Johann Mulzer

was born on August 5, 1944 in Prien/Chiemsee (Germany). He studied chemistry at the University of Munich, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1974 under the guidance of Prof. R. Huisgen. After a postdoctoral year at Harvard University with E. J. Corey, he returned to the University of Munich, where he made his habilitation in 1980. After being research associate for two years at the same university, he became associate professor in 1982 at the University of Düsseldorf. He was appointed full professor in 1984 at the Free University of Berlin, moved to the University of Frankfurt in 1995, and accepted a chair at the University of Vienna in 1996. His scientific work has been honored with the Jost Henkel Award (1982), the Leibniz Award (1994), the Ernst Schering Award (1997), and the Erwin Schrödinger Award (1999).

Scientific Sketch

The scientific work of Johann Mulzer includes the design of bidental auxiliaries (J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 6540) and, mainly, the synthesis of natural products. Recent examples are the total syntheses of huperzine A (Tetrahedron Lett. 2000, 41, 9229), the convergent and stereo-controlled total synthesis of laulimalid using Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation (Fig. 1, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 3842; Tetrahedron Lett. 2000, 41, 6323), and the synthesis of the epothilones.

Figure 1. Laulimalid.

Mulzer’s research group has achieved easy access to four out of five of the naturally occurring epothilones (J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 7456). By repeating the synthesis, but introducing the epoxide group at an early step, he has also demonstrated that the epoxide is more stable to a lot of chemical reaction conditions than most scientists thought (Fig 2, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2000, 9,581).

Furthermore, he discovered a new type of palladium-catalyzed redox reaction. Elucidation of the mechanism revealed that the reaction proceeds intramolecularly and forms enones from 2-(2-bromobenzyl)-ketones with an overall loss of HBr (Fig. 3, Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 1495).

Figure 2. Epothilones, new anti-cancer agents.

Figure 3. Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular redox reaction.

Powidltatschkerl (Plum Dumplings)

Starting materials (serves 4):

400 g mealy apples

120 g flour

salt

30 g fine semolina

80 g butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp rum

grated lemon skin

150 g Powidl (plum mousse)

Sugar

Cinnamon

bread crumbs

Cook 400 g of mealy apples and press them while warm through a press. After cooling, add flour, a pinch of salt, fine semolina, 30 g of butter, 2 yolks, 2 tbsp rum, and some grated lemon peel. Knead the mixture to a dough and let it stand for 30 minutes. In the meantime, stir the Powidl (not too sweet plum mousse, preferably imported from Vienna), 2 tbsp sugar, and some cinnamon. Roll the dough onto a floured board and cut out circles of approx. 8 cm diameter. Spread egg white on the rims and 1 tsp Powidl mixture in the center. Then fold the circle to dumplings. Put the dumplings into lightly salted boiling water for approx. 7– 9 minutes. In the meantime, roast 3 tbsp bread crumbs with 50 g butter in a pan. Take the dumplings out of the water, let them drop, roll them in roasted bread crumbs and dust with icing sugar. Serve slightly warm.

Vienna cuisine

«The remarkable characteristic of Vienna’s cuisine is that most of it is imported, due to the high number of Bohemian cooks and domestic helpers, who worked in the 19th century in the Danube metropolis. More than the K & K Army, the political confusion and language of the era, and the emperor Franz-Josef’s relationship with Sissy, this mixed cuisine proved to be a “corporate identity” and fortification for the crumbling Danube monarchy.

Like the “Wiener Schnitzel” (cutlet) and the “Wiener Gulasch” (goulash), the Vienna flour dishes, which can be a sweet or not-so-sweet main meal or even served as a dessert, come mostly only from the crown countries. Thus, the “Powidltatschkerln” (plum dumplings) have their origin not at the Danube but at the Moldau.»

Johann Mulzer