Werner Tochtermann
Encyclopedia
Werner Tochtermann is a German chemist
and emeritus professor. From 1976 till his retirement in 1999 he was full professor of Organic Chemistry
at the University of Kiel
. His main areas of research were the chemistry of medium and large rings, the synthesis of cyclophane
s, and the heteroquadricyclane
→heteropin rearrangement
, e.g. for the synthesis
of oxepin
s from furan
s (known as Prinzbach–Tochtermann sequence).
at the Universities of Münster
and Heidelberg, and completed his doctoral dissertation under the direction of the Nobel laureate Georg Wittig
. Following a postdoctoral period as assistant to his academic teacher, he started his own research on sven-membered ring syastems in 1962. In 1965, he was appointed Privatdozenten at the University of Heidelberg, and joined the faculty at the Darmstadt University of Technology
in 1972. Since 1976 till his retirement in 1999 he has been a full professor at the University of Kiel
working on the following areas:
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
and emeritus professor. From 1976 till his retirement in 1999 he was full professor of Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
at the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
. His main areas of research were the chemistry of medium and large rings, the synthesis of cyclophane
Cyclophane
A cyclophane is a hydrocarbon consisting of an aromatic unit and an aliphatic chain that forms a bridge between two non-adjacent positions of the aromatic ring. More complex derivatives with multiple aromatic units and bridges forming cagelike structures are also known...
s, and the heteroquadricyclane
Quadricyclane
Quadricyclane is a strained, multi-cyclic hydrocarbon with potential uses as an additive for rocket propellants as well in solar energy conversion. These uses are limited, however, by the molecule's decomposition at relatively low temperatures .-Structure and properties:Quadricyclane is a highly...
→heteropin rearrangement
Rearrangement
Rearrangement may refer to:* Rearrangement reaction* Rearrangement inequality...
, e.g. for the synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
of oxepin
Oxepin
Oxepin is an oxygen-containing heterocycle consisting of a seven-membered ring with three double bonds. It exists as an equilibrium mixture with benzene oxide. The oxepin-benzene oxide system has fluctuating bonds in which the equilibrium can be shifted to one extreme or the other by suitable...
s from furan
Furan
Furan is a heterocyclic organic compound, consisting of a five-membered aromatic ring with four carbon atoms and one oxygen. The class of compounds containing such rings are also referred to as furans....
s (known as Prinzbach–Tochtermann sequence).
Career
From 1953–1960, he studied chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at the Universities of Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
and Heidelberg, and completed his doctoral dissertation under the direction of the Nobel laureate Georg Wittig
Georg Wittig
Georg Wittig was a German chemist who reported a method for synthesis of alkenes from aldehydes and ketones using compounds called phosphonium ylides in the Wittig reaction. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Herbert C...
. Following a postdoctoral period as assistant to his academic teacher, he started his own research on sven-membered ring syastems in 1962. In 1965, he was appointed Privatdozenten at the University of Heidelberg, and joined the faculty at the Darmstadt University of Technology
Darmstadt University of Technology
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...
in 1972. Since 1976 till his retirement in 1999 he has been a full professor at the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
working on the following areas:
- New routes towards medium and large rings (tailored synthesis of odorants)
- Application of ultrasoundUltrasoundUltrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
in Organic SynthesisOrganic synthesisOrganic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
(BarbierBarbier reactionThe Barbier reaction is an organic reaction between an alkyl halide and a carbonyl group as an electrophilic substrate in the presence of magnesium, aluminium, zinc, indium, tin or its salts. The reaction product is a primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol...
, Lemieux und Wittig reactionWittig reactionThe Wittig reaction is a chemical reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with a triphenyl phosphonium ylide to give an alkene and triphenylphosphine oxide....
) - SynthesisOrganic synthesisOrganic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
of unnatural carbohydrateCarbohydrateA carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
analogs (bridged deoxyfuranosids and furanoseFuranoseA furanose is a collective term for carbohydrates that have a chemical structure that includes a five-membered ring system consisting of four carbon atoms and one oxygen atom...
s, disaccharideDisaccharideA disaccharide or biose is the carbohydrate formed when two monosaccharides undergo a condensation reaction which involves the elimination of a small molecule, such as water, from the functional groups only. Like monosaccharides, disaccharides form an aqueous solution when dissolved in water...
s, nucleosideNucleosideNucleosides are glycosylamines consisting of a nucleobase bound to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar via a beta-glycosidic linkage...
s, glycolipidGlycolipidGlycolipids are lipids with a carbohydrate attached. Their role is to provide energy and also serve as markers for cellular recognition.-Metabolism:...
s) - Stereoselective synthesis of perhydro azuleneAzuleneAzulene is an organic compound and an isomer of naphthalene. Whereas naphthalene is colourless, azulene is dark blue. Its name is derived from the Spanish word azul, meaning "blue"...
s (lactaranes, tremulanes, merulanes) - Strained benzene derivatives (cyclophaneCyclophaneA cyclophane is a hydrocarbon consisting of an aromatic unit and an aliphatic chain that forms a bridge between two non-adjacent positions of the aromatic ring. More complex derivatives with multiple aromatic units and bridges forming cagelike structures are also known...
s) and ansaAnsaAnsa or ANSA can refer to any of the following:* Ansa, Queen of the Lombards, 8th century, wife of Desiderius, king of the Lombards*Ansa , genus of moth* Ansa or in Hinduism, a solar deity and one of the Adityas....
compounds