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.     

Bifurcations and transition states

Bifurcations of reaction channels are related to valley-ridge inflection points and it is examined what happens when these do not coincide with transition states. Under such conditions there result bifurcating regions. There exist a number of different prototypes for such regions which are discussed explicitly on the basis of the pertinent Taylor expansions. When bifurcations occur close enough to transition states then there result bifurcating transition regions. An example for a bifurcating transition region is exhibited which is obtained from a quantum mechanical ab initio calculation for the ring opening of cyclopropylidene to aliene. In general there exist no orthogonal trajectory patterns which could serve as simplified models for channel bifurcations.Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Iowa State University under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-82. This work was supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences     

Notiz zur quantitativen Bestimmung von Si-H- und Si-Si-Gruppen

Zusammenfassung Eine einfache und genaue Methode zur Bestimmung von Si-H- und Si-Si-Gruppen wird vorgeschlagen, die auf alkalischer Hydrolyse der Substanz in einem verschlossenen und evakuierten Kolben und AuswÄgen des dem entwickelten Wasserstoff entsprechenden Wasservolumens beruht. Bei H-Gehalten von 1–2% betrÄgt die Genauigkeit ± 0,03% (abs.).

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Note on the quantitative determination of Si-H- and Si-Si-groups

A simple, robust and surprisingly exact method for the quantitative determination of Si-H- or Si-Si-groups is based on alkaline hydrolysis of the Si-H- or Si-Si-containing substances in a sealed and evacuated vessel and weighing of the volume of water equivalent to the developed volume of hydrogen. The accuracy is ± 0.03% (abs.) with H contents of 1–2%.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. E. Asmus zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

1,8-bis(dimethylethyleneguanidino)naphthalene: tailoring the basicity of bisguanidine "proton sponges" by experiment and theory

1,8-bis(dimethylethyleneguanidino)naphthalene (DMEGN), the second example of a peralkyl guanidine "proton sponge" based on the 1,8-naphthalene backbone, was prepared and fully characterized. The crystal structure analysis of monoprotonated DMEGN reveals an unsymmetrical intramolecular hydrogen bridge. A decrease in the basicity with respect to the noncyclic parent 1,8-bis(tetramethylguanidino)naphthalene was found. Nevertheless, a new proton sponge provides a new crossbar in the ladder of highly basic neutral organic compounds. A detailed theoretical study of DMEGN and related cyclic guanidines explains this surprising experimental result. Homodesmotic reactions reveal that the intramolecular hydrogen bond contributes effectively 10 kcal/mol to proton affinity of DMEGN.     

Structural and Chemical Analysis of Materials with High Spatial Resolution

 An understanding of the correlation between microstructures and properties of materials require the characterization of the material on many different length scales. Often the properties depend primarily on the atomistics of defects, such as dislocations and interfaces. The different techniques of transmission electron microscopy allow the characterization of the structure and of the chemical composition of materials with high spatial resolution to the atomic level: high resolution transmission electron microscopy allows the determination of the position of the columns of atoms (ions) with high accuracy. The accuracy which can be achieved in these measurements depends not only on the instrumentation but also on the quality of the transmitted specimen and on the scattering power of the atoms (ions) present in the analyzed column. The chemical composition can be revealed from investigations by analytical microscopy which includes energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, mainly quantitatively applied for heavy elements, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Furthermore, the energy-loss near-edge structure of EELS data results in information on the local band structure of unoccupied states of the excited atoms and, therefore, on bonding. A quantitative evaluation of convergent beam electron diffraction results in information on the electron charge density distribution of the bulk (defect-free) material. The different techniques are described and applied to different problems in materials science. It will be shown that nearly atomic resolution can be achieved in high resolution electron microscopy and in analytical electron microscopy. Recent developments in electron microscopy instrumentation will result in atomic resolution in the foreseeable future.     

Strukturen ladungsgestörter oder räumlich überfüllter Moleküle. 15. Tetracyanethen-Natrium-Dimethoxyethan

Structures of Charge-Perturbed or Sterically Overcrowded Molecules. 16. Tetracyanoethylene Sodium Dimethoxyethane The Single crystal structure of [(NC)₂C? C(CN)₂?·Na⊕(H₃CO? CH₂CH₂? OCH₃)]∞ reveals two formula units within the triclinic (P1 ) unit cell. The tetracyanoethylene radical anions are arranged along parallel double layers, which are shifted relative to each other, and in between which are interspersed the sodium counter cations and their dimethoxyethane ligands. The distances within the double layers amount to 300 pm and the ones between them to 385 pm. The six-fold coordinated Na⊕ centers are surrounded by four radical anions with contact distances Na…?N between 250 and 254 pm as well as by a twofold solvent ligand with Na…?O of 238 and 241 pm. Due to the electron transfer to the acceptor molecule, its (NC)₂C-halves twist by 8° and the bond lengths of the N?C? C subunits, bent by each 3°, are shortened up to 2 pm. The structural parameters are compared to those of the analogous potassium salt [TCNE^?K^⊕DME], of the dianion , of the sodium salts [(NC)₃C^?Na^⊕]∞ as well as [(NC)₂C? C(CHCH)₂? C(CN)₂^?Na^⊕]_∞ and, in addition, are discussed based on geometry-optimized MNDO calculations.     

Coordination of solvent molecules to VO(acac)<Subscript>2</Subscript> complexes in solution studied by hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance

Interactions and binding sites of the solvent molecules chloroform and ethanol to bis(acetylacetonate)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(acac)₂) complexes in (frozen) solutions have been investigated by pulsed electron nuclear double resonance, sum peak electron spin echo envelope modulation and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy. The experimental proton hyperfine coupling data of coordinating solvent molecules have been interpreted using quantum chemical calculations (density functional theory). Experimental and computed hyperfine couplings indicate that ethanol coordinates to vanadium in the equatorial plane of VO(acac)₂ and chloroform interacts via hydrogen bonding to oxygens of the acac ligands.     

Isoprene functionalization : E/Z-isomerism of 1-sulfonyl substituted 2-methylbutadienes

The isomeric chlorosulfones 3, 4 and 5 are prepared by 1,4-addition of sulfonyl chlorides to isoprene, Dehydrohalogenation affords the corresponding 2- and 3-methylbutadienyl sulfones in a configuration which is dependent on the configuration of the chlorosulfone. Pure Z-2-methylbutadienyl sulfones 1 are obtained by displacement of primary halides by the Z-sulfinate anion 2. The Z-sulfones 1 are isomerized to E/Z-mixtures. The E/Z-mixtures are separated into their components and the configuration of the isomers is established by the NMR-NOE technique.