Quantum mechanical study of the potential energy surface of the ClO + NO2 reaction

In the study of the reaction pathways of the ClO + NO2 reaction including reliable structures of the reactants, products, intermediates, and transition states as well as energies the MP2/6-311G(d), B3LYP/6-311G(d), and G2(MP2) methods have been employed. Chlorine nitrate, ClONO2, is formed by N-O association without an entrance barrier and is stabilized by 29.8 kcal mol(-1). It can undergo either a direct 1,3 migration of Cl or OCl rotation to yield an indistinguishable isomer. The corresponding barriers are 45.8 and 7.1 kcal mol(-1), respectively. ClONO2 can further decompose into NO3 + Cl with an endothermicity of 46.4 kcal mol(-1). The overall endothermicity of the NO2 + ClO --> NO3 + Cl reaction is calculated to be 16.6 kcal mol(-1). The formation of cis-perp and trans-perp conformer of chlorine preoxynitrite, ClOONO(cp) and ClOONO(tp), are exothermic by 5.4 and 3.8 kcal mol(-1), respectively. Calculations on the possible reaction pathways for the isomerization of ClOONO to ClONO2 showed that the activation barriers are too high to account for appreciable nitrate formation from peroxynitrite isomerization. All quoted relative energies are related to G2(MP2) calculations.     

Ferrocene Compounds. XXXI. Structure of 3-Ferrocenylpropanoic Acid

The title compound was prepared by modified procedure and characterized by means of IR, [¹H] and [¹³C] NMR spectroscopy. The structure was also determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). 3-Ferrocenylpropanoic acid crystallizes as orange prisms in the triclinic space group P with a = 7.645(1) Å, b = 7.953(1) Å, c = 9.961(1) Å, = 81.67(1), = 68.43(1), = 83.76(1), V = 556.3(1) ų, Z = 2, R = 0.0435. In the ferrocene skeleton, Fe-C distances are in the range 2.033(2)–2.052(2) Å and C C distances in the range 1.412(5)–1.431(3) Å. The angle defined by ring centers and Fe atom is 177.7(1). The cyclopentadienyl rings are twisted from the eclipsed conformation by 8.3(2) (average value). In the structure was observed strong intermolecular hydrogen bond of 2.670(3) Å forming cyclic dimers of the R₂ ² (8) type.     

XPS and ionic conductivity studies on Li1.3Al0.15Y0.15Ti1.7(PO4)3 ceramics

Li_1.3Al_0.15Y_0.15Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ compound was synthesized by solid-state reaction, and ceramics were sintered. The surfaces of the ceramics were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Li_1.3Al_0.15Y_0.15Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ samples were tested in solid galvanic cells Ag|O₂+CO₂|Li₂CO₃|Li_1.3Al_0.15Y_0.15Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃|LiMnO₂+Mn₂O₃|O₂|Ag. The electromotive force measurements of this cell indicated that investigated samples are practically pure Li-ion conductors. Impedance spectroscopy studies have been performed in the frequency range 10^?2–3·10⁹ Hz and temperatures from ?57 °C to 334 °C. Three dispersion regions related to Li⁺ ionic transport in bulk, grain boundaries of the ceramics and to polarization of electrodes have been found. Total conductivity changes according to Arrhenius law in the studied temperature range, but an anomalous behavior was observed for the bulk conductivity of the ceramics.     

N‐(4‐Methyl­phenyl)‐N‐(5‐nitro­furfuryl)‐N‐prop‐2‐ynyl­amine

The title compound, C₁₅H₁₄N₂O₃, is the first example of a structurally determined tertiary amine with both N‐5‐nitro­furfuryl and N‐prop‐2‐ynyl moieties. The mol­ecule is not planar, i.e. the furan ring is inclined at an angle of 84.35 (4)° to the phenyl ring. The crystal structure is dominated by van der Waals forces. The terminal alkynyl group as the strongest C—H hydrogen‐bond donor is not involved in hydrogen‐bond formation.     

The large scale conformational change of the human DPP III-substrate prefers the "closed" form

Human dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III) is a two domain metallo-peptidase from the M49 family. The wide interdomain cleft and broad substrate specificity suggest that this enzyme could experience significant conformational change. Long (>100 ns) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of DPP III revealed large range conformational changes of the protein, suggesting the pre-existing equilibrium model for a substrate binding. The binding free energy calculations revealed tighter binding of the preferred synthetic substrate Arg-Arg-2-naphtylamide to the "closed" than to the "open" DPP III conformation. Our assumption that Asp372 plays a crucial role in the large scale interdomain closure was proved by the MD simulations of the Asp372Ala variant. During the same simulation time, the variant remained more "open" than the wild type protein. Apparently, Ala was not as efficient as Asp in establishing the interdomain interactions. According to the MM-PBSA calculations, the electrostatic component of the free energy of solvation turned out to be higher for the "closed" protein than for its less compact form. However, the gain in entropy due to water released from the interdomain cleft nicely balanced this negative effect.     

New epoxyisoindolines by intramolecular diels-alder reactions of some methyl-substituted allylaryl-2-furfurylamines

N-Alkenyl-N-(5-substituted-2-furfuryl)-N-p-toluidines 1–10 have been selected to study the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of furans. New epoxyisoindolines 11–20 were prepared and fully characterised.     

Bioactive glass and hydroxyapatite thin films obtained by pulsed laser deposition

Bioactive glass (BG), calcium hydroxyapatite (HA), and ZrO₂ doped HA thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on Ti substrates. An UV KrF^* (λ = 248 nm, τ ≥ 7 ns) excimer laser was used for the multi-pulse irradiation of the targets. The substrates were kept at room temperature or heated during the film deposition at values within the (400-550 °C) range. The depositions were performed in oxygen and water vapor atmospheres, at pressure values in the range (5-40 Pa). The HA coatings were heat post-treated for 6 h in a flux of hot water vapors at the same temperature as applied during deposition. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline quality of the obtained thin films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. The films were seeded for in vitro tests with Hek293 (human embryonic kidney) cells that revealed a good adherence on the deposited layers. Biocompatibility tests showed that cell growth was better on HA than on BG thin films.     

Convenient Entry to α‐Amino‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐methyl Carboxylic Acids. Diastereoselective Formation and Directed Homogeneous Hydrogenation of 3‐(3‐Aryl‐1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enyl)‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones

Aldol reaction of 7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐one ( 1 ) with 4‐substituted α‐methylcinnamaldehydes 2 – 5 afforded a mixture of threo‐ and erythro‐3‐(3‐aryl‐1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enyl)‐7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones 6 – 13 . The chromatographically separated threo diastereoisomers 6, 8, 10 , and 12 and erythro diastereoisomers 7, 9, 11 , and 13 were submitted to ‘directed' homogeneous hydrogenation catalyzed by [Rh^I(cod)(diphos‐4)]ClO₄ (cod=cycloocta‐1,5‐diene, diphos‐4=butane‐1,4‐diylbis[diphenylphosphine]. From the erythro‐racemates 9, 11 , and 13 , the erythro,erythro/erythro,threo‐diastereoisomer mixtures 16 / 17, 20 / 21 , and 24 / 25 were obtained in ratios of 20 : 80 to 28 : 72 (HPLC), which were separated by chromatography. From the threo racemates 8, 10 , and 12 , the threo,threo/threo,erythro‐diastereoisomer mixtures were obtained in a ratio of ca. 25 : 75 (¹H‐NMR). The relative configurations were assigned by means of ¹H‐NMR data and X‐ray crystal‐structure determination of 21 . Hydrolysis of 21 afforded the diastereoisomerically pure N‐(benzyloxy)carbonyl derivative 27 of α‐amino‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐methylpentanoic acid 26 , representative of the novel group of polysubstituted α‐amino‐β‐hydroxycarboxylic acids.     

Quantum mechanical investigation of the atmospheric reaction CH3O2 + NO

The important stationary points on the potential energy surface of the reaction CH(3)O(2) + NO have been investigated using ab initio and density functional theory techniques. The optimizations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory while the energetics have been refined using the G2MP2, G3//B3LYP, and CCSD(T) methodologies. The calculations allow the proper characterization of the transition state barriers that determine the fate of the nascent association conformeric minima of methyl peroxynitrite. The main products, CH(3)O + NO(2), are formed through either rearrangement of the trans-conformer to methyl nitrate and its subsequent dissociation or via the breaking of the peroxy bond of the cis-conformer to CH(3)O + NO(2) radical pair. The important consequences of the proposed mechanism are (a) the allowance on energetic grounds for nitrate formation parallel to radical propagation under favorable external conditions and (b) the confirmation of the conformational preference of the homolytic cleavage of the peroxy bond, discussed in previous literature.