Hi guys, people out there who are struggling with chemistry or related field especially about absolute configurations. Well, I would say the hardest part of (marine) natural product research is defining absolute configurations.
Base on my knowledge, here, the estimation time of natural product researchers need:
1. Sampling, the longest time that needed is about 1 month. Well, make it simple, I would say 1 day is enough for us to take samples.
2. Extraction, there are several methods that people use for extractions, one of them is maceration. Let say we can get crude extract in 2 days.
3. Purification, several chromatography steps are used to get pure materials. The method that usually basically used are open column chromatography, PTLC (conventional technique, you are recommended to use this method if only your is tiny amount, otherwise no way), and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). To get pure compounds, at least it takes 1 week to 1 month.
4. Spectrometer analysis. The data at least we need to get to elucidate structures are 1D and 2D NMR, mass, FTIR, specific rotation, and UV absorption. Basically you need those data are just to confirm that your structure is right. Usually time that you need to define the planar structure with those data is 1 day (for known compound) to 2 months (new compound, depend on structure's profile).
Those are steps usually natural product researchers need to get compounds. We need at least 3 weeks to get planar structure. we can say that it is quite fast, with in 3 weeks we can get at least 1 compound, what if 1 year in which there are 48 weeks, by mean at least we can identify planar structure at least 16 compounds. Can you imagine what if we make those compounds to be a published paper? Great, we can be a excellent researcher easily, but the reality is nope! That is only roughly estimation of compounds that we can elucidate.
The misery is not gonna be ended smoothly like that just by elucidating planar structure. There is another hell that you should go through. why do I say "misery or hell"? the answer is because this step is really breath taking, time consuming, and sometime make you so that desperate, but you have to survive instead because it should be cleared otherwise you can not publish it! Especially for those PhD students, I know guys, it's not easy for us, LOL. I have to publish two papers internationally recognized as first author during my PhD. The step that I mean is determination of absolute configuration of your compounds. Hell naaaah! it is like you are about 10% ahead to finish your project but you got your self stuck in nowhere. You want to cry, but you can't, you want to work hard but you don't know what to do, you want to sleep but you can't, and time flies LOL! That is me!
Now, I am struggling on defining the absolute configurations of my new compounds, you know? it's been almost 1 year I try to solve. Ways that I've been through such as synthesis, degradation on my new compounds, calculations and etc, but you see that is not an easy thing. It sucks guys! LOL
Well. I have no choice, I should do it and solve the problems. For all PhD students out there, let's fight and publish them, LOL! Never be so that desperate, sometime we just need to be smacked right in the face to realize that we can do more than what we thought! Ganbatte for us!Good luck guys!
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