Local ordering in liquids: solvent effects on the hyperfine couplings of the cyclohexadienyl radical

Ordering of solvent molecules in the vicinity of a dipolar free radical affects its hyperfine coupling constants (hfcs). Specifically, it is demonstrated how the variation of the experimental methylene proton and muon hfcs of the muoniated cyclohexadienyl radical in several solvents and solvent mixtures of varying polarity can be accounted for by a dipole-dipole reaction field model that is based on the model of Reddoch and Konishi (J. Chem. Phys. 1979, 70, 2121) which was developed to explain the solvent dependence of the 14N hfc in the di-tert-butyl-nitroxide radical. Ab initio calculations were carried out with the cyclohexadienyl radical in an electric field to model the electric field arising from the electric dipole moments of the surrounding solvent molecules. An extension of the model that includes the dipole-quadrupole interaction can account for the larger hfc in benzene compared with that in octadecane, and it is predicted that the hfc will be proportional to the concentration of quadrupole moments to the 4/3 power. The influence of hydrogen bonding between the radicals' pi electrons and the OH groups of the solvent on the hfcs is also discussed. Comparison with gas-phase data permits a separation of vibrational effects and reveals that approximately 28% of the temperature dependence in water is due to increasing solvent disorder.     

Environmental effects on phenoxyl free radical spin densities and hyperfine couplings

The effect of the environment, as modelled by hydrogen bonding, ion-pairing and/or general continuum model effects, is investigated for the phenoxyl free radical. All are shown to lead to a redistribution of spin density from the phenoxyl O atom to the C_ipso position. Isotropic and anisotropic hyperfine couplings are calculated at the B3LYP level of theory confirming this trend. Introduction of the continuum model has a significant effect the Na-O bond length of the ion-pair model significantly altering its calculated EPR properties in comparison with gas-phase values. The trends identified are of immediate significance for biological environmental effects on tyrosyl free radicals.     

Understanding solvent effects on hyperfine coupling constants of cyclohexadienyl radicals

Quantum chemical calculations have been carried out to understand better solvent effects on the isotropic muon and proton hyperfine coupling constants in the C₆H₆Mu^• radical. Both polarizable continuum solvent models and explicit inclusion of water molecules into supermolecular complexes were used. Changes in the hyperfine couplings of in-plane hydrogen atoms are very small and difficult to discuss, partly due to relatively large experimental error bars. In contrast, the out-of-plane proton and muon hyperfine couplings exhibit more pronounced changes. These are partly due to structural changes of the radical and partly due to direct electronic polarization effects. Polarizable continuum solvent models agree well with experimental changes for benzene but overshoot the enhancement of the hyperfine couplings for water. Explicit inclusion of water molecules reduces this overestimated spin density increase and thereby tends to bring theory and experiment into closer agreement. The enhancement of the spin density on the out-of-plane hydrogen or muon atoms by the solvent environment is mainly due to an increased polarization of the singly occupied MO towards this side. Electronic Supplementary Material: Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00214-005-0680-x     

Multi-scale modelling of solvatochromic shifts from frozen-density embedding theory with non-uniform continuum model of the solvent: the coumarin 153 case

For nine solvents of various polarity (from cyclohexane to water), the solvatochromic shifts of the lowest absorption band of coumarin 153 are evaluated using a computational method based on frozen-density embedding theory [Wesolowski and Warshel, J. Chem Phys., 1993, 97, 9050, and subsequent articles]. In the calculations, the average electron density of the solvent [linear span]ρ(B)(r[combining right harpoon above])[linear span] is used as the frozen density. [linear span]ρ(B)(r[combining right harpoon above])[linear span] is evaluated using the statistical-mechanical approach introduced in Kaminski et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2010, 114, 6082. The small deviations between experimental and calculated solvatochromic shifts (the average deviation equals to about 0.02 eV), confirm the adequacy of the key approximations applied: (a) in the evaluation of the average effect of the solvent on the excitation energy, using the average density of the solvent instead of averaging the shifts over statistical ensemble and (b) using the approximant for the bi-functional of the non-electrostatic component of the orbital-free embedding potential, are adequate for chromophores which interact with the environment by non-covalent bonds. The qualitative analyses of the origin of the solvatochromic shifts are made using the graphical representation of the orbital-free embedding potential.     

Spin relaxation effects in photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization spectroscopy of nuclei with strongly anisotropic hyperfine couplings

We describe experimental results and theoretical models for nuclear and electron spin relaxation processes occurring during the evolution of 19F-labeled geminate radical pairs on a nanosecond time scale. In magnetic fields of over 10 T, electron-nucleus dipolar cross-relaxation and longitudinal DeltaHFC-Deltag (hyperfine coupling anisotropy--g-tensor anisotropy) cross-correlation are shown to be negligibly slow. The dominant relaxation process is transverse DeltaHFC-Deltag cross-correlation, which is shown to lead to an inversion in the geminate 19F chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) phase for sufficiently large rotational correlation times. This inversion has recently been observed experimentally and used as a probe of local mobility in partially denatured proteins (Khan, F.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 10729-10737). The essential feature of the spin dynamics model employed here is the use of the complete spin state space and the complete relaxation superoperator. On the basis of the results reported, we recommend this approach for reliable treatment of magnetokinetic systems in which relaxation effects are important.     

Modeling solvent effects in molecular dynamics simulations of proteins

A series of computer simulations has been carried out on bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor using various models to mimic the effects of explicit bulk solvent on the structure of the protein. The solvent properties included are the polarization of the solute by the polar bulk solvent and the restraining effect on the motional freedom of the solute due to frictional drag at the solvent–protein surface interface. The former has been included by using a distance–dependent dielectric permittivity to screen the electrostatic interactions, whereas the latter is simulated by adding a limited number of solvent molecules near the protein surface. To achieve the proper mobility of the water molecules, their motion was restrained by adding a harmonic restraining force. It was found that a very small force constant was sufficient to model the static and dynamical behavior of the fully solvated solute, but that it was necessary to include enough explicit waters to occupy the first solvation shell. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Relativistic spin-orbit effects on hyperfine coupling tensors by density-functional theory

A second-order perturbation theory treatment of spin-orbit corrections to hyperfine coupling tensors has been implemented within a density-functional framework. The method uses the all-electron atomic mean-field approximation and/or spin-orbit pseudopotentials in incorporating one- and two-electron spin-orbit interaction within a first-principles framework. Validation of the approach on a set of main-group radicals and transition metal complexes indicates good agreement between all-electron and pseudopotential results for hyperfine coupling constants of the lighter nuclei in the system, except for cases in which scalar relativistic effects become important. The nonrelativistic Fermi contact part of the isotropic hyperfine coupling constants is not always accurately reproduced by the exchange-correlation functionals employed, particularly for the triplet and pi-type doublet radicals in the present work. For this reason, ab initio coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples results for the first-order contributions have been combined in the validation calculations with the density-functional results for the second-order spin-orbit contributions. In the cases where spin-orbit corrections are of significant magnitude relative to the nonrelativistic first-order terms, they improve the agreement with experiment. Antisymmetric contributions to the hyperfine tensor arise from the spin-orbit contributions and are discussed for the IO2 radical, whereas rovibrational effects have been evaluated for RhC, NBr, and NI.     

Some calculations of solvent effects on one bond NC spin–spin couplings

The solvaton model, incorporating INDO parameters and commonly encountered perturbation procedures, is employed to obtain the variation of ¹J(N≡C) as a function of the dielectric of the medium (?) for some cyanides and isocyanides. In all cases considered ¹J(N≡C) is predicted to become increasingly negative as ? increases. Changes of up to 2 Hz in ¹J(N≡C) are expected, with the isocyanides being more sensitive than the cyanides to a change in ?.     

Modeling of solvent flow effects in enzyme catalysis under physiological conditions

A stochastic model for the dynamics of enzymatic catalysis in explicit, effective solvents under physiological conditions is presented. Analytically-computed first passage time densities of a diffusing particle in a spherical shell with absorbing boundaries are combined with densities obtained from explicit simulation to obtain the overall probability density for the total reaction cycle time of the enzymatic system. The method is used to investigate the catalytic transfer of a phosphoryl group in a phosphoglycerate kinase-ADP-bis phosphoglycerate system, one of the steps of glycolysis. The direct simulation of the enzyme-substrate binding and reaction is carried out using an elastic network model for the protein, and the solvent motions are described by multiparticle collision dynamics which incorporates hydrodynamic flow effects. Systems where solvent-enzyme coupling occurs through explicit intermolecular interactions, as well as systems where this coupling is taken into account by including the protein and substrate in the multiparticle collision step, are investigated and compared with simulations where hydrodynamic coupling is absent. It is demonstrated that the flow of solvent particles around the enzyme facilitates the large-scale hinge motion of the enzyme with bound substrates, and has a significant impact on the shape of the probability densities and average time scales of substrate binding for substrates near the enzyme, the closure of the enzyme after binding, and the overall time of completion of the cycle.     

Modeling of solvent viscosity effects on the electroreduction of Pt(II) aquachlorocomplexes

Solvent dynamics effects on the electroreduction of [PtCl₃(H₂O)]⁻ at a mercury electrode are explored in the framework of Sumi–Marcus model using an efficient computational scheme. According to results of density functional calculations, the second electron transfer step may be regarded as rate controlling. The nonmonotonous influence of solvent viscosity on the reaction rate is predicted and explained in terms of the saddle point avoidance. The results of model calculations are employed to interpret experimental data reported earlier in the literature.

Ligand effects on Negishi couplings of alkenyl halides

Negishi couplings at olefinic centers do not always occur with the anticipated maintenance of stereochemistry. The source of erosion has been traced to the ligand, and a modified method has been developed that solves the stereochemical issue and significantly improves yields of Negishi couplings in general.     

Modeling rate-controlling solvent effects. The pericyclic meisenheimer rearrangement of N-propargylmorpholine N-oxide

The activation parameters of the pericyclic Meisenheimer rearrangement and a competitive rearrangement of N-propargylmorpholine N-oxide were determined by experimental and computational methods. A number of aprotic and protic solvents of different polarities and hydrogen bond-forming abilities and the roles of electron-pair acceptor additives were investigated. The reaction kinetics were followed by means of NMR. In protic solvents, isotope-labeling experiments revealed a novel inverse secondary kinetic isotope effect (k(H)/k(D) about 0.8) for the rate-determining cyclization step, probably occurring because of a C(sp) --> C(sp(2)) change in hybridization at the reaction center. In molecular computations at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory, implicit, explicit, and joint explicit-implicit solvent models were used. The explicit-implicit model and molecular dynamic simulations gave the most accurate results. The components of the rate-controlling solvent effect are discussed, and general equations are proposed for accurate prediction of the solvent-dependent activation parameters.     

Specific solvent effects on the complexation of anions by ligands

From conductimetric measurements, the association constants K_A of chlorides and nitrates in acetonitrile and of bromides in both acetonitrile and nitrobenzene were determined in the presence of various amounts of benzoic acids. From these data it was possible to determine the values of the complexation constants k ₁ ^? between the ligands and the anions. In both solvents linear relationships exist between log k₁ and the Hammett σ parameters of the substituents. However, the values of both log k ₂ ^? for the unsubstituted benzoic acid and the correlation factors (η) are much lower in acetonitrile than in nitrobenzene. It is shown that this effect is due, to a large extent, to the complexation of the ligands by acetonitrile which competes with the ligandanion interaction. The η factors for the three anions lie in the order of their basicity in water.     

Some solvent effects on the solvent extraction of 8-quinolinol

The distribution constants of 8-quinolinol between water and a series of substituted aliphatic hydrocarbons, at 25 degrees , are reported. The results are discussed in terms of dielectric constant and solubility parameter of the solvents. For 8-quinolinol, and possibly for its chelates, bromochloromethane, dibromomethane and chloroform seem to be about the best solvents, in that order. Among the solvents studied, chloroform shows significantly higher values than expected; the deviation may be explained as a specific interaction of the hydrogen- bonding type.     

An ESR on formation of iminoxy free radicals—solvent effect on hyperfine splitting constants

The solvent effect on hyperfine interaction in three different types of iminoxy radicals obtained by oxidation of di-2-pyridiketoxime (1), diethyl hydroxyimino(2-fluorophenyl)methanephosphonate (2) and isonitrosoacetophenone (3) have been analyzed. Linear correlations of hyperfine constants of ¹⁴N (both iminoxyl and pyridyl nitrogens of the iminoxyl derived from 1), ³¹P (isomer Z of the iminoxyl derived from 2) and ¹⁹F (both Z and E isomer of iminoxyls derived from 2 on E_T (30) solvent parameters have been found. Opposite directions of the dependencies for different nuclei of the same radical have been established. Anisotropic spectra of the radical derived from 1 and iminoxy radicals derived from -furildioxime have been obtained by γ-irradiation of solid oximes.     

Ligand effects on the stereochemical outcome of Suzuki-Miyaura couplings

The ligands associated with various Pd catalysts play a crucial role in determining the stereochemistry of cross-couplings between boronic acids and Z-alkenyl halides. A ligand on palladium has been found that leads to the desired products under mild conditions and in high yields that, in most cases, retain their Z-olefin geometry.     

Non-neighbour effects on hyperfine coupling constants in alternant hydrocarbon radicals

An improvement of the McConnell formula for the correlation of hydrogen coupling constants in alternant hydrocarbon ions is derived.The new formula is analogous to the one recently proposed by Colpa and Bolton and is obtained without introducing any charge effect but only considering, in the first order perturbation expansion, terms arising from hydrogen next nearest neighbour carbon p orbitals.

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Zusammenfassung Die McConnell-Formel für die Wasserstoff-Kopplungskonstante in alternierenden Kohlenwasserstoffionen wird verbessert. Die neue Formel ist ein Analogen der kürzlich von Colpa und Bolton vorgeschlagenen, wird aber ohne Einführung von Ladungseffekten erhalten. Sie ergibt sich vielmehr durch Hinzunahme der Glieder, die die der CH-Bindung benachbarten Kohlenstoff-p-Eigenfunktionen in erster Näherung berücksichtigen.

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Résumé La formule de McConnell pour les constantes de couplage hyperfin protonique dans les ions des hydrocarbures alternants est améliorée.La nouvelle formule est analogue à une autre proposée récemment par Colpa et Bolton; on l'obtient, sans introduire des effets de charge, seulement par inclusion des termes perturbateurs de premier ordre, dérivant des orbitales p des carbones adjacent à la liaison C-H considérée.

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We thank the Italian National Research Council (Chemistry Commitee, Research Group IV) for financial support. One of us (P.L.N.) is grateful to Sicedison S.p.A. for a grant.