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Vol.
27 No. 6
November-December 2005
IUPAC
in Beijing—Division Roundups
-
Division I. Physical and Biophysical
Chemistry
- Division II. Inorganic
Chemistry
-- Commission II.1. Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights
- Division IV. Polymer
- Division VIII. Chemical Nomenclature and Structure Representation
- CHEMRAWN
Division
VIII. Chemical Nomenclature and Structure Representation
Alan McNaught, President
At
its meeting, Division VIII discussed a number of exciting
developments. The most high-profile of these is the International
Chemical Identifier (InChI), a software implementation of
which was released in April 2005 and quickly generated a great
deal of interest. The Identifier has been widely adopted by
database providers and is being considered for use by patent
offices in the UK and USA. A subsequent project for development
of additional layers and for promotion is under way. The Identifier
is thought to have the potential to revolutionize the way
we communicate information about chemicals. An article on
the project has since appeared in Chemical & Engineering
News (22 August 2005 issue). Information about InChI
is available at <www.iupac.org/inchi/>.
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Take
for example alpha-pinene—this compound might be
known by its PIN (i.e. Preferred IUPAC Name) (1S,5S)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene,
but our computers will recognize it by its InChI=1/C10H16/c1-7-4-5-8-6-9(7)10(8,2)3/h4,8-9H,5-6H2,1-3H3/t8-,9-/m1/s1. |
In
other news from the division, a number of publications will
be released soon. A revised edition of the Nomenclature
of Inorganic Chemistry should be in print by the end
of the year (see Bookworm section,
p. 25 in print). A revised edition of the Nomenclature
of Organic Chemistry, which also includes recommendations
for selection of preferred names for organic compounds, has
finished public review and review by ICTNS. Comments are being
evaluated and appropriate revisions prepared. These revisions
are to be reviewed by means of the division’s webboard.
Publication is expected in 2006.
In
addition, a publication describing nomenclature recommendations
for molecular rotaxanes is in the final stages of preparation
and will soon be in the review process. Recommendations for
graphical representation of stereochemical configuration have
completed public review and are now being finalized. More
general recommendations for graphical representation of chemical
structures are in preparation.
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Part
2 of the Divisions Roundups from the 2005 GA will appear
in the next issue of CI (Jan.-Feb. 2006)
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