Search results

Search for "macrocycles" in Full Text gives 194 result(s) in Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry.

Thermodynamic and electrochemical study of tailor-made crown ethers for redox-switchable (pseudo)rotaxanes

  • Henrik Hupatz,
  • Marius Gaedke,
  • Hendrik V. Schröder,
  • Julia Beerhues,
  • Arto Valkonen,
  • Fabian Klautzsch,
  • Sebastian Müller,
  • Felix Witte,
  • Kari Rissanen,
  • Biprajit Sarkar and
  • Christoph A. Schalley

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2576–2588, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.209

Graphical Abstract
  • , yielding TTFC7 in one step and with good yield of 69% from the diiodide 1, and exTTFC7 with a good yield (31% over 4 steps) from BC7 (Scheme 1, for the detailed synthetic procedure and characterization data, see Supporting Information File 1, section 1). Both NDI macrocycles NDIC8 and NDIC7 were
  • binding entropies in pseudo[2]rotaxanes of A2·PF6 as compared to those formed from A1·PF6. Furthermore, the three crown-7 macrocycles BC7, exTTFC7, and TTFC7 bind A2·PF6 with a binding energy (entries 1, 2, and 4 in Table 1) slightly higher than the crown-8 analogs (entries 5, 6, and 8 in Table 1
  • results in a 10–20-fold increase of the binding constants as observed for the weaker binding macrocycles TTFC8 and NDIC8 (Table 1, entries 13 and 14). A1·BArF24 even allows the formation of a pseudo[2]rotaxane with the bisTTFC8 macrocycle (Table 1, entry 15), to which A1·PF6 binds too weakly to determine
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 20 Oct 2020

Water-soluble host–guest complexes between fullerenes and a sugar-functionalized tribenzotriquinacene assembling to microspheres

  • Si-Yuan Liu,
  • Xin-Rui Wang,
  • Man-Ping Li,
  • Wen-Rong Xu and
  • Dietmar Kuck

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2551–2561, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.207

Graphical Abstract
  • C60 and C70 [1][2][3][4][5]. It is generally accepted that good complexation of fullerenes requires host molecules with bowl or basket-like shapes, such as calixarenes [6], corannulenes [7][8][9][10], cyclodextrins [11][12][13], cyclotriveratrylenes [14][15][16], and similar macrocycles [17][18][19
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 14 Oct 2020

Design and synthesis of a bis-macrocyclic host and guests as building blocks for small molecular knots

  • Elizabeth A. Margolis,
  • Rebecca J. Keyes,
  • Stephen D. Lockey IV and
  • Edward E. Fenlon

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2314–2321, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.192

Graphical Abstract
  • . Keywords: alkynes; azides; host–guest; macrocycles; molecular knots; Introduction Macrocycles have played a central role in the development of molecular recognition, self-assembled molecular devices, and molecular topology [1][2][3][4][5][6]. For example, early work by Pedersen on crown ethers [1], Lehn
  • on cryptands [2], and Cram on hemicarcerands [3] demonstrated that preorganized macrocycles have the ability to act as hosts for various guest cations and compounds. Their seminal work was recognized with the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. More recently, the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was won by
  • Sauvage, Stoddart, and Feringa for their work on molecular machines [4]. Sauvage [5] and Stoddart [6] extensively used macrocycles in their ground-breaking work on catenanes, rotaxanes, knots, and other topologically novel compounds. Exciting advances in the field of molecular topology continue with novel
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 18 Sep 2020

The B & B approach: Ball-milling conjugation of dextran with phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized BODIPY

  • Patrizia Andreozzi,
  • Lorenza Tamberi,
  • Elisamaria Tasca,
  • Gina Elena Giacomazzo,
  • Marta Martinez,
  • Mirko Severi,
  • Marco Marradi,
  • Stefano Cicchi,
  • Sergio Moya,
  • Giacomo Biagiotti and
  • Barbara Richichi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2272–2281, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.188

Graphical Abstract
  • synthesis of boronic esters. Indeed, ball milling has been successfully exploited for the synthesis of small molecules [4] as well as macrocycles [5][22][23] conjugated with boronic esters and this methodology proved to be by far superior over solution-based methods. In this framework, we decided to exploit
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 11 Sep 2020

Design, synthesis and application of carbazole macrocycles in anion sensors

  • Alo Rüütel,
  • Ville Yrjänä,
  • Sandip A. Kadam,
  • Indrek Saar,
  • Mihkel Ilisson,
  • Astrid Darnell,
  • Kristjan Haav,
  • Tõiv Haljasorg,
  • Lauri Toom,
  • Johan Bobacka and
  • Ivo Leito

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1901–1914, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.157

Graphical Abstract
  • silico ionophore design to functional sensor characterization. The biscarbazolylurea moiety was used to synthesize methylene-bridged macrocycles of different ring size aiming to fine tune selectivity towards different carboxylates. Cyclization was achieved with two separate strategies, using either amide
  • synthesis to access up to –[CH2]10– macrocycles or acyl halides to access up to –[CH2]14– macrocycles. Seventy-five receptor–anion complexes were modelled and studied with COSMO-RS, in addition to all free host molecules. In order to predict initial selectivity towards carboxylates, 1H NMR relative
  • sensor development, the results obtained in this work emphasize the importance of evaluating the binding behavior of receptors in real sensor membranes. Keywords: anion sensors; carboxylates; ionophores; macrocycles; sensor prototype; Introduction In 2013, Otto S. Wolfbeis asked the supramolecular
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 04 Aug 2020

Towards triptycene functionalization and triptycene-linked porphyrin arrays

  • Gemma M. Locke,
  • Keith J. Flanagan and
  • Mathias O. Senge

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 763–777, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.70

Graphical Abstract
  • the porphyrin rings are both possible. However, due to the sever 74.1(7)° rotation between the two 24-atom mean planes of the porphyrin macrocycles and the space occupied by the triptycene, creating a hetero π-stacking would form larger voids in the crystals structure. This would be less favored than
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 17 Apr 2020

Regioselectively α- and β-alkynylated BODIPY dyes via gold(I)-catalyzed direct C–H functionalization and their photophysical properties

  • Takahide Shimada,
  • Shigeki Mori,
  • Masatoshi Ishida and
  • Hiroyuki Furuta

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 587–595, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.53

Graphical Abstract
  • -tethered BODIPY derivatives serve as a substrate in the copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction, which is known as “click” reaction, allowing for a biological tissue labelling [35][36]. In addition, ethynyl-substituted BODIPYs yield unique π-conjugated BODIPY-based macrocycles by
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 01 Apr 2020

Light-controllable dithienylethene-modified cyclic peptides: photoswitching the in vivo toxicity in zebrafish embryos

  • Sergii Afonin,
  • Oleg Babii,
  • Aline Reuter,
  • Volker Middel,
  • Masanari Takamiya,
  • Uwe Strähle,
  • Igor V. Komarov and
  • Anne S. Ulrich

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 39–49, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.6

Graphical Abstract
  • , in Figure 3A the peptides 19 and 20 are from series v (homodimers), compounds 16–18 have larger (extended) macrocycles and together with 5 possess a higher net charge and charge density than the rest of the peptides. For the most hydrophobic peptide 11 in the ring-open form, which deviates from the
PDF
Album
Full Research Paper
Published 07 Jan 2020

Photoreversible stretching of a BAPTA chelator marshalling Ca2+-binding in aqueous media

  • Aurélien Ducrot,
  • Arnaud Tron,
  • Robin Bofinger,
  • Ingrid Sanz Beguer,
  • Jean-Luc Pozzo and
  • Nathan D. McClenaghan

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2801–2811, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.273

Graphical Abstract
  • observed in the 1H NMR spectra of the azobenzene-containing macrocycles 1f and 1 at 25 °C (Supporting Information File 1, Figures S13 and S14). Next, in the absence of Ca2+ ions, 1E was subjected to irradiation into the π–π* band (λmax = 362 nm) and photoisomerization of 1E to 1Z took place, as evidenced
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 21 Nov 2019

Progress in metathesis chemistry

  • Karol Grela and
  • Anna Kajetanowicz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2765–2766, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.267

Graphical Abstract
  • catalysts work and decompose, how macrocycles are formed in ring-closing metathesis, etc. Representative examples of these directions have been the subject of the current, third thematic issue on Olefin Metathesis, including highly educative reviews on tandem olefin metathesis–Suzuki–Miyaura cross coupling
PDF
Editorial
Published 15 Nov 2019

Fluorinated maleimide-substituted porphyrins and chlorins: synthesis and characterization

  • Valentina A. Ol’shevskaya,
  • Elena G. Kononova and
  • Andrei V. Zaitsev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2704–2709, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.263

Graphical Abstract
  • the maleimide group with its rich biological activity to the tetrapyrrole macrocycles with their unique photophysical properties may result in new conjugates with improved chemical, biological and anticancer characteristics [28]. Moreover, maleimide is a stable functionality that rapidly and
  • conjugated to a cystein residue of serum albumin via a Michael addition reaction. At the same time, it is well known that 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin and its chlorin derivatives generate singlet oxygen by the light irradiation under atmospheric oxygen [31]. These tetrapyrrole macrocycles
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Letter
Published 13 Nov 2019

Formation of alkyne-bridged ferrocenophanes using ring-closing alkyne metathesis on 1,1’-diacetylenic ferrocenes

  • Celine Bittner,
  • Dirk Bockfeld and
  • Matthias Tamm

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2534–2543, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.246

Graphical Abstract
  • chemistry [28][29][30][31][32], used for instance in the preparation of aryleneethynylene macrocycles and cages through alkyne metathesis [33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Additionally, already since the 1980s the influence of fluorinated and unfluorinated alkoxide ligands has been widely investigated [40][41
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 24 Oct 2019

Anion-driven encapsulation of cationic guests inside pyridine[4]arene dimers

  • Anniina Kiesilä,
  • Jani O. Moilanen,
  • Anneli Kruve,
  • Christoph A. Schalley,
  • Perdita Barran and
  • Elina Kalenius

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2486–2492, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.241

Graphical Abstract
  • in pyridine[4]arene is an anion-driven process. Keywords: cation binding; DFT calculations; ion mobility mass spectrometry; macrocycles; pyridinearenes; resorcinarenes; Introduction Resorcinarenes and their derivatives are known for the molecular recognition properties of their self-assembled
  • dimeric and hexameric capsules, which can encapsulate cationic and neutral guests [1][2][3]. Pyridine[4]arenes [4] are analogous macrocycles to resorcin[4]arenes. Whereas resorcinarenes are cyclic tetramers of resorcinol, pyridinearenes are formed from 2,6-dihydroxypyridine (see Scheme 1). Although the
  • synthesis of pyridine[4]arenes dates back to 2001 [4], their host–guest chemistry is still under-explored. Both macrocycles are concave and are known to form capsular assemblies via intermolecular hydrogen bonding [5][6]. Pyridine is significantly less electron-rich than benzene. Consequently, pyridinearene
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 21 Oct 2019

Self-assembled coordination thioether silver(I) macrocyclic complexes for homogeneous catalysis

  • Zhen Cao,
  • Aline Lacoudre,
  • Cybille Rossy and
  • Brigitte Bibal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2465–2472, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.239

Graphical Abstract
  • . These silver(I) complexes adopted similar structures in solution and in the solid state. As each sulfur atom in the ligand is prochiral, macrocycles L2M2 were obtained as mixtures of diastereoisomers, depending on the configurations of the sulfur atoms coordinated to silver cations. The X-ray structures
  • )–1 ligands). The X-ray diffraction of monocrystals 1a revealed the formation of (R,S–1)2·(AgOTf)2 macrocycles driven by silver(I) coordination (Figure 1). The two ligands are facing through the coordination of one syn-thioether group to the same silver cation. Two different crystals were isolated and
  • highlighted the two possible arrangements of the ligands that led to different diastereoisomeric macrocycles (Figure 1a,b). In Figure 1a, each silver cation was coordinated to two sulfur atoms with the same configuration (named head-to-head coordination mode for ligands) meanwhile in Figure 1b, each Ag(I
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 17 Oct 2019

Effect of ring size on photoisomerization properties of stiff stilbene macrocycles

  • Sandra Olsson,
  • Óscar Benito Pérez,
  • Magnus Blom and
  • Adolf Gogoll

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2408–2418, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.233

Graphical Abstract
  • Sandra Olsson Oscar Benito Perez Magnus Blom Adolf Gogoll Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden Faculty of Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain 10.3762/bjoc.15.233 Abstract A series of stiff stilbene macrocycles
  • have been studied to investigate the possible impact of the macrocycle ring size on their photodynamic properties. The results show that reducing the ring size counteracts the photoisomerization ability of the macrocycles. However, even the smallest macrocycle studied (stiff stilbene subunits linked by
  • lengths of carbon chains were used, with distances between the terminal carbons of 6.4 Å (C6), 8.9 Å (C8), 11.4 Å (C10) and 13.9 Å (C12). The SS-macrocycles have been studied both experimentally and by computational techniques. Results and Discussion Synthesis The synthesis of the macrocycles was based on
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 11 Oct 2019

1,2,3-Triazolium macrocycles in supramolecular chemistry

  • Mastaneh Safarnejad Shad,
  • Pulikkal Veettil Santhini and
  • Wim Dehaen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2142–2155, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.211

Graphical Abstract
  • macrocycles and focus on their application in different areas of supramolecular chemistry. The synthesis is mostly relying on the well-known “click reaction” (CuAAC) leading to 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles that then can be quaternized. Applications of triazolium macrocycles thus prepared include
  • -triazolium macrocycles; Review 1. Introduction Supramolecular chemistry – “The chemistry beyond the molecule” [1] – is an ever growing interdisciplinary area has emerged from the early host–guest chemistry to more elaborate bio-inspired supramolecular aggregates by exploiting various noncovalent
  • imidazoles [8][9], polypyrroles [10][11], and indole moieties [12][13], as part of supramolecular receptors, triazole heterocycles containing macrocycles have recently been introduced as new host molecules for the selective recognition of ions, mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs), supramolecular
PDF
Album
Review
Published 12 Sep 2019

Multiple threading of a triple-calix[6]arene host

  • Veronica Iuliano,
  • Roberta Ciao,
  • Emanuele Vignola,
  • Carmen Talotta,
  • Patrizia Iannece,
  • Margherita De Rosa,
  • Annunziata Soriente,
  • Carmine Gaeta and
  • Placido Neri

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2092–2104, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.207

Graphical Abstract
  • Fisciano (Salerno), Italy 10.3762/bjoc.15.207 Abstract The synthesis of the triple-calix[6]arene derivative 6 in which three calix[6]arene macrocycles are linked to a central 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene moiety is reported. Derivative 6 is able to give multiple-threading processes in the presence of
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Letter
Published 03 Sep 2019

Fluorinated azobenzenes as supramolecular halogen-bonding building blocks

  • Esther Nieland,
  • Oliver Weingart and
  • Bernd M. Schmidt

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 2013–2019, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.197

Graphical Abstract
  • in the field of crystal engineering [1]. Only few supramolecular capsules were reported so far [29], including the resorcin[4]arene capsules of Diederich and co-workers [21][23], triangular macrocycles assembled by self-complemented halogen bonding [20] and halogen bond templated, polyfluorinated
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Letter
Published 23 Aug 2019

Synthesis and anion binding properties of phthalimide-containing corona[6]arenes

  • Meng-Di Gu,
  • Yao Lu and
  • Mei-Xiang Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1976–1983, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.193

Graphical Abstract
  • conveniently by means of a macrocyclic condensation reaction between N-functionalized 3,6-dihydroxyphthalimides and 3,6-dichlorotetrazine under mild conditions in a one-pot reaction manner. The novel macrocycles exist as a mixture of rapidly interconvertible conformers in solution while in the solid state they
  • noncovalent interactions between anions and the tetrazine rings. Keywords: anion–π interactions; coronarenes; host–guest complexation; N-functionalized phthalimides; O6-corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines; Introduction Synthetic macrocycles [1][2] are always attractive and important because they are unique
  • molecular systems to study molecular recognition and the nature of noncovalent interactions. Functional macrocycles also provide essential components for the fabrication or assembly of sophisticated (supra)molecular structures [1][2][3][4], advanced materials [1][2][5][6][7][8][9][10] and machinery systems
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 21 Aug 2019
Graphical Abstract
  • manifested in chirality transfer. We will also present a crucial and non-intuitive solvent dependence. RSAs (e.g., 1) can be considered as analogues of calix[4]arene sulfonic acids (CSAs) – the class of macrocycles widely studied in the context of various host–guest interactions, especially with various
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 12 Aug 2019

Nanopatterns of arylene–alkynylene squares on graphite: self-sorting and intercalation

  • Tristan J. Keller,
  • Joshua Bahr,
  • Kristin Gratzfeld,
  • Nina Schönfelder,
  • Marcin A. Majewski,
  • Marcin Stępień,
  • Sigurd Höger and
  • Stefan-S. Jester

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1848–1855, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.180

Graphical Abstract
  • and non-planar coronoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., butyloxy-substituted kekulene and octulene derivatives) are found to be able to intercalate into the intramolecular nanopores. Keywords: macrocycles; scanning tunneling microscopy; self-assembled monolayers; self-sorting; solid/liquid
  • , guest molecules can act as alien species that affect the morphologies of intermolecular nanopores [12]. Another approach for the formation of nanopores relies on the physisorption of shape-persistent macrocycles [13][14]. While there are examples for the deposition of organic molecules into rigid
  • the solubility limit can be overcome by appropriate substitution. We recently investigated self-assembled nanoporous networks of shape-persistent macrocycles in which dithiophene-based corner building blocks connect linear oligo(phenylene–ethynylene–butadiynylene)s (OPEBs) to form molecular polygons
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 02 Aug 2019

Novel macrocycles – and old ones doing new tricks

  • Wei Jiang and
  • Christoph A. Schalley

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1838–1839, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.178

Graphical Abstract
  • 10.3762/bjoc.15.178 Keywords: macrocycles; supramolecular chemistry; Macrocycles [1] are the workhorses in supramolecular chemistry. Many basic supramolecular concepts have been developed through studying crown ethers, cryptands, podands and spherands in the 1970s and 1980s. For these contributions
  • , Charles Pedersen, Donald J. Cram and Jean-Marie Lehn were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987. In the 80s and 90s, Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Sir Fraser Stoddart used macrocycles to realize machine-like molecular motion, and they shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016 with Ben Feringa. Clearly
  • , macrocycles played a central role for the fundamental science that established supramolecular chemistry as an independent field of chemical research as well as for its applications in contemporary research on functional supramolecules and materials. Nowadays, the use of macrocycles has significantly
PDF
Editorial
Published 01 Aug 2019

Synthesis of a [6]rotaxane with singly threaded γ-cyclodextrins as a single stereoisomer

  • Jason Yin Hei Man and
  • Ho Yu Au-Yeung

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1829–1837, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.177

Graphical Abstract
  • have been synthesized via a threading-followed-by-stoppering approach. Due to the orthogonal binding of CB[6] to ammonium and γ-CD to biphenylene/tetra(ethylene glycol), the [n]rotaxanes display a specific sequence of the interlocked macrocycles. In addition, despite of the asymmetry of γ-CD with
  • respect to the orthogonal plane of the axle, only one stereoisomer of the [6]rotaxane was obtained. Keywords: cucurbit[6]uril; cyclodextrin; macrocycles; mechanostereoisomer; rotaxane; Introduction Cyclodextrins (CDs) are macrocycles composed of glucoses linked via α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. CDs of six (α
  • orthogonal binding of γ-CD to biphenylene and tetra(ethylene glycol) and CB[6] to ammonium, [n]rotaxanes of only a specific sequence of the interlocked macrocycles were obtained despite of the possibility of other sequence isomers. In addition, the three γ-CDs in the [6]rotaxane were found to adopt only one
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 01 Aug 2019

Complexation of 2,6-helic[6]arene and its derivatives with 1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium salts and protonated 4,4'-bipyridinium salts: an acid–base controllable complexation

  • Jing Li,
  • Qiang Shi,
  • Ying Han and
  • Chuan-Feng Chen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1795–1804, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.173

Graphical Abstract
  • ; macrocycles; macrocyclic arene; Introduction Macrocyclic host molecules [1][2] play a significant role in host–guest chemistry. Compared with noncyclic molecules, the structures of macrocyclic hosts can greatly enhance the host–guest complexation ability through preorganization. Moreover, cyclic structures
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 26 Jul 2019

Host–guest interactions in nor-seco-cucurbit[10]uril: novel guest-dependent molecular recognition and stereoisomerism

  • Xiaodong Zhang,
  • Wei Wu,
  • Zhu Tao and
  • Xin-Long Ni

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1705–1711, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.166

Graphical Abstract
  • ]. Keywords: fluorescent; host–guest interaction; macrocycles; molecular recognition; nor-seco-cucurbit[10]uril; pyrene; Introduction Host–guest interactions that trigger molecular recognition are a current topic of interest. For example, understanding the protein–ligand molecular recognition is of paramount
PDF
Album
Supp Info
Full Research Paper
Published 19 Jul 2019
Other Beilstein-Institut Open Science Activities