Atom-probe field ion microscopy

The atom probe field ion microscope (AP-FIM) is a combination of a field ion microscope and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a single ion detection sensivity. With the field ion microscope topology of a surface, surface reactions and surface modifications can be studied in atomic detail. By time-of-flight measurements surface layers and interface layers can be chemically analyzed atom by atom and atomic layer by atomic layer. Compositional variations according to surface or interface segregation, precipitations, or surface changes in corrosion or in electrochemical layer formation etc. can be studied quantitatively on a subnanometer scale. Some of our studies on related problems will be decribed briefly.     

Konstitution und absolute Konfiguration der Rhoeadin-Alkaloide (+)-Alpinigenin und (+)-cis-Alpinigenin

The constitution and absolute configuration of the rhoeadine alkaloids (+)-alpinigenine and (+)-cis-alpinigenine. The fundamental structure of the hemi-acetal phenylbenzazepine alkaloid (+)-alpinigenine ( 1 ), isolated from Papaver bracteatum LINDL ., was derived essentially from ¹H-NMR.- and mass-spectra of 1 and its derivatives 7, 10 and 14 (cf. Scheme 2). The positioning of the four methoxy groups in the two aromatic rings could be deduced from the ¹H-NMR.-spectra of the N-oxides 14 and 15 in which, as a result of favourable sterical and conformational behaviour, an interaction exists between the N-oxide oxygen atom and one of the two ortho protons in ring C. The B/D-trans-fused 1 undergoes isomerization in 1N HCl to cis-alpinigenine ( 16 ). A stereochemical correlation between bases in the trans-and cis-series was enabled via an Emde degradation of the corresponding methylacetal-methyliodides 21 resp. 19 leading to the enantiomeric isochroman derivatives 22 resp. 23 which are achiral at C (2) (Scheme 4). The configuration at C (14) in the hemi-acetals (eg. 1 and 16 ) and the methyl ethers (eg. 7 and 8 ) is discussed in detail (cf. Scheme 7). (+)-Alpinigenine ( 1 ) has the (1S, 2R, 14R) configuration and (+)-cis-alpinigenine ( 16 ), in chloroform or acetone solution, the (1R, 2R, 14R) configuration.     

Das Spermin-Alkaloid Chaenorpin

The Spermine Alkaloid Chaenorpine Chaenorpine ( 1 ) was isolated from Chaenorhinum minus (Scrophulariaceae). Its structure elucidation was achieved on the basis of chemical degradation and spectroscopic measurements in comparison to the known alkaloid chaenorhine ( 2 ). Structure 1 displays the absolute configuration.     

Synthèses de produits organofluorés VI Solvolyse de chlorofluorocyclopropanes

Fluoro-organic Syntheses VI: The Solvolysis of Chlorofluoro-cyclopropanes 2-Fluoro-allylic carbocations, generated from 1-chloro-1-fluoro-cyclopropanes or 2-fluoro-allyl p-toluene-sulfonates in water or acetic acid, undergo either proton loss or addition of hydroxyl or acetoxyl. In the latter case, an alkyl-substituted 2-fluoro-allyl ion leads predominantly to the more branched product (e.g. 3-fluoro-2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol) which may be converted into the less branched one (e.g. 2-fluoro-3-methyl-2-buten-2-ol) through reversible reactions.     

A convenient synthesis of 4-aminoaryl substituted cyclic imides

An efficient one-step synthesis of 4-nitro-N-aryl substituted glutarimides, succinimides and maleimides in polyphosphoric acid is described together with the subsequent reduction to the corresponding anilines. The scope and limitation of this cyclocondensation are presented.     

An Education in Robustness

A case study is presented of the application of robustness analysis to the choice of examination subjects to be made by a 14-year-old girl. The analysis is conducted in terms of the desirable future career options which may be preserved by different combinations of subjects, and also of the balance with topics selected for their intrinsic interest. The approach, which employs very limited technical apparatus, is justified on a number of grounds-in particular, the crucial importance of uncertainty, and the need for understanding and acceptance by a "client" very unlike the corporate manager. Some tentative conclusions are reached on the extension of such methods to other cases of decision-makers with little, if any, resources to control except their own lives.     

Phosphaalkynes—Syntheses,Reactions, Coordination Behavior [New Synthetic Methods (73)]

Organophosphorus compounds have been applied in two ways in chemical synthesis. They can either be used as a reagent in a step of the synthesis (for example, in the Wittig reaction) or they can be incorporated directly into the target molecule. This second application, in particular, has expanded greatly in the last few years with the preparation of low-coordination phosphorus compounds. These include the phosphaalkynes, which are of great interest to organic and inorganic chemists. Phosphaalkynes have been employed in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, phosphaarenes and their valence isomers, and polycyclic compounds. Further applications have been the use of phosphaalkynes as new ligand systems in complex chemistry and their cyclooligomerization with organometallic reagents. While the chemical properties of phosphaalkynes have little in common with those of nitriles, they are in many ways very similar to those of the isoelectronic acetylenes.     

Teaching Operational Research Technique

Good technique, i.e. competence in carrying out operational research, is as vital for the practitioner to acquire as competence in the traditional ‘techniques’. It is suggested that universities should teach students how to conduct simple projects prior to alerting them to more sophisticated methodological issues.As an aid to this task, the traditional five or six parts of an operational research project are broken down and extended into 39 steps, and regrouped into three phases. Also, five skills are identified as being conceptually essential to "good" operational research, which students can develop through tackling suitable case studies.     

Über die Präparation und die Eigenschaften von Molybdän-Wolfram-Carbonitriden

Molybdenum-tungsten-carbonitrides can be prepared by reacting prealloyed powders of Mo and W with carbon in the presence of nitrogen or ammonia. Single phase carbonitrides (Mo, W) (C, N) with the WC-type structure can be obtained. The nitrogen content of these carbonitrides increases with increasing molybdenum content. Flowing ammonia has a decarburizing effect, which has to be counterbalanced by an addition of a carbonaceous gas such as methane. Nitrogen instead of ammonia is equally effective and gives carbonitrides which have a nitrogen content only insignificantly lower than the carbonitrides obtained in flowing ammonia. The lattice parameters of the carbonitrides are found to be slightly smaller than the lattice parameters of the corresponding carbides.