Quantum-chemical gas-phase calculations on the protonation forms oftrans- andcis-urocanic acid

The neutral, cationic, and anionic structures of both prototropic tautomers oftrans- andcis-urocanic acid [(E)- and (Z)-3-(1H-imidazol-4(5)-yl)propenoic acid, respectively] were studied by using semiempirical andab initio gas-phase calculations. Potential energy surfaces of the structures were calculated by using the semiempirical AM1 method, and the geometries corresponding to global minima on these surfaces were optimized up to the MP2/6-31G^* level of theory. The calculated protonation forms of each urocanic acid isomer have a planar molecular structure due to a delocalized -electron system, and all of them prefer thes-trans conformation with respect to the bond between the imidazole and the propenoic acid moieties. Thecis-urocanic acid structures are stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The chargedcis-urocanic acid isomers have a lower molecular energy than the correspondingtrans-isomers, whereas the neutral molecules have, after inclusion of thermodynamic corrections, approximately the same energy. The cationic urocanic acid structures have about 2500 kJ mol^–1 lower energy than the anionic ones and about 1000 kJ mol^–1 lower energy than the neutral ones. The nonzwitterionic forms of the neutral urocanic acid isomers have about 200 kJ mol^–1 lower energy than the zwitterionic ones. These energy differences are explained by the proton affinities of the imidazole and the propenoic acid moieties of the urocanic acid structures.     

Quantum-chemical calculation of a spillover model on a graphite support

The simplest quantum-chemical models of hydrogen spillover over a graphite-like surface as a proton or radical have been considered. The condensed planar C₂₄H₁₂ molecule was used as a model surface. Theab initio calculations of the interaction of hydrogen with the model surface were carried out by the restricted Hartree-Fock (HF) method in the STO-3G and 6-31 G^* basis sets. The radical hydrogen can not bind to such a surface, whereas the proton binds to it with an energy release of 186 kcal mol⁻¹. The activation energy of the transfer of the proton between two neighboring carbon atoms (10 kcal mol⁻¹) has been determined. The simplest model of the hydrogen migration as a proton over the model surface can be used for describing the spillover of hydrogen over the graphite surface. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 428–430, March, 1997.     

Quantum-chemical study of supramolecular complexes (DPyEt)n(AgNO3)m

The electronic structures and energies of formation of supramolecular complexes of dipyridylethylene with AgNO₃ were calculated by the semiempirical AM1/d method, at the Hartree—Fock level, and by the density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31G*).     

Quantum-chemical analysis of the nucleophilic substitution of the bromine atom by the cyano group at the sp-hybridized carbon atom in the methylbromoacetylene molecule

This paper reports on our quantum-chemical analysis of the nucleophilic substitution of the bromine atom by the cyano group in the reaction of methylbromoacetylene with copper cyanide. According to calculations, the reaction can form a four-membered ring containing a copper atom.     

Binary molecular complexes of silicon tetrafluoride with water,methanol, and dimethyl ether. Quantum-chemical study

The molecular structures, the energies of complex formation, and the vibrational spectra of the binary molecular complexes of SiF₄ with water, methanol, and dimethyl ether were calculated by the ab initio MP2 method with the basis sets up to 6-311++G(2d,2p). In the complexes, which have been detected previously by IR spectroscopy in low-temperature (12—15 K) inert matrices, the five-coordinate Si atom is in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal environment, which is formed through the donor-acceptor interaction of the O atom with the Si atom and is additionally stabilized by the H...F hydrogen bonds.     

Crystal and molecular structures of fluorinated derivatives of C60 fullerene

Two solvates of fluorinated derivatives of C₆₀ fullerene were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystals of fluorinated fullerene solvate C₆₀F₁₈·C₆H₅Me belong to the monoclinic system with the unit cell parameters a = 11.532(2) , b = 21.501(3) , c = 16.261(2) , = 101.798(5)°. The fluorinated fullerene molecule with the approximate symmetry C _3v occupies a general position. The crystals of fluorinated fullerene solvate C₆₀F₄₈·2C₆H₃Me₃ belong to the cubic system (a = 23.138(2) ). The C₆₀F₄₈ molecule occupies the special position with the S ₆ symmetry. The experimental molecular geometry agrees with the results of quantum-chemical calculations.     

A kinetic, spectral and theoretical investigation on the role of oxygen in the radiolytic oxidation of a sorbityl cyclic acetal

The oxidation process of the cyclic acetal sorbitylfurfural (SF) has been thoroughly examined from the kinetic, spectroscopic and theoretical point of view. Oxidation has been initiated by the radiolitically produced OH radical in the presence of variable oxygen amounts. Two competing reaction pathways are evidenced which lead to quite different products, although they do not affect the acetal ring integrity. The peroxidation of the hydroxylated furanic ring (k ₄=(6.1±0.9)×10⁸ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) maintains the ring structurevia HO₂^• elimination (k ₆=(1.9±0.4)×10⁵ s⁻¹). Unlike that, the peroxidation of the pseudo-allylic radical (k ₅=(1.9±0.9)×10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹), formedvia β-cleavage, fixes the destructured intermediate, leading to a tetroxide, which slowly decomposes through a Russell mechanism (k ₈=(2.3±0.6)×10² s⁻¹). It is confirmed that the steady state concentration of the tetroxide is very low, which suggests a molar absorption coefficient for it around 1.2×10⁴ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 265 nm. The end products of the latter pathway have been characterized as carboxylic and butenald-sorbitol derivatives. The kinetic and spectral data of every step of the process have been fitted by the above outlined mechanism. The energetics of the mechanism has been detailed byab initio computations as well, carrying further substantiation to it. Semi-empirical calculations were also employed to describe the spectral properties of each intermediate.     

Theoretical studies on the conformations of selenamides

Ab initio HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6-31+G*, B3LYP/6-31+G* level calculations have been performed on HSe-NH₂ to estimate the Se-N rotational barriers and N-inversion barriers. Two conformers have been found withsyn andanti arrangement of the NH₂ hydrogens with respect to Se-H bond. The N inversion barriers in selenamide are 1.65, 2.47, 1.93 kcal/mol and the Se-N rotational barriers are 6.58, 6.56 and 6.12 kcal/mol respectively at HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6-31+G* and B3LYP/6-31+G* levels respectively. The n_N →Σ *_Se-H negative hyperconjugation is found to be responsible for the higher rotational barriers.     

Theoretical and experimental investigation of stereoelectronic interactions in H-complexes of sulfenamide derivatives

The photoelectron and IR spectra of a number of sulfenamide derivatives and their H-complexes have been investigated, A correlation between an increase in the vertical ionization potential of the lone electron pair of the nitrogen atom and a decrease in the frequency shift of the stretching OH-vibrations in the H-complexes of compounds R₃N, R₂NCH₂OR, R₂NSR, and R₂NSOR was found. The electronic and geometric structures of the starting bases and their H-complexes were calculated by theab initio and MNDO methods. Anomeric interactions were found to decrease the energy of the n(N) orbital and to hinder the formation of H-complexes. The calculations of the sulfenamides and their H-complexes in unstable conformations, characterized by increased energies of H-complexation and proton affinity, were also carried out.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2894–2897, December, 1996.     

Vibrational spectra of trinitromethane derivatives

Spectroscopic parameters of trinitromethane derivatives RC(NO₂)₃ (R = F, Cl, Br, I, NC, NF₂, N₃) were determined. Vibrational frequencies and modes were calculated and the assignment of experimental spectra was performed. Spectral features due to the mutual influence of the C(NO₂)₃ group and other atomic groups and particular atoms were revealed.     

Chelate complex Ni(S2C2H2)2 as a molecular model of the hydrodesulfurization active center

Electronic states of Ni atom in a square-planar complex Ni(S₂C₂H₂)₂ and its molecular adduct with H₂S were studied by means ofab initio molecular orbital calculations. H₂S adsorption stabilizes the Ni(IV) state (d⁶) in the complex with the Ni atom shifted from the plane by 0.35 ?.     

On the Nature of Fluoride Ion Hydration

Hydration of aqueous fluoride ions has been studied by theoretical ab initiocalculations in an attempt to understand the experimental Raman spectrum.Calculations for hydrated fluoride, F^– (H₂O)_n where n = 1–10, have been performedat the RHF/6-31 + G^* level. A relatively stable geometry exists for n = 6; abovethis number, additional waters hydrogen bond to water of the hydrated fluoride.On the long time scale of the ab initio calculation or experimental diffractionstudies, the average coordination of fluoride is 6. However, it has been possibleto interpret the low-frequency Raman spectrum on the basis of a singlehydrogen-bonded water molecule, F^– ... HOH. To rationalize these results, it is proposedthat the average coordination of fluoride is 6, but on the time scale of the Ramanexperiment the fluoride is symmetrically bonded to only one hydrogen of onewater molecule.Chairman and Organizer of the Symposium dedicated to Donald Irish. Unfortunately Murray died during the preparation of this special issue     

Ab initio calculations of methionines and their protonated forms

Ab initio calculations of molecular and electronic structures of neutral molecules and protonated forms of methionine and its derivatives in the gaseous phase were carried out by the Hartree-Fock method using the 6–31G^* basis set with full geometry optimization. Proton affinities of methionine (1), methionine sulfoxide (2), and methionine sulfone (3) were calculated for different modes of coordination of the proton. The results of calculations demonstrated that in protonated forms of 1 and 3, bonding between the proton and the N atom is most favorable, while in protonated form of 2, bonding between the proton and the O atom of the SO group is most favorable. The proton affinities of the amino acids are as follows: 223.2 (1), 241.2 (2), and 221.5 (3) kcal mol⁻¹,i.e., methionine sulfoxide 2 exhibits the highest proton affinity in the series of the amino acids under consideration. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1487–1490, August, 1998.     

Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of elementary steps in gas-phase hydrolysis of SiF4. Quantum-chemical and FTIR spectroscopic studies

The energies and thermodynamic parameters of elementary steps in the proposed mechanism of silicon tetrafluoride hydrolysis in the gas phase were calculated by the ab initio quantum-chemical method (MP4//MP2/6-311G(2d,2p)) and the density functional theory (B3LYP/6-311G(2d,2p)). The proposed mechanism of gas-phase hydrolysis involves the formation of mono- and dihydroxy derivatives, hexafluorodisiloxane (SiF₃OSiF₃), and linear and cyclic siloxane polymers with the chain length from three to six Si—O and difluorosilanone units. According to the calculations, all reactions considered are endothermic and are characterized by positive Gibbs free energies. The initial hydrolysis steps can be presented with a high accuracy by two parallel processes: formation of trifluorohydroxysilane (SiF₃OH) and SiF₃OSiF₃. These are the most thermodynamically favorable among all reaction channels. The transition states of these elementary steps were found and their kinetic parameters were estimated (G = 132 and 147 kJ mol^–1, respectively). The calculation results were verified using FTIR spectroscopy of a mixture of gas-phase SiF₄ and water vapor. The comparison of the theoretical (absolute) intensities of bands in the IR spectra and integral absorption coefficients in the experimental IR spectrum made it possible to calculate the equilibrium concentrations of the reactants and equilibrium constants of elementary steps of formation of SiF₃OH and SiF₃OSiF₃, which agree with the theoretical values. The role of different derivatives in deep hydrolysis and possibilities of experimental detection of particular intermediates in the gas phase were discussed.     

“Spectroscopic” Calculation of CH and NH Bond Dissociation Energies for a Series of Primary Amines

The CH and NH bond dissociation energies were calculated by the spectroscopic method for a series of primary amines. The energies were calculated from the fundamental absorption bands in an anharmonic approximation using the Morse harmonic basis set. The results are compared with data obtained from ab initio calculations in different basis sets and experimental values. It is shown that, unlike quantum-chemical calculations, the spectroscopic method correctly reproduces the effect of the molecular structure on the CH and NH bond dissociation energies in amines.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by L. A. Gribov, I. A. Novakov, A. I. Pavlyuchko, V. V. Korolkov, and B. S. Orlinson__________Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 999–1007, November–December, 2004.     

Hyperpolarizabilities of hydrogen-bonded complexes of phenol derivatives with ammonia: PM3 and ab initio studies

Polarizability and first hyperpolarizability values of the hydrogen-bonded complexes formed by nitrosubstituted phenols with ammonia have been calculated using PM3 and ab initio (STO-3G) methods. It has been shown that enhancement of the polarizability (Δα) as well as the first hyperpolarizability (Δβ) of the complex arises from the hydrogen bond interaction between the phenol derivative and ammonia.     

Comparative Study of the Structure of Rhodanine, Isorhodanine, Thiazolidine-2,4-dione, and Thiorhodanine

Ab initio (HF and MP2 level) and semiempirical (AM1, PM3, MNDO) calculations on the relative stabilities and structures of the potential tautomeric forms of rhodanine, isorhodanine, thiazolidine-2,4-dione, and thiorhodanine are reported. Ab initio calculations predict that the thiooxo, oxothio, dioxo, and dithio tautomers are the most stable. These results correspond to the known experimental data. Infrared spectra of the investigated compounds were recorded for the region 4000-150 cm^-1, and the characteristic bands were compared with ab initio calculated frequencies at the HF/3-21G^(*)* level.     

Theoretical studies on the structure and spectroscopic properties of pseudohalides

Pseudohalogen-containing compounds have attracted significant interest among nonmetal chemists and theorists, not only owing to their potential use in various fields but also due to difficulties in their experimental preparation and characterization. Since its introduction in 1925, the pseudohalide principle has been used extensively and, therefore, a remarkable progress has been made in the experimental and theoretical research on the compounds of this kind. In this work, we review studies on structural investigations and theoretical characterizations of several pseudohalide-containing compounds in order to contribute to better understanding of the chemistry of many such species.     

Comparison of the capacity of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and selenium atoms to exist in onium states. quantum-chemical investigation of isomeric model systems with two heteroatoms

HF, B3LYP, and MP2 calculations with the 6-31+G(d) basis set with correction to the energy of zero-point vibrations were carried out to determine the energy characteristics of model molecules containing two heteroatoms in the sp ³- and sp ²-hybrid states; different combinations of N, O, S, and Se atoms were studied. The stability of the onium states of the nitrogen atom was found to be greater than for its chalcogen analogs and the relative stability of onium states of the chalcogen analogs was found to depend on the hybridization of these atoms. Analysis of these results permitted us to construct a stability series of onium derivatives and to interpret the positional selectivity in electrophilic substitution reactions of five-membered heterocyclic compounds with one heteroatom. To J. Stradins, an outstanding and tireless scientist, with our deep respect and sincere affection. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1801–1808, December, 2008.     

Infrared and Raman Spectra,Conformational Stability,Ab Initio Calculations,and Vibrational Assignments for Cyclopropyldifluorosilane

The infrared (3200–30 cm^–1) spectra of gaseous and solid Cyclopropyldifluorosilane, c-C₃H₅SiF₂H, and the Raman spectra (3200–20 cm^–1) of the liquid with quantitative depolarization values and the solid have been recorded. Both the syn (cis) and skew (gauche) conformers have been identified in the fluid phases, but only the syn conformer remains in the solid. Variable temperature (–55 to –100°C) studies of the infrared spectra of the sample dissolved in liquid xenon have been carried out. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 73 ± 10 cm^–1 (209 ± 29 cal mol^–1), with the syn conformer being the more stable rotamer, which is at variance with the predictions from ab initio calculations. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for both conformers based on infared band contours, relative intensities, depolarization values, and group frequencies. The vibrational assignments are supported by normal coordinate calculations utilizing the force constants from ab initio MP2/6-31G* calculations. Utilizing the frequencies of the silicon–hydrogen sketch, the rm Si—H bond distances of 1.474 and 1.472 Å have been obtained for the syn and skew conformers, respectively. Complete equilibrium geometries have been determined for both rotamers by ab initio calculations employing the 6-31G* and 6-311 +G** basis sets at levels of restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) and/or Moller–Plesset (MP) to second order. The potential energy terms for the conformer interconversion have been obtained from the MP2/6-31G* calculation. The results are discussed and compared to those obtained for some similar molecules.