Methane—the Promising Career of a Humble Molecule

Methane, CH4, here represents natural gas (NG) of which it is the main constituent. Routes ofchemical utilisation of NG — as opposed to energy usage — are discussed. A main step is the conversion of NG to synthesis gas, a mixture of CO and H2. Simple molecules derived from synthesis gas, like methanol,can be further reacted to longer-chained hydrocarbons like propylene and other olefins and even to gasoline and diesel.     

A QUANTUM CHEMICAL STUDY ON ENZYME-CATALYZED REACTIONS Hydrogen Migration between the Imidazole Molecule and the Water Molecule and the Influence of Oxidation Thereon

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A Method for Multiconformational Modeling of the Three‐Dimensional Shape of a Molecule

A method for multiconformational modeling of the threedimensional shape of a molecule is proposed that includes search for conformers, their optimum superposition, and analysis of spatial features of the resulting structure. The method allows one to determine features of various molecular conformations of compounds under study, to assess the contributions of conformers to particular properties of the substance, to evaluate the space occupied by the molecule, and to compare the average size of the multiconformational model of the molecule with the sizes of the most stable conformations. The potentials of the model are illustrated by density calculations for 137 organic liquids.     

Perspective: Do macromolecules play a role in the mechanisms of nerve stimulation and nervous transmission?

Fibrillar macromolecular networks are ubiquitous in biological systems, from cellular cytoskeletons to tissues such as muscle and tendon. The presence of such networks in neuronal tissue is known, for example, in the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix in and around neuronal and glial cells, but their function is believed to be principally mechanical/structural in nature. However, there has long been speculation regarding a broader role for neuronal fibrillar macromolecules, which are anionic polyelectrolytes, specifically regarding their participation in nervous stimulation and transmission. This Perspective reviews literature that spans more than a century, including very recent work, and attempts to build a case for considering a multifunctional role for such macromolecules that includes participation in not only nervous activity but also in diverse phenomena including electric communication within and between cells and mechanisms of anesthetic action. Perhaps the creation and utilization of “artificial axons” is within reach with design rules coming at least in part from fundamental considerations of macromolecular science. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 7–14     

Does the DNA Binding Mode of a Molecule Affect its Ability to Interact With Singlet Oxygen?

Singlet oxygen is known to be a potent mutagenic agent and several biologically relevant molecules have been proposed to act as scavengers for this noxious species. However, numerous studies have been conducted in homogenous solution and the reactivity of singlet oxygen scavengers known to bind DNA has never been investigated in double-stranded DNA. In the following paper, we present the results obtained regarding the interaction between 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and singlet oxygen. We show the molecule to be a potent scavenger of singlet oxygen in aqueous solution with an absolute rate constant (chemical and physical quenching of singlet oxygen) of (1.7 ± 0.3) × 10⁷  m ⁻¹ s⁻¹. In addition, we demonstrate that the binding mode of a singlet oxygen scavenger to DNA can strongly influence its reactivity toward singlet oxygen. In the case of DAPI, while the molecule exhibits a chemical reaction with singlet oxygen when the molecule is free in aqueous solution or intercalated in GC sequences of DNA, DAPI becomes chemically unreactive toward singlet oxygen when bound in the minor groove of DNA AT sequences.     

Do the hemeproteins behave as a dissipative structure?

Continuing the search for a broader interpretation of hemeprotein behavior, we give preliminary results showing that there are electric and dynamic couplings between the heme group and amino acid residues within the protein matrix. EPR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies on azidometmyoglobin show that both magnetic and geometric properties of Fe N₃ evolve in the same nonlinear way as pH is increased and are tightly correlated to the strains on the helical segments of the protein. Flash photolysis of carbon monoxide hemoglobin, in the presence of ethanol or formamide, allows the study of cosolvent effects on geminate and nongeminate recombinations of the CO ligand trapped within the protein matrix. Data clearly show that cosolvents alter the statistic fluctuations of the protein, as well as the ligand partition between different protein matrix domains. From these studies, it is concluded that alterations occurring at particular sites give way to global protein perturbations. Then, each perturbated protein domain—binding site included—evolves with its own sensitivity to a new metastable state of the protein. The amplification of the initial perturbation which—instead of regressing—progressively propagates through the whole macromolecule is typical of a dissipative structure in the Prigogine sense. Biological properties of hemeproteins largely involve the surrounding solvent, via permanent or temporary exchanges of water molecules, protons, and small ligands. These fluxes along with their entropic corollary are not quite compatible with a conservative system. These works present the current trends developed in our laboratory in association with the European network “The Dynamics of Protein Structure.” In this framework, our laboratory collaborates with Dr. W. Doster and T. Kleinert (Munich, Germany) for the CO recombination studies in hemoglobin and with Dr. J. Hutterman (Homburg, Germany) and Drs. A. Bianconi and S. Della Longa (Rome and L'Aquila, Italy) for the magnetic and geometric properties of the myoglobin iron site. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chemical reactivity of the imidazole: a semblance of pyridine and pyrrole?

It has been suggested that pyridine and pyrrole could be patterns for imidazole reactivity studies due to the amine (-NH-) and aza (-N═) nitrogen atoms. The analyses of the local and global electronic indexes prove and quantify that imidazole has an intermediate analogy between pyrrole and pyridine.     

Do We Understand the Recyclability of Ionic Liquids?

Recycling of “green” solvents : Recycling of ionic liquids with high efficiency is of key importance on going from the laboratory‐scale to large‐scale industrial application of these solvents.

     

ChemInform Abstract: Is the Molecule BOK Quasi-Linear?

From ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations it can be concluded that the hitherto unknown BOK molecule is most probably linear.     

Effect of Hydrophobic Chain of Dye Molecule and Surface of Active Crystal on the Organized Assemblies Formation of Dyes

Four derivatives of 5,5',6,6'-tetrachlorobenzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide with different long alkyl chain substituents in N-position of polymethine chromophore have been used for investigating the influence of hydrophobicity of dyes on the aggregation.It has been found that all dyes formed monomeric species in methyl alcohol. However, after addition of water to CH_3OH to change the polarity of the solvent, difference between dyes appeared.Addition of inorganic salt facilitated the J-aggregation of easy soluble dye, but it seems useless for the sparely soluble dye.Platelets cut from AgBr polycrystal or pressed AgBr powder have been used as substrate for adsorbing dyes. After addition of hexanoic acid, eventually the J-aggregate on AgBr surface could be destroyed.Voltammetry is a useful tool to investigate the interaction between dyes and AgBr. Experimental results showed that the longer the carbon chain substituents is, the stronger the interaction between AgBr and dyes would be.     

Do anions influence the polarity of protic ionic liquids?

Polarity studies in two classes of imidazolium-based protic ionic liquids (PILs) possessing [HSO(4)](-), [HCOO](-), [CH(3)COO](-) and [CH(3)CH(2)COO](-) anions were carried out using a solvatochromic method from 298.15 to 353.15 K. For 1-methylimidazolium class of PILs, E(T)(30) was found to be independent over the entire range of temperature, while E(T)(30) was noted to decrease with a rise in temperature in the case of 1-butylimidazolium class of PILs containing [CH(3)COO](-) and [CH(3)CH(2)COO](-) anions. The E(T)(30) value decreases in both the classes upon varying the anions ([HSO(4)](-), [HCOO](-), [CH(3)COO](-) and [CH(3)CH(2)COO](-)). The E(T)(30) value is controlled by hydrogen bond acceptor basicity, β, and dipolarity/polarizability, π*. The E(T)(30) value for PILs varies inversely to the strength of the coulombic interaction between ions in PILs. Strong interactions between ions lead to lower E(T)(30) values. Unlike the poor thermal effect on E(T)(30), the Kamlet-Taft parameters i.e. α, β and π* have pronounced thermal effect in the imidazolium-based PILs. Variation in the Kamlet-Taft parameters is controlled by the stabilization of ions and the degree of proton transfer from Br?nsted acid to Br?nsted base.     

When Do Interacting Atoms Form a Chemical Bond? Spectroscopic Measurements and Theoretical Analyses of Dideuteriophenanthrene

Don't rewrite the textbooks! Vibrational spectra of a selectively deuterated derivative of phenanthrene indicate that the C4H???HC5 interaction in its “bay” area should be interpreted as steric (Pauli) repulsion. These findings and the results of theoretical analysis are in conflict with interpretations that describe this interaction as strongly stabilizing.

     

Probing a Hydrogen-π Interaction Involving a Trapped Water Molecule in the Solid State

The detection and characterization of trapped water molecules in chemical entities and biomacromolecules remains a challenging task for solid materials. We herein present proton-detected solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments at 100 kHz magic-angle spinning and at high static magnetic-field strengths (28.2 T) enabling the detection of a single water molecule fixed in the calix[4]arene cavity of a lanthanide complex by a combination of three types of non-covalent interactions. The water proton resonances are detected at a chemical-shift value close to zero ppm, which we further confirm by quantum-chemical calculations. Density Functional Theory calculations pinpoint to the sensitivity of the proton chemical-shift value for hydrogen-π interactions. Our study highlights how proton-detected solid-state NMR is turning into the method-of-choice in probing weak non-covalent interactions driving a whole branch of molecular-recognition events in chemistry and biology.     

Do the interstellar molecules CCCO and CCCS rearrange when energised?

Neutrals CCCO, CC(13)CO, CCCS and CC(13)CS have been prepared by one-electron vertical (Franck-Condon) oxidation of the precursor anion radicals (CCCO)(-*), (CC(13)CO)(-*), (CCCS)(-*) and (CC(13)CS)(-*)respectively in collision cells of a reverse sector mass spectrometer. Ionisation of the neutrals to decomposing cations shows the neutrals to be stable for the microsecond duration of the neutralisation-ionisation ((-)NR(+)) experiment. No rearrangement of the label in energised CC(13)CO or CC(13)CS occurs during these experiments. In contrast, minor rearrangement of (CC(13)CO)(+*) is observed [(CC(13)CO)(+*)-->(OCC(13)C)(+*), while significant rearrangement occurs for (CC(13)CS)(+*) [(CC(13)CS)(+*)-->(SCC(13)C)(+*)]. Theoretical calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory show that the cationic rearrangements occur by stepwise processes via key rhombic structures. Overall, the degenerate processes result in O and S migration from C-3 to C-1. The cations (CCCO)(+*) and (CCCS)(+*) require excess energies of > or = 516 and > or = 226 kJ mol(-1) respectively to effect rearrangement.