Energy-dependent reversal of secondary isotope effects on simple cleavage reactions: Tertiary amine radical cations with deuterium at remote positions

Deuterium substitution at remote sites gives rise to inverse secondary kinetic isotope effects on the α-cleavage of a number of tertiary amines in the ion source, but to normal isotope effects on reactions occurring in the field-free regions. The change from normal to inverse secondary isotope effects when the internal energy of the reacting ions increases is consistent with transition-state models that involve slight lowering of vibrational frequencies also for bonds well removed from the site of cleavage. The isotope effect on the reactions of ions of high internal energy is caused by the influence that even small changes of isotope-dependent frequencies have on the state sums (a statistical weight effect favouring loss of the labelled radical), whereas the behaviour of low-energy ions is determined by the zero-point energy changes which favour loss of the unlabelled fragment.     

Effects of halogen atoms on the mass spectra of some 3-phenylpropionyl halides

The mass spectra of the title compounds have been studied by use of deuterium labelling. The character of the halogen atom appears to have a marked influence on the fragmentation pathways. It is shown that the acyl halide group may react with the different active atoms in the molecular ion—the α- and β-hydrogen atoms—as well as with the phenyl ring.     

An Adamantyl Amino Acid Containing Gramicidin S Analogue with Broad Spectrum Antibacterial Activity and Reduced Hemolytic Activity

The cyclic cationic antimicrobial peptide gramicidin S (GS) is an effective topical antibacterial agent that is toxic for human red blood cells (hemolysis). Herein, we present a series of amphiphilic derivatives of GS with either two or four positive charges and characteristics ranging between very polar and very hydrophobic. Screening of this series of peptide derivatives identified a compound that combines effective antibacterial activity with virtually no toxicity within the same concentration range. This peptide acts against both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria, including several MRSA strains, and represents an interesting lead for the development of a broadly applicable antibiotic.     

Photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer investigated by femtosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy

Ultrafast infrared transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study the photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer reaction between perylene in the first singlet excited state and 1,4-dicyanobenzene in acetonitrile and dichloromethane. Following vibrational marker modes on both donor and acceptor sides in real time provides direct insight into the structural dynamics during the reaction. A band narrowing on a time scale of a few tens of picoseconds observed on the antisymmetric CN stretching vibration of the dicyanobenzene radical anion indicates that a substantial part of the excess energy is channeled into vibrational modes of the product, despite the fact that the reaction is weakly exergonic. An additional narrowing of the same band on a time scale of several hundreds of picoseconds observed in acetonitrile only is interpreted as a signature of the dissociation of the geminate ion pairs into free ions.     

The hydrogen-bonded 2-pyridone dimer model system. 2. Femtosecond mid-infrared pump-probe study

2-Pyridone (PD) tautomerises to 2-hydroxypyridine (HP) in liquid solution, the equilibrium of which is solvent dependent. Dimerization of PD and HP leads to the cyclic dimers (PD)(2), (HP)(2), and (PD-HP). A combined NMR and FT-IR study [Szyc, ?.; et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 7749-7760] has shown that solutions of 2-pyridone in CD(2)Cl(2) constitute mainly PD-CD(2)Cl(2) solute-solvent complexes and cyclic dimers (PD)(2). Because of a lack of specific marker modes, a contribution of the cyclic dimer (HP)(2) to the NH/OH stretching absorption between 2400 and 3300 cm(-1) could not be fully ruled out. Here, we present the first ultrafast infrared (IR) pump-probe experiments on the NH/OH stretching region of a solution of 2-pyridone in CD(2)Cl(2). The temporally and spectrally resolved data reveal different rate-like relaxation processes with time constants between 150 fs and 20 ps as well as coherent low-frequency oscillations due to hydrogen bond modes. An analysis shows that the transient behavior is dominated by a single hydrogen bonded species. We compare the low-frequency wavepacket motions, observed with 99 and 150 cm(-1) frequencies, with literature values as well as our quantum chemical calculations and conclude that this single molecular species is cyclic (PD)(2).     

The unorthodox loss of propyl from the molecular ions of methoxycyclohexane

It is shown by field ionization kinetics, D and ¹³C labelling and metastable ion studies that the loss of a propyl radical from the molecular ion of methoxycyclohexane occurs via two routes. At a molecular ion lifetime of <10^?10 s propyl is eliminated in the ‘classic’ way, i.e. by successive cleavage of the C(1)? C(2) bond, 1,5-H shift from C(6) to C(2) and cleavage of the C(4)? C(5) bond. At 10^?10 s the other pathway for propyl loss starts to take place, which is initiated by a hydrogen shift from position 3 or 5 to the methoxy group. This leads in a series of steps to the formation of the 3-methoxyhexene-1 ion, which eventually eliminates a propyl radical. In some of the steps specific hydrogen-deuterium exchange processes have been observed.     

Mass spectrometry of pyridine compounds–IV: The formation and decomposition of the [M – methyl]+ ion [C8H10N]+ from 4-t-butylpyridine in comparison with that of the [M – methyl]+ ion [C9H11]+ from t-butylbenzene,as studied by D- and 13C-labelling

A strong secondary isotope effect is observed in the preferred loss of methyl vs. trideutero-methyl from the molecular ions of appropriately labelled 4-t-butylpyridine and t-butylbenzene decomposing in the first and second field free regions of a double focusing mass spectrometer. This has been rationalised by invoking the theory of radiationless transitions², which can account for the higher population of activated states responsible for loss of methyl vs. that for trideuteromethyl. ¹³C-Labelling at the central carbon atom of the t-butyl group indicates that the [M – methyl]⁺ ions, decomposing further by elimination of ethylene, cannot be represented exclusively by a pyridylated (or phenylated) cyclopropane ion if present at all. It is concluded that ions with structures generated by 1,2-hydrogen-, 1,2-pyridyl- (or 1,2-phenyl-) and 1,2-methyl shifts must also play a role. D-labelling further shows an extensive randomisation of side-chain hydrogen atoms in the [M-methyl]⁺ ions of 4-t-butylbenzene; in this case, however, the expelled ethylene also contains ring hydrogen atoms (≤2). Presumably this is caused by exchange between the side-chain and ortho-hydrogen atoms in the initially generated phenyldimethylcarbinyl carbenium ion.