Fractional damping enhances chaos in the nonlinear Helmholtz oscillator

Nonlinear Dynamics - The main purpose of this paper is to study both the underdamped and the overdamped dynamics of the nonlinear Helmholtz oscillator with a fractional-order damping. For that...     

Solid-state photodimerization of steroid enones

Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (1) and 17alpha-methyltestosterone (2) are dimerized in the solid-state by UV radiation. These substances were selected by a search in the CSD among the steroid enones presenting in the crystalline state an intermolecular short contact between a hydrogen alpha to a carbonyl group and the oxygen of an enone system. Dimerization occurs by transfer of the hydrogen to the oxygen and connection between the two involved carbons. Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (1) affords dimer 3 and trimer 4, both formed by connection of the C-16 of a molecule with the C-3 of a near one. Irradiation of 17alpha-methyltestosterone (2) gives the isomeric trienones 5 and 6. These compounds are reasonably formed by dehydration of unisolated intermediate products 7 and/or 8 obtained by coupling of two molecules through a linkage between the C-2 and the C-3' carbons. The formation mechanisms of the photoproducts are satisfactory explained on the basis of the molecular arrangement of the monomers in the crystal state. Modeling of the dimeric molecules was done using molecular mechanics calculations. A single-crystal X-ray of the dimer of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione confirms the structural interpretation of spectral data. The conformer found in the solid-state agrees well with the results of molecular mechanics calculations.     

Dimer asymmetry in superoxide dismutase studied by molecular dynamics simulation

Summary Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of 100 ps have been carried out to study the active-site behaviour of the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase dimer (SOD) in water. The active site of each subunit was monitored during the whole simulation by calculating the distances between functional residues and the catalytic copper. The results indicate that charge orientation is maintained at each active site but the solvent accessibility varies. Analysis of the MD simulation, carried out by using the atomic displacement covariance matrix, has shown a different intra-subunit correlation pattern for the two monomers and the presence of inter-subunit correlations. The MD simulation presented here indicates an asymmetry in the two active sites and different dynamic behaviour of the two SOD subunits.     

On the reaction of Ph2PNHPPh2 with RNCS (R=Et, Ph, p-NO2C6H4): preparation of the zwitterionic ligand EtNHC(S)Ph2P==NPPh2C(S)NEt (HSNS) and the zwitterionic metalate [(SNS)Rh(CO)

The reaction of Ph(2)PNHPPh(2) (PNP) with RNCS (Et, Ph, p-NO(2)(C(6)H(4))) gives addition products resulting from the attack of the P atoms of PNP on the electrophilic carbon atom of the isothiocyanate. When PNP is reacted with EtNCS in a 1:2 molar ratio, the zwitterionic molecule EtNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)Et (HSNS) is obtained in high yield. HSNS can be protonated (H(2)SNS(+)) or deprotonated (SNS(-)), behaving in the latter form as an S,N,S-donor pincer ligand. The reaction of HSNS with [(acac)Rh(CO)(2)] (acac=acetylacetonate) affords the zwitterionic metalate [(SNS)Rh(CO)]. Other products can be obtained depending on the R group, the PNP/RNCS ratio (1:1 or 1:2), and the reaction temperature. The proposed product of the primary attack of PNP on RNCS, Ph(2)PN==PPh(2)C(S)NHR (A), cannot be isolated. Reaction of A with another RNCS molecule leads to 1:2 addition compounds of the general formula RNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)R (1), which can rearrange into the non-zwitterionic product RNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2) (2) by eliminating a molecule of RNC. Two molecules of A can react together, yielding 1:1 PNP/RNCS zwitterionic products of the formula RNHCH[PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2)]PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)R (3). Compound 3 can then rearrange into RNHCH[PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2)](2) (4) by losing a RNC molecule. When R=Et (a), compounds 1 a, 2 a (HSNS), and 4 a have been isolated and characterized. When R=Ph (b), compounds 2 b and 4 b can be prepared in high yield. When R=p-NO(2)C(6)H(4) (c), only compound 3 c is observed and isolated in high yield. The crystal structures of HSNS, [(SNS)Rh(CO)], and of the most representative products have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods.     

Hetero Diels-Alder reactions (HDAR) of α,α′-dioxothiones on solid support

Solid-supported α,α′-dioxothiones are easily obtained starting from β-ketoester modified Wang and hydroxymethylated polystyrene resins. The hetero Diels-Alder reactions (HDAR) of these species, used either as electron-poor dienes or dienophiles, followed by a simple cleavage of the products from the resin by trans-esterification with sodium methoxide, allowed the isolation of the desired cycloadducts in overall yields up to 90%.     

Non-Commutative Painlevé Equations and Hermite-Type Matrix Orthogonal Polynomials

We study double integral representations of Christoffel–Darboux kernels associated with two examples of Hermite-type matrix orthogonal polynomials. We show that the Fredholm determinants connected with these kernels are related through the Its–Izergin–Korepin–Slavnov (IIKS) theory with a certain Riemann-Hilbert problem. Using this Riemann-Hilbert problem we obtain a Lax pair whose compatibility conditions lead to a non-commutative version of the Painlevé IV differential equation for each family.     

A Journey from Thermally Tunable Synthesis to Spectroscopy of Phenylmethanimine in Gas Phase and Solution

Phenylmethanimine is an aromatic imine with a twofold relevance in chemistry: organic synthesis and astrochemistry. To tackle both aspects, a multidisciplinary strategy has been exploited and a new, easily accessible synthetic approach to generate stable imine-intermediates in the gas phase and in solution has been introduced. The combination of this formation pathway, based on the thermal decomposition of hydrobenzamide, with a state-of-the-art computational characterization of phenylmethanimine laid the foundation for its first laboratory observation by means of rotational electric resonance spectroscopy. Both E and Z isomers have been accurately characterized, thus providing a reliable basis to guide future astronomical observations. A further characterization has been carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, showing the feasibility of this synthetic approach in solution. The temperature dependence as well as possible mechanisms of the thermolysis process have been examined.