M. Morgan Conn

Isolation of fullerene products from flames: Structure and synthesis of the C60-cyclopentadiene adduct

Abstract A C 60 -C 5 H 6 adduct was isolated from a low pressure benzene flame. The structure of this product is identical to the Diels-Alder adduct of C 60 and cyclopentadiene as established through independent synthesis. This product was determined to be adduct 1 through 13 C and proton NMR, as well as infrared and mass spectrometry.

The design of self-replicating molecules

Abstract The relevance of autocatalysis to the molecular origins of biological metabolism is discussed as well as important considerations for the design of ‘self-replicating’ molecules. Typically, the source of autocatalysis is the template effect. DNA has proved to be a remarkably useful system for autocatalysis. The design of extrabiotic replicators highlights the features that are required for successful self-replication: self-complementarity, low dimerization of products, separation of reactive centers in a pre-associative bimolecular complex and effective binding in polar solvents.

Replication and assembly

Molecules bearing surfaces capable of recognition phenomena can be covalently attached to each other to give self-complementary structures. Such molecules can reveal autocatalytic effects as replicators, and they are able to assemble in a variety of superstructures. Closed-shell assemblies, capable of inclusion phenomena are particularly desirable targets for synthetic and nucleation studies.