Atomic asymmetry

Cyclopropanes of types III or IV, respectively, therefore, provide situations where the optical activity of cyclopropanes is solely due to the atomic asymmetry term The total... 

For the cu-disubstituted cyclopropanes IV the optical rotation results from only the C2,-tetrahedral SOA i.e. from atomic asymmetry according to equation 10. 

If a mesomeric group is attached to the cyclopropane skeleton the helix contribution is considerably larger than the atomic asymmetry term The resulting rotation... 

Only the methoxy- and chloro-compounds (38, 3 ) exhibit large deviations between calculated and observed rotations. In general, the 1,1-diphenylcyclopropanes XVIII have rather large optical rotations ( [ ]d > 90°). Inspection of Table 3 reveals that the molar rotations of XVIII are almost entirely due to helix optical activity ( 0 q > 0 d ). This is in contrast to an earlier assumption which has attributed optical rotations of XVIII to atomic asymmetry. Further comparisons between calculated and observed optical rotations of complex cyclopropanes I are presented in Table 4. 

According to the above rule, for instance, one has to select Xq = 228 nm for compound 20 (Table 2) and also = 228 nm for 24 (Table 2). The description of the ORD of the atomic asymmetry term is more complicated. Each of the three terms (representing the ORD of the three asymmetric carbon atoms (k) (k = 1, 2, 3) of I) may exhibit a different wavelength dependence according to equation 19. ... 

The result for 76 can be anticipated qualitatively, as the rotation of 76 results from only atomic asymmetry and the groups CN and MeC=CH2 induce different Af -values (215 nm vs. 259 nm) in the ORD equations 19 for and on the other hand,... 

So far, optical rotations of compounds have been discussed where the optical activity is associated with the particular structure of the cyclopropane ring. This means that the rotations are generated by a chiral arrangement of (achiral) ligands attached to the (achiral) molecular skeleton. For certain substituent patterns of I, in particular, the rotations are induced by atomic asymmetry. This is true for III and IV. The effect of the (achiral) cyclopropane moiety (viewed as a ligand) on open-chain molecules with an asymmetric carbon atom can be seen from the rotations of (S)-( —)-l-methyl-1-(1-ethoxyethyl) cyclopropane (80) and its counterpart 81 with only acyclic substituents. ... 

If one analyzes the rotation of D-a-(methylenecyclopropyl)glycine (82) the optical activity must come from (at least) four sources. One rotation contribution is associated with the atomic asymmetry of the open-chain moiety (methylenecyclopropane being viewed as a ligand). On the other hand, optical activity will also be induced by the asymmetric carbon atom of the ring and the asymmetry in the electron density distribution of the exocyclic double bond system (with diastereotopic faces). Finally also helix optical activity may be operative. The example of 82 demonstrates the complexity of the optical rotation of an apparently simple cyclopropane derivative. Further discussions of optical rotations of similar compounds, therefore, will cling to only the qualitative level. 

Structures [VIII] and [IX] are not equivalent they would not superimpose if the extended chains were overlaid. The difference has to do with the stereochemical configuration at the asymmetric carbon atom. Note that the asymmetry is more accurately described as pseudoasymmetry, since two sections of chain are bonded to these centers. Except near chain ends, which we ignore for high polymers, these chains provide local symmetry in the neighborhood of the carbon under consideration. The designations D and L or R and S are used to distinguish these structures, even though true asymmetry is absent. 

Chiral separations are concerned with separating molecules that can exist as nonsupetimposable mirror images. Examples of these types of molecules, called enantiomers or optical isomers are illustrated in Figure 1. Although chirahty is often associated with compounds containing a tetrahedral carbon with four different substituents, other atoms, such as phosphoms or sulfur, may also be chiral. In addition, molecules containing a center of asymmetry, such as hexahehcene, tetrasubstituted adamantanes, and substituted aHenes or molecules with hindered rotation, such as some 2,2 disubstituted binaphthyls, may also be chiral. Compounds exhibiting a center of asymmetry are called atropisomers. An extensive review of stereochemistry may be found under Pharmaceuticals, Chiral. 

The asterisk signifies an asymmetric carbon. AH of the amino acids, except glycine, have two optically active isomers designated D- or L-. Isoleucine and threonine also have centers of asymmetry at their P-carbon atoms (1,10). Protein amino acids are of the L-a-form (1,10) as illustrated in Table 1. 

The functional reaction center contains two quinone molecules. One of these, Qb (Figure 12.15), is loosely bound and can be lost during purification. The reason for the difference in the strength of binding between Qa and Qb is unknown, but as we will see later, it probably reflects a functional asymmetry in the molecule as a whole. Qa is positioned between the Fe atom and one of the pheophytin molecules (Figure 12.15). The polar-head group is outside the membrane, bound to a loop region, whereas the hydrophobic tail is... 

Part of a 15-nm long, 10 A tube, is given in Fig. 1. Its surface atomic structure is displayed[14], A periodic lattice is clearly seen. The cross-sectional profile was also taken, showing the atomically resolved curved surface of the tube (inset in Fig. 1). Asymmetry variations in the unit cell and other distortions in the image are attributed to electronic or mechanical tip-surface interactions[15,16]. From the helical arrangement of the tube, we find that it has zigzag configuration. 

One area where the concept of atomic charges is deeply rooted is force field methods (Chapter 2). A significant part of the non-bonded interaction between polar molecules is described in terms of electrostatic interactions between fragments having an internal asymmetry in the electron distribution. The fundamental interaction is between the Electrostatic Potential (ESP) generated by one molecule (or fraction of) and the charged particles of another. The electrostatic potential at position r is given as a sum of contributions from the nuclei and the electronic wave function. 

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