Modeling the decomposition mechanism of artemisinin

A theoretical study on artemisinin decomposition mechanisms is reported. The calculations have been done at the HF/3-21G and B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) theoretical levels, by using 6,7,8-trioxybicyclo[3.2.2]nonane as the molecular model for artemisinin, and a hydrogen atom, modeling the single electron transfer from heme or Fe(II) in the highly acidic parasite's food vacuole, as inductor of the initial peroxide bond cleavage. All relevant stationary points have been characterized, and the appearance of the final products can be explained in a satisfactory way. Several intermediates and radicals have been found as relatively stable species, thus giving support to the current hypothesis that some of these species can be responsible for the antimalarial action of artemisinin and its derivatives.     

自由基C69N及双体(C69N)2结构和电子光谱的理论研究

用INDO系列方法对自由基C₆₉N(Cs)及双体(C₆₉N)₂(C₂h)进行了理论研究,结果表明:笼骨架上N的掺入使C₇₀笼发生畸变,N向笼外突出,与氮相连的碳(6-6环上的C)自旋密度较大,2个C₆₉N自由基在这个碳上以C-C单键连接,形成双体为C₂h对称性,N与附近的3个碳均以单键连接,并不断开。理论计算的电子光谱与实验吻合较好,(C₆₉N)₂易分解为单体C₆₉N.     

Photon-induced unimolecular decay of the benzyl radical: first direct identification of the reaction pathway to C7H6

The thermal unimolecular decay of the benzyl radical has been investigated extensively by several groups. However, the reaction products could not be determined unambiguously. In this work the unimolecular bond fission of the benzyl radical is studied in a molecular beam experiment. The precursor molecules toluene and cycloheptatriene are expanded in a molecular beam and photodissociated with two photons at 248 or 193 nm, yielding in each case hot benzyl radicals. Since the internal energies lie above the dissociation limit, the benzyl radicals decay in a subsequent step. The reaction products are detected in a time-resolved manner with a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the molecular beam axis at low electron energies. The measured time-of-flight spectra provide information on the translational energy distribution of the products. In each case it is found that the hot benzyl radicals C₇H₇ fragment under hydrogen loss to C₇H₆.     

多环芳烃与不饱和自由基氢提取反应类的动力学研究

对2~6个环的多环芳烃的氢提取反应类进行了系统研究, 提取氢原子的不饱和自由基包括丙炔基自由基（C₃H₃）、 烯丙基自由基（C₃H₅）、 丁二烯基自由基（nC₄H₅, iC₄H₅）、 环戊二烯基自由基（C₅H₅）以及苯基自由基（C₆H₅）. 采用M06-2X/cc-pVTZ方法得到了多环芳烃的电子结构信息, 利用过渡态理论并结合Eckart隧道校正, 计算了所有反应在500~2500 K范围内的反应速率常数.考察了多环芳烃的大小、 结构对反应速率常数的影响, 对比了不同氢提取自由基及不同氢提取反应类型的速率常数. 结果表明, 多环芳烃的大小对反应速率常数影响不大, 但是多环芳烃的环结构对反应速率常数影响较大. 将不同的氢提取反应类简化为发生在五元环上的C₅类和发生在六元环上的C₆类两类, 结果表明, C₆类的反应活性高于C₅类. 研究了nC₄H₅, iC₄H₅以及C₆H₅自由基与多环芳烃的氢提取反应, 它们的氢提取反应活性大小顺序为C₆H₅>nC₄H₅>iC₄H₅. 通过对每类典型反应的速率常数取平均值, 总结出相应类型的速率规则, 可用于构建多环芳烃和碳烟机理.     

CoTPP电化学催化还原溴代环己烷的机理

以电化学循环伏安、现场ESR电化学以及现场薄层电化学方法研究了电生Co(Ⅰ)TPP与溴代环己烷的反应机制.在DMF中,Co(Ⅱ)/Co(Ⅰ)的氧化还原有明显的催化溴代环己烷还原的特征,反应现场有自由基生成.反应产物之一是Co-C键化合物,可以在-1.30V(SCE)一电子还原.当存在CH₂=CHCN时,生成另一种Co-C键化合物,该化合物在-1.10V(SCE)处一电子还原.证明溴代环己烷与Co(Ⅰ)TPP反应主要是经过形成烷基自由基的机制进行的.     

Electronic spectrum of jet-cooled cyanocyclopentadienyl radical

The D₁-D₀ electronic spectrum of jet-cooled cyanocyclopentadienyl (C₅H₄CN) radical, produced by excimer laser photolysis of 1,3-cyclopentadiene-1-carbonitrile (C₅H₅CN), was measured by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The LIF spectrum was identical to that of radicals produced by photolysis of phenyl isocyanate and o-chloroaniline, which had been assigned to phenyl nitrene. This result shows that the nascent radical product in the photolysis of o-chloroaniline and phenyl isocyanate is isomerized to C₅H₅CN and the final product of C₅H₄CN radical is derived via the second photolysis. The rotational contour of the 0-0 band of the C₅₄CN radical, at 27143 cm⁻¹ (368.3 nm), is also presented. The electronic transition is A-type and π electron transition, and the symmetry of both the ground and excited electronic state is ²B₁ (of the C_2v point group).     

基于ReaxFF的甲烷无氧转化气相机理研究

With the rapid consumption of petrochemical resources and massive exploitation of shale gas, the use of natural gas instead of petroleum to produce chemical raw materials has attracted significant attention. While converting methane to chemicals, it has long seemed impossible to avoid its oxidation into O-containing species, followed by de-oxygenation. A breakthrough in the nonoxidative conversion of methane was reported by Guo et al. (Science 2014, 344, 616), who found that Fe©SiO₂ catalysts exhibited an outstanding performance in the conversion of methane to ethylene and aromatics. However, the reaction mechanism is still not clear owing to the complex experimental reaction conditions. One view of the reaction mechanism is that methane molecules are first activated on the Fe©SiC₂ active center to form methyl radicals, which then desorb into the gas phase to form the ethylene and aromatics. In this study, ReaxFF methods are applied to five model systems to study the gas-phase reaction mechanism under near-experimental conditions. For the pure gas-phase methyl radical system, the main simulation product is ethane after 10 ns simulation, which is produced by the combination of methyl radicals. Although a small amount of ethylene produced by C₂H₆ dehydrogenation can be detected, it is difficult to explain the high selectivity for ethylene in the experiment. When the methyl radicals are mixed with hydrogen and methane molecules, ethane remains the main product, together with some methane produced by the collision of hydrogen with methyl radicals, while ethylene is still difficult to produce. With the addition of hydrogen radicals to the methane atmosphere, methane activation can be enhanced by hydrogen radical collisions, which produce some methyl radicals and hydrogen molecules, but the methyl radicals eventually combine with the hydrogen species to produce methane molecules again. If some hydrogen molecules and methyl radicals are added to the CH₄/H∙ system, the activation of methane molecules by hydrogen radicals will be weakened. Hydrogen radicals are more likely to combine with themselves or with methyl radicals to form hydrogen and methane molecules, and the high selectivity for ethylene remains difficult to achieve. Thermal cracking of C₁₀H₁₂ at high temperature can produce hydrogen radicals and ethylene at the same time, which can partially explain the enhanced methane conversion and ethylene selectivity in the experiment of Hao et al. (ACS Catal. 2019, 9, 9045). Overall, the selective production of ethylene by nonoxidative conversion of methane over Fe©SiO₂ catalyst appears hard to achieve via a gas-phase mechanism. The catalyst surface may play a key role in the entire process of methane transformation.     

Electron Spin Resonance Spectra of Some Free Radical in Pure C60 and Mixture of C60/C70

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Elucidation of the natural artemisinin decomposition route upon iron interaction: a fine electronic redistribution promotes reactivity

The conformational analysis of artemisinin by molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry calculations revealed the existence of seven energy minima with specific interconversion pathways. Among the seven conformers, only , and were able to undergo bond rearrangements upon Fe(2+) interaction. These rearrangements were due to a peculiar puckering of the trioxane ring that brings its three oxygen atoms in an ideal geometrical position for interacting with Fe(2+) ions, promoting an electronic redistribution in the molecule. A rapid molecule rearrangement led to a stable energy minimum structure with an additional ring that is similar to a plant metabolite. Our results suggest an alternative pathway for generating toxic radical chemical species for the malaria parasite, where artemisinin is not toxic by itself but rather is an intermediate for molecular partners that generate radical structures deleterious for the parasite proteins, after electron transfers from the Fe(2+)/artemisinin complex.     

Theoretical study on reaction mechanism of the vinyl radical with nitrogen atom

The complex triplet potential energy surface of the C₂H₃N system is investigated at the UB3LYP and CCSD(T) (single-point) levels in order to explore the possible reaction mechanism of C₂H₃ radical with N(⁴S). Eleven minimum isomers and 18 transition states are located. Possible energetically allowed reaction pathways leading to various low-lying dissociation products are obtained. Starting from the energy-rich reactant C₂H₃+N(⁴S), the first step is the attack of the N atom on the C atom having one H atom attached in C₂H₃ radical and form the intermediate C₂H₃N(1). The associated intermediate 1 can lead to product P₁ CH₂CN+H and P₂ ³CH₂+³HCN by the cleavage of C–H bond and C–C bond, respectively. The most favorable pathway for the C₂H₃+N(⁴S) reaction is the channel leading to P₁, which is preferred to that of P₂ due to the comparative lower energy barrier. The formation of P₃ ³C₂H₂+³NH through hydrogen-abstraction mechanism is also feasible, especially at high temperature. The other pathways are less competitive comparatively.     

Spectres de rotation de la molécule de chlorobenzène : II. Variétés isotopiques multisubstituées et structure géométrique précise

In order to complete the r_s structure of chlorobenzene given in a preceding paper, a variety of isotopic species of this molecule were synthesized and their microwave spectra studied. This made twenty isotopic species available, enabling the determination of the geometrical parameters by a least squares method. Fitting only differences of moments of inertia either for monosubstituted species or to multiply substituted species gave the same result. They hardly differ from the r_o values and agree with the r_s values obtained by the Kraitchman equations. The resulting error limits were reduced, however.

The following structural parameters were obtained, C₁C₂ = 1.399 Å, C₂C₃ = 1.386 Å, C₃C₄ = 1.3976 Å, C₁Cl = 1.7248 Å, C₂H₂ = 1.080 Å, C₃H₃ = 1.081 Å, C₄H₄ = 1.081 Å, C₆C₁C₂ = 120° 16, C₁C₂C₃ = 119°78, C₂C₃C₄ = 120°24, C₃C₄C₅ = 119°80, C₁C₂H₂ = 119°45, C₂C₃H₃ = 119°76.

The structure of the ring differs significantly from C₆ symmetry. The deformation can be regarded as a compression of the position C₁ while the angle of C₂H₂ bond is also changed.     

Dispiro-1,2,4-trioxane analogues of a prototype dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane: mechanistic comparators for artemisinin in the context of reaction pathways with iron(II)

Single electron reduction of the 1,2,4-trioxane heterocycle of artemisinin (1) forms primary and secondary carbon-centered radicals. The complex structure of 1 does not lend itself to a satisfactory dissection of the electronic and steric effects that influence the formation and subsequent reaction of these carbon-centered free radicals. To help demarcate these effects, we characterized the reactions of achiral dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane 4 and dispiro-1,2,4-trioxanes 5-7 with ferrous bromide and 4-oxo-TEMPO. Our results suggest a small preference for attack of Fe(II) on the nonketal peroxide oxygen atom of 1. For 4, but not for 5 and 6, there was a strong preference for attack of Fe(II) on the less hindered peroxide bond oxygen atom. The steric hindrance afforded by a spiroadamantane in a five-membered trioxolane is evidently much greater than that for a corresponding six-membered trioxane. Unlike 1, 5-7 fragment by entropically favored beta-scission pathways forming relatively stable alpha-oxa carbon-centered radicals. These data suggest that formation of either primary or secondary carbon-centered radicals is a necessary but insufficient criterion for antimalarial activity of 1 and synthetic peroxides.     

基于反应力场分子模拟的乙烯燃烧自由基与氮气相互作用研究

采用反应力场分子动力学(ReaxFF-MD)方法, 模拟了富燃料条件下乙烯在空气中的燃烧以及燃烧产生的自由基与氮气的相互作用. 采用ReacNetGenerator程序提取反应网络, 结合自编后处理程序确定反应网络上的相关反应, 分析了乙烯燃烧的反应路径, 以及自由基与N₂的相关反应和NO的生成路径. 结果表明, 乙烯燃烧路径与已报道的通过乙烯燃烧反应机理模拟得到的燃烧路径一致, 说明用ReaxFF-MD方法模拟乙烯高温燃烧有效而可靠; 乙烯在富燃料条件下燃烧产生的CH, C₂H, C₂, C₂O自由基是瞬发型NO生成的重要反应物. 这些自由基与N₂的反应和NO的生成路径, 为构建乙烯和大分子碳氢燃料燃烧氮氧化物排放的反应机理提供了重要参考.     

Two-photon chemistry in the laser jet: generation of radical intermidiates and their photochemical transformations

The novel laser jet technique provides sufficiently high photon densities to permit the observation of the photochemistry of photochemically generated radicals (two-photon chemistry) in the liquid phase. Four recent applications of this novel photochemically useful method are presented: these include the photochemistry of hydroxydiphenylmethyl, 9-hydroxyxanthenyl, diphenylmethyl, and benzoyl radicals under laser jet and normal photolysis conditions.

The regioselectivity of cross-coupling reactions of hydroxydiphenylmethyl or 9-hydroxyxanthenyl radicals with solvent-derived radicals changes when these species are electronically excited,i.e. under the high intensity conditions of the laser jet, cross-coupling at the para position (head-to-tail combination) is significantly enhanced relative to the normal coupling mode at the hydroxy-bearing radical site (head-to-head combination). Semiempirical calculations of the spin density distributions for the ground and first excited states of the radicals confirm the change in spin density from the hydroxy-bearing carbon atom to the conjugating benzene rings in these radical species on photoexcitation.

For the diphenylmethyl radical, two reaction pathways have been observed under the high photon densities of the laser jet: the electronically excited diphenylmethyl radical can either abstract a chlorine atom from carbon tetrachloride through an electron transfer process or can be photoionized on further photoexcitation (multiphoton chemistry). The resulting benzhydryl cation was trapped by methanol as the corresponding ether product, which unequivocally demonstrates that carbene formation by photoejection of a hydrogen atom does not take place under laser jet photolysis conditions.

An advantage of the high photon densities produced in laser jet photolysis is the high steady state concentration of short-lived transients that are generated, which enable unprecedented intermolecular reactions to be observed. Thus, about a millimolar concentration of tert-butoxy radicals can be obtained in the laser jet photocleavage of tert-butyl peroxide. When the tert-butoxy radicals are produced in the presence of benzaldehyde, the main product is tert-butyl benzoate. If carbon tetrachloride is also present, chlorobenzene can be detected. This is rationalized as the product derived from chlorine abstraction by phenyl radicals, which are presumably produced by the photodecarbonylation of benzoyl radicals.

An alternative method of obtaining benzoyl radicals is the two-photon cleavage of benzil. The laser jet photolysis of benzil in tert-butyl peroxide yields mainly tert-butyl benzoate, whereas in carbon tetrachloride, benzoyl chloride, chlorobenzene and ,,-trichloroacetophenone are observed. The first two products result from chlorine atom abstraction by the photochemically generated benzoyl and phenyl radicals, and the last product from in-cage cross-coupling between benzoyl and trichloromethyl radicals.

Such product studies provide detailed mechanistic information on the photochemical behaviour of electronically excited, short-lived transients which complements nicely the kinetic and spectral data of time-resolved laser flash studies. Consequently, the laser jet technique constitutes a valuable tool for determining the mechanism of two- photon reactions.     

Reactions of oxidizing radicals with 2- and 3-aminopyridines: a pulse radiolysis study

Reactions of OH radicals and some one-electron oxidants with 2-aminopyridine (2-AmPy) and 3-aminopyridine (3-AmPy) were studied in aqueous solutions using pulse radiolysis technique. The OH adduct of 2-AmPy at pH 9 has an absorption maximum at 360 nm along with a weak absorption band in the visible region and was found to be reactive with oxygen. The rate constant for its reaction with O₂ was determined to be 1.0×10⁸ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹. At pH 4 also, the OH adduct of 2-AmPy has an absorption band at 360 nm. However, there are differences in the absorption at other wavelengths. From the plot of ΔOD vs. pH at 340 nm, the pK_a of the OH adduct was determined to be 6.5. Among the specific oxidants, only SO₄^−√ radicals were able to oxidize 2-AmPy. In the case of 3-aminopyridine (3-AmPy), the transient species formed by OH radical reaction at pH 9 has an absorption maximum at 410 nm with shoulder bands on both the sides. Its absorption spectrum at pH 4 was different indicating the existence of a pK value for the OH adduct. pK_a of 3-AmPy-OH radical adduct species was evaluated to be 5.7. This adduct species was also found to be reactive with oxygen (k=7.6×10⁶ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹). Specific one-electron oxidants like N₃^√, Br₂^−√ C₂^−√ and SO₄^−√ were able to oxidize 3-AmPy indicating that it is easier to oxidize 3-AmPy as compared to 2-AmPy.     

Mechanism of reduction of double bond under chemical ionization conditions

The mechanism of double bond reduction occurring in certain conjugated ketones, nitriles, acids and esters under chemical ionization conditions has been studied. The results indicate that the hydrogen radicals present in the chemically ionized plasma are responsible for the reduction of the double bond. This is further supported by experiments with radical traps.     

A theoretical study on the decomposition mechanism of artemisinin

A theoretical study on the artemisinin decomposition mechanism is reported. The suggested pathways have been reproduced and the appearance of the final products can be explained in a satisfactory way. In addition, several intermediates and radicals have been found as relatively stable species, thus giving support to the current hypothesis that some of these species can be responsible for the antimalarial action of artemisinin and its derivatives.     

A theoretical study on decomposition of carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and ethyl chloride in dry air under the influence of an electron beam

New experimental data were published in literature regarding CCl₄, C₂HCl₃ and C₂H₅Cl decomposition in dry air under electron beam influence. Taking into account experimental data theoretical models of those species decomposition were established and computer simulations were performed by the authors of this work to find the kinetics of such processes. The results of the calculations and experimental data show that CCl₄ decomposition depends on delivered dose and initial CCl₄ concentrations. The calculation revealed that recombination of CCl⁺₄ and Cl⁻ is the source of CCl₃ radicals and that reaction may have an important role in the process of CCl₄ decomposition. A theoretical model of C₂HCl₃ decomposition in dry air under electron beam influence describes the decay of C₂HCl₃ and the formation of several products such as Cl₂, CCl₂O, CO, CO₂, HCl and C₂HCl₃O. The detailed comparison of experimental and theoretical data shows relatively good agreement in efficiency of C₂HCl₃ decomposition process, but it can be achieved only with an assumption that the relation between rate constants of C₂HCl₄O intermediate product decomposition (C₂HCl₃O+Cl and COCl₂+CHCl₂) should be around 20 and C₂HCl₃O oxidation rate should be not lower than 7.5×10⁻¹¹ cm³/mols. All those rate constants are not yet established experimentally. The results of the calculation of C₂H₅Cl decomposition and the data obtained experimentally were compared. The temperature, gas pressure, initial C₂H₅Cl concentration and dose range were equal in both cases. An elaborated model allow us to obtain quantitatively similar results as the experiments, but the degree of C₂H₅Cl decomposition for certain dose levels is significantly higher in experimental data. It is quite probable that some important processes have not been included to the theoretical model.     

Semiempirical molecular dynamics studies of C60/C70 fullerene oxides: C60O, C60O2 and C70O

The spectral analysis indicates that all isomers of C₆₀O, C₇₀O and C₆₀O₂ have an epoxide-like structure (an oxygen atom bridging across a C–C bond). According to the geometrical structure analysis, there are two isomers of fullerene monoxide C₆₀O (the 5,6 bond and the 6,6 bond), eight isomers of fullerene monoxide C₇₀O and eight isomers of fullerene dioxide C₆₀O₂. In order to simulate the real reaction conditions at 300 K, the calculation of the different isomers of C₆₀O, C₆₀O₂ and C₇₀O fullerene oxides was carried out using the semiempirical molecular dynamics method with two different approaches: (a) consideration of the geometries and thermodynamic stabilities, and (b) consideration of the ozonolysis mechanism. According to the semiempirical molecular dynamic calculation analysis, the probable product of this ozonolysis reaction is C₆₀O with oxygen bridging over the 6–6 bond (C_2v). The most probable product in this reaction contains oxygen bridging across in the upper part of C₇₀ (6–6 bond in C₇₀O-2 or C₇₀O-4) an epoxide-like structure. C₆₀O₂-1, C₆₀O₂-3 and C₆₀O₂-5 are the most probable products for the fullerene dioxides. All of these reaction products are consistent with the experimental results. It is confirmed that the calculation results with the semiempirical molecular dynamics method are close to the experimental work. The semiempirical molecular dynamics method can offer both the reaction temperature effect by molecular dynamics and electronic structure, dipole moment by quantum chemistry calculation.     

Study by in situ FTIR of the SCR of NO by propene on Cu ion-exchanged Ti-PILC

Adsorption on Cu ion-exchanged titanium pillared clay (Cu-Ti-PILC) was investigated by in situ infrared spectroscopy to provide insight into the reaction intermediates present in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by propene in the presence of oxygen. The NO/O₂ adsorption produced different nitrate species due to the presence of terminal and bridged Cu²⁺–OH groups. These nitrates evolved into N₂ and N₂O in small amounts once the NO catalytic cycle was finished. It can be concluded that the Cu²⁺–OH groups reacted with the nitro group, thus forming nitrates. C₃H₆ adsorption was higher and stronger than NO adsorption on the active sites of the catalyst. C₃H₆ reacted in the active site producing hydrocarbon intermediates (an organic nitro compound and acetate), which were responsible for the NO reduction.