The thesis entitled “Exploring Diverse Facets of Small Molecules by NMR Spectroscopy” consists of six chapters. The main theme of the thesis is to exploit one and two dimensional NMR methodologies for understanding the diverse facets of small organic molecules, such as, weak intra- and inter- molecular interactions, chiral discrimination, quantification of enantiomeric excess and assignment of absolute configuration. Several new pulse sequences have also been designed to solve specific chemical problems, in addition to extensive utility of existing one and two dimensional NMR experiments. The results obtained on different problems, are discussed under six chapters in the thesis. The brief summary of each of these chapters is given below. Chapter 1 begins with the discussion on the importance of small molecules and their various facets, the analytical techniques available in the literature to study them. The role of NMR spectroscopy as powerful analytical technique to understand the diverse facets of organic molecules and their importance is set out in brief. A short introduction to the basic principles of NMR, the interaction parameters, the commonly employed one and two dimensional homo- and herero- nuclear NMR experiments are also given. The basic introduction to product operators essential for understanding the spin dynamics in the developed pulse sequences is given. The application of diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), the general problems encountered in the analysis of combinatorial mixtures and the matrix assisted method in circumventing such problems are discussed. Chapter 2 focuses on the chiral discrimination and the measurement of enatiomeric excess. The NMR approach to discriminate enantiomers using chiral auxiliaries such as, solvating agents, derivatizing agents, lanthanide shift reagents, the choice of such auxiliaries and the limitations are discussed in detail. The in-depth discussion on the new protocols developed using both the solvating and derivatizing agents for enantiomeric discrimination of chiral amines, hydroxy acids and diacids are discussed. The new three-component protocols that serve as chiral derivatizing agents for the discrimination of primary amines, diacids and hydroxy acids are discussed. Also the role of organic base such as DMAP in the chiral discrimination is explored for discrimination of acids using BINOL as a chiral solvating agent. Accordingly the discussion is classified into two sections. In the first section the protocol developed utilizing an enantiopure mandelic acid, a primary amine substrate and 2-formylphenylboronic acid that is ideally suited for testing the enantiopurity of chiral primary amines is discussed. The broad applicability of the protocols for testing enantiopurity has been demonstrated on number of chiral molecules using 1H and 19F NMR. The second section contains the results on the new concept developed for discrimination of hydroxy acids. The strategy involves the formation of three component protocol using chiral hydroxy acid, R-alphamethylbenzylamine and 2-formylphenylboronic acid for 1H-NMR discrimination of diacids. The section also includes the utility of ternary ion-pair complex for the discrimination of acids. The ternary ion-pair not only permitted the testing of enantiopurity of chiral acids, but is also found useful for the measurement of enantiomeric excess. Chapter 3 discusses the utilization of the developed three-component protocols for the assignment of absolute configurations of molecules of different functionality. The protocols for the assignments of absolute configuration of primary amines using 2-formylphenylboronic acid and mandelic acid yielded the substantial chemical shift differences between diastereomers. The consistent trend in the direction of change of chemical shifts of the discriminated proton(s) gave significant evidence for employing them as parameters for the assignment of spatial configuration of primary amines. Another protocol using 2-formylphenylboronic acid, hydroxy acids and enantiopure alphamethylbenzylamine permitted their configurational assignment. In the second section a novel solvating agent, obtained by the formation of an ion-pair complex among enantiopure BINOL, DMAP and chiral hydroxy acid for the assignment of the spatial configuration of hydroxy acids is discussed. Chapter 4 focuses on the development of novel NMR methodologies, and also the utility of existing two-dimensional experiments for addressing certain challenging problems. This chapter has been divided into three sections. In Section-I the utilization of well-known homonuclear 2D-J-resolved methodology for unravelling the overlapped NMR spectra of enantiomers, an application for chiral discrimination and the measurement of enantiomeric excess is discussed. The utilization of the chiral auxiliaries, such as, chiral derivatizing agents, chiral solvating agents and lanthanide shift reagents permits enantiodiscrimination and the measurement of excess of one form over the other. Nevertheless many a times one encounters severe problems due to small chemical shift difference, overlap of resonances, complex multiplicity pattern because of the presence of number of interacting spins, and enormous line broadening due to paramagnetic nature of the metal complex. This section is focused on combating such problems utilizing 2D-J-1JNH resolved spectroscopy where a 450 tilting of the spectrum in the F2 dimension, yielded the pure shift NMR spectrum. The method circumvents several problems involved in chiral discrimination and allows the accurate measurement of enantiomeric excess. In Section-II, the development of novel NMR experimental methodology cited in the literature as C-HetSERF and its application for the study of symmetric molecules, such as, double bonded cis- and trans- isomers, and extraction of magnitudes and signs of long range homo- and hetero- nuclear scalar couplings among chemically equivalent protons in polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons is discussed. The extensive utility of the new pulse sequence has been demonstrated on number of symmetric molecules, where the conventional one dimensional experiment fails to yield spectral parameters. In section III, yet another novel pulse sequence called RES-TOCSY developed for unravelling of the overlapped NMR spectrum of enantiomers and the measurement of enantiomeric contents, has been utilized for the accurate measurement of magnitudes and signs of 1H-19F couplings in fluorine containing molecules. The method has distinct advantages as the strengths of the couplings and their relative signs could be extracted on diverse situations, such as, couplings smaller than line widths, the spectrum where the coupling fine structures are absent. Chapter 5 covers the study of nature of intra- and inter- molecular hydrogen bond in amide and its derivative. The chapter is accordingly divided into two sections. In the first section the study of acid and amide hydrogen bonding is discussed and the hydrogen bonded interactions are probed by extensive utility of 1H, 13C and 15N-NMR. The temperature perturbation experiments, measurements of the variation in the couplings, monitoring of diffusion coefficients and the association constants, detection of through space correlation have given unambiguous evidence for the hydrogen bond formation. The results were also supported by DFT calculations. Similar interaction in the solid state has also been derived by obtaining the crystal structure of complex phenylacetic acid with benzamide. In the second section of the chapter the hydrogen bond interaction of organic fluorine in trifluoromethyl derivatives of benzanilides has been explored and the involvement of CF3 group in the hydrogen bonding has been detected. The evidence for the participation of CF3 group in hydrogen bond has been confirmed by number of experiments, such as, the detection of through space couplings, viz., 1hJFH, 1hJFN, and 2hJFF , where the spin polarization between the interacting spins is transmitted through hydrogen bond, the temperature and solvent dependent studies, variation in the 1JNH and two dimensional heteronuclear correlation experiments. In an interesting example of a molecule containing two CF3 groups situated on two phenyl rings of benzanilide, the simultaneous participation of fluorines of two CF3 groups in hydrogen bond has been detected. The confirmatory evidence for such an interaction, where hydrogen bond mediated couplings are not reflected in the NMR spectrum, has been derived by 19F−19F NOESY. Significant deviations in the strengths of 1JNH, in addition to variable temperature, and the solvent induced perturbation studies yielded additional evidence. The NMR results are corroborated by both DFT calculations and MD simulations, where the quantitative information on different ways of involvement of fluorine in two and three centered hydrogen bonds, their percentage of occurrences, and geometries have been obtained. The hydrogen bond interaction energies have also been calculated. The study revealed the rare observation and the first example of the C-F…H-N hydrogen bond in solution state in the molecules containing CF3 groups. Chapter 6 focuses on the mixture analysis using the diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY). High Resolution-DOSY works when the NMR spectrum is well resolved and the diffusion coefficients of the combinatorial mixtures are substantially different from each other. DOSY technique fails when the mixture contains the molecules of nearly identical weights and similar hydrodynamic radii. Thus, the positional isomers, enantiomers consequent to their nearly identical rates of diffusion, are not differentiated. Some of these problems can be overcome by Matrix-Assisted Diffusion Order Spectroscopy (MAD-spectroscopy), where an external reagent acts as a matrix and aids in their diffusion edited separation, provided the molecules embedded in it possess differential binding abilities with the matrix. Such different binding properties of the matrix are the basis for resolution of many isomeric species. In the present study three different novel auxiliaries, micelles-reverse micelles, crown ether and cyclodextrin are introduced for the resolution of positional isomers, double bonded isomers, viz., fumaric acid and maleic acid and also enantiomers. Accordingly, the results of each of these studies are discussed in three different sections.

The main aim of doctoral thesis is the study on physicochemical properties of humic substances (HS) by modern instrumental techniques. The subject of the study were HS isolated from South Moravian lignite, South Bohemian peat, forest soil Humic Podzol and finally extract from brown sea algae Ascophyllum nodosum. With respect on determination of structure and reactivity of these unique “biocolloids”, standard samples (Leonardite HA, Elliott Soil HS and Pahokee Peat HS) were also studied. These samples were obtained from International Humic Substances Society (IHSS). All mentioned substances were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), molecular absorption spectroscopy in ultraviolet and visible region (UV/Vis), infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transformation (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of carbon isotope 13C (LS 13C NMR), steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Obtained fluorescence, UV/Vis and 13C NMR spectra were used for calculation of fluorescence and absorption indexes, values of specific absorbance and structural parameters respectively, which were used for fundamental characterization of these “biocolloidal” compounds. Infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transformation was utilized for the identification of functional groups and structural units of HS. Evaluation of infrared spectra is quiet complicated by overlapping of absorption bands especially in fingerprint region. This problem was overcome by Fourier self-deconvolution (FSD). Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy was used for deeper characterization of HS with respect to origin, structural units, amount of substituents with electron-donor and electron-acceptor effects, content of reactive functional groups, “molecular” heterogeneity, the degree of humification, etc. Parameters of complexation of samples Elliott Soil with heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+) were obtained by using modified Stern-Volmer equation. These ions were chosen purposefully, because the interaction of HS with these ions is one of the fundamental criteria for the assessment of the reactivity of HS. Key part of the whole doctoral thesis is time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. It is able to determine the origin of emission of HS by method Time-Resolved Area Normalized Emission Spectra (TRANES). The viscosity of micro medium about excited fluorophores of HS was determined by Time-Resolved Emission Spectra (TRES).

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die UV/Vis-spektroskopische Bestimmung der Kamlet-Taft-Polaritätsparameter von strukturell unterschiedlichen Ionischen Flüssigkeiten (ILs), mit Hilfe von spezifischen solvatochromen Sondenmolekülen. Dabei wurden der Einfluss des Anions und Kations auf die Polarität, sowie die Stärke der Wechselwirkung zwischen beiden Ionen untersucht. Es konnte für Ionischen Flüssigkeiten mit dem 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazoliumkation eine 1H-NMR-spektroskopische Methode zur Ermittlung der Polaritätsparameter entwickelt werden. Diese bietet den Vorteil, dass sie auch bei farbigen, hydrolyseempfindlichen oder höher schmelzenden ILs eingesetzt werden kann, wenn die Anwendung solvatochromer Sondenmoleküle nicht möglich ist. Ein weiteres Augenmerk lag auf der Untersuchung der Wechselwirkung zwischen den ILs und silikatischen Oberflächen. Neben der Studie der anionenvermittelten starken Physisorption von 1-Methylimidazoliumchlorid an Aerosil®300 konnte auch eine neuartige Methode zur gezielten Chemisorption von Imidazolium- und Phosphoniumkationen an Siliziumdioxidoberflächen entwickelt werden. Dabei wurden verschieden Carbene und Ylide als basische IL-typische Kationenprecursoren eingesetzt. Die Analyse der erhaltenen Materialien erfolgte mit Hilfe verschiedener Methoden der Festkörper-NMR-Spektroskopie.

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Synthese und Charakterisierung neuartiger elektrophiler Barbiturate. In diesen Zielverbindungen sollte die kovalente Verknüpfung eines elektrophilen bzw. Lewis-aciden Zentrums mit einer Wasserstoffbrückensequenz realisiert sowie deren gegenseitige Beeinflussung untersucht werden. Im Mittelpunkt standen dabei Barbitursäure-funktionalisierte Triarylmethylium-Ionen sowie Merocyanine. Die Charakterisierung der synthetisierten Verbindungen erfolgte mittels NMR-Spektroskopie, Einkristall-Röntgenstrukturanalyse sowie solvatochromen Messungen. Besonderes Augenmerk lag auf der Wechselwirkung mit verschiedenen Rezeptoren über Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen, wobei sowohl die Anzahl als auch die Stärke der Wasserstoffbrücken variiert wurden. Die Reaktion der elektrophilen Barbiturate mit ausgewählten Nucleophilen wurde NMR- und UV/Vis-spektroskopisch verfolgt. In ternären Systemen bestehend aus Elektrophil, Nucleophil und Rezeptor wurde systematisch der Einfluss der Komplexierung über Wasserstoffbrücken auf die Gleichgewichts- und Geschwindigkeitskonstante der Elektrophil-Nucleophil-Rekombination erfasst. Daneben erfolgte die Bestimmung der Nucleophilie-Parameter substituierter Barbiturat-Anionen unter Berücksichtigung des ambidenten Verhaltens dieser Nucleophile.

Cyanoform (tricyanomethane) is one of the strongest carbon-based organic acids reported in text books of organic chemistry, which has evaded synthesis and isolation in its free state, since 120 years. In this dissertation, the acid-free synthesis of cyanoform by an absolutely new approach has been discussed. Generation of the elusive molecule, cyanoform from the photolysis and thermolysis of 2-(azidomethylidene)malononitrile, has been confirmed at very low temperatures by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 15N NMR, and the relevant 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. Moreover, it has been proved that cyanoform is relatively stable, but can be detected only below –85 oC, and not at high temperatures (at –45 oC, as has been reported in literature), because of a rapid equilibration with an another species. Furthermore, the chemistry of cyanoform in the ring enlargement reactions with various highly strained epoxides, azirines, and aziridines, via the highly reactive dicyanoketenimine intermediate, as well as its Michael addition reactions with different α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds has been well explored. In addition, the synthesis of N1-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles and study of their rearrangement to the corresponding N2-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles, under thermal and nucleophile-catalyzed reaction conditions, has been well investigated. / Cyanoform (Tricyanomethan) ist eine der stärksten in der Literatur beschriebenen organischen Kohlenstoffsäuren, welche sich seit 120 Jahren einer erfolgreichen Synthese und Isolierung entzogen hat. In dieser Arbeit wird die säurefreie Synthese des Cyanoforms mittels eines neuartigen Ansatzes diskutiert. Die Bildung des schwer fassbaren Moleküls durch Photolyse und Thermolyse von 2 (Azidomethyliden)malonitril ist bei tiefen Temperaturen durch 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 15N-NMR und relevante 2D-NMR-Methoden bestätigt worden. Es konnte bewiesen werden, dass Cyanoform relative stabil ist, aber erst unterhalb von –85 °C detektierbar ist und nicht bereits bei hӧherer Temperature (bei –45 °C, wie es in der Literatur beschrieben wurde) bedingt durch die rasche Äquilibrierung mit einer weiteren Species. Des Weiteren wurde die Reaktivität von Cyanoform in Ringerweiterungsreaktionen mit verschiedenen, stark gespannten Epoxiden, Azirinen und Aziridinen untersucht, wobei das hoch reaktive Dicyanoketenimin-Intermediat durchlaufen wird. Auch die Michael-Addition an α,β ungesättigte Carbonylverbindungen wurde ausführlich untersucht. Zusätzlich wurde die Synthese N1 substituierter 1,2,3-Triazole und deren Umlagerung in N2 substituierte 1,2,3-Triazole unter thermischen und nucleophil-katalysierten Bedingungen erforscht.

For the first time, successful synthesis of an unknown class of compounds, 3-azido-2H-azirines, which are implicated as highly reactive intermediates in the thermolysis of the corresponding 1,1-diazidoethenes, has been performed. These elusive heterocycles have been detected and characterised by low-temperature NMR and in situ IR spectroscopy. Even the parent compound, 3-azido-2H-azirine, has been observed via low-temperature photolysis of 1,1-diazidoethene, as a highly reactive species with a half-life period of only 12 min at −40 °C. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Three advanced methodologies for the preparation of extremely sterically hindered tertiary alkyl amines have been developed. The syntheses of 28 novel tertiary alkylamines that accommodate unusual steric hindrance are detailed. The electrophilic amination of alkyl Grignard reagents with N-chlorodialkylamines, in the presence of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) as a key additive, gives a variety of unprecedentedly sterically hindered tertiary alkylamines in good yields. Alternative strategy to 1-adamantyl-substituted (1-Ad) sterically hindered tertiary amines, which involved instead an SN1 reaction between 1-Ad cation with various secondary amines, is described. A complementary strategy to 1-Ad-based sterically hindered tertiary amines, which involves an iminium salt intermediate, is also reported. Salient features of the three protocols that are detailed here include unusual tolerance of steric hindrance, mild reaction conditions employed, ease of product isolation-purification, and absence of catalysts/transition metals. The molecular structures of two faithful examples of extremely sterically hindered tertiary alkylamines were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and the height “h” of nitrogen pyramid of these compounds were measured. The NMR spectra show a restriction in rotation at room temperature among many hindered tertiary amines, and some of them exhibit two complete sets of peaks for two non-equivalent rotamers at room temperature. 15N NMR has been applied to study the structural changes in highly sterically hindered tertiary amines. Most of these compounds have been shown to undergo Hofmann type elimination reaction upon thermolysis at 100 degree in inert solvents, like toluene. / In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden drei Methoden zur Synthese von tertitären Aminen mit extremer sterischer Hinderung entwickelt und zur Synthese von 28 neuen tertiären Alkylaminen mit entsprechender sterischer Hinderung angewendet. Die elektrophile Aminierung von Grignard-Reagenzien mit N-Chlordialkylaminen, unter Zusatz von N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethylethylendiamin (TMEDA) als Schlüsselkomponente, ermöglicht einen einfachen Zugang zu einer Vielzahl von tertiären Aminen mit extremer sterischer Hinderung mit guten Ausbeuten. Eine alternative Synthesestrategie unter SN1-Bedingungen führt zu sterisch-gehinderten 1-Adamantyl-substituierten (1-Ad) tertiären Aminen durch die Reaktion eines 1-Ad-Kations mit unterschiedlichen sterisch-gehinderten sekundären Aminen. Angelehnt an die zuvor beschriebene Reaktion können auch sterisch gehinderte Imine über eine Iminium-Salz-Zwischenstufe zu sterisch-gehinderten 1-Ad-substituierten tertiären Aminen umgesetzt werden. Auch in diesen Fall zeichnet sich die Reaktion durch eine bemerkenswerte Toleranz gegenüber sterischer Hinderung, milden Reaktionsbedingungen, leichte Produktisolierbarkeit und die Abwesenheit von Übergangsmetallkatalysatoren aus. Die molekulare Struktur zweier repräsentativer tertiärer Alkylamine mit extremer sterischer Hinderung wurde mittels Röntgeneinkristallstrukturanalyse untersucht und die Höhe “h” ihrer Stickstoff-Pyramide bestimmt. Die NMR-Spektren zeigen bei RT eine Einschränkung der freien Rotation um die N-C-Bindungsachse, teilweise führt dies zu vollständig getrennten Signalsätzen für die einzelnen Rotamere. 15N-NMR-Spektroskopie wurde ebenfalls zur Untersuchung von Strukturveränderungen genutzt. In inerten Lösungsmitteln, wie Toluol, zeigen die Verbindungen bei 100 °C in den meisten Fällen eine Hofmann-Eliminierung.

Aufgrund ihrer Eigenschaften und möglicher Anwendungen werden Siliciumkomplexe mit O,N,O´-Ligandsystemen in der Literatur beschrieben. Jedoch fehlen bisher Untersuchungen zur Strukturaufklärung. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden zahlreiche Silicium-, Germanium- und Zinnkomplexe mit chiralen O,N,O´-Liganden synthetisiert und strukturanalytisch charakterisiert. Dazu wurden die Liganden durch Kondensationsreaktionen von enantiomerenreinen Aminosäuren mit aromatischen ortho-Hydroxyaldehyden bzw. Acetylaceton hergestellt. Die weitere Umsetzung der Liganden mit Elementhalogeniden der Gruppe 14 führte zu den angestrebten Komplexverbindungen. Alle hergestellten Verbindungen wurden umfassend charakterisiert (NMR-, UV/Vis-, IR-Spektroskopie, Elementaranalyse, Einkristallstrukturanalyse, Drehwert). Quantenchemische Berechnungen an einfachen Modellverbindungen sowie an hergestellten Silicium- und Zinnkomplexen führten zu einem grundlegenden Verständnis der Festkörper-NMR-Parameter dieser Verbindungsklasse.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Darstellung und Charakterisierung von aromatisch substituierten Calix(4)resorcinarenen behandelt. Im zweiten Kapitel werden die Grundlagen und Besonderheiten bei Calix(4)resorcinarenen angesprochen. Ein Überblick über die wichtigsten Verbindungen dieser Gruppe von Makrocyclen wird gegeben. Im Kapitel 3 werden wesentliche Methoden zur vollständigen O-Alkylierung bei Calix(4)resorcinaren genannt. Außerdem werden Methoden zur partiellen O-Alkylierung von C-Arylcalix(4)resorcinarenen vorgestellt. Das Kapitel 4 stellt die Methoden zur Strukturaufklärung mittels 2D-NMR-Spektroskopie bei diesen Verbindungen vor. Möglichkeiten zur Unterscheidung des rccc-Isomer vom rctt-Isomer werden beschrieben. Das Kapitel 5 zeigt wesentliche Ergebnisse der semiempirischen Rechnungen zu C-Arylcalix(4)resorcinarenen und ihrer Acetate. Am Beispiel einer Verbindung werden Energiewerte aller Isomere und Konformere verglichen. Eine Deutung der ROESY-Spektren von Standpunkt der Quantenchemie aus wird gegeben. Im Ergebnis aller gewonnener Daten werden Aussagen zum wahrscheinlich ablaufenden Mechanismus gemacht. Der Vorgeschlagene Mechanismus geht von dimeren Verbindungen aus und berücksichtigt die Stereochemie der erhaltenen Produkte. / In this work the preparation and characterisation of aromatic substituted Calix(4)resorcinarens are shown. In the second chapter the basis's and the peculiarity's of the Calix(4)resorcinarens are given. A summary of the most important compounds of this class is shown. In chapter 3 preparation methods for the complete O-alcylation of Calix(4)resorcinarens are given. Methods for the particular O-alcylation of C-Arylcalix(4)resorcinarens are introduced. Chapter 4 presents the methods for the characterisation of this class of compounds with 2D-NMR-spectroscopy. Methods for the distinction of the rccc-isomer from the rctt-isomer are described. The chapter 5 shows important results of the semiempirical calculations with C-Arylcalix(4)resorcinarens and their acetates. The energy values of all isomers and conformers of one compound are compared. A interpretation of the ROESY-spectras with quantum chemical methods is given. As a result of this work a new mechanism is proposed.

Inositolpolyphosphate (InsPs) bilden eine ubiquitäre Gruppe an hochphosphorylierten, intrazellulären Signalmolekülen in eukaryotischen Zellen. Trotz deren Beteiligung an unzähligen biologischen Prozessen bleibt die Detektion von InsPs (insb. einzelner Enantiomere) eine Herausforderung, da die momentan verfügbaren Analysemethoden immer noch limitiert sind. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die stabile Isotopenmarkierung von myo-Inositol (Ins) und InsPs in Kombination mit Kernspinresonanzspektroskopie (engl. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy, NMR) erkundet, um diese Lücke zu schließen. Die Abhängigkeit von NMR-Daten und chemischer Struktur erlaubte die Analyse komplexer Mixturen aus InsPs aus in vitro-Experimenten und biologischen Proben. Durch stereospezifische 13C-Markierung konnten sogar Enantiomere voneinander unterschieden werden. Mit Hilfe dieser Methode wurden mehrere InsP-Stoffwechselwege untersucht. Als Erstes wurde das menschliche, Phytase-artige Enzym MINPP1 (engl. Multiple Inositol Polyphosphate Phosphatase 1) detailliert in vitro und in lebenden Zellen charakterisiert. Dabei wurde ein bisher unbeschriebener InsP-Stoffwechselweg in menschlichen Zellen erstmals beschrieben. Als Zweites wurden InsP verdauende Bakterien aus der menschlichen Darmflora untersucht, sodass der Abbauweg von Inositolhexakisphosphat beleuchtet werden konnte. Als Drittes wurden DUSP-Enzyme (engl. Dual-Specificity Phosphatases) identifiziert und in vitro charakterisiert, die in der Lage sind, die Phosphoanhydrid-Bindung von Inositolpyrophosphaten (PP-InsPs) zu spalten. Die vorliegende Arbeit demonstriert, dass 13C-Markierung in Verbindung mit NMR ein mächtiges Werkzeug darstellt, um InsP-Stoffwechselvorgänge zu untersuchen. / Inositol polyphosphates (InsPs) comprise a ubiquitous group of densely phosphorylated intracellular messengers in eukaryotic cells. Despite their contributions to a myriad of biological processes the detection of InsPs remains challenging to this day, especially with regards to differentiating enantiomers, as the available analytical toolset is still limited. In this thesis the use of stable isotope labelling of myo-inositol (Ins) and InsPs is explored to address this shortcoming. Combining 13C-labelling and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) provides both enhanced sensitivity and makes use of NMR’s strong structure-data dependency. This enabled the deconvolution of complex mixtures of InsPs from in vitro experiments or biological samples. With stereo-specific 13C-labels InsP mixtures could be resolved to individual enantiomers. Using this technique several InsP metabolic pathways were examined. Firstly, the human phytase-like enzyme Multiple Inositol Polyphosphate Phosphatase (MINPP1) was characterized in depth in vitro and in living cells, establishing a hitherto undescribed inositol polyphosphate metabolic path in humans. Secondly, inositol phosphate digesting bacteria isolated from the human gut microbiome were investigated, shedding light on the metabolic fate of inositol hexakisphosphate in the digestive track. Thirdly, a set of Dual-Specificity Phosphatases (DUSPs) were identified to be able to hydrolyze the phosphoanhydride bond of inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) and characterized in vitro. The 13C-labelling approach of InsPs in junction with NMR represents a powerful tool for the study of inositol polyphosphate metabolism. In the thesis at hand, this method has facilitated our understanding of inositol polyphosphate pathways and it will be continuing doing so in the future in several biological contexts.