52nd International Chemistry Olympiad, Istanbul, TURKEY
Preparatory problems: THEORETICAL
Problem 2. Istanbulins and Related Sesquiterpene Natural Products
Some elements received their names from different places around the world. In this respect, the record belongs to the Swedish village of Ytterby, after which four elements were named: ytterbium (Yb), yttrium (Y), erbium (Er), and terbium (Tb). However, elements are not the only chemical entities that owe their names to such places. Interestingly, a class of natural products, istanbulins AโE, received their names from the city of Istanbul. The first two members of this family, istanbulins A and B, were first isolated by Prof. Dr. Ayhan Ulubelen and co-workers from the plant Smyrnium olusatrum in 1971. The isolation of the remaining members, istanbulins CโE, was reported by Ulubelen and co-workers between 1979 and 1982.
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