraries of reaction data for relatively narrow classes of target compounds were developed, and now computer programs for the solution of a great variety of chemical problems are available or are under development. Previously it was an achievement when any solution of a chemical problem could be generated by computer assistance. Today, the main task is the efficient, transparent, and non-arbitrary selection of meaningful results from the immense set of potential solutions—that also may contain innovative proposals. Chemistry has two aspects, constitutional chemistry and stereochemistry, which are interrelated, but still require different approaches. As a result, about twenty years ago, an algebraic model of the logical structure of chemistry was presented that consisted of two parts: the constitution-oriented algebra of be- and r-matrices, and the theory of the stereochemistry of the chemical identity group. New chemical definitions, concepts, and perspectives are characteristic of this logic-oriented model, as well as the direct mathematical representation of chemical processes. This model enables the implementation of formal reaction generators that can produce conceivable solutions to chemical problems—including unprecedented solutions—without detailed empirical chemical information. New formal selection procedures for computer-generated chemical information are also possible through the above model. It is expedient to combine these with interactive methods of selection. In this review, the Munich project is presented and discussed in detail. It encompasses the further development and implementation of the mathematical model of the logical structure of chemistry as well as the experimental verification of the computer-generated results. The article concludes with a review of new reactions, reagents, and reaction mechanisms that have been found with the PC-programs IGOR and RAIN.