Consequences of the ‘Pedersen papers’ on crown type chemistry at Würzburg and Bonn Universities: From heteroaromatic crowns and podands to large molecular and crystalline cavities including multisite receptors,cascade molecules,chromoionophores, siderophores,surfactant-type,and extreme ligands

We thank the editors of this issue for the opportunity to present the historic development of crown chemistry at the Universities of Wurzburg and Bonn in memory of C. J. Pedersen, the originator of the crown ethers. His legacy of science has tremendously stimulated research at both universities.This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr C. J. Pedersen.     

Simultaneous determination of60Co,131I and137Cs in model radioactive waste water by reverse radiometric flow injection analysis with the aid of a multichannel analyzer

Reverse radiometric flow injection analysis was used for the simultaneous determination of⁶⁰Co,¹³¹I and¹³⁷Cs in model radioactive waste water. A NaI (Tl) scintillation detector coupled to a Canberra MCA was used for measuring the activity of¹³⁷Cs at 662 keV,⁶⁰Co at 1173 keV and 1332 keV, and¹³¹I at 364 keV.     

New designs for inhibitors of the NF-κB: DNA binding

We present a series of new inhibitors of the association between nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) and the corresponding B site in DNA. They were designed using the lead compound 15-deoxy-^12,14 -prostaglandin J₂ (PGJ2), which is a natural product with demonstrated inhibitory efficiency for this system. First, the binding mode of PGJ2 to NF-B was unraveled by GOLD docking calculation. Subsequently, substitutions were made to PGJ2 to optimize its association with NF-B. Care was taken not to strongly increase the reactivity of the new compounds, and to keep the overall shape, size and hydrophilicity of the lead compound, which should render them a similar bioavailability. Molecular mechanics calculations were performed to decide on the suitability of the substitutions, and to evaluate the energies of association with NF-B. Density functional theory calculations were performed also to study the overall reactivity of the substituted drugs towards NF-B. Important general conclusions were obtained, concerning the improvement of these natural inhibitors; namely, a set of rational methodologies were deduced to improve the association between the PGJ2 derivatives and NF-B, and their efficiency demonstrated by generating a set of substituted complexes, some of them with a very much increased affinity for NF-B, opening new doors to enlarge the therapeutic capabilities of this class of drugs.     

Solid-state binding of dimethyl sulphoxide involving carboxylic host molecules. X-ray crystal structures of four inclusion species

The crystal structures of four dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) inclusion compounds with different carboxylic acid hosts,1–4, have been studied by single crystal X-ray analysis. Crystals of thetrans-9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11,12-dicarboxylic acid inclusion compound (1a), [1 · DMSO (1: 1)] show monoclinic (P2₁/n) symmetry with the unit cell dimensionsa = 11.522(4),b = 18.658(2),c = 8.709(1) Å and = 98.92(2)°. The clathrate of the 9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11,12-dicarboxylic acid (2a), [2 · DMSO (1: 2)] is triclinic (P) with the cell dimensionsa = 15.043(7),b =9.657(4),c = 8.118(7) Å, = 101.81(5), = 96.05(4) and = 100.04(4)°. Triclinic (P) symmetry is shown also by the inclusion compound of 9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11-monocarboxylic acid (3a) [3 · DMSO (1:1)] with the cell dimensionsa=6.3132(1),b=7.9846(2),c=17.5314(4) Å, = 96.46(2), = 87.08(2) and = 106.02(2)°. The 9,9-bianthryl-2-monocarboxylic acid clathrate (4a) [4 · DMSO (1:1)] is monoclinic (P2₁/n) and the cell dimensions area = 19.625(18),b = 8.817(1),c = 14.076(8) Å and = 97.92(6)°. In all these structures, the hosts show the same basic recognition pattern for the DMSO guest, involving a strong O-H ... O bond from the COON to the S=O group, and a possible C-H ... O type interaction between the carbonyl O atom of the host and a CH₃ group of the guest. The crystals consist of discrete host-guest aggregates which are mainly held together by weak intermolecular interactions of the Van der Waals' type. The stoichiometries of the aggregates are, however, different.     

Ternary tungsten oxides with the Mo5O14 structure

Following the discovery of a ternary GeW oxide with the Mo₅O₁₄ structure, a large number of ternary MWO systems were surveyed to investigate the frequency of occurrence of this structure type. Samples were prepared by heating tungsten oxides and the appropriate ternary element or a suitable compound of the ternary element in evacuated silica ampoules at 1373°K for 1 week. The compositions investigated were close to M_0.02W_0.98O_2.80. Oxides with the Mo₅O₁₄ structure were found in many systems across the whole of the periodic table, from Li to Bi. Some aspects of the formation of these phases and the way in which they could affect the course of reduction of WO₃ to W metal are discussed.     

Numerical solution of hydraulic models based on the axially-dispersed plug flow model by Laplace transforms

The problem of solving hydraulic models based on the axially-dispersed plug flow model which are applicable for the mathematical modelling of different flow-through systems both in chemical analysis (e.g., chromatography, flow injection analysis) and chemical industry (e.g., different tubular reactors) is discussed. Methods for numerical inversion of the model solution in the Laplace domain by expanding it into series of orthogonal functions are compared. Best results with respect to precision and consumption of computation time are given by the methods employing Chebyshov polynomials of the first kind and Fourier sine series. These methods were found to be better in these respects than some other frequently used numerical inversion methods.     

Zur Struktur von N-Benzoylthiobenzamid

Structure of N-Benzoylthiobenzamide N-Benzoylthiobenzamide forms two polymorphic modifications of which the crystal and molecular structures have been determined by X-ray structure analysis. In both modifications the molecules exist as NH tautomeres, but there are differences with regard to their rotameric configurations. In the monoclinic modification both symmetry independent molecules have a Z,Z′ configuration. The triclinic modification also contains two symmetry independent molecules, but now a Z,Z′ and an E,Z′ configuration exist. All four molecules deviate appreciably from planarity. The results of both structure determinations are compared with each other and with the structure of monothiodibenzoylmethane.     

Corrosion Protection by Self-Assembly

The inhibition effect and properties of adsorption layers formed by molecule series ,-diphosphono-alkane on iron surface are investigated. A significant difference is obtained in inhibition effect between compounds having alkyl chains with odd and even numbers of carbon atoms; better protection can be achieved by use of diphosphonates containing odd numbers of methylene groups. The best corrosion inhibition could be attained with 1,7-diphosphono-heptane (1,7-DPH). It is found that a certain threshold concentration of the diphosphonate (c > 4 × 10^–4 M) is necessary to ensure sufficient inhibition. The influence of solution concentration on inhibition effect can be interpreted with the layer formation properties and the surfactant nature of molecules. A significant effect of the diphosphonate is appeared on the kinetic of anodic iron dissolution process. Diphosphonates act as anodic inhibitors, the inhibitor layer formation results in a passivation of the metal surface. Well-ordered self-assembled layer with high corrosion protection effect is obtained in aqueous solution of ,-diphosphonic acids. The self-assembly process takes a longer time, few days are necessary to reach the optimal organization of adsorbed organic layer. It is found that aqueous conditions are preferred for the protective layer formation. It is supposed that with simple chemical surface modification, i.e. with immersion of iron into the solution of alkane-diphosphonates, a new surface pre-treatment could be developed.     

Inorganic-organic interpenetrating frameworks: 4,4'-bipyridine N,N'-dioxide as a bridging hydrogen-bond acceptor

4,4'-Bipyridine N,N'-dioxide (L) acts as a hydrogen-bond acceptor in the compounds ([M(NO3)2(H2O)4].L2) (M = Co, Ni) to form doubly-interpenetrated framework materials with sixfold topological connectivity.     

Syntheses, structures, and surface aromaticity of the new carbaalane [(AlH)(6)(AlNMe(3))(2)(CCH(2)R)(6)] (R = Ph, CH(2)SiMe(3)) and a stepwise functionalization of the inner and outer sphere of the cluster

The reaction of the acetylene RC triple bond CH (R = Ph, CH(2)SiMe(3)) with an excess of AlH(3).NMe(3) in boiling toluene leads to the carbaalane [(AlH)(6)(AlNMe(3))(2)(CCH(2)R)(6)] (R = Ph 1, CH(2)SiMe(3) 2) in good yield. Treatment of 2 with BCl(3) under varying conditions gives the chlorinated products [(AlCl)(6)(AlNMe(3))(2)(CCH(2)CH(2)SiMe(3))(6)] 3 and [(AlCl)(6)(AlNMe(3))(2)(CCH(2)CH(2)SiMe(2)Cl)(6)] 4, respectively. The latter clearly demonstrates that the cluster can be stepwise functionalized within the inner and outer sphere. The X-ray single-crystal structures of 1, 2, and 4 have been determined. All compounds have in common that the central core consists of a cluster having eight aluminum and six carbon atoms. The bonding properties in this cluster are described as a new manifestation of three-dimensional surface aromaticity. Each Al(4)C fragment of the cube is formed by four bonds with three electron pairs, thus leading to a strong delocalization of the electrons. A phenomenological modeling using a three-dimensional Hückel scheme with fitted parameters to reproduce the energies from ab initio calculations revealed that the orbital scheme localized at one Al(4)C fragment possesses an orbital sextet with a large HOMO-LUMO gap. This is in line with the criteria of aromaticity. The idea of aromaticity was sustained also by qualitative valence bond reasons enumerating the different resonance structures by means of graph theoretical methods.