Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.

Alternative ways of preparing nonracemic 2-amino[6]helicene derivatives were explored. The enantioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization of a nonchiral triyne under Ni(cod)/( R)-QUINAP catalysis delivered the enantioenriched (+)-( P)-2-aminodibenzo[6]helicene derivative in 67% ee. An ultimate "point-to-helical" chirality transfer was observed in the cyclization of enantiopure triynes mediated by Ni(CO)(PPh) affording (-)-( M)- or (+)-( P)-7,8-bis( p-tolyl)hexahelicen-2-amine in >99% ee as well as its benzoderivative in >99% ee. The latter mode of stereocontrol was inefficient for a 2-aminobenzo[6]helicene congener with an embedded five-membered ring. The rac-, (-)-( M)-, and (+)-( P)-7,8-bis( p-tolyl)hexahelicen-2-amines formed Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface featuring practically identical surface pressure vs mean molecular area isotherms. The corresponding Langmuir-Blodgett films on quartz or silicon substrates were characterized by UV-vis/ECD spectroscopy and AFM microscopy, respectively.

Starphenes are attractive compounds due to their characteristic physicochemical properties that are inherited from acenes,m aking them interesting compounds for organic electronics and optics.H owever,t he instability and low solubility of larger starphene homologs make their synthesis extremely challenging.H erein, we present an ew strategy leading to pristine [16]starphene in preparative scale.O ur approach is based on as ynthesis of ac arbonyl-protected starphene precursor that is thermally converted in asolid-state form to the neat [16]starphene,which is then characterised with av ariety of analytical methods,s uch as 13 CC P-MAS NMR, TGA, MS MALDI, UV/Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore,h igh-resolution STM experiments unambiguously confirm its expected structure and reveal am oderate electronic delocalisation between the pentacene arms.Nucleus-independent chemical shifts NICS(1) are also calculated to survey its aromatic character.

Biodiversity surrogates are commonly used in conservation biology. Here we review how fungi have been used as such in forest conservation, emphasizing proposed surrogate roles and practical applications. We show that many fungal surrogates have been suggested based on field experience and loose concepts, rather than on rigorously collected scientific data. Yet, they have played an important role, not only in forest conservation, but also in inspiring research in fungal ecology and forest history. We argue that, even in times of ecosystem oriented conservation planning and molecular tools to analyze fungal communities, fruit bodies of macrofungi have potential as convenient conservation shortcuts and easy tools to communicate complex biodiversity for a broader audience. To improve the reliability of future fungal surrogates we propose a three step protocol for developing evidence based schemes for practical application in forest conservation.

During the last years we have witnessed progressive evolution of preparation of acenes with length up to dodecacene by on-surface synthesis in ultra-high vacuum or generation of acenes up to decacene in solid matrices at low temperatures. While these protocols with very specific conditions produce the acenes in amount of few molecules, the strategies leading to the acenes in large quantities dawdle behind. Only recently and after 70 years of synthetic attempts, heptacene has been prepared in bulk phase. However, the preparative scale synthesis of higher homologues still remains a formidable challenge. Here we report the preparation and characterisation of nonacene and show its excellent thermal and in-time stability.

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The development of functional organic molecules requires structures of increasing size and complexity, which are typically obtained by the covalent coupling of smaller building blocks. Herein, with the aid of high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and density functional theory, the coupling of a sterically demanded pentacene derivative on Au(111) into fused dimers connected by non-benzenoid rings was studied. The diradical character of the products was tuned according to the coupling section. In particular, the antiaromaticity of cyclobutadiene as the coupling motif and its position within the structure play a decisive role in shifting the natural orbital occupancies toward a stronger diradical electronic character. Understanding these structure–property relations is desirable not only for fundamental reasons but also for designing new complex and functional molecular structures.