Charge calculations in molecular mechanics. Part 8 Partial atomic charges from classical calculations

Summary The CHARGE2 programme, which involves the classical calculation of both the inductive and resonance contributions to the partial atomic charges in molecules is described, and the charges and electrostatic potentials obtained presented for some illustrative examples.In substituted methanes (CH₃X, CF₃X, CCl₃X) the effects of varying the electronegativity of the substituents and the - and -substituent contributions are clearly illustrated for a variety of substituent groups X.The problems involved in the inclusion of silicon into this scheme are detailed, together with the methods of overcoming them. The partial atomic charges ( and contributions) and electrostatic potentials for some silicon oxygen compounds are presented and discussed.The partial atomic charges from CHARGE2 for all the natural amino acids as their N-acetyl, N-methyl-amides are given and compared with those obtained from the AMBER and ECEPP/2 force fields. Considerable differences in these figures are observed, with the AMBER charges consistently much larger than those from the other two methods.The CHARGE2 partial atomic charges and electrostatic potentials for the four common nucleic acids, adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine, are given and compared with those derived from other calculations. Again there is general similarity but also there are considerable differences, with those from the AMBER force field somewhat larger than the other methods.For previous parts in this series, see Refs. 1-7.     

Analysis of the IGLO bond contributions to the 13C shielding tensors in the local bond frame

A new method is presented to analyze the IGLO (individual gauge for localized orbitals) bond contributions in ¹³C chemical shielding. The IGLO bond contributions calculated in the molecular frame are rotated to a local bond frame, in which one component is selected along the bond. This procedure removes the explicit angular dependence of the IGLO bond contributions and allows a comparison of the bond contributions in different molecules. The results provide a new method to study the electronic basis of shielding interactions. The problems associated with the multiple gauge origins used in the IGLO method are discussed in their relationship to the bond contribution analysis.     

A comparative study of heavy-atom effects on the room-temperature phosphorescence of biologically important purines

Room-temperature phosphorescence (r.t.p.) of nine biologically important purines on filter paper is studied. The heavy-atom effect leads to a significant enhancement of r.t.p. signals, with the trend being Tl⁺ > Pb²⁺ ? I — ? Sm³⁺ for most purines. Absolute limits of detection range from 40 pg (purine) to 19 ng (theophylline).     

Synthesis and formulation of vinyl-containing polyacids for improved light-cured glass-ionomer cements

Vinyl-containing poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) copolymers were synthesized and used to formulate light-curable cements containing reactive glass fillers (Fuji II LC). The conditions for light curing were studied and optimized. Effects of molecular weight (MW), grafting ratio, comonomer, liquid composition, powder/liquid (P/L) ratio, glass powder and aging were evaluated. The results show that the vinyl-containing glass-ionomer cements (GICs) prepared in this study exhibit higher compressive strength (CS, 225.6 MPa), diametral tensile strength (DTS, 28.4 MPa) and much higher flexural strength (FS, 116.4 MPa), as compared to commercial Fuji II LC GIC (186.6 in CS, 19.1 in DTS and 57.1 in FS). The optimal light-exposure time was found to be around 10 min, and concentrations of CQ and DC were 0.5% (by weight) and 1.0%, respectively. Effects of MW, grafting ratio, P/L ratio and content of polymer in the liquid formulation were significant. The highest strengths were found for the optimal formulations where the MW was 15,000 (weight average), grafting ratio 25 mol%, P/L ratio 2.7 and liquid composition 50:20:30. During aging, the cement showed an increase of strength over the first week and then no change for a month. SEM analysis suggests that more integrated microstructures and smaller glass particles can lead to higher FS and higher polymer content in GICs leads to tough fracture surface and plastic deformation.     

An Investigation of Inclusion Complexes of Cyclodextrins with Phenylurea Herbicides by Photochemically-Induced Fluorescence. Analytical Applications

The effect of -cyclodextrin (-CD) and hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (HP--CD) upon the photochemically-induced fluorescence (PIF) properties of four phenylurea herbicides, including linuron, diuron, isoproturon and neburon has been studied. Photochemical conversion of these nonfluorescent herbicides into strongly fluorescent photoproducts was shown to occur in -CD and HP--CD aqueous media. The influence of pH, UV irradiation time and photoproduct stability on the fluorescence intensity was also investigated. In addition, the stoichiometry and formation constants of the complexes formed between herbicides and -cyclodextrin (-CD) or 2-hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (HP--CD) were determined. The formation constant values, ranging from 184 ± 40 to 1498 ± 245 M^-1, were calculated by applying the iterative nonlinear regression (NLR) approach to the PIF data. Linear calibrations graphs were established in the interval 1–12 g/mL, for diuron, linuron and neburon. The IUPAC limits of detection ranged between 580 and 700 ng/mL, according to the compound. Application to the analysis of phenylurea herbicides in spiked river water was also described.     

Quantification of several atmospheric gases from high resolution infrared solar spectra obtained at the south pole in 1980 and 1986

Simultaneous total column amounts of a number of minor and trace atmospheric gases above the South Pole in December 1980 and December 1986 have been deduced from analysis of high resolution solar absorption spectra recorded (by F. J. M. and F. H. M.) from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. These spectra also contain some limited information on the vertical profiles of the observed atmospheric gases.The data sets were recorded with a Bomem Michelson-type interferometer and analyzed with a spectral least-squares fitting procedure, utilizing the best available spectroscopic line parameters and absorption cross sections. Because the same instrument, line parameters, and analysis method have been used in analyzing the December 1980 and December 1986 data sets, the precision in comparing the column amounts from these two dates is rather high, about 10–20% for the stronger absorbing gases. For this reason, it has been possible to quantify or determine upper limits for differences between the December 1980 and December 1986 total column amounts, of a number of atmospheric gases including O₃, N₂O, HNO₃, CO₂, CH₄, and CF₂C_{1 2} (CFC 12). In addition, vertical column amounts for a number of atmospheric gases covered only in the December 1986 observations have been derived, including HC1, NO, NO₂, and C₂H₆. Some of these results will be discussed here. The HC1 measurements are especially interesting since the observed amounts are higher than expected from observations made at lower latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres.     

Enantioreversal in the sharpless asymmetric epoxidation reaction controlled by the molecular weight of a covalently appended achiral polymer

Polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have proven use in a variety of applications including organic synthesis. We now disclose our investigations into the recently disputed report that PEG tartrate esters can reverse the enantioselectivity of the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation reaction. The results presented herein have clarified that the enantioselectivity of this reaction can be reproducibly reversed solely as a function of the molecular weight of the appended PEG. By preparing a range of tartrate ligands with varying PEG chains lengths, the reversal was found to occur within a molecular weight change of only 800. As the PEG chain did not affect the inherent chirality of the ligand, the enantioreversal was proposed to occur as a result of two Ti-ligand complexes which differ in their molecularity of ligand, one monomeric in ligand and the other dimeric. Support for this hypothesis was given through equilibrium measurements which revealed that the predominant species in Ti/PEG tartrate ester mixtures is a distinct 2:1 Ti-ligand complex, as opposed to the 2:2 Ti-ligand complex of traditional Sharpless asymmetric epoxidations. In total, these data represent an unrecognized property of PEG-supported catalysts that could open up new venues in the control of asymmetric reactions by means of achiral appended polymers.