Spectroscopic studies of preferential and asymmetric solvation in substituted cyanoiron(II) complexes

The solvatochromism observed for substituted cyanoiron complexes depends on the acceptor properties of the solvents, according to v = v_o + a(AN), where ν is the measured spectral charge transfer energy and AN refers to the acceptor number scale. The parameter a was found to be strongly influenced by the solvation characteristics of the ligands compared with those of the cyanides. In H₂O+S mixed solvents, preferential solvation by water was observed where S was acetone or acetonitrile, but not when S was methanol, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide or related solvents.     

Simulation studies of the protein-water interface. II. Properties at the mesoscopic resolution

We report molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of three protein-water systems (ubiquitin, apo-calbindin D(9K), and the C-terminal SH2 domain of phospholipase C-gamma1), from which we compute the dielectric properties of the solutions. Since two of the proteins studied have a net charge, we develop the necessary theory to account for the presence of charged species in a form suitable for computer simulations. In order to ensure convergence of the time correlation functions needed for the analysis, the minimum length of the MD simulations was 20 ns. The system sizes (box length, number of waters) were chosen so that the resulting protein concentrations are comparable to experimental conditions. A dielectric component analysis was carried out to analyze the contributions from protein and water to the frequency-dependent dielectric susceptibility chi(omega) of the solutions. Additionally, an even finer decomposition into protein, two solvation shells, and the remaining water (bulk water) was carried out. The results of these dielectric decompositions were used to study protein solvation at mesoscopic resolution, i.e., in terms of protein, first and second solvation layers, and bulk water. This study, therefore, complements the structural and dynamical analyses at molecular resolution that are presented in the companion paper. The dielectric component contributions from the second shell and bulk water are very similar in all three systems. We find that the proteins influence the dielectric properties of water even beyond the second solvation shell, in agreement with what was observed for the mean residence times of water molecules in protein solutions. By contrast, the protein contributions, as well as the contributions of the first solvation shell, are system specific. Most importantly, the protein and the first water shell around ubiquitin and apo-calbindin are anticorrelated, whereas the first water shell around the SH2 domain is positively correlated.     

Spectroscopic studies on copper(II) complexes derived from a substituted 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone

Summary Copper(II) complexes of general formula [Cu(L4A)X] (where L4A is the deprotonated ligand, 1 H-hexahydroazepine-1-thiocarboxylic acid-2-[1-(2-pyridinyl)ethylidene]hydrazide and X=Cl, Br, I, NCS, NO₃ and OAc) and [Cu(HL4A)(L4A)]ClO₄ have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, i.r. spectra, electronic spectra, conductivity measurements and e.s.r. spectra in the polycrystalline state and in chloroform solution. For all complexes, except the perchlorate salt, coordination occurs via imine nitrogen, pyridine nitrogen and thione sulphur. For the perchlorate salt, L4A is tridentate, while HL4A is monodentate via imine nitrogen. Electronic spectra suggest planar geometry for all the complexes. The calculated e.s.r parameters suggest coordination through sulphur in agreement with the i.r. results.     

Spectroscopic Properties of Amine‐substituted Analogues of Firefly Luciferin and Oxyluciferin

Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of firefly luciferin and oxyluciferin analogues with an amine substituent (NH₂, NHMe and NMe₂) at the C6' position were studied based on absorption and fluorescence measurements. Their π‐electronic properties were investigated by DFT and TD‐DFT calculations. These compounds showed fluorescence solvatochromism with good quantum yields. An increase in the electron‐donating strength of the substituent led to the bathochromic shift of the fluorescence maximum. The fluorescence maxima of the luciferin analogues and the corresponding oxyluciferin analogues in a solvent were well correlated with each other. Based on the obtained data, the polarity of a luciferase active site was explained. As a result, the maximum wavelength of bioluminescence for a luciferin analogue was readily predicted by measuring the photoluminescence of the luciferin analogue in place of that of the corresponding oxyluciferin analogue.     

Cyanoalkyl Complexes of Platinum (II). I. Preparation and Spectroscopic Properties

The oxidative addition of XRCN to PtL₄ yields cis-and/or trans-PtX(RCN)L₂ (X = Cl, Br; R = (CH₂)_n, n = 1, 2, 3; L = PPh₃, PPh₂CH₃, AsPh₃). L is readily displaced by more basic phosphines or by a diphosphine. In each case the trans complex is the thermodynamically more stable isomer and cis-trans isomerization catalyzed by free L occurs in dichloromethane. Insertion of CO in the σ Pt? C bond takes place quantitatively in the case of cyanoethyl and cyanopropyl. Abstraction of X by AgBF₄ gives cis or trans cationic complexes with N-bonded CN group.     

Infrared and mass spectra of purine and substituted dihydropurines

Infrared spectra (potassium bromide) of purine, 7 (9)-deuteriopurine, 6-deuteriopurine, 8-deuteriopurine and a number of substituted dihydropurines are presented. The latter compounds are the 6-α-hydroxyalkyl-1,6 (or 3,6)dihydropurines formed by photoaddition of the respective alcohols to purine (4-6). From the comparative spectra of purine and its mono-deuterated derivatives, it is possible to make assignments of N-H and N-D stretching vibrations and tentative assignments of C-H deformation modes. The spectra of the substituted dihydropurines show evidence of interesting hydrogen-bonding interactions which are demonstrated most clearly in the distinct differences between the spectra of the diastereomeric purine-ethanol adducts. Mass spectra of these compounds all indicate progressive scission of HCN molecules from the principal radical-ion. In the case of the photo-adducts, HCN scission is preceded by scission at the site (i.e. 6-position) of alcohol addition to the purine ring.     

Voltammetric studies of purine bases and purine nucleosides with copper

Anodic stripping voltammetry with a hanging mercury drop electrode has been used to investigate the interaction of cooper with the purines adenine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and purine nucleosides adenosine, guanosine and inosine at an ionic strength of 0.1 M in KNO₃ and in the pH range 3.5–5.5. In all cases stabilisation of copper(I) occurs suggesting that the oxidation of copper(0) in the presence of excess ligand proceeds in two one-electron steps.Adsorption onto the electrode has been analysed and conditions where this is negligible were chosen for complexation studies. From the shift of the peak potential corresponding to Cu(0)/Cu(I) oxidation with increasing ligand concentration the stoichiometry of the complexes and their formation constants have been determined. The values obtained are discussed in terms of the ligand structure.     

Spectroscopic studies of copper(II) and iron(II) complexes of adriamycin

The complexes of adriamycin (ADM) with Cu(II) and Fe(II) have been studied by visible absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectra, respectively. In Tris buffer at pH 7.0, either metal ions forms a single species with adriamycin: Cu(ADM)2 or Fe(ADM)3. Interaction of these two complexes with various biological molecules has been examined. It is shown that some amino acids, glutathione and albumin are able to remove the Cu(II) ion from Cu(II)-ADM complex, releasing the free drug. However, Fe(II)-ADM keeps in an undissociated form under the same conditions. The possibility of Fe(II) ADM as a new alternative drug has been discussed.     

Spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies on solvatochromic nickel(II) complexes

Summary The solvatochromic and thermochromic behaviour of a series of mixed Ni(II) complexes with unsubstituted and substituted -diketones and diamines in the solvents 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), acetonitrile (An), acetone (AC),n-butanol (n-BuOH), formamide (FA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and pyridine (PY) has been studied and characterized on the basis of electronic spectra. Spectrophotometric methods have been used to evaluate equilibrium constants and their enthalpic and entropic terms for the formation of Ni(-dik)(diam)L ⁺ and Ni(-dik)(diam)L ₂ ⁺ . Increasing donor strength of the donor-solvents (L) and (or) increasing electronwithdrawing parameters of the substituents at the -diketone and the diamine ligands lead to increasing formation constants, paralleled by relative increase in the stability of the five-coordinated species Ni(-dik)(diam)L ⁺. The results are discussed in terms of the extended donor-acceptor concept.On leave of absence from the Faculty of Education, Ain Schams University, Roxy, Cairo, Egypt     

Spectroscopic studies of molecular interaction at the liquid–liquid interface

The development of techniques to study the liquid–liquid interface is a major challenge. Spectroscopy in all its forms provides a powerful method of investigation, especially when combined with other optical techniques. Over the last 30 years, there have been significant developments in the methods for studying heterogeneous interfaces. As technology progresses, the sensitivity of existing techniques has been improved but there are major challenges still to be met, such as the measurement of interfacial dielectric constant and viscosity. This paper aims to summarise the use of spectroscopy to study molecular interactions at the liquid–liquid interface.     

Spectroscopic studies of solvated hydrogen and hydroxide ions at aqueous surfaces

Measuring the molecular properties of the surface of acidic and basic aqueous solutions is essential to understanding a wide range of important biological, chemical, and environmental processes on our planet. In the present studies, vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) is employed in combination with isotopic dilution experiments at the vapor/water interface to elucidate the interfacial water structure as the pH is varied with HCl and NaOH. In acidic solutions, solvated proton species are seen throughout the interfacial region, and they alter the hydrogen bonding between water molecules in ways that reflect their depth in the interfacial region. At the higher frequencies of the OH stretch region, there is spectral evidence for solvated proton species residing in the topmost layers of the interfacial region. As reported in previous VSF studies, more strongly bound solvated proton species are observed at lower OH stretching frequencies. The solvated proton species that have stronger hydrogen bonding are similar in structure to those found in bulk acid solutions and likely reside somewhat deeper in the interfacial region. There is also evidence of OH stretching from solvated protons and relatively strong hydrogen bonding in the solvation sphere that is similar to other solvated ions. In contrast, water molecules solvating OH(-) ions show relatively weak hydrogen bonding and significantly less interfacial order. VSF spectra are acquired under multiple polarizations to provide crucial information for the interpretation of the spectra and for the determination of interfacial structure.     

三联吡啶铂(Ⅱ)配合物光谱性质的密度泛函研究

采用密度泛函理论方法(DFT),对三联吡啶铂(Ⅱ)配合物的结构与电子光谱进行了系统研究.筛选的PBE/LanL2DZ(6-311+G(d))—BMK/LanL2DZ(6-31+G(d))方法,计算结果能较好地与实验值吻合:对光谱峰波长的计算,吸收光谱和发射光谱平均误差分别为14 nm和17 nm.通过对前线分子轨道的分析,归属了各光谱峰的跃迁类型.计算结果表明,不同推拉电子效应的取代基对配合物光谱峰的位置和跃迁类型具有较大影响,为已有的实验结论提供了有力的理论阐述.     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies on dinuclear mixed Ni(II)-chelates

Summary Solvatochromic dinuclear mixed Ni(II)-complexes with one 1,2-diacetyl-1,2-dibenzoyl-ethanate (dadb ^2–) and two tetramethylethylenediamine (tmen) ligands have been prepared and characterized. The tetraphenylborate is orange with molecules in bis-square-planar configuration and the nitrate is green with molecules in a bis-octahedral form. They have been investigated by UV, Vis, IR, and Far-IR spectroscopy as well as by electrochemical and magnetochemical methods. In strong donor solvents the nitrate ligands are replaced by solvent molecules. In weak donor solvents the anion-dependent equilibrium between the bis-planar, the bis-octahedral and an intermediate planar-octahedral form was investigated.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Edwin Hengge on occasion of his 60th birthday     

Spectroscopic and structural analysis of Ca substituted La orthoferrite

Samples of orthoferrites La_1−xCa_xFeO₃ (0.15≤x≤0.45) were synthesized by double sintering ceramic technique. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy experiments were carried out and discussed for the investigated samples. The data showed the formation of single-phase orthorhombic structure of space group Pbnm. The FTIR spectra were performed in the region (1200–200 cm⁻¹). Four main absorption bands were present with some side bands and shoulders in the range (1200–400 cm⁻¹). Another four bands were appeared in the range (400–200 cm⁻¹). The positions, intensities and values of the absorptions bands vary depending on the Ca content in the samples. The first absorption band appeared at about 920 cm⁻¹ was assigned to the La–O stretching vibration.     

Thermal studies on purine complexes. I. Thermal behaviour of some xanthine complexes of cobalt(II), copper(II) and cadmium(II)

Cobalt, copper and cadmium xanthinate tetrahydrates have been prepared in aqueous medium, and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, IR and ¹HNMR studies. The thermal behaviour of these compounds has been studied using TG, DTG and DSC techniques. Heats of dehydration have been calculated from DSC curves.     

双核Pt(II)配合物的光谱结构和激发态性质的密度泛函理论研究

采用基于第一性原理的密度泛函理论对单核和双核三联吡啶Pt(II)配合物[Pt(trpy)C≡CH]^＋ (1)和[Pt(trpy)C≡ (2)的基态和激发态以及光谱性质进行了系统研究. 结果揭示了双体配合物中Pt—Pt间距离在激发态时明显短于基态时的距离, 而且双体聚合后最低能吸收和发射波长相对单体配合物发生了明显红移, 这种激发的本质被指认为是来自于[d_σ*(d_δ*π*)]的MMLCT (metal-to-metal-to-ligand charge transfer)电荷转移跃迁. 另外, 对研究的配合物, 用VWN (Vosko-Wilk-Nusair)泛函优化得到的几何和用SAOP(轨道势的统计平均)计算的光谱能量和实验值符合得很好, 能够准确反映实验现象.     

Gas-phase studies of purine 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II (AlkA) substrates

3-Methyladenine DNA glycosylase II (AlkA) is an enzyme that cleaves a wide range of damaged bases from DNA. The gas-phase thermochemical properties (tautomerism, acidity, and proton affinity) have been measured and calculated for a series of AlkA purine substrates (7-methyladenine, 7-methylguanine, 3-methyladenine, 3-methylguanine, purine, 6-chloropurine, xanthine) that have not been heretofore examined. The damaged nucleobases are found to be more acidic than the normal nucleobases adenine and guanine. Because of this increased acidity, the damaged bases would be expected to be more easily cleaved from DNA by AlkA (their conjugate bases should be better leaving groups). We find that the gas-phase acidity correlates to the AlkA excision rates, which lends support to an AlkA mechanism wherein the enzyme provides a nonspecific active site, and nucleobase cleavage is dependent on the intrinsic N-glycosidic bond stability.     

Simulation studies of the protein-water interface. I. Properties at the molecular resolution

We report molecular dynamics simulations of three globular proteins: ubiquitin, apo-calbindin D(9K), and the C-terminal SH2 domain of phospholipase C-gamma1 in explicit water. The proteins differ in their overall charge and fold type and were chosen to represent to some degree the structural variability found in medium-sized proteins. The length of each simulation was at least 15 ns, and larger than usual solvent boxes were used. We computed radial distribution functions, as well as orientational correlation functions about the surface residues. Two solvent shells could be clearly discerned about charged and polar amino acids. Near apolar amino acids the water density near such residues was almost devoid of structure. The mean residence time of water molecules was determined for water shells about the full protein, as well as for water layers about individual amino acids. In the dynamic properties, two solvent shells could be characterized as well. However, by comparison to simulations of pure water it could be shown that the influence of the protein reaches beyond 6 A, i.e., beyond the first two shells. In the first shell (r < or =3.5 A), the structural and dynamical properties of solvent waters varied considerably and depended primarily on the physicochemical properties of the closest amino acid side chain, with which the waters interact. By contrast, the solvent properties seem not to depend on the specifics of the protein studied (such as the net charge) or on the secondary structure element in which an amino acid is located. While differing considerably from the neat liquid, the properties of waters in the second solvation shell (3.5< r < or =6 A) are rather uniform; a direct influence from surface amino acids are already mostly shielded.