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Organic Chemistry Division (III)

Report of Activities
August 1997 to July 1998

The current program of the Division of Organic Chemistry is organized within three commissions (III-1, III-2, III-3) and three subcommittees (Organic Synthesis, Bioorganic Chemistry, Nomenclature in 21st Century). In addition, the Division has the task of coordinating an Inter-Divisional project on Biomolecular Chemistry. The Division has, in line with IUPAC planning, strongly accentuated its bio-profile. As a consequence, it is expected that the name of the Division will undergo an alteration to reflect this significant change. During the report-period, the commissions and committees have actively contributed to the Divisional program. The status of the current activities, expressed as the results attained (in the past year) and the projected planning is summarized in the sequel.

In this on-line version of the Division Annual Report, a link on the Project Title will take you directly to the project description and progress.


Commission on Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry (III.1)

The Commission did not meet as a whole this year. The different projects were pursued by the appropriate working groups.

Number: 310/4/81 - Completed Project
Title: Phane Nomenclature: Part I- Revised
Coordinator: O. Weissbach
Objective:
Principles and rules for naming cyclic or acyclic compounds
composed of (i) mancude-ring systems, or assemblies of mancude-ring systems, and (ii) atoms and/or saturated or unsaturated chains linking the mancude-ring systems.
Progress in 1998: The document is in press

Number 310/23/93
Title: Preferred Names
Coordinator: H. A. Favre
Progress in 1998: The following basic rules have been prepared for immediate public review and publication: Seniority of classes Seniority of chains Seniority of rings and ring systems Revised 'a' nomenclature Order of precedence of hydro-dehydro prefixes A full manuscript has been prepared including all the decisions made in 1997, at the Geneva meeting.

Number: 310/24/98
Title: Fullerene Nomenclature
Coordinator: F. Cozzi
Progress in 1998: The working group met in February 1998. A full report has been prepared.

Number: 310/25/98
Title: Stereochermistry: Concepts, Terms, Notation
Coordinator: B. J. Bossenbroek
Progress in 1998: A preliminary report has been prepared for inclusion in the P-names project and as a basis for the revision of Section E of the Blue Book.

Number: 310/26/98
Title: Phane Nomenclature, Part II
Coordinator: H. A. Favre
Progress in 1998: A document has been prepared for comments by CNOC members.

Number: 310/27/98
Title: Seniority of Detachable Prefixes Based on CIP Priorities
Coordinator: J. L. Wisniewski
Progress in 1998: Dr. Wisniewski is actively engaged in the preparation of the appropriate computer programme.

 

Commission on Physical Organic Chemistry (III.2)

Number: 320/13/89 - Completed Project
Title: Compilation and Critical Evaluation of Structure-Reactivity
Parameters and Equations, Part II: Extension of the Hammett Sigma Scale Through Data for the Ionization of Substituted Benzoic Acids in Aqueous Organic Solvents
Completion Date: 1997
Coordinator: J. Shorter
Progress in 1998: This definitive compilation of substituent effects has been published in Pure Appl. Chem. 69, 2497-2510 (1997) and reprinted in Austral. J. Chem. 1998, 51, 525-533.

Number: 320/16/93
Title: Glossary of Terms Used in Theoretical Organic Chemistry
Coordinator: V.I. Minkin
Progress in 1998: This authoritative project was developed and completed with input from a large number of experts in the field. At the August, 1998, meeting of Commission III.2 it was approved for publication in Pure Appl. Chem.

Number: 320/17/93
Title: Guidelines for Publication of Research Results from Empirical Force
Field Calculations
Coordinator: D. Raber
Progress in 1998: This brief project was completed after wide consultations. At the August, 1998, meeting of Commission III.2 it was approved for publication in Pure Appl. Chem.

Number: 320/18/93
Title: Critical Compilation of Scales of Medium Effects
Coordinator: J-L. Abboud
Progress in 1998: This extensive project has been completed. At the August, 1998, meeting of Commission III.2 it was approved for publication in Pure Appl. Chem.

Number: 320/19/95
Title: Glossary of Terms Used in Supramolecular Chemistry
Coordinator: O. Tee (succeeding Y. Takeuchi)
Progress in 1998: This project is underway. A large number of terms and their definitions and applicability have been accumulated. The definitions must be confirmed, and any omitted terms included.

Number: 320/20/95 - Completed Project
Title: Physical Organic Chemistry for the 21st Century (symposium-in-print), and others.
Completion Date: 1997
Coordinators: T. T. Tidwell, Z. Rappoport, C. L. Perrin
Progress in 1998: The Commission continues to promote projects that were previously completed. More than 1000 reprints of this Pure and Applied Chemistry symposium-in-print have been distributed to the participants at various conferences, including KISPOC (Fukuoka, Japan, December, 1997) and 14th ICPOC (Florianópolis, Brazil, August, 1998). In addition, the Commission is distributing reprints of both the "Glossary of Terms in Physical Organic Chemistry" and the new Guthrie-Jencks "System of Symbolic Representations of Reaction Mechanisms", as well as a document by F. M. Akeroyd on notation of reaction mechanisms. The commission has also been active in having its publications disseminated through the World Wide Web. Now posted are the symposium "Physical Organic Chemistry for the 21st Century" and the "Glossary of Terms in Physical Organic Chemistry", complete with molecular structures.

International Conferences on Physical Organic Chemistry
Coordinators: Commission III.2
An important activity of the Commission is the organization of the biennial International Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, of which the most recent was the 14th in Florianópolis, Brazil (August, 1998), with a Pre-Conference in Mexico City and a Post-Conference in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. The next will be in July, 2000, in Göteborg, Sweden, and the 2002 meeting has been tentatively set for San Diego, USA.

Number: 320/21/98
Title: Reactions Pathways and Processes in Green Chemistry
Coordinator: P. Tundo
This project aims to examine new reaction pathways for the chemical industry as well as their impact on the environment. It is being carried out in cooperation with the Steering Group of the OECD Workshops on Sustainable Chemistry held in Washington July 3rd and to be held in Venice October 15-17. It is also in collaboration with Prof. Miyamoto, President of the IUPAC Division on Chemistry and the Environment, who will join the working party, which plans to produce a white book on chemistry and chemical technologies related to green (sustainable) chemistry, to focus on the two topics of technologies and organic synthesis.

Number: 320/22/98
Title: Evaluation of Methods for Obtaining Relevant Physicochemical Properties of Environmentally Important Organic Compounds
Coordinators: D. Lenoir and J. Altschuh
This is the second of two new projects dealing with important environmental issues. It will focus on various properties, such as vapor pressures and octanol/water partition coefficients, and the recommended methods for measuring them. A group of experts in the various measurements has been constituted. This project will be carried out in cooperation with IUPAC Commission VI.1 and with OECD, which has set rules for measuring these quantities.


Future Projects
Other issues of current interest to the Commission include "Acidity of Strong Acids", "Guidelines in Evaluating Reliability of Computational Methods", and "Biomolecular Mechanisms". The Commission reiterated its keen interest in participating in projects related to education. Former member Yoshito Takeuchi is now a member of the Education Committee, which is eager to collaborate with us in projects related to Organic Chemistry (not only Physical Organic Chemistry). Possible projects might concern recommendations for book writers, a survey of organic chemistry curricula in the various countries, and general recommendations about the material to be learned in order to facilitate international education.

 

Commission on Photochemistry (III.3)

Book Project
The proposed project to compile previous Commission Reports into an IUPAC Photochemistry Compendium has been dropped. Prof. Jacob Wirz has arranged for several of the Commission Reports to be posted on the European Photochemistry Association Web site at http://www.unibas.ch/epa/.

Number: 330/18/95
Title: Water treatment and Photocatalysis, Part II.
Coordinator: J.R. Bolton
Progress in 1998: A Workshop was held in November 1997 (J. Bolton, N. Serpone P. Kamat) to consider the paper Quantum Yields and Turnover Numbers in Photocatalysis prepared by Prof. N. Serpone. The documents emerging from this will be circulated to the Commission for final approval.

Number: 330/19/98
Title: Figures of merit for the Technical Development and Application of Advanced Oxidation Technologies
Coordinator: J.R. Bolton
Progress in 1998: The Position Paper Figures-of-merit for the technical development and application of Advanced Oxidation Processes was published in the first issue of the new journal Journal of Advanced Oxidation Technologies. A revised version (including Solar Figures of Merit) has been circulated to the Commission and has now been submitted to IUPAC for publication in Pure Appl. Chem. as a Final Report.

Number: 330/20/98
Title: Photochromism
Coordinator: H. Bouas-Laurent
Progress in 1998: Work on the project is being actively pursued and a final report will be presented in 1999.

Number: 330/21/98
Title: Glossary of Terms in Photocatalysis
Coordinator: J.R. Bolton
Progress in 1998: The Project Photocatalysis is now almost completed.

Glossary of Terms used in Photochemistry
The Editors of J. Photochem. Photobiol. and of Photochem. Photobiol. have agreed to recommend the Second edition of the Glossary of Terms used in Photochemistry [J. W. Verhoeven, Pure Appl. Chem. 68, 2223-2286 (1996)] to authors, as a guide for the preparation of papers for those journals.

New Projects
Prof. Bolton is writing a Tutorial on Optical Terms and Units for Use in Photochemistry. This will probably be submitted to the News Letters of the three Photochemistry Societies for comments. A Project on Terms and Nomenclature in Ultraviolet Disinfection is planned in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency. New projects will be further developed for presentation at the IUPAC Assembly in 1999.

 

SubCommittee on Organic Synthesis

A completely new committee was nominated in Jan. 1998. It is engaged in the following activities.

Number: 301/1/93
Title: Development of Guidelines for the transmission of Information on Organic Synthesis
Coordinator: D.S.C. Black
Progress in 1998: It is undertaken to complete the previously initiated activity on "Standard abbreviations for chiral auxillaries and protecting groups" .

International Conference on Organic Synthesis
(ICOS)
The roster for the IUPAC Organic Synthesis (ICOS) meetings has been completed till 2002. ICOS-13 will be held in Warsaw, Poland (July 1-5, 2000). Invitation for ICOS-14 (2002) has been received from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Combinatorial Chemistry
In the context of Biomolecular Chemistry, activities in the area of Combinatorial Chemistry are being coordinated with Division VII.

Green Chemistry
Discussions on the coordination of the "Synthetic Dimension" of Green Chemistry are underway with the Physical Organic Chemistry group working on that project.
Plans:

  • 1. Organization of small meetings on highly specialised areas, as satellite meetings to major conferences.
  • 2. Organization of symposia-in-print on (a) combinatorial synthesis, (b) development of "new transformations for industrial organic processes including "green" organic synthesis, (c) enantioselective synthesis and (e) synthetic enzymes.
  • 3. Establishment of South East Asian forum for exchange of information and experience in teaching methods, laboratory practices and other e.g. environmental issues. [Whereas this proposal has emerged from within the subcommittee, it will be coordinated with the other IUPAC activities on Education].

 

SubCommittee on Bioorganic Chemistry

Number: 302/2/96
Title: Chemistry for the Utilization and Preservation of Bioorganic
Resources and Diversity

Coordinators: U.K. Pandit and T. Norin
Progress in 1998: A new series of IUPAC Conferences on "Biodiversity and Bioresources" has been launched, with the first meeting being held in Phuket Thailand, November, 1997. Further meetings are planned (at two year intervals) in Brazil (July 11 - 15, 1999), Turkey (2001) and Russia (2003). At the Phuket meeting, the Phuket Declaration concerning "The Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Biological Diversity" was adopted under auspices of the IUPAC. H.R.H. Princess Chulaborn Mahidol graced the meeting by presenting the opening keynote lecture of the Symposium.

IUPAC Symposium on Bio-Organic Chemistry (ISBOC)
The series of IUPAC Bioorganic Chemistry (ISBOC) conferences is successfully continued: ISBOC-IV was held in Biarritz, France (1997); ISBOC-V will be held in Pune, India ( Jan 30 - Feb. 4, 2000) and ISBOC-VI in Toronto, Canada (2002).

Number: 302/3/96
Title: Biotransformations for Chemical Production and Organic Detoxification
Coordinators: U.K. Pandit and T. Norin
Progress in 1998: Upon initiative of the committee, the publication of a series of invited articles on relevant topics is planned in the journal "Bioorganic Chemistry". The first installment of these has been submitted.

Workshop on Bioorganic Chemistry
Members of the committee (JPK and UKP) will present a Workshop on Bioorganic Chemistry organized by the Ain Shams University in Cairo in December 1998. Participants of the symposium will include staff and senior research workers from various Egyptian Universities.
Plans: Activities planned in the area of "Designed Catalytic Systems inspired by Biological Concepts".

 

Inter-Divisional Project on Biomolecular Chemistry

Number: 302/4/97
Title: Horizons in Biomolecular Chemistry
Coordinators: U.K. Pandit and V.T. Ivanov
Progress in 1998: The "Bio-oriented projects in Divisions I, II, III and VII have been inventoried and, where applicable, coordination of work on the projects between the relevant Divisions has been initiated.

Novel Porphyrinoids and their Metal Complexes
Preparations for a mini symposium on "Novel Porphyrinoids and their Metal Complexes - Chemistry, Photophysical properties and Bio-medical Aspects " have been completed. This symposium will be held in the context of the IUPAC meeting in Berlin, 1999.

Biotechnology
Contacts with the Commission on Biotechnology have been initiated with a view to coordinate relevant projects and activities.
Plans:

  • 1. The highly timely topics of (a) electron-transfer in biological systems and (b) medical applications of metal-organic complexes have been proposed for inclusion as symposia in the forthcoming 38th Science Congress in Brisbane, Australia (July 2001).
  • 2. Preparation of a Handbook on the introduction and removal of "Protective Groups in Bioorganic Chemistry". This is planned as a coordinated activity between Divisions III and VII.

 

SubCommittee - Nomenclature in the 21st Century

New Project
Number: 310/28/98
Title: Nomenclature in the 21st Century
Coordinators: J.-C. Richer and A. McNaught
There has been active correspondence between the members of the committee. However, owing to health concerns of the coordinator, no definitive results can be communicated at this point in time. Hopefully, tangible results will be achieved in the coming year.

U.K. Pandit, President
Division of Organic Chemistry (III)
August 27, 1998


Page last modified 16 March 2000.
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