Interplay of stereoelectronic and enviromental effects in tuning the structural and magnetic properties of a prototypical spin probe: further insights from a first principle dynamical approach

The nitrogen isotropic hyperfine coupling constant (hcc) and the g tensor of a prototypical spin probe (di-tert-butyl nitroxide, DTBN) in aqueous solution have been investigated by means of an integrated computational approach including Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical calculations involving a discrete-continuum embedding. The quantitative agreement between computed and experimental parameters fully validates our integrated approach. Decoupling of the structural, dynamical, and environmental contributions acting onto the spectral observables allows an unbiased judgment of the role played by different effects in determining the overall experimental observables and highlights the importance of finite-temperature vibrational averaging. Together with their intrinsic interest, our results pave the route toward more reliable interpretations of EPR parameters of complex systems of biological and technological relevance.     

Effective modeling of intrinsic and environmental effects on the structure and electron plaramagnetic resonance parameters of nitroxides by an integrated quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics/polarizable continuum model approach

 Experimental and density functional theory geometries have been used to extend the AMBER force field to nitroxides. An optimum set of transferable atomic charges for the calculation of electrostatic interactions both in vacuo and in aqueous solution has been obtained by averaging the charges obtained by a restrained electrostatic potential fitting of representative compounds. Besides reliable structural data, our implementation allows the computation of accurate spectromagnetic properties by single-point B3LYP computations on geometries optimized at the AMBER level. Solvent shifts in aqueous solution can be reproduced quantitatively by a mixed model in which specific solvent effects are described by two water molecules strongly coordinated to the nitroxide oxygen, while bulk effects are described by the polarizable continuum model. Received: 17 September 1999 / Accepted: 3 February 2000 / Published online: 29 June 2000     

Order parameters of alpha,omega-diphenylpolyenes in a nematic liquid crystal from an integrated computational and 13C NMR spectroscopic approach

The orientational order parameters and conformational behavior of five relatively large rodlike molecules, biphenyl, trans-stilbene, 1,3-diphenyl-butadiene, 1,3,5-diphenyl-hexatriene, and 1,3,5,7-diphenyl-octatetraene, dissolved in the thermotropic liquid crystal ZLI-1167, have been studied using an integrated approach combining (13)C NMR measurements and quantum mechanical computations of carbon chemical shift tensors. Besides biphenyl, the phenyl moiety of all structures has been found to have a high rotational mobility in the temperature range of the present experiments. The rank-two order parameter in the nematic phase is found to increase steadily from the shortest to the longest term of the series at any temperature within the nematic range. The molecular biaxiality order parameter is found to be small and essentially constant with temperature, giving further support to the common assumption of effective uniaxiality for these probes.     

Interplay of intrinsic and environmental effects on the magnetic properties of free radicals issuing from H-atom addition to cytosine.

Possible radical reaction products issuing from H-atom addition to cytosine have been characterized and analyzed by means of a comprehensive quantum mechanical approach including density functional computations (B3LYP), together with simulation of the solvent by the polarizable continuum model (PCM), and averaging of spectroscopic properties over the most important vibrational motions. The hyperfine couplings of the semirigid 5,6-dihydrocytos-6yl radical computed at the optimized geometry are in good agreement with their experimental counterparts. On the other hand, vibrational averaging is mandatory for obtaining an effectively planar structure for the 5,6-dihydrocytos-5yl radical with the consequent equivalence of beta-hydrogens. Finally, only proper consideration of environmental effects restores the agreement between computed and experimental couplings for the base anion protonated at N3.     

Accurate O-H bond dissociation energy differences of hydroxylamines determined by EPR spectroscopy: computational insight into stereoelectronic effects on BDEs and EPR spectral parameters

Differences in O-H bond dissociation enthalpies (ΔBDEs) between the hydroxylamine of (15)N-labeled TEMPONE and 10 N,N-di-tert-alkyl hydroxylamines were determined by EPR. These ΔBDEs, together with the g and a(N) values of the derived nitroxide radicals, are discussed in relation to various geometric, intramolecular dipole/dipole, and steric effects and in relation to the results from DFT calculations. We find that dipole/dipole interactions are the dominant factors in dictating a(N) values and O-H BDEs in all of these structurally similar nitroxides and hydroxylamines, respectively. The importance of including the Boltzmann distribution of conformations for each nitroxide in the a(N) calculations is emphasized.     

Hydrogen-bonding effects on the properties of phenoxyl radicals. An EPR,kinetic, and computational study

The effect of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-ol (HFP) on the properties of phenoxyl radicals has been investigated. HFP produces large variations of the phenoxyl hyperfine splitting constants indicative of a large redistribution of electron spin density, which can be accounted for by the increased importance of the mesomeric structures with electric charge separation. The conformational rigidity of phenoxyl radicals with electron-releasing substituents is also greatly enhanced in the presence of HFP, as demonstrated by the 2 kcal/mol increase in the activation energy for the internal rotation of the p-OMe group in the p-methoxyphenoxyl radical. By using the EPR equilibration technique, we have found that in phenols the O-H bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) is lowered in the presence of HFP because it preferentially stabilizes the phenoxyl radical. In phenols containing groups such as OR that are acceptors of H-bonds, the interaction between HFP and the substituent is stronger in the phenol than in the corresponding phenoxyl radical because the radical oxygen behaves as an electron-withdrawing group, which decreases the complexating ability of the substituent. In phenols containing OH or NH(2) groups, EPR experiments performed in H-bond accepting solvents showed that the interaction between the solvent and the substituent is much stronger in the phenoxyl radical than in the parent phenol because of the electron-withdrawing effect of the radical oxygen, which makes more acidic, and therefore more available to give H-bonds, the OH or NH(2) groups. These experimental results have been confirmed by DFT calculations. The effect of HFP solvent on the reactivity of phenols toward alkyl radicals has also been investigated. The results indicated that the decrease of BDE observed in the presence of HFP is not accompanied by a larger reactivity. The origin of this unexpected behavior has been shown by DFT computations. Finally, a remarkable increase in the persistency of the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical has been observed in the presence of HFP.     

Nanoscale heterogeneities in ionic liquids: insights from EPR of spin probes

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Use of weakly coordinating anions to develop an integrated approach to the tuning of deltaE(1/2) values by medium effects

An integrated approach to the control of deltaE(1/2) values, and therefore comproportionation equilibria, through medium effects was delineated for multi-step redox reactions involving cationic products. deltaE(1/2) values (defined as E(1/2)(2+/1+) - E(1/2)(1+/0)) of the two one-electron oxidations of bis(fulvalene)dinickel, 1, were measured under 45 different conditions of solvent and supporting electrolyte. The smallest value, 212 mV, was found in anisole/0.1 M [NBu4]Cl and the largest, 850 mV, in CH2Cl2/0.02 M Na[B(C6H3(CF3)2)4]. By systematically changing the solvent properties, the degree of ion-pairing strengths of the supporting electrolyte ions, and the concentration of the electrolytes, a set of ideal properties was found for maximizing deltaE(1/2) values involving positively charged electrode products. Most importantly (i) the solvent must be of lower polarity and low donor strength and (ii) the supporting electrolyte must have a weakly coordinating anion (WCA). The contrast in ion-pairing tendencies of 1(2+) with WCAs (on the weak side) and halides (on the strong side) mimics that of dianions in THF, where longer chain tetraalkylammonium ions (weak ion pairing) contrast with alkali metal ions (strong ion pairing). The broad picture of medium effects is that of a "mirror image" of solvent and electrolyte properties that influence the tuning of deltaE(1/2) values for multi-electron systems. Application was made both to the four-step oxidation process and to the two-step reduction process of the tetraferrocenyl complex Ni(S2C2Fc2)2, Fc = Fe(C5H5)(C5H4), 2. The two-electron process 2(0/2-) is observed either as a single two-electron voltammetric wave or as two well-separated one-electron waves, depending on the medium. The consequences of the present model for the interpretation of deltaE(1/2) values in mixed-valence chemistry are discussed.     

Theoretical investigation of paramagnetic group 13 diazabutadiene radicals: insights into the prediction and interpretation of EPR spectroscopy parameters

The electronic structures and the spin density distributions of the group 13 1,4-diaza(1,3)butadiene (DAB) radicals [(R-DAB)2M]*, [(R-DAB)MX2] and {[(R-DAB)MX]2}** (M = Al, Ga, In; X = F, Cl, Br, I; R = H, Me, tBu, Ph) are studied using density functional theory at both non-relativistic and relativistic levels of theory. The calculations demonstrate that all systems share a qualitatively similar electronic structure and are primarily ligand centred pi-radicals. The calculated metal, nitrogen and hydrogen hyperfine couplings are found to be independent of the identity of the R-group and the halogen atom. They are, however, dependent on the geometry and oxidation state of the metal centre. Both observed trends contrast what has previously been deduced from the interpretation of experimental EPR and ENDOR spectra. Good agreement between the calculated and experimentally determined hyperfine coupling constants is found only for some of the studied systems. Instances where significant discrepancies between the calculated and experimental values exist can be attributed to the tendency of these systems toward complex solution behaviour, which results in differences between the solid state and solution structures of certain complexes. A careful re-evaluation of the experimental data as well as calculated reaction energies lends strong support to this hypothesis. However, further studies are needed before the identity of some of the studied radical species in solution can be unambiguously determined.     

Interplay of computational chemistry and transient absorption spectroscopy in the ultrafast studies

The primary physical and chemical processes in the photochemistry of 1-(trideuteromethyl)-2,3,4-trideutero (1) and 1-acetoxy-2-methoxy-(2) 9,10-anthraquinones were studied using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and computational chemistry. Excitation of 1 and 2 at 270 nm results in the population of a set of highly excited singlet states which decay within the laser pulse by internal conversion and vibrational energy redistribution. The transient absorption spectra of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states of substituted anthraquinones 1 and 2 as well as the triplet excited and ground states of the products were detected. The assignments of the transient absorption spectra were performed on the basis of quantum chemical calculations of the electronic absorption spectra of the intermediates. Time-dependent density functional theory or CASSCF/CASPT2 procedure were used to calculate the spectroscopic properties of the intermediates.     

Time-resolved CIDNP: an NMR way to determine the EPR parameters of elusive radicals

Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP) of the diamagnetic products of radical reactions is exploited for the purpose of determination of the hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) of the radical intermediates. A simple proportionality relation between geminate CIDNP of a nucleus and its HFCC at the radical stage is established. The applicability range of this relation is determined: the relation is fulfilled in the case of a large difference in g-factor between the radicals involved and for the situation where the number of magnetic nuclei in the system is sufficiently large. The validity of the relation was confirmed by CIDNP experiments on radical pairs with precisely known HFCCs. Using the proportionality relation we were able to measure the HFCCs in various short-lived radicals of the amino acids histidine and tryptophan and of the S-N-centered cyclic radical of methionine derived from the methionine-glycine dipeptide in aqueous solution.     

Spectroscopic and computational insights into second-sphere amino-acid tuning of substrate analogue/active-site interactions in iron(III) superoxide dismutase

In this study, the mechanism by which second-sphere residues modulate the structural and electronic properties of substrate-analogue complexes of the Fe-dependent superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) has been explored. Both spectroscopic and computational methods were used to investigate the azide (N3(-)) adducts of Fe(3+)SOD (N3-Fe(3+)SOD) and its Q69E mutant, as well as Fe(3+)-substituted MnSOD (N3-Fe(3+)(Mn)SOD) and its Y34F mutant. Electronic absorption, circular dichroism, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopic data reveal that the energy of the dominant N3(-)-->Fe(3+) ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transition decreases in the order N3-Fe(3+)(Mn)SOD>N3-Fe(3+)SOD>Q69E N3-Fe(3+)SOD. Intriguingly, the LMCT transition energies correlate almost linearly with the Fe(3+/2+) reduction potentials of the corresponding Fe(3+)-bound SOD species in the absence of azide, which span a range of approximately 1 V (see the preceding paper). To explore the origin of this correlation, combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) geometry optimizations were performed on complete enzyme models. The INDO/S-CI computed electronic transition energies satisfactorily reproduce the experimental trend in LMCT transition energies, indicating that the QM/MM optimized active-site models are reasonable. Density functional theory calculations on these experimentally validated active-site models reveal that the differences in spectral and electronic properties among the four N 3(-) adducts arise primarily from differences in the hydrogen-bond network involving the conserved second-sphere Gln (mutated to Glu in Q69E FeSOD) and the solvent ligand. The implications of our findings with respect to the mechanism by which the second-coordination sphere modulates substrate-analogue binding as well as the catalytic properties of FeSOD are discussed.     

New insights into the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by rare-earth borohydride complexes: a combined experimental and computational approach

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by the rare-earth borohydride complexes [Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] (Ln=Nd, Sm) or [Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)] (Cp*=eta-C(5)Me(5)) proceeds at ambient temperature to give rather syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with molar masses M(n) higher than expected and quite broad molar mass distributions, which is consistent with a poor initiation efficiency. The polymerization of MMA was investigated by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations on an eta-C(5)H(5) model metallocene and showed that in the reaction of [Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] with MMA the borate [Eu(Cp)(2){(OBH(3))(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e-2) complex, which forms via the enolate [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e), is calculated to be exergonic and is the most likely of all of the possible products. This product is favored because the reaction that leads to the formation of carboxylate [Eu(Cp)(2){OOC-C(Me)(=CH(2))}] (f) is thermodynamically favorable, but kinetically disfavored, and both of the potential products from a Markovnikov [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-CH(Me)(CH(2)BH(3))}] (g) or anti-Markovnikov [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-C(Me(2))(BH(3))}] (h) hydroboration reaction are also kinetically inaccessible. Similar computational results were obtained for the reaction of [Eu(BH(4))(3)] and MMA with all of the products showing extra stabilization. The DFT calculations performed by using [Eu(Cp)(2)(H)] to model the mechanism previously reported for the polymerization of MMA initiated by [Sm(Cp*)(2)(H)](2) confirmed the favorable exergonic formation of the intermediate [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e') as the kinetic product, this enolate species ultimately leads to the formation of PMMA as experimentally observed. Replacing H by BH(4) thus prevents the 1,4-addition of the [Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] borohydride ligand to the first incoming MMA molecule and instead favors the formation of the borate complex e-2. This intermediate is the somewhat active species in the polymerization of MMA initiated by the borohydride precursors [Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] or [Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)].     

Analyzing coordination preferences of Mg2+ complexes: insights from computational and database study

Solvation of metal cations has attracted substantial interest on account of its functional importance in biological systems. In the present study, we undertake a comprehensive analysis of hydrated complexes of Mg²⁺ with up to 20 water molecules using MP2/cc-pVTZ and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The effect of first, second, and higher solvation shells on magnesium coordination has been systematically analyzed by considering Mg²⁺(H₂O) _n complexes. Numerous competing conformations for each of the metal ion complexes have been explored and the minima structures obtained were further analyzed. The study probes the relative preferences among various coordination numbers and unambiguously establishes that coordination number 6 is the most optimal choice. The relative abundance of Mg²⁺ ion and its coordination with water and other ligands has been analyzed in the Protein Data Bank and Cambridge Structural Database. It is noted that the M–O distance and charge transfer to metal ion increase as the number of solvating water molecules increases. The computational studies are in excellent agreement with the experimental observations, and provide support to multiple coordinate site preferences for Mg²⁺.     

Quantifying the intrinsic effects of two point mutation models of proline-proline diamino acid diamide: a first-principle computational study

Two sites of a Pro-Pro diamide were subjected to individual Pro --> Thr point mutations. The parent diamide Pro-Pro as well as selected conformers of the Pro-Thr and Thr-Pro mutant models were subjected to molecular computations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. At the optimized geometries, thermodynamic functions (S, H, and G) were computed. In order to assess relative stabilities of the mutant models, isodesmic reactions were constructed to calculate DeltaS, DeltaH, and DeltaG, relative to the initial Pro-Pro state. The importance of intramolecular hydrogen bonds, involving the -OH group of the Thr side chain, which emerged after the point mutations were also examined. Our findings suggest a novel approach to analyzing the stability of point mutants in peptide models through the analysis of thermodynamic functions.     

The importance of impurity analysis in pharmaceutical products: an integrated approach

To purify a material and remove the excess impurities one should first recognize that whether they are actually present and what their nature is. In the past, this was not always done. But presently drug analysis and pharmaceutical impurities are the subjects of constant review in the public interest. The International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines achieved a great deal in harmonizing the definitions of the impurities in new drug substances. It is necessary to perform all the investigations on appropriate reference standards of drug and impurities to get meaningful specifications. In order to meet the challenges to ensure high degree of purity of drug substances and drug products, a scheme is proposed for profiling drug impurity. Finally, analytical methods based on analytical instrumentation must be employed to quantitate drug substance and its impurities. Important aspects and suggestions related to drug analysis and pharmaceutical impurities are discussed.     

Reverse hydrogen spillover on and hydrogenation of supported metal clusters: insights from computational model studies

"Reverse" spillover of hydrogen from hydroxyl groups of the support onto supported transition metal clusters, forming multiply hydrogenated metal species, is an essential aspect of various catalytic systems which comprise small, highly active transition metal particles on a support with a high surface area. We review and analyze the results of our computational model studies related to reverse hydrogen spillover, interpreting available structural and spectral data for the supported species and examining the relationship between metal-support and metal-hydrogen interactions. On the examples of small clusters of late transition metals, adsorbed in zeolite cavities, we showed with computational model studies that reverse spillover of hydrogen is energetically favorable for late transition metals, except for Au. This preference is crucial for the chemical reactivity of such bifunctional catalytic systems because both functions, of metal species and of acidic sites, are strongly modified, in some cases even suppressed - due to partial oxidation of the metal cluster and the conversion of protons from acidic hydroxyl groups to hydride ligands of the metal moiety. Modeling multiple hydrogen adsorption on metal clusters allowed us to quantify how (i) the support affects the adsorption capacity of the clusters and (ii) structure and oxidation state of the metal moiety changes upon adsorption. In all models of neutral systems we found that the metal atoms are partially positively charged, compensated by a negative charge of the adsorbed hydrogen ligands and of the support. In a case study we demonstrated with calculated thermodynamic parameters how to predict the average hydrogen coverage of the transition metal cluster at a given temperature and hydrogen pressure.     

Unraveling the role of stereo-electronic, dynamical, and environmental effects in tuning the structure and magnetic properties of glycine radical in aqueous solution at different pH values

A recently developed extended Lagrangian model employing localized basis functions and nonperiodic boundary conditions (GLOB/ADMP) was applied to the radicals issuing from the homolytic breaking of the C(alpha)-H(alpha) bond of glycine in aqueous solution at different pH values. Although the modifications of the structure and the magnetic properties of these species induced by the solvent are qualitatively reproduced by a static discrete-continuum model, magnetic parameters are further tuned by short-time dynamical effects (solute vibrations and solvent librations). The results delivered by GLOB/ADMP simulations for both hyperfine tensors and g-tensors are in remarkable agreement with their experimental counterparts, allowing a reliable disentanglement of the overall observables into well-defined contributions. The dominant role of out-of-plane vibrations in determining hyperfine splittings is confirmed and quantified, together with the remarkable sensitivity of the gyromagnetic tensor to bond lengths and valence angles defining the NC(alpha)C' moiety. Together with their specific interest for the title radical, our results suggest some interesting trends for other biologically significant radicals and point out the need of extending magneto-structural relationships to dynamical aspects.