The RS-.HSR Hydrogen Bond: acidities of alpha,omega-dithiols and electron affinities of their monoradicals

Gas-phase acidities (deltaGo(acid)) have been measured for 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,3-propanedithiol, and 1,4-butanedithiol, using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. Adiabatic electron affinities (EAs) of the thiolate monoradicals of these compounds were assigned from electron photodetachment spectra of their corresponding thiolate monoanions, acquired using a cw-ICR. The dithiols exhibit enhanced acidities (up to 8.7 kcal/mol in deltaGo(acid)) and greater EAs (up to 6.7 kcal/mol) than analogous monothiol species. These differences are attributed to an intramolecular RS-.HSR hydrogen bond in the thiolate anion. Considerations of the RO-.HOR hydrogen bond in monoanions of alpha,omega-diols and in the [CH(3)O-.HOCH(3)] complex anion suggest that the RS-.HSR hydrogen bond provides up to 9 kcal/mol extra stabilization.     

Conformation-dependent reaction thermochemistry: study of lactones and lactone enolates in the gas phase

Gas-phase acidities (Delta H degrees (acid)) of lactones with ring sizes from four to seven have been measured on a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Electron affinities (EAs) of the corresponding lactone enolate radicals were measured on a continuous-wave ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, and the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of the alpha C-H bonds were derived. In order of increasing ring size, Delta H degrees (acid) = 368.7 +/- 2., 369.4 +/- 2.2, 367.3 +/- 2.2, and 368.3 +/- 2.2 kcal/mol and BDE = 99.4 +/- 2.3, 94.8 +/- 2.3, 89.2 +/- 2.3, and 92.8 +/- 2.4 kcal/mol for beta-propiolactone, gamma-butyrolactone, delta-valerolactone, and epsilon-caprolactone, respectively. For their corresponding enolate radicals, EA = 44.1 +/- 0.3, 38.8 +/- 0.3, 35.3 +/- 0.3, and 37.9 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol. All of these lactones are considerably more acidic than methyl acetate, consistent with a dipole repulsion model. Both BDEs and EAs show a strong dependence on ring size, whereas Delta H degrees (acid) does not. These findings are discussed, taking into account differential electronic effects and differential strain between the reactant and product species in each reaction.     

Origin of the acidity enhancement of formic acid over methanol: resonance versus inductive effects

Density functional theory calculations were employed to study the relative contribution of resonance versus inductive effects toward the 37 kcal/mol enhanced gas-phase acidity (DeltaH degrees (acid)) of formic acid (1) over methanol (2). The gas-phase acidities of formic acid, methanol, vinyl alcohol (5), and their vinylogues (6, 8, and 9) were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31+G level of theory. Additionally, acidities were calculated for the formic acid and vinyl alcohol vinylogues in which the formyl group and the vinyl group, respectively, were perpendicular to the rest of the conjugated system. Comparisons among these calculated acidities suggest that inductive effects are the predominant effects responsible for the enhanced acidity of formic acid over methanol, accounting for between roughly 62% and 65% of the total enhanced acidity; the remaining 38% to 35% of the acidity enhancement appears to be due to resonance effects. Further comparisons suggest that resonance effects are between roughly 58% and 65% of the 26 kcal/mol calculated acidity enhancement of vinyl alcohol over methanol, and the remaining 42% to 35% are due to inductive effects.     

Experimental and Computational Study of the Thermal Decomposition of 3‐Methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol in m‐Xylene Solution

An experimental study of the thermal decomposition of a β‐hydroxy alkene, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution, has been carried out at five different temperatures in the range of 513.15–563.15 K. The temperature dependence of the rate constants for the decomposition of this compound in the corresponding Arrhenius equation is given by ln k (s^?1) = (25.65 ± 1.52) ? (17,944 ± 814) (kJ·mol^?1)·T^?1. A computational study has been carried out at the M05–2X/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory to calculate the rate constants and the activation parameters by the classical transition state theory. There is a good agreement between the experimental and calculated rate constants and activation Gibbs energies. The bonding characteristics of reactant, transition state, and products have been investigated by the natural bond orbital analysis, which provides the natural atomic charges and the Wiberg bond indices. Based on the results obtained, the mechanism proposed is a one‐step process proceeding through a six‐membered cyclic transition state, being a concerted and slightly asynchronous process. The results have been compared with those obtained previously by us (Struct Chem 2013, 24, 1811–1816) for the thermal decomposition of 3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution. We can conclude that in the compound studied in this work, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, the effect of substitution at position 3 by a weakly activating CH₃ group is the stabilization of the transition state formed in the reaction and therefore a small increase in the rate of thermal decomposition.     

Structural and Kinetic Aspects of Blood Plasma Protein Adsorption on the Surface of Hydrophobic Polymers

Abstract

Due to the wide use of polymers in medicine, researchers are required to solve a very important problem–to understand the interaction between materials of nonphysiological origin and the surrounding biological liquids, and tissues, particularly blood.     

Enhancing the intensities of lysine-terminated tryptic peptide ions in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Tryptic digests of three proteins are reacted with O-methylisourea in order to convert lysine residues to homoarginines. The resulting homoarginine-terminated peptides exhibit more intense MALDI mass spectral peaks than their lysine-terminated predecessors. This simple chemical reaction should therefore facilitate protein sequencing and mass mapping.     

Molecular rotations and dipole-bound state lifetimes

A computational model based on classical molecular rotation provides insight into the observability of dipole-bound states. The observability is related to the lifetime of the state prior to rotational autodetachment of the electron. The model tracks an ensemble of dipole-bound states. Their motion in space is integrated as a function of time, which provides a means to analyze the lifetimes of the dipole-bound states. The results are generally in good agreement with experimental data. Some exceptions show the limitations of the model but also provide insight into the autodetachment mechanism.