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Professorship for Inorganic Chemistry

Prof. Dr. Carsten Strohmann

Technische Universität Dortmund
Anorganische Chemie
Otto-Hahn-Str. 6
D-44227 Dortmund
Raum: C2-05-332
Germany


Phone.: +49 231 755 3807
Fax: +49 231 755 3797
E-Mail:

Portrait Carsten Strohmann © AK-Strohmann​/​TU Dortmund

News

Bayer doctoral prize for Dr. Johannes Kleinheider

We congratulate Dr. Johannes Kleinheider on receiving the Bayer Doctoral Prize 2023/2024 in Chemistry, which was presented by Prof. Dr. Michael Beck from Bayer AG at the 17. Tag der Chemie on 9 February 2024.

Prof. Kast, Prof. Mutschler, Dr. Kleinheider, Prof. Beck, Dr. Schürmann (from left to right)

Mit dem Bayer Promotions­preis werden Absolventen und Absolventinnen für exzellente Forschungsarbeiten im Bereich der Chemie sowie der Chemischen Biologie während ihres Promotionsstudiums durch die Fakultät CCB geehrt. Dabei entscheidet eine Jury unter Berücksichtigung weiterer Kriterien wie Studiendauer, Prüfungsnoten und Publikationstätigkeit unter den vorgeschlagenen Kandidaten und Kandi­datinnen. Die Bayer AG übernahm in diesem Jahr erstmalig das Sponsering für diese Auszeichnung und das darin enthaltene Preisgeld von 500 €. Herr Dr. Johannes Kleinheider wurde die Auszeichnung für seine Promotion mit dem Titel "Über die Reaktivität gezielt ausgebildeter Lithiumalkylaggregate - Von "frustrierten" Aggregaten zum Lithiumhydrid-Transfer" verliehen.

As part of his doctorate, Dr. Kleinheider worked on the targeted adjustability of the reactivity of alkyl lithium reagents. In doing so, he was able to significantly deepen his understanding of the close relationship between the structure and reactivity of these highly reactive substances. In this way, he was able to synthesise building blocks that are difficult to access at low temperatures and to develop unusual reaction pathways. The targeted stoichiometric use of additives to specifically form the corresponding lithium alkyl aggregates is the key to his research. Dr. Kleinheider has presented the results of his research at numerous national and international conferences, including the 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

We wish Dr. Johannes Kleinheider continued success in his new position at Bronkhorst Deutschland Nord GmbH.


Oral Presentation Award for Annika Schmidt and Poster Award for Franziska Klotz at the 12th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr 2024

At this year's 12th JungChemiker Symposium Ruhr, Ms. Annika Schmidt was awarded a prize for her oral presentation and Ms. Franziska Klotz for her poster presentation. On her poster "Synthesis and Investigations of Si-chiral Aminosilanols and Siloxides" Franziska was able to present novel, condensation-stable silanols and illustrate their application as chiral ligands for transition metals. Annika presented her latest results on the investigation of the mechanism of anionic polymerization of styrene and myrcene, as well as the isolation of the first initiation products in her talk entitled "Insights into the mechanism of anionic styrene polymerization".

We would like to thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for their financial support.


12. JungChemiker Symposium Ruhr 2024

On February 29, 2024, the 12th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr was held at the MPI in Mülheim under the motto "Chemistry for a green future". The conference, which is sponsored by the GDCh, gives young chemists from the Ruhr region the opportunity to exchange research results and socialise. Franziska Klotz, Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff, Annika Schmidt, Tobias Schrimpf and Paul Erik Schneider from our working group presented a total of 4 posters and an oral presentation and thus were able to provide interesting insights into the various topics of our research group.

In addition to numerous scientific presentations and a poster session, there were also interesting workshops and a campus tour of the prestigious Max-Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung. A highlight of the symposium was the keynote lecture by Prof. Dr. David Cole-Hamilton on the topic of sustainable and resource-conserving chemistry for the future.

We would like to thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for their financial support of our research group. We would also like to thank the entire JCF Mülheim team for their commitment and the great organization of this enriching event.


Novel "Frustrated" Aggregates: Enhancing t-BuLi Reactivity with THF in n-pentane

After 35 years, the search for the crystal structure of tert-butyllithium with tetrahydrofuran was successfully completed. Contrary to expectations, two different aggregates could be determined in a pentane/THF environment depending on the amount of THF used. These differ significantly in their reactivity. This opens up a simple way for synthetic chemists to adjust the reactivity of t-BuLi depending on the application. For more information, see the following page or the original publication.

Tuning Reactivities of tert-Butyllithium by the Addition of Stoichiometric Amounts of Tetrahydrofuran
J. Kleinheider, T. Schrimpf, R. Scheel, T. Mairath, A. Hermann, K. Knepper, C. Strohmann*
Chem. Eur. J. 2024, e202304226, 1–5.


PhD Fellowship of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff

Congratulations to Mr. Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff for receiving a doctoral fellowship of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Mr. Kirchhoff conducts research in the field of silicon chemistry on the synthesis and transformation of Si–N,O-functionalized silanes, focusing on mechanistic aspects at the silicon center

He combines spectroscopic  investigations,  quantum mechanics calculations and X-ray structure diffraction in order to better understand the reactivity of tetravalent, and in some cases even chiral, silicon compounds and to optimize reaction conditions. These may vary from very low temperatures to high temperatures using laboratory microwaves.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is one of the Federal Ministry of Education & Research's Begabtenförderungswerke (gifted and talented organization) and supports both talented students and doctoral candidates. The doctoral funding supports high-performing, socio-politically motivated young researchers who like to do voluntary work.

We would like to thank the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for its generous funding and support and are very pleased that Mr. Kirchhoff was able to impress the jury in the final interview.


Lithium alkyls as source for lithium hydride?

Our research group was able to observe a lithium hydride transfer reaction of secondary and tertiary lithium alkyls to hexamethylacetone by targeted aggregate formation. By combining in situ FTIR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, the reaction mechanism of a simultaneous β-hydride elimination and lithium hydride addition at unusually low temperature could be elucidated. More information on the article can be found on the following page or in the original publication:

Alkyllithium Reagents as a Hidden Source of Lithium Hydride
J. Kleinheider, C. Schwab, C. Strohmann*
Organometallics 2023, 42, 3173–3177.


Configuration Studies of Palladium Complexes

In the latest publication of our group, temperature-dependent inversion processes in square-planar palladium(II) chloride complexes formed by silyl-substituted thioether ligands were investigated in solution by NMR spectroscopy. Further information can be found on the following page or in the original publication:

Synthesis of Organosilicon-Based Thioether Ligand Class Showing Defined S-Stereogenic Coordination in Crystalline Palladium(II) Complexes
P. E. Schneider, J. Wattenberg, J. F. Wappelhorst, M. Knorr, C. Strohmann*
Z. Allg. Anorg. Chem. 2023, 649, e202300185.


Bruker AXS European SC-XRD Users Meeting 2023 in Karlsruhe

Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff (left) und Paul Erik Schneider (right)

At this year's Bruker AXS Users Meeting in Karlsruhe on October 10th-11th, Paul Erik Schneider and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff from our research group had the chance to learn about Bruker's latest techniques for X-ray diffraction and its use in X-ray structure analysis. According to the motto "Advanced Applications", the staff presented their latest equipment including updated software on the first day and demonstrated the new possibilities for structure investigations of molecules up to proteins. In the many workshops followed, the participants had the opportunity to be introduced to this new equipment and software and to try out what they had learned themselves. On the second day, the focus was on many interesting presentations by scientists as well as companies concerning various X-ray diffraction experiments for different chemical questions.

Overall, the Bruker AXS European SC-XRD Users Meeting 2023 was a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the field of X-ray diffraction and to exchange ideas with experts from universities in the field of X-ray structure analysis.

We would like to thank Bruker for the opportunity to participate.


Fachgruppentag Sustainable Chemistry 2023 at BASF in Ludwigshafen

For the second time the Fachgruppentag Sustainable Chemistry was organized together by the GDCh-Division Group Sustainable Chemistry and the JCF's (Young Chemists Network) Team Sustainability. This year, all participants were invited to BASF's headquarters in Ludwigshafen. In addition to an exciting lecture held by Dr. Carla Seidel, member of the GDCh Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Sonja Herres-Pawlis (RWTH Aachen) and Dr. Dagmar Pascale Kunsmann-Keitel (BASF) from the Division Board as well as junior research group leader Dr. Thomas Seidensticker (TU Dortmund, BCI) presented on sustainable synthesis and degradation techniques of polymers.

A total of three young doctoral students were also selected from several interested participants to present their research. Among them were two members of our research group. Ms. Annika Schmidt was able to present her research on understanding the mechanism of anionic polymerization in the context of building sustainable polymers, while Mr. Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff lectured on his research on sustainable synthesis methods of alkoxymethoxysilanes.

Annika Schmidt (left) und Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff (right)

In addition, all guests at the conference were able to take part in a tour of BASF's approximately 10 km2 site, during which the latest projects in the field of digitalization and machine learning were presented. Afterwards, smaller groups had the opportunity to visit the production facilities of new sodium-sulfur accumulators or to participate in a laboratory tour of the department of biodegradable plastics.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Sustainable Chemistry Division Board, the Team Sustainability of the JCF, and BASF for that successful day including a diverse program. We are already looking forward to next year's event.


GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 in Leipzig

From September 04-06, 2023, this year's GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) took place in Leipzig. Students and PhD students Julius Hättasch, Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff, Franziska Klotz, Tristan Mairath, Michael Nuss, Arnold Ressel, Robin Risken, Annika Schmidt, Paul-Erik Schneider, Mara Schöler, Tobias Schrimpf, Thokozire Sweetland and Jan Frederick Wappelhorst from our working group participated. They all presented and discussed their research results on a total of 13 scientific poster contributions. Thus, all students who have done a thesis (bachelor or master) in our working group during the last year were again able to present their obtained results.

The results presented ranged from topics on (stereo)selective Si–N and Si–O transformation, for example with microwave technology, to studies on the synthesis and reactivity of alkali metal organyls, especially lithium alkyls, to the asymmetric synthesis of planar chiral ferrocenes.

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry is the largest general chemistry conference in Germany and reaches across most topics of chemistry in an interdisciplinary way. Thus, in addition to lectures in area-specific topic sessions, the focus is particularly on interdisciplinary exchange.

For the conference with the motto "Rethinking Chemistry" we were supported by a large number of GDCh travel grants. Further information can be found on the following page. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) for their generous financial support and especially to the organizers of WiFos 2023.


Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry in Holderness, New Hampshire, USA

Franziska Klotz and Annika Schmidt

Franziska Klotz and Annika Schmidt from our working group attended this year's Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry. Franziska was able to present her bachelor’s research results in a talk in front of an audience of doctorates and PostDocs, while Annika was supported with one of three german-wide travel grants of the GDCh in the amount of 1000€.

The Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) are internationally renowned conferences held at regular intervals on a wide variety of scientific topics. This year, the Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry took place from 25.06. - 30.06.2023 at the Holderness School in New Hampshire in the USA.

In addition, a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) was held in advance of the conference, which is especially aimed at young scientists. In this context, Franziska Klotz was able to give a talk entitled "Transformation and Crystallization of Stereogenic Silicon Centers".

This year, the GRC on Physical Organic Chemistry was held under the motto "Analyzing, Understanding and Predicting Organic Reactivity", with 30 invited talks and 120 poster contributions reporting on the current scientific status in the field of physical organic chemistry. Franziska Klotz and Annika Schmidt also presented their research results in one poster contribution each, that can be found on the following page.

Finally, we would like to thank the chairmen Burkhard König and Cornelia Bohne for the excellent organization, as well as the GDCh for the support in the form of the travel grant.


Insights into the Molecular Halogen Bond

In a new publication of our group the effects of an isolated halogen bond on the nucleophile used were investigated experimentally. Further information can be found on the following page or in the original publication:

Gauging the Strength of the Molecular Halogen Bond via Experimental Electron Density and Spectroscopy
F. Otte, J. Kleinheider, B. Grabe, W. Hiller, F. Busse, R. Wang, N. M. Kreienborg, C. Merten*, U. Englert*, C. Strohmann*
ACS Omega 2023, 8, 21531-21539.


Degrees and Awards during the graduation ceremony at the 16. Tag der Chemie

Tristan Mairath, Arnold Ressel

To conclude the winter semester 2022/23, the 16. Tag der Chemie took place on March 31th 2023 to honor the graduates from the faculty for their achievements. From our working group Robin Risken, Michael Nuss, Tristan Mairath and Arnold Ressel could successfully complete their bachelor studies and Mr. Ressel was also honored for his outstanding degree.

In addition to the bachelor degrees, Ms. Rana Seymen successfully completed her PhD in 2022. Annika Schmidt was able to give an overview of her current research on anionic polymerization with a short talk and a poster contribution at this day. Rebecca Scheel also presented her research results on microwave-based deprotonation reactions with lithium alkyls in a short talk.

We congratulate all graduates and wish them good luck for their future.


Part of the turbo-Grignard puzzle unraveled

A new publication of the AK Strohmann together with the NMR team of the faculty CCB in the journal Angewandte Chemie. More details about the article on the following page or in the original publication:

Comprehensive Study of the Enhanced Reactivity of Turbo-Gignard-Reagents
A. Hermann, R. Seymen, L. Brieger, J. Kleinheider, B. Grabe, W. Hiller, C. Strohmann*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202302489.


Presentation Award for Rebecca Scheel at the 11th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr 2023

At this year's 11th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr, Rebecca Scheel was awarded a lecture prize for her oral presentation entitled "The Fusion of tert-Butyllithium and Microwave Radiation: Deprotonation Reactions under High Temperatures". She presented her research results on microwave-based deprotonation with lithium alkyls. The use of lithium alkyls under microwave radiation can provide access to the metalation of inert substrates, to multiple metalations as well as to the optimization of already existing deprotonation reactions.
We thank the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft for the financial support.


GDCh-JCF „Frühjahrssymposium“ (Spring Symposium) 2023 in Gießen

This "Frühjahrssymposium" (Spring Symposium) of the Young Chemists Network (JCF) took place according to the motto Chemistry Is Coming Home from 21 - 24 March 2023 at the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen. Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff from our working group had the opportunity to present his research on targeted substitution processes on functionalized silanes in a poster contribution. In addition to two poster sessions, young students and PhD students respectively also had the chance to share their research to a broad audience in oral presentations. A highlight of the conference was the opening lecture held by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Ben List, which addressed new possibilities for CO2 conversion.

Beyond that, the participants had plenty of time in industry workshops as well as networking sessions to exchange ideas in face-to-face conversations as well as with potential future employers.

We would like to thank the German Chemical Society, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the German Research Foundation for their financial support of our working group. Furthermore, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the entire organization team of the JCF Gießen, who realized this year's spring symposium.


Chemiedozententagung in Dresden 2023

This year's Chemiedozententagung took place from March, 13th – 15th, 2023 at the TU Dresden. Franziska Klotz, Annika Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Carsten Strohmann from our working group traveled together to Dresden to the event, which was prepared and organized by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of German University Professors (ADUC).
The Chemiedozententagung (CDT) is a conference that brings together young academics as well as professors from all fields of chemistry. It is one of the best opportunities to get to know the current chemistry research landscape in Germany.

In a comfortable setting between exciting lectures and workshops, there was thus the opportunity to network and, for example, to meet professors who cover similar research fields and whose work may already have been read and cited themselves. Thus, we were also able to meet and exchange ideas with Prof. Dr. Norbert Mitzel, Professor for Inorganic Chemistry and Structural Chemistry at Bielefeld University and ADUC Chairman, in Dresden.


11th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr 2023

On March 2nd, 2023, the 11th Young Chemists Symposium Ruhr took place at TU Dortmund University under the motto "Creating Sustainability". The conference, which is sponsored by the GDCh, gives young chemists from the Ruhr area the opportunity to exchange research results and make new contacts. Johannes Kleinheider, Franziska Klotz, Anna Krupp, Tristan Mairath, Rebecca Scheel, Annika Schmidt, Tobias Schrimpf, Paul Erik Schneider, Christoph Schwab, Jan Frederick Wappelhorst and Jonathan Wattenberg were able to present their latest results of research in the form of 10 poster contributions as well as 2 oral presentations and to provide interesting insights into the diverse topics of the research group. In addition to numerous oral presentations and also poster sessions, there were also professional extern workshops on sustainability and resource-conserving chemistry, as well as networking opportunities with representatives of industry partners, such as BASF, Altana and Evonik.

We would like to thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for their financial support of our research group. Moreover, our thanks go to Annika Schmidt and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff as well as the entire JCF Dortmund team for their commitment and great organization.


Kekulé Doctoral Scholarship of the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for Annika Schmidt

Congratulations to Ms. Annika Schmidt for receiving the Kekulé Scholarship of the Stiftung Stipendien-Fonds des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie. After shortening the duration of her master's degree in chemistry to three semesters, Ms. Schmidt graduated in March 2022 with her master's thesis on initiators for anionic polymerizations and mechanistic studies on the first carbometallation step. After a six-month industrial internship, she will now begin her doctoral studies, which will focus on functionalized organolithium initiators for the targeted incorporation of multiple functionalities in anionic polymerizations and the elucidation of the mechanism of the individual steps and active structures of anionic polymerization.

The Stiftung Stipendien-Fonds des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie supports doctoral students of chemistry or chemistry-related subjects with outstanding academic performance and graduation in regular study time in excellent working groups. We would like to thank the Verband der Chemischen Industrie for its generous sponsorship and support and are very pleased that Ms. Schmidt was able to convince the reviewers in the selection process.


A Silicon-Stereogenic Silanol – 18O-Isotope Labeling and Stereogenic Probe Reveals Hidden Stereospecific Water Exchange Reaction:
F. Langenohl, J. Rösler, S. Zühlke, J.-L. Kirchhoff, C. Strohmann,
Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202202935.


Best of the Year Award of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

We congratulate Ms. Annika Schmidt for the best of the year award of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology 2022. Every year, the best graduates of each of the sixteen faculties of the TU Dortmund University are honored during the annual academic celebration.

Ms. Annika Schmidt excellently completed her master's degree in a shortened period of study after three semesters with her master's thesis on "Initiators for anionic polymerizations: Mechanistic studies on the first carbometallation step". Currently, she is working on functionalized organolithium initiators and elucidating the mechanism of the individual substeps of anionic polymerization.


Selective monosubstitution on a trichlorosilane with highly reactive organolithium compounds in a microflow reactor:
M. Achternbosch, L. Zibula, A. Schmidt, W. Krieger, N. Kockmann, C. Strohmann,
J. Flow Chem. 2023, 13, 9-12.


Klung Wilhelmy Science Award 2022 for Prof. Dr. Viktoria Däschlein-Gessner

Prof. Dr. Viktoria Däschlein-Gessner (Ruhr-University of Bochum), former PhD student of our group, receives this year's Klung Wilhelmy Science Award in Chemistry. This prize is awarded every year, alternately in the fields of chemistry and physics, and honors particularly outstanding work in scientific research. The prize is awarded under the patronage of the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Mrs. Bettina Stark-Watzinger, and with a prize money of 50,000 euros is one of the most highly endowed science prizes in Germany. Five of the former laureates were awarded the Nobel Prize later on in their careers.

Ms. Däschlein-Gessner is being honored for her outstanding research on synthetic and mechanistic problems in inorganic chemistry and catalysis. In 2009, Ms. Däschlein-Gessner received her PhD in our group and founded her own research group in 2015 after a postdoctoral stay with Prof. Tilley (UC Berkeley). Since 2016 she holds the chair of Inorganic Chemistry at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

We congratulate her on this award and wish her all the best for the future.


21th Congress of the Wöhler-Vereinigung in Marburg

From 26th to 28th september 2022, the 21th inorganic chemistry congress of the Wöhler-Vereinigung und Festkörperchemie & Materialforschung took place in Marburg. Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff, Johannes Kleinheider, Franziska D. Klotz, Anna Krupp, Tristan Mairath, Michael Nuss, Arnold Ressel, Robin Risken, Rebecca Scheel, Paul Erik Schneider, Christoph Schwab, Jan Frederick Wappelhorst and Jonathan Wattenberg were able to present their latest results of research in the form of 13 poster contributions and to provide interesting insights into the diverse topics of the working group.

The here presented work focuses on the synthesis and crystallization of stereogenic silicon centers and microwave-based substitution reactions on Si-N-functionalised silanes as well as on the synthesis of multidentate sulphur ligands and complexation with copper. Other contributions deal with alkali metal chemistry by explaining the deaggregation of lithium alkyls with tertiary amines and their deprotonation mechanisms.

One of the hightlights of the congress in Marburg was not only the diversity of the poster contributions and plenary talks, but also the interesting conversations with other young scientists.

We would like to thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for their financial support. In addition, our thanks go to the conference team of the University of Marburg for organizing this interesting meeting.


Towards Substrate-Reagent Interaction of Lochmann-Schlosser Bases in THF: Bridging THF Hides Potential Reaction Site of a Chiral Superbase:
L. Brieger, T. Schrimpf, R. Scheel, C. Unkelbach, C. Strohmann,
Chem. Eur. J. 2022, 28, e202202660.


8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress 2022 in Lissabon

From 28th August to 1st September 2022, the 8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress took place in Lisbon/Portugal under the theme "Chemistry - the Central Science". Anna Krupp, Annika Schmidt, Rebecca Scheel, Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff, Tobias Schrimpf and Jonathan Wattenberg were able to present their latest research results in the form of poster contributions and Jan Lukas Kirchhoff was also able to present a flash presentation and thus provide a diverse insight into the various topics of the working group.

Annika Schmidt provided a mechanistic insight into the combination of carbolithiation and zinc complexes with the aim of incorporating catalytically active functions into polymers. Anna Krupp and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff presented results on the synthesis and crystallisation of stereogenic silicon centres and microwave-based substitution reactions on Si-N-functionalised silanes to alkoxysilanes. With the synthesis of multidentate sulphur ligands and subsequent complexation with copper and d10 transition metals, Jonathan Wattenberg provided a simple approach to unusual bimetallic complexes. Rebecca Scheel and Tobias Schrimpf were also able to present topics from alkali metal chemistry by explaining the deaggregation of lithium alkyls with tertiary amines, as well as the deprotonation mechanism of an aminomethylferrocene-based chiral superbase. In total, 6 poster contributions and one flash lecture could be presented.

We would like to thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for their financial support.


2nd Sustainability Session: Circular Plastics and ACHEMA 2022 in Frankfurt

At this year's conference 2nd Sustainability Session: Circular Plastics in Frankfurt, sustainable research topics, especially the achievement and implementation of a circular economy for plastics, were focused.

Annika Schmidt and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff from our group presented their research results on the mechanism of the initiation step of anionic polymerization regarding sustainable plastics as well as on novel sustainable microwave-based syntheses for the functionalization of organo-silanes. In this context, Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff was awarded for a poster prize, which was granted by the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3).

The visit to this conference was combined with a session at ACHEMA 2022 (https://www.achema.de/de/), the world's largest trade fair for chemical engineering in Frankfurt. Here, the focus on sustainability was emphasized again by the motto Inspiring Sustainable Connections.

Many thanks to the GDCh, to the JCF Frankfurt, the EYCN, IYCN as well as the ISC3 for the organization and financial support of the conference.


Participation in this year's Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau by Johannes Kleinheider

Johannes Kleinheider, a doctoral student in the Strohmann Working Group, was one of 600 international students selected to attend this year's Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau. Around 30 Nobel Laureates in the categories of chemistry, medicine and physics were on hand this year to exchange ideas with young scientists in chemistry and chemistry-related research fields. Unfortunately, this event was not spared from Corona either, resulting in a mix of online and face-to-face events, but this did not detract from the scope of this event.

Mr. Kleinheider’s dissertation deals with the control of lithium alkyl reactions. The focus is on understanding the reactivity and structure of organolithium reagents and how these can be influenced or controlled by side reactions or special precautions. In addition to reactivity, the course of reactions via transition-state pre-coordinations or intermediates is followed, as well.


Degrees and Awards during the graduation ceremony at the 15. Tag der Chemie

At this year's 15. Tag der Chemie on June 10th 2022, the best graduates of the past year were once again honored. From our working group, Ms. Annika Schmidt received an award for her outstanding degree in the master's program in chemistry, as well as Mr. Paul-Erik Schneider for his degree in the bachelor's program in chemistry.

In addition, Mr. Andreas Seymen, Yasin Kuzu, Felix Otte, Felix Langenohl, Lukas Brieger, Moritz Achternbosch and Andreas Voß successfully completed their PhD in 2021 and 2022. Jonathan Pöttker, Niklas Sensler, Franziska Klotz, Jan-Frederik Wappelhorst as well as Christoph Schwab also received their Bachelor and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff as well as Tobias Schrimpf their Master Chemistry. In addition, Mr. Timo Schönig successfully completed his apprenticeship.

We are pleased that all master graduates will also do their PhD in our group and congratulate all graduates and wish them all the best for their future careers. 


9th International Charge Density Meeting 2022 in Aarhus

After a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific meetings can be held in presence again this year. This was also the case for the International Charge Density Meeting 2022  (ICDM-9), which brings together enthusiastic researchers from all over the world every three years. Here, the latest research topics on the investigation of charge densities and electronic bonding situations are presented using latest techniques in theory as well as in experiment.

Also this year many international scientists could present their new results in the field of theoretical and experimental charge density investigations. From our working group Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff was able to present his research contributions on the topic of reactivity predictions using electron density studies on Si–N,O-functionalized silanes in the form of a flash talk as well as a poster.

We would like to thank the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, the German Research Foundation (DFG) as well as the Aarhus University for their financial support. In addition, our thanks go to conference team, which organized the meeting. We are already looking forward to ICDM-10, which will be held in 2025 in Durham, United Kingdom.


GDCh-JCF Young Chemist Spring Symposium 2022 in Hanover

In March 2022, a conference of the Young Chemist Forum (JungChemikerForum, JCF) was held in presence for the first time after two years.  During the 24th Spring Symposium 2022 (Frühjahrssymposium, FJS) of the JCF in Hanover, Annika Schmidt and Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff had the opportunity to present their research results in form of poster contributions. Here, on the one hand, an approach for the functionalization of anion-derived polymers, and on the other hand, contributions on new microwave-based synthesis technologies of silanes were presented.

In addition to the results of the own working group, young scientists from Germany as well as international guests presented their research, which ranged thematically from drug synthesis to application-related materials science.

This year's conference was held under the slogan "Communicating the future" and focused in particular on the role of science in society. After a long time, the FJS 2022 was one of the first conferences that could take place in presence due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This event could only be held thanks to a very well elaborated hygiene concept, which was developed by the JCF speaker team Hanover.

We would like to thank the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the Fonds of the Chemical Industry (Fonds der Chemischen Industrie), German Research Foundation (DFG) as well as the German Academic Scholarship Foundation for their financial support.


Highlight in „Nachrichten aus der Chemie“

Our recently published work in Chemistry – A European Journal was highlighted in the December issue of Nachrichten aus der Chemie.

The "Nachrichten aus der Chemie" mention ten to fifteen highlights from all areas of chemistry each month. The highlighted paper by Lukas Brieger deals with the selective synthesis of long-sought thf-solvated alkali metal benzyl compounds, which could be unambiguously characterized by single crystal X-ray structural analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, without the addition of further ligands, these compounds are useful tools in deprotonation reactions of C-H and N-H acidic compounds to transfer the corresponding alkali metals in the context of alkali metal mediation chemistry.

Publication:
THF-solvated Heavy Alkali Metal Benzyl Compounds (Na, Rb, Cs): Defined Deprotonation Reagents for Alkali Metal Mediation Chemistry: 
L. Brieger, C. Unkelbach, C. Strohmann,
Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 27, 17780-17784.

Highlight in the Nachrichten aus der Chemie: Notizen aus der Chemie:
G. Delaittre, J. Heine, A Hinz, U. Jahn,, H. Kries, B. Meermann, C. C. Tzschucke, M. Zegke


Kekulé-Fellowship of the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff

We congratulate Mr. Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff on receiving a Kekulé fellowship from the foundation of the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.

In March 2021, Mr. Kirchhoff completed his master's degree in chemistry in three semesters. As part of his master's thesis, he investigated the structure as well as the conversions of Si-N-functionalized silanes under the aspect of stereochemical issues. In the context of his PhD, he is now working on the synthesis of silicon stereogenic compounds, which are generated by methods of reagent-induced asymmetric synthesis in high diastereomeric selectivity. The topics range from mechanistic questions to direct application-oriented approaches. Si-N or Si-O systems find important applications in silicone chemistry, silicate materials and modifications of surfaces.

The Foundation Fonds der Chemischen Industrie supports doctoral students with outstanding degrees within the framework of the Kekulé Scholarship. We are very pleased that Mr. Kirchhoff was able to convince the expert reviewers in the rigorous selection process. In addition, we would like to thank the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie very much for the important funding and great support.



Poster Award for Andreas Voß at the Wissenschaftsforum 2021 of the GDCh

At this year's Wissenschaftsforum of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, one of the largest European chemistry meetings, Mr. Andreas Voß was awarded a poster prize by ACS Organic & Inorganic Au for his poster presentation entitled Microwave Technology as Key for the Synthesis of new (Aminomethyl)silanes.

Mr. Andreas Voß presented his research results on the synthesis and reactivity of various (aminomethyl)silanes to the international scientists. Using a microwave-based synthesis route he developed, novel (aminomethyl)silanes with a secondary nitrogen center can be prepared. Due to their special reactivity, these compounds offer great potential for various applications in silicon chemistry.

The motto of this year's Wissenschaftsforum was Chemists create solutions. Every two years, it offers an exchange among scientists from all areas of chemistry and between science and industry. With usually more than 2000 international participants, the Wissenschaftsforum is one of the most important chemistry conferences in the European region.


Talks and Poster Presentations at the Wissenschaftsforum of the GDCh

From August 29th to September 1st, Lukas Brieger, Jan-Lukas Kirchhoff, Johannes Kleinheider, Franziska Dorothea Klotz, Anna Krupp, Yasin Kuzu, Felix Langenohl, Rebecca Scheel, Annika Schmidt, Paul Erik Schneider, Tobias Schrimpf, Christoph Schwab, Andreas Voß, Jan Frederick Wappelhorst and Jonathan Wattenberg presented a total of two talks and 13 posters at the Wissenschaftsforum (WiFo) of the GDCh. The WiFo is one of the largest and most important chemistry conferences in Europe and, in addition to the exchange among scientists, also provides an opportunity for dialog between research and industry. A particular highlight is the great thematic diversity of the conference presentations and the discussion of socially relevant challenges for research.

As part of the Heavier Group 15 Elements in Action lecture series, Mr. Yasin Kuzu presented his current research results on the synthesis of P-stereogenic phosphines. Johannes Kleinheider presented his latest findings on the reactivity of "frustrated" alkyllithium aggregates with a poster as well as a flash presentation as part of the Highlights from Inorganic Chemistry.

With their poster contributions, our research group members were able to present various areas of their research. The latest results on the synthesis of beta-functionalized phenethylamines, silylthioether ligands, (aminomethyl)silanes and Si-chiral silanes were presented. Furthermore, the investigations on the structure and reactivity of lithium alkyl aggregates as well as heavy alkali metal organyl reagents, the complexation of transition metals as well as the follow-up reactions of novel (aminomethyl)silanes were presented.

We thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Bischöfliche Studienförderung Cusanuswerk, the Avicenna-Studienwerk, the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for financial support.


Poster Award for Mr. Moritz Achternbosch at the 19th International Symposium on Silicon Chemistry

At this year's 19th International Symposium on Silicon Chemistry, Mr. Moritz Achternbosch was awarded a poster prize for his poster presentation entitled Influence Of Lithium Coordinating Additives On The Structure Of Phenyldimethylsilyllithium.

Mr. Achternbosch presented his recent research results on effects of donor bases on the structure and reactivity of metallated silicon centers to an international audience of more than 300 renowned scientists in silicon chemistry. These highly reactive compounds have many applications in modern synthetic chemistry and polymerization reactions.

Every three years, the International Symposium on Silicon Chemistry (ISOS) offers scientists from academic research and industry the opportunity for international exchange on current topics and issues in the field of silicon chemistry.


Primary Amine Functionalization of Alkoxysilanes: Synthesis, Selectivity and Mechanistic Insights:
M. Achternbosch, L. Zibula, J.-L. Kirchhoff, J.O. Bauer, C. Strohmann,
Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60, 11562–11568.


Weak yet Decisive: Molecular Halogen Bond and Competing Weak Interactions of Iodobenzene and Quinuclidine:
F. Otte, J. Kleinheider, W. Hiller, R. Wang, U. Englert, C. Strohmann,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 4133–4137.


When Electrons Step in: Polarizing Effects Explored with Triisobutylaluminum:
A. Seymen, A. Münch, S.A. Orr, R. Herbst-Irmer, R.E. Mulvey, C. Strohmann, D. Stalke,
Inorg. Chem. 202160, 2872–2877.


Two Highlights in the Inorganic Chemistry Trend Report

No less than two recent papers by AK Strohmann were mentioned this year in the journal Nachrichten aus der Chemie in the Trend Report Inorganic Chemistry, which annually summarizes the global highlights of the past year. The work of Andreas Seymen, Ulrike Opper and Andreas Voß on alkali metal-based aminoalkylation reactions published in the journal Angewandte Chemie was highlighted. Only the combination of the metals lithium and potassium leads to highly selective reactions, which are not accessible by both metals individually.

Furthermore, the results obtained by Lena Knauer in cooperation with the Stalke group from Göttingen on high-resolution x-ray diffraction of lithium alkyl aggregates were presented. By investigating the bonding character of the carbon-lithium contacts, which was thus possible for the first time, showed that the ionic fraction decreases with increasing degree of aggregation. Conversely, the higher ionicity of small aggregates favors the incorporation of foreign ions such as chloride.

 

Publications:

Aminopotassiation by Mixed Potassium/Lithium Amides A Synthetic Path to Difficult to Access Phenethylamine Derivates:
A. Seymen, U. Opper, A. Voß, L. Brieger, F. Otte, C. Unkelbach, D. O’Shea, C. Strohmann,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 22500-22504; Angew. Chem. 2020, 132, 22688-22693.

Insight into the Bonding and Aggregation of Alkyllithiums by Experimental Charge Density Studies and Energy Decomposition Analyses:
A. Münch, L. Knauer, H. Ott, C.P. Sindlinger, R. Herbst-Irmer, C. Strohmann, D. Stalke,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 15897-15906.

Trendberichte der Anorganischen Chemie in der GDCh-Zeitschrift „Nachrichten aus der Chemie“


PhD Award 2020 of the TU Dortmund University for Dr. Lena Knauer

We congratulate Dr. Lena Knauer on the PhD Award 2020 of the TU Dortmund University, which was awarded during the annual academic celebration on December 16th, 2020. Due to the pandemic, the event took place exclusively digitally for the first time. The award winners from the 16 faculties had the opportunity to present their research results on a website specially set up for this event. A comprehensive presentation package was sent to the award winners by mail, which was donated by the Freunde der Technischen Universität Dortmund e.V.

Dr. Lena Knauer had already successfully completed her master's thesis in the group of Prof. Dr. Carsten Strohmann. In her subsequent doctoral studies, which was supported by a doctoral scholarship from the Stiftung Stipendien-Fonds des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie, entitled Activation of inhibited deprotonation reactions with common lithium alkyls, she investigated these highly reactive compounds under unusually high temperatures with success. In part, this involved the use of a special laboratory microwave oven, which can be used to heat reaction mixtures in a manner similar to a household microwave oven. In this way, reactions were made possible that were previously inaccessible in terms of energy.


The Structure-defining Incorporation of Chloride in Methyllithium Dimers
L. Knauer, C. Strohmann,
Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 13543-13546.

 


Insight into the Bonding and Aggregation of Alkyllithiums by Experimental Charge Density Studies and Energy Decomposition Analyses:
A. Münch, L. Knauer, H. Ott, C.P. Sindlinger, R. Herbst-Irmer, C. Strohmann, D. Stalke,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 15897–15906


Aminopotassiation by Mixed Potassium/Lithium Amides: A Synthetic Path to Difficult to Access Phenethylamine Derivates:
A. Seymen, U. Opper, A. Voß, L. Brieger, F. Otte, C. Unkelbach, D. O’Shea, C. Strohmann,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 22500-22504;
Angew. Chem. 2020, 132, 22688-22693.


Influences of Steric Factors on the Reactivity and Structure of Diorganoalkoxysilylamides:
L. Zibula, M. Achternbosch, J. Wattenberg, F. Otte, C. Strohmann,
Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 2020, 646, 978-984


Evonik PhD Award for Lena Knauer

We congratulate Lena Knauer on receiving the Evonik PhD Award 2020, which was presented during the 13th Day of Chemistry on February 7th, 2020 by Dr. Felix Müller, Vice President of European Research Policy Innovation Networks and Communication, Evonik Industries AG (left) and Prof. Dr. Guido H. Clever (right).

This award is presented annually by the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology for outstanding achievements in doctoral studies. A jury decides among the proposed candidates, taking into account other criteria such as very good examination grades, short periods of study and publication activity. The award, which includes prize money of €500 sponsored by Evonik Industries AG and an award certificate, was presented to Lena Knauer for her PhD thesis entitled Aktivierung gehemmter Deprotonierungsreaktionen mit gebräuchlichen Lithiumalkylen – Er­zeu­gung polylithiierter Synthesebausteine durch mikrowellenbasierte und konventionelle Energiezufuhr.

Ms. Knauer's scientific work dealt with the class of compounds known as lithium organyls, which are widely used both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. These highly reactive compounds exhibit a close relationship between their structure and the observed reactivity, which can be profitably influenced by the addition of suitable additives. In the course of her work, Ms. Knauer was able to identify a system of lithium organyls and additive that for the first time allowed their application at highly elevated temperatures. In addition, she was able to develop a protocol to enable this highly reactive class of compounds to be used in a laboratory microwave, opening the way to novel synthetic building blocks. Ms. Knauer presented her results through talks at international symposia in Vancouver, Kyoto and Lisbon. Additionally, her work has been published in more than 15 papers to date. One of the recent publications is listed in last year's Nachrichten aus der Chemie in the Worldwide Highlights from Inorganic Chemistry.


Awards at the Graduation Ceremony at the 13th Day of Chemistry

There were awards given to the best graduates from the past year at this year's 13th Chemistry Day on 9th February 2020. We congratulate Mr. Johannes Kleinheider for the Faculty Award, which he received due to his outstanding master's degree. Ms. Lena Knauer received the Evonik PhD Award of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology for her successfully completed PhD.

In 2019, Ms. Eva Barth, Ms. Lena Knauer and Mr. Lukas Zibula successfully completed their doctorates in our research group. Furthermore, Ms. Friederike Fritschka and Mr. Jan Philip Schulze received their degrees for bachelor of teaching chemistry and bachelor of chemistry. Mr. Johannes Kleinheider, Ms. Anna Krupp, Ms. Rebecca Scheel and Mr. Jonathan Wattenberg received their degrees in master chemistry.

We are pleased that all master graduates will do their PhD in our group and congratulate all graduates on their graduation and wish them good luck for their future life.


Higher Carbon Analogues of 1,4-Dihydropyridines as Potent TGFβ/Smad Inhibitors:
E. R. Barth, D. Längle, F. Wesseler, C. Golz, A. Krupp, D. Schade, C. Strohmann,
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 176-181


Highlight in the Trend Report Inorganic Chemistry

Every year, Nachrichten aus der Chemie, the members' journal of the German Chemical Society, highlights the past year in various disciplines. In the "Trend Report Inorganic Chemistry", the paper published by Lena Knauer in Dalton Transactions on the relationship between aggregate size and reactivity of (trimethylsilyl)methyllithium was included. It was again emphasized that the smallest aggregate does not always have the best possible reactivity and that a precise knowledge of the reagent structure is necessary to achieve desired synthetic properties.


PhD Award of the TU Dortmund University for Dr. Eva Barth

We congratulate Dr. Eva Barth on receiving the PhD Award 2019 of the TU Dortmund University. Every year, on the occasion of the birthday of the Technical University of Dortmund, the best PhD theses of the sixteen faculties are honored within the framework of the Academic Annual Celebration. The PhD Award was sponsored by the Freunde der Technischen Universität Dortmund e.V.

After an outstanding master's degree, Dr. Eva Barth, working in the group of Prof. Dr. Carsten Strohmann, completed her PhD thesis entitled Funktionalisierte stereogene Siliciumzentren: Vom grundlegenden Verständnis der Substitutionsprozesse zum stereochemischen Verlauf with particular success. Within the scope of her work, she was able to present the best asymmetric syntheses on silicon to date and show that further transformations on silicon proceed in a stereospecific manner.


Admission of Andreas Hermann to the CheMento Mentoring Program of the GDCh

Logo GDCh © GDCh

We congratulate Andreas Hermann on his acceptance into the CheMento Mentoring Program of the German Chemical Society. In the process, he was selected as one of 30 tandems from the numerous applications. This nationwide mentoring program makes use of the strong network of the GDCh by providing young chemists with experienced mentors. The focus is on supporting the mentee in his personal and professional development, providing him with practical suggestions and food for thought, and giving him guidance in planning his career and starting out on his career.

We would like to thank the GDCh for this opportunity for exchange and dialog.

CheMento - das Mentoring Programm der GDCh


Kekulé PhD Fellowship for Johannes Kleinheider

We congratulate Mr. Johannes Kleinheider on receiving the Kekulé fellowship from the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie. Mr. Kleinheider investigated the influence of side reactions in the chemistry of lithium alkyls as part of his master's thesis. He completed his studies in March 2019 in a shortened study period and subsequently began his PhD studies. As part of his doctoral thesis, Mr. Kleinheider is working on the use of modern reaction methods and unusual stoichiometries for the targeted formation of intermediates in lithium alkyl reactions.

According to its own statements, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie exclusively supports students who, in addition to outstanding academic achievements and graduation within the standard period of study, complete their doctoral thesis in an excellent research group. We would like to thank the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for its generous and important support for doctoral students and are proud that Mr. Kleinheider is the tenth doctoral student from our research group to have passed the rigorous selection process.


Poster Award for Rana Seymen and Presentation Award for Andreas Hermann

Logo JCS Symposium Ruhr © JCS

At the tenth JCS Symposium Ruhr, Rana Seymen was able to convince the jury of her research with her poster contribution Stabilization of sulfur-substituted lithium compounds, for which she was awarded a prize. Andreas Hermann led the audience through his research area with his presentation Metallfree silanolates as activating reagents for silicon-carbon-bond cleaving reactions and also convinced the jury, whereupon he was awarded the best talk award.

We would like to thank the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes for financial support in the form of doctoral scholarships and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.


10th JCS Symposium Ruhr in Essen

The annual JCS Symposium Ruhr of the various JCFs took place in Essen this year and celebrated a successful anniversary with its tenth staging. The symposium, which is sponsored by the GDCh, aims above all to provide a platform for the exchange of research results and to improve networking among the young scientists of the Ruhr area. To this end, Felix Otte, Felix Langenohl, Jonathan Wattenberg, Johannes Kleinheider, Andreas Voß and Rana Seymen from our group presented their current research results in the form of poster contributions and Andreas Hermann gave a talk. A wide variety of topics from main group chemistry, applications of heteroatom ligands, and theoretical and structure-related studies were presented.

We would like to thank the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the Cusanuswerk as well as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Mercator Research Center Ruhr for their financial support.


GDCh-Wissenschaftsforum 2019 in Aachen

Under the motto "Chemistry - the common element", the GDCh Wissenschaftsforum took place in Aachen from September 15th to 18th, 2019. New research results were presented through poster contributions by Lukas Brieger, Johannes Kleinheider, Yasin Kuzu, Felix Langenohl, Rebecca Scheel, Jan Philip Schulze, Rana Seymen, Andreas Voß and Jonathan Wattenberg. Their posters addressed a wide variety of issues in lithium organyl chemistry and the chemistry of superbasic alkali metal reagents. Other contributions focused on stereogenic silicon or phosphorus centers and other highlights from silicon chemistry. The Wissenschaftsforum is the largest chemistry congress in the german area.

We would like to thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V., the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, the Cusanuswerk, the Avicenna-Studienwerk, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Mercator Research Center Ruhr for their financial support.


International Charge Density Meeting (ICMD 2019)

Lukas Brieger and Rana Seymen presented their latest research results in the form of poster contributions at the International Charge Density Meeting 2019 in Göttingen.

The scientific focus of the meeting was on the determination of experimental electron densities based on high-resolution crystallographic data. The analysis of experimental electron density provides an understanding to the properties of a molecule. Lukas Brieger and Rana Seymen presented their results on metallated molecules.

The Fonds der Chemischen Industrie and the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes are gratefully acknowledged for their support during the PhD studies.


TCB 2019 – 1st Tools for Chemical Bonding Workshop in Bremen

Rana Seymen, Andreas Hermann, and Johannes Kleinheider presented three posters at the first "Tools for Chemical Bonding" workshop in Bremen, Germany, July 14th-19th. The goal of the workshop was to combine powerful quantum chemical methods with high-resolution single-crystal x-ray data. The presented methods can be used to analyze both quantum chemical and experimentally obtained electron densities. The electronic structure of a molecule determines its properties. Rana Seymen presented her poster on the stabilization of negative charges in α-position to sulfur, while Andreas Hermann presented the stability of the configuration of silyl anions and Johannes Kleinheider the results of his master’s thesis on reactive lithium alkyls.

We thank the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker as well as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes for financial support.