Stereochemistry Research Articles

Podcast: Beating a killer coronavirus

As COVID-19 continues to spread, so does the effort to find treatment and vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease. Around the world, scientists are working nonstop on therapies they hope will stem the loss of life during this pandemic while trying to set us up to prevent future outbreaks. What’s not clear is which of these treatments will work. Much about SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we dig into the efforts to beat the novel coronavirus and why in some cases it’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. Learn more at http://cenm.ag/coronapodcast.

Podcast: The chemist who saved Apollo 13

Fifty years ago this week, an explosion on the Apollo 13 moon mission stranded three astronauts hundreds of thousands of miles from home. You probably know that Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly, and Jack Swigert made it home safely (pictured). You may not know the chemist behind the rocket engine that saved them, which began its life as an apparatus for measuring chemical reaction rates. This bonus episode of Stereo Chemistry tells the story of the engine’s design with help from two of the people who created it. Listen now to a tale that starts with an explosion and ends with SpaceX’s reusable rockets, with one small step for a man along the way at cenm.ag/apollo13.

Podcast: Why do I have to get a flu shot every year?

Although the Wuhan coronavirus is dominating headlines across the globe, influenza kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. In the US, millions of people roll up their sleeves annually for a flu shot. But this ritual is confusing for many. Why is it that most vaccines are effective for a lifetime while the flu vaccine is only effective for a year? And why do we sometimes get the flu even when we’ve gotten the vaccine? The answer is evolution: the flu is constantly evolving to evade our immune systems. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, scientists who study flu evolution and pandemics explain what makes fighting the flu so difficult. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. The following is the script for the podcast. We have edited the interviews within for length and clarity. StefanieOlsen: This is the info sheet from the

Podcast: How do you solve a problem like the ozone hole?

The discovery of the ozone hole in the mid-1980s sent shock waves through society. As scientists scrambled to make sense of the phenomenon, a clear culprit emerged. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which once revolutionized refrigeration, were suddenly revealed to be unprecedented environmental dangers. What followed was an international push to ban CFCs. In October 2019, NASA announced the ozone hole is the smallest recorded since 1982. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we hear from some of the scientists who were instrumental in discovering—and helping heal—the ozone hole and who think lessons learned could help us fight climate change. Listen at cenm.ag/ozone.

Стереохимические особенности кристаллизации восьмичленных 1,5-диазагетероциклов с хиральными аминоинданольными фрагментами при атомах азота

Рассмотрена в сравнении кристаллическая структура двух гидрохлоридов восьмичленных 1,5-диазагетероциклов с хиральными аминоинданольными фрагментами одинаковой конфигурации при атомах азота. Несмотря на химическую и стереохимическую идентичность половин молекул диазагетероциклов, в кристаллах эти соединения реализуются не в частном положении на оси второго порядка, а в общем положении. В качестве причин асимметризации молекул в кристалле рассмотрены следующие: конформация восьмичленного гетероцикла, избирательное протонирование одного из двух атомов азота, расположение противоиона и сольватной молекулы в ячейке, неэквивалентная система водородных связей.

Hear kids interview chemists in our newest podcast

For its latest episode, Stereo Chemistry handed its recorders over to kid journalists interviewing grown-up chemists about cutting-edge research. Listen in as the children get answers to questions about DNA, environmental cleanup, and even C–H activation. The kids’ reporting was part of an outreach program called Science Storytellers that took place during the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego in August. Science Storytellers empowers kids to ask questions as they interact, one on one, with real scientists, such as synthetic organic chemist Jin-Quan Yu of Scripps Research in California (shown in the photo). In this episode, you’ll also hear from the creator of Science Storytellers, Jenny Cutraro, to learn how this outreach activity is designed to break down barriers between scientists and the public. Listen now at cenm.ag/storytellers.

Podcast: When rocket chemistry blasted off and came back to Earth

Rocket propellant research had its heyday in the mid-20th century, when the space race and the Cold War meant chemists had plenty of money and long leashes. Only a few of their most interesting ideas ended up in working rockets, but they charted new areas of chemical space, some of which, like boron chemistry, have proved useful in other fields. Geopolitical shifts, along with a growing emphasis on health, safety, and the environment, put a damper on propellant chemistry in the last decades of the 1900s. But the need for high-performance propellants hasn’t gone away, and neither has chemists’ interest in pushing the envelope. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we hear from chemists who lived through the heady days of the ’50s and ’60s and the ones carrying rocket chemistry’s torch today. Listen at cenm.ag/rocketfuel.

Podcast: At 97, John Goodenough’s work is not done

Without fail, the name John Goodenough crops up during Nobel Prize season. Many scientists believe he’s deserving of chemistry’s top honor. The University of Texas at Austin materials scientist is credited with developing a material that led to mass commercialization of lithium-ion batteries, the technology that powers our smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and other gadgets big and small. Though Goodenough, aged 97, hasn’t yet won a Nobel Prize, he’s not mired down by what could have been. He is renowned for his scientific accomplishments, warm personality, and infectious laugh. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby joins cohost Kerri Jansen to tell the story of how a former meteorologist with a background in physics came up with a key material that enabled an electronics revolution and how he continues to pursue big questions in electrochemistry today. Listen at cenm.ag/goodenough.

Stereochemistry of TlI in inorganic oxysalts

Stereochemistry of Tl^I in inorganic oxysalts

Sucupiranins M–Q, five new furanocassane-type diterpenoids from the seeds of Bowdichia virgilioides

Five new furanocassane-type diterpenoids, sucupiranins M–Q (1–5) were isolated from the seeds of Bowdichia virgilioides. Their structures and stereo chemistries were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses including HRESIMS, 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), and ECD spectra.

Biological applications of amide and amino acid containing synthetic macrocycles

ABSTRACT Amino acid derived macrocycles with elaborate well-defined stereochemistry are a unique class of compounds that have been isolated from natural sources. Macrocycles like cyclosporine, octreotide, and valinomycin have been used in multiple applications, like drugs or ion sensors. Chemists have long been fascinated by the unique molecular recognition capabilities of these macrocycles and tried to design synthetic analogs with similar functions. This article is focused on reviewing current research on amide and amino acid containing macrocycles that have been developed in research laboratories for biological recognition, specifically for anion sensing, ion transport, carbohydrate sensing, and peptide sensing.

Podcast: Lessons learned in lab safety

Research science is full of hazards. Chemists and safety professionals do their best to minimize the danger, but accidents happen, and the stakes can be extremely high. So how can chemists ensure that when things go wrong—or when they nearly go wrong—we learn from those experiences to work toward a safer future? Communication is key. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we talk with four chemists who have survived accidents and shared their stories so others can learn from them. Listen to their experiences at cenm.ag/safetystories.

The 54th Conference on Stereochemistry: Bürgenstock Conference 2019, Brunnen, May 5–9, 2019

The 54th Conference on Stereochemistry: Bürgenstock Conference 2019, Brunnen, May 5–9, 2019

Extinguishing subjectivity in fire investigations

In the aftermath of a building fire, investigators study the scene for clues to the fire’s cause. They look for burn patterns and suspicious materials while chemists search charred debris for traces of flammable liquids. But investigating fires is not as straightforward as it once was, because investigators now know more about the complexity of how fires burn. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen explores how scientists are working to better pinpoint specific chemicals amid the chaos a fire leaves behind and how a new understanding of the chemistry and physics of fire has revolutionized the way fire scenes are interpreted. Listen at cenm.ag/fire.

Periodic table notables

As promised at the beginning of the year, C&EN is continuing its celebration of the 150th anniversary of the periodic table all year long. In honor of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT), C&EN partnered with ACS on Campus to host a periodic table pub trivia event during the American Chemical Society Spring 2019 National Meeting in Orlando, Florida. About 100 participants tested their knowledge against a selection of trivia questions inspired by the 118 elements that currently make up the iconic table. C&EN’s lead production editor, Manny I. Fox Morone, dazzled as emcee. “The event was full of obscure facts, spirited debate, and a blinding glare from Manny’s red sequined jacket,” C&EN assistant editor Kerri Jansen explains in the latest episode of Stereo Chemistry. Inspired by the trivia questions, Jansen recorded this episode of C&EN’s podcast to examine what it takes to make a

What it takes to make a superheavy element

In honor of the International Year of the Periodic Table, Stereo Chemistry explores the stories behind some of the elements. C&EN and ACS on Campus hosted periodic table pub trivia at the ACS Sprin...

Podcast: Real talk with social media sensation Jen Heemstra

Being a chemistry professor is Jen Heemstra’s dream job. How she got there was a bit of a nightmare. But now she’s running her own team at Emory University and has become a social media celebrity by sharing her experiences and leadership advice on Twitter. She credits her personal tragedy and professional setbacks for making her who she is today. In the latest episode of C&EN’s Stereo Chemistry podcast, we spent two days with Heemstra and her team (shown) to learn more about her and her approach to graduate education. Heemstra’s adversity has shaped not only her attitude but also how she runs her lab. She’s helping her students develop skills that go beyond the bench—things like how to manage motivation, how to develop research ideas, and how to write grants. Listen now to hear more about Heemstra’s journey and philosophy at cenm.ag/heemstra.

Alexa, what’s in the news?

How time flies . . . Three years ago almost to the day, we introduced a new look and feel for C&EN’s weekly print magazine. At the time, the magazine had not seen any major changes for a number of years, and we were excited to be able to inject new life into its design and overhaul the organization of the content. Last year, around this time of year, too, we launched our podcast, Stereo Chemistry. Looking to capitalize on the success of our video series, Speaking of Chemistry, we started a monthly podcast. Since then, we have been enjoying sharing our reporters’ expertise and analysis and having the opportunity to broadcast the voices of members of the community. This product has been growing strong, and its latest episode, designed to celebrate Valentine’s Day, highlights scientist couples who share how science got them together and advice for making a science,

Is this the decade of RNA?

RNA should be a terrible drug target. Its long, noodle-like structure (shown) lacks the nooks and crannies that small-molecule drugs use to grab onto proteins and thereby control them. But a decades-old disregard for RNA is starting to change. In August 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever RNA interference drug, which uses a double-stranded RNA molecule to prevent the production of disease-related proteins. In the past two years, several start-ups have launched to show that some RNAs can, just like proteins, be drugged with small molecules. And a group of companies recently emerged with plans to drug proteins that make modifications to RNA, part of the budding field of epitranscriptomics. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN visits Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, and Accent Therapeutics to discuss these three strategies and to understand how RNA-modulating therapies will compete in the wider world of drug discovery. Listen now

Sounds of Science

Looking back on the inaugural year of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen and C&EN reporter Tien Nguyen share a collection of stories about ways people distill complex chemistry concepts for their audiences. Join us and listen to a resonant take on organic chemistry reactions, an abridged explanation of some Nobel Prize–winning work, and the story behind a chemical earworm (lyrics shown). Listen at cenm.ag/simplify.