Vibrational markers for the open-shell character of transition metal bis-dithiolenes: an infrared, resonance raman, and quantum chemical study

Transition metal complexes involving the benzene-1,2-dithiol (L(2-)) and Sellmann's 3,5-di-tert-butylbenzene-1,2-dithiol(L(Bu 2-)) ligands have been studied by UV-vis, infrared (IR), and resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopies. Raman spectra were obtained in resonance with the intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) bands in the near-infrared region and ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) bands in the near-UV region. Geometry optimization and frequency calculations using density functional theory (DFT) have been performed for [M(L)(2)](z) and [M(L(Bu))(2)](z) species (M = Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Cu, Au, z = -1; M = Au, z = 0). On the basis of frequency calculations and normal-mode analysis, we have assigned the most important totally symmetric vibrations as well as corresponding overtone and combination bands that appear in rR spectra of compounds [Ni(L)(2)](1-), [M(L(Bu))(2)](1-) (M = Ni, Pt, Co, Cu). Experimental values of dimensionless normal coordinate displacements in excited states have been determined by fitting of rR spectra together with the absorption band shape, based on the time-dependent theory of Heller. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and multireference post-Hartree-Fock ab initio calculations, using the difference dedicated configuration interaction (MR-DDCI) method, were carried out to evaluate dimensionless normal coordinate displacements quantum chemically. The calculations show encouraging agreement with the experimental values. The large distortions along several normal modes led to significant vibronic broadening of IVCT and LMCT bands, and the broadening was accounted for in the deconvolution of the absorption spectra. The presence of an intense rR band around approximately 1100 cm(-1) was found to be a reliable marker for the presence of sulfur-based radicals.     

Comment on a sum rule for vibrational raman optical activity

The expressions for the sum of vibrational Raman optical activity (ROA) intensities indicate that the ROA intensity sum for chiral molecules is non-zero for those with an anisotropic electric dipole polarizability. The non-zero sum depends upon the electric dipole, magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole polarizability components and moments of inertia at equilibrium geometry.     

Induction of optical activity in oligosilanes within the internal cavity of cyclodextrins

The first example of induced optical activity of oligosilanes within the internal cavity of gamma-cyclodextrins is reported.     

Vibrational spectra of linear oligomers of carbonic acid: a quantum chemical study

Gas phase quantum chemical calculations of linear, hydrogen bonded oligomers of carbonic acid have been carried out to examine the feasibility for such species to be the building blocks of crystalline carbonic acid. Infrared and Raman vibrational spectra have been calculated and are compared against experimentally known spectra for two polymorphs of carbonic acid. The calculated anharmonic frequencies of the linear oligomer agree well with the experimental data for the centrosymmetric β-carbonic acid, rather than with that for the α polymorph. These calculations strongly suggest that β-carbonic acid should consist of one-dimensional hydrogen bonded carbonic acid molecules in the anti-anti conformation.     

Diarylethylene guest anchored into a cyclodextrin molecular host: optical,quantum chemical studies and biological activity

The host–guest complexation between a novel guest namely; 2-(4-pyridinylbenzothiazolyl) ethane, PBE and β-cyclodextrin was studied using steady-state absorption and emission techniques. The fluorescence maximum is strongly blue-shifted with a great enhancement in the fluorescence intensity upon addition of β-CD, confirming the formation of inclusion complexes. The solid inclusion complex between PBE and β-CD has been prepared, characterised using FT-IR, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope techniques. PBE is encapsulated with β-CD nanocavity and 1:1 PBE–β-CD host–guest interaction is identified. This is confirmed using semi-empirical quantum chemical calculations. PBE guest entered into the less polar cavity through the benzothiazole moiety. The negative values of enthalpy and free energy changes suggest that the encapsulation process is thermodynamically favourable. Additionally, the fluorescence is more sensitive to the micellar medium, whether it was cationic, anionic or neutral as well as metal ions like, Li⁺, Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺. Finally, the antimicrobial activities of PBE guest and its inclusion complex with β-CD host are studied.     

Grafting of chains organo-silane on silica surface: a quantum chemical investigation

Theoretical calculations have been carried out on the grafting of two chains organo-silane compounds on SiO₂ hydroxylated solid surfaces. Considering two different silylated coupling agents, two grafting stable complexes are obtained. These complexes are stabilized by two interactions: (i) the chain is grafted to the cluster with a covalent bond SiOSi; (ii) the chain interacts with the cluster via an hydrogen bond HOO in the other side of the chain. The electronic, geometrical and vibrational properties of these systems are analysed. These results give new insight about the grafting of long chains organo-silane on silica surfaces.     

Turning optical chemosensors into optodes: a quantum chemical and experimental case-study

Replacing a nitro-group with a 2-hydroxyethyl sulfonyl moiety in an optical sensor for sodium ions allowed for its covalent linking into cellulose membranes. Both quantum chemical and experimental data confirmed the low impact of such structural modification on the sensor performances, thus representing a quite general way for building optodes.     

NMR hyperfine shifts in blue copper proteins: a quantum chemical investigation

We present the results of the first quantum chemical investigations of 1H NMR hyperfine shifts in the blue copper proteins (BCPs): amicyanin, azurin, pseudoazurin, plastocyanin, stellacyanin, and rusticyanin. We find that very large structural models that incorporate extensive hydrogen bond networks, as well as geometry optimization, are required to reproduce the experimental NMR hyperfine shift results, the best theory vs experiment predictions having R2 = 0.94, a slope = 1.01, and a SD = 40.5 ppm (or approximately 4.7% of the overall approximately 860 ppm shift range). We also find interesting correlations between the hyperfine shifts and the bond and ring critical point properties computed using atoms-in-molecules theory, in addition to finding that hyperfine shifts can be well-predicted by using an empirical model, based on the geometry-optimized structures, which in the future should be of use in structure refinement.     

Search for tetrylene structures that can exhibit catalytic activity: a quantum chemical approach

We present the results of a quantum chemical study of a series of tetrylenes (silylenes, germylenes, and stannylenes), aimed at identifying structural and electronic factors affecting the width of the HOMO—LUMO energy gap. Compounds considered in this work contain atoms of Group 14 elements in both di- and tricoordinate states due to additional transannular interaction. They bear substituents bonded to the atom of the Group 14 element through atoms with and without lone electron pairs. It was found that tetrylenes stabilized by both additional transannular interaction and direct bonds between the atom of the Group 14 element and the heteroatom containing a lone electron pair (in this situation the ligand acts as n-donor) are characterized by wide HOMO—LUMO energy gaps, the gap in stannylenes always being narrower than in the related silylenes and germylenes. Localization of the HOMO and LUMO in certain tetrylenes is analyzed.

     

The optical activity of carvone: a theoretical and experimental investigation

The optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and circular dichroism of the conformationally flexible carvone molecule has been investigated in 17 solvents and compared with results from calculations for the "free" (gas phase) molecule. The G3 method was used to determine the relative energies of the six conformers. The optical rotation of (R)-(-)-carvone at 589 nm was calculated using coupled cluster and density functional methods, including temperature-dependent vibrational corrections. Vibrational corrections are significant and are primarily associated with normal modes involving the stereogenic carbon atom and the carbonyl group, whose n → π? excitation plays a significant role in the chiroptical response of carvone. Without the inclusion of vibrational corrections the optical rotation calculated with CCSD and DFT has the opposite sign of experimental data. Calculations of optical rotation performed in solution using the polarizable continuum model were also opposite in sign when compared to that of the experiment.     

Vibrational Raman optical activity of pi-conjugated helical systems: hexahelicene and heterohelicenes

Helicenes constitute a special class of molecules combining helical conformation with pi-electron delocalization. These confer to helicenes specific chirooptical properties. In this article, we investigate the vibrational signatures thanks to the simulation of vibrational Raman optical activity (VROA) spectra. For that, four representative helicenes: hexahelicene, tetrathia-[7]-helicene, and its pyrrole and furan analogs have been simulated and interpreted using a recently implemented analytical scheme. Helicenes show intense VROA peaks attributed to their pi-conjugated structure and associated with collective vibrational modes. In hexahelicene, the dominant VROA features are due to vibrational modes involving motions of the carbon skeleton and H-wagging, but the intensity finds its source almost exclusively in the former. In the case of the three heterohelicenes, the previous statement is also verified, and on changing the heteroatoms, similar modes presenting comparable atomic contribution patterns have been highlighted, though the vibrational and electronic properties are modified. Some fingerprints could therefore be associated with the helicity of the system. In particular, in forward spectra, most of the VROA bands are positive for left-handed helicenes. Nevertheless, the spectral patterns are quite complex, and no easy rule-of-thumb could distinguish between the different heterohelicenes. Then, considering the fact that most of the contributions originate from the C atoms (group coupling matrices decomposition), it can be concluded that the major role of the heteroatom is restricted to modifying the geometry and the normal modes. At last, the small impact of the gauge-origin on the calculated spectra using a relatively modest basis set (rDPS:3-21G) is demonstrated here in the case of the tetrathia-[7]-helicene molecule presenting a C(2) symmetry. This further demonstrates the adequacy of this basis set for VROA calculations.     

Vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical studies of 1,6,7,12,13,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene and related compounds

The spectral properties of 1,6,7,12,13,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene (HATN) and a number of related compounds are modeled using density functional theory, B3LYP. The calculations predict the frequencies with mean absolute deviation of 6 cm(-1) and there is little improvement on going to basis sets larger than 6-31 G(d). The substituent effects on the observed spectra are modeled effectively in both frequency shifts and relative intensities. The electronic properties may be predicted using TD-DFT and these are in very good agreement, in terms of transition energies and intensities, with the experimental data.     

Calixarenes as hosts for ammonium cations: a quantum chemical study and mass-spectrometric investigations

Host-guest complexes of tetramethylcavitand with different ammonium cations were investigated by using a quantum chemical method at the density functional level (BP86, B3 LYP). The NH4+ cation is strongly bound to the host. Increasing methyl substitution at the cation decreases its inclination towards the complex formation. The calculated data are in line with results from electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) experiments. They reveal stable aggregates only for the NH4+ cation and for the primary alkylammonium cations.     

Structural, electronic, and optical properties of 9-heterofluorenes: a quantum chemical study

Density-functional theory studies were applied to investigate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of 9-heterofluorenes achieved by substituting the carbon at 9 position of fluorene with silicon, germanium, nitrogen, phosphor, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or boron. These heterofluorenes and their oligomers up to pentamers are highly aromatic and electrooptically active. The alkyl and aryl substituents of the heteroatom have limited influence, but the oxidation of the atom has significant influence on their molecular structures and properties. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) interaction theory was successfully applied to analyze the energy levels and the frontier wave functions of these heterofluorenes. Most heterofluorenes belong to type B of interaction with low-lying LUMO and have the second kind of wave function. Carbazole and selenafluorene have type C of interaction with high-lying HOMO and the third kind of wave function. Types C and D of heterofluorenes, such as carbazole, oxygafluorene, sulfurafluorene, and selenafluorene also have high triplet state energies. The extrapolated HOMO and LUMO for polyheterofluorenes indicate that polyselenonafluorene has the lowest LUMO; polycarbazole has the highest HOMO; polyselenafluorene has the highest bandgap (E(g)); and polyborafluorene has the lowest E(g). Heterofluorenes and their oligomers and polymers are of great experimental interests, especially those having extraordinary properties revealed in this study.     

Vibronic absorption, fluorescence, and phosphorescence spectra of psoralen: a quantum chemical investigation

Excited state potential energy hypersurfaces of 7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one (psoralen) have been explored employing (time-dependent) Kohn-Sham density functional theory. At selected points, we have determined electronic excitation energies and electric dipole (transition) moments utilizing a combined density functional/multireference configuration interaction method. Spin-orbit coupling has been taken into account employing an efficient, non-empirical spin-orbit mean-field Hamiltonian. Franck-Condon factors have been computed for vibrational modes with large displacements in the respective Dushinsky transformations. The simulated band spectra closely resemble experimental band shapes and thus validate the theoretically determined nuclear structures at the S(0), S(1), and T(1) minima. In the S(1) (pi(HOMO)-->pi*(LUMO)) state, the lactone bond of the pyrone ring is significantly elongated. From excited vibrational levels of the S(1) state a conical intersection between a (pi-->sigma*) excited state and the electronic ground state may be energetically accessible. Fast non-radiative decay via this relaxation pathway could explain the low fluorescence quantum yield of psoralen. The T(1) (pi(HOMO-1)-->pi*(LUMO)) exhibits a diradicaloid electronic structure with a broken C(5)-C(6) double bond in the pyrone ring. A variational multireference spin-orbit configuration interaction procedure yields a phosphorescence lifetime of 3 s, in excellent agreement with experimental estimates.     

Ab initio quantum chemical investigation of the first steps of the photocycle of phototropin: a model study

Phototropin is a blue light-activated photoreceptor that plays a dominant role in the phototropism of plants. The protein contains two subunits that bind flavin mononucleotide (FMN), which are responsible for the initial steps of the light-induced reaction. It has been proposed that the photoexcited flavin molecule adds a cysteine residue of the protein backbone, thus activating autophosphorylation of the enzyme. In this study, the electronic properties of several FMN-related compounds in different charge and spin states are characterized by means of ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. The model compounds serve as idealized model chromophores for phototropism. Reaction energies are estimated for simple model reactions, roughly representing the addition of a cysteine residue to the flavin molecule. Excitation energies were calculated with the help of time-dependent density functional theory. On the basis of these calculations we propose the following mechanism for the addition reaction: (1) after photoexcitation of FMN out of the singlet ground state S0, excited singlet state(s) are populated; these relax to the lowest excited singlet state S1, and subsequently by intersystem crossing FMN in the lowest triplet state, T1 is formed; (2) the triplet easily removes the neutral hydrogen atom from the H-S group of the cysteine residue; and (3) the resulting thio radical is added.     

On the quantum mechanical theory of natural optical activity

Optical activity due to the coupling of molecular subunits is discussed in its dependence on various electromagnetic tensor properties of the subunits and on geometrical parameters. Certain approximation aspects of the theory are analyzed. Symmetry rules for dynamic-coupling terms are derived. Origin-dependent tensors are eliminated by referring their components to local frequency-dependent polarizability centers. Kirkwood's reduced first order result is revisited.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Günther Ludwig on the occasion of his retirement from the Philipps-Universität in Marburg/Lahn, Germany