Differential scattering cross sections for collisions of alkali ions and atoms. II. Electronic excitation via rotational coupling in LiK+ and NaK+

Relative differential cross sections, for both direct and charge exchange scattering have been obtained for the Li⁺ + K, Na⁺ + K and K⁺ + Na alkali ion—atom collisions, over the energy range 200–1200 eV and for scattering angles 0–6 mrad (in one case 0–15 mrad)- The experimental results are compared to semiclassical calculations, based upon recent potential energy curves. The charge exchange probabilities are calculated by solving the time dependent Schrödinger equation in a two-state approximation. In the Li⁺+ K experiment diffraction effects are observed, which can be compared to the Fraunhofer diffraction. of an annular diaphragm.     

Isoreticular Linker Substitution in Conductive Metal–Organic Frameworks with Through-Space Transport Pathways

The extension of reticular chemistry concepts to electrically conductive three-dimensional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has been challenging, particularly for cases in which strong interactions between electroactive linkers create the charge transport pathways. Here, we report the successful replacement of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) with a nickel glyoximate core in a family of isostructural conductive MOFs with Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺. Different coordination environments of the framework metals lead to variations in the linker stacking geometries and optical properties. Single-crystal conductivity data are consistent with charge transport along the linker stacking direction, with conductivity values only slightly lower than those reported for the analogous TTF materials. These results serve as a case study demonstrating how reticular chemistry design principles can be extended to conductive frameworks with significant intermolecular contacts.     

Nature of C60 and C70 fullerene encapsulation in a porphyrin- and metalloporphyrin-based cage: Insights from dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations

The search for efficient synthetic hosts able to encapsulate fullerenes has attracted attention with regard to the purification and formation of ordered supramolecular architectures. This study of a porphyrin-based cage as an extension of the well-described ExCage⁶⁺ and BlueCage⁶⁺, involving viologen as sidearms, provides an interesting scenario where the oblate C₇₀ fullerene is preferred in comparison to the spherical C₆₀. Our results expose the nature of the fullerene-cage interaction involving ∼50% of dispersion-type interactions evidencing the strong π⋯π surface stacking, with a complementary contribution by the electrostatic and orbital polarization character produced by a charge reorganization with a charge accumulation facing the porphyrin macrocycles and a charge depletion along the equator formed by the viologens sidearms. Interestingly, the central N₄H₂ ring from each porphyrin contributes to the dispersion term via N-H⋯π interactions, which is decreased when the metallate N₄Zn is evaluated. Thus, the formation of stable and selective fullerene encapsulation can be achieved by taking into account two main driving forces, namely, (a) the extension of the π⋯π and X-H⋯π stacking surface and (b) charge reorganization over the fullerene surfaces, which can be used to control fine tuning of the encapsulation thanks to the introduction of more electron-deficient and electron-rich groups within the host cage.     

Electrostatic bonding models: A test on group 1 and 2 metal complexes with H2O,NH3, H2S,PH3, and related ligands

Electrostatic models frequently proposed to describe ion–molecule interactions have been tested on the adducts formed by Group 1 and 2 cations with H₂O, NH₃, H₂S, PH₃, their methyl analogs, and their anions. The results from the model calculations were compared with all-electron calculations (geometry optimized, MP2, TZP basis sets) carried out on adducts formed with Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. The electrostatic potential model was utilized in two ways: The attraction of the point charge was calculated with and without relaxation of the ligand. A third model allowed relaxation of the ligand but treated the cation as a frozen core. The final model was the crude point charge/point dipole approximation. At long range, the models satisfactorily track the effects on energy of gross changes in the ion–ligand interaction (monovalent versus divalent ions, neutral ligands versus anions, parent ligands versus methyl derivatives), but correlation at close range is poor, especially for binding by divalent cations. The hypothesis that the calculated strength of cation–dipole binding is dependent on calculated dipole moment could not be verified. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the cation–π capabilities of small all sp2-carbon host structures. Evaluation of [6.8]3cyclacene from relativistic DFT calculations

Cation–π interactions are noncovalent forces with essential roles in the stability of protein structures, molecular recognition, and host–guest chemistry. In this work, we discuss the formation of cation–π complexes involving one of the smallest characterized nanobelts to date, given [6.8]₃cyclacene, by using relativistic DFT-D calculations. Such nanobelt exhibits a noteworthy all-sp² carbon backbone, leading to a rigid and confined host framework. Our results reveal that the inclusion of representative cations, such as Ag⁺ and Sn²⁺, appears to be plausible, revealing that it is feasible to obtain these compounds experimentally. Such systems involves two contrasting coordination modes, where the Ag⁺ cation remains coordinated in the upper face of the nanobelt, whereas the Sn²⁺ is able to be located at the center of the structure. In addition, the coordination of isoelectronic Cd²⁺ and In⁺ was also discussed. Moreover, the bonding characteristics of the resulting cation–π interaction show that the π-orbitals from the nanobelt 1 are able to moderate the charge transfer, according to the selected cation, which can be seen as an interesting strategy to tune the amount of charge of the π-backbone in nanobelts. We envisage that the use of more rigid host in the formation of cation–π interactions will be beneficial to gain a better understanding about the metal coordination and also to tune the capabilities of related nanobelts or nanotubes sections.     

How Divalent Cations Interact with the Internal Channel Site of Guanine Quadruplexes

The formation of guanine quadruplexes (GQ) in DNA is crucial in telomere homeostasis and regulation of gene expression. Pollution metals can interfere with these DNA superstructures upon coordination. In this work, we study the affinity of the internal GQ channel site towards alkaline earth metal (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺), and (post-)transition metal (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Pb²⁺) cations using density functional theory computations. We find that divalent cations generally bind to the GQ cavity with a higher affinity than conventional monovalent cations (e. g. K⁺). Importantly, we establish the nature of the cation-GQ interaction and highlight the relationship between ionic and nuclear charge, and the electrostatic and covalent interactions. The covalent interaction strength plays an important role in the cation affinity and can be traced back to the relative stabilization of cations’ unoccupied atomic orbitals. Overall, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how pollution metals could induce genomic instability.     

Anion receptors with viologen molecular scaffold

We have designed and synthesized new anion receptors 1²⁺ and 2²⁺. These receptors interact with anions through hydrogen bonds and charge transfer complex depending on the basicity of anion. Therefore, anions with weak basicity such as chloride, bromide, and hydrogen sulfate bound to the receptors 1²⁺ and 2²⁺ only through hydrogen bonds while anions with strong basicity such as fluoride, acetate and dihydrogen phosphate bound to the receptors 1²⁺ and 2²⁺ only through charge transfer interactions at UV–vis titration condition (20 μM). However, in more concentrated ¹H NMR titration condition (2 mM), 1²⁺ and 2²⁺ decomposed to form the product one of their amide arm is eliminated. As charge transfer complexes showed colorimetric response, they turned out to be efficient naked eye detector for anions with strong basicity such as fluoride, acetate, and dihydrogen phosphate.     

SCF theory of molecular interactions

Perturbation theory is used to analyze the interactions between two closed-shell systems in the SCF approximation. The effects of orbital overlap are included. The dominant terms through second order are identified, including electrostatic, penetration, polarization, charge transfer, and SCF dispersion effects. The basis set limit is studied so that basis set superposition contributions may be identified. Calculations are presented for He? He and Na⁺? H₂O.     

含噻吩环的吡啶Ru(II)配合物的电子结构和非线性光学性质

采用密度泛函理论(DFT) B3LYP方法对含有噻吩环的吡啶Ru(II)配合物的电子结构和非线性光学(NLO)性质进行理论研究. 结果表明: 配合物[Ru^II(NH₃)₅L]²⁺(L为含噻吩环的有机基团)中, 配位原子与中心金属离子间没有形成稳定的化学键, 但存在较强的供体-受体(D-A)相互作用; NH₃被羰基(CO)取代后, Ru-C间形成了稳定的σ-π配键, 降低了受体的空轨道能级. 噻吩环的增加增大了体系的共轭程度, 有利于分子内电荷转移, 使配合物的极化率α和一阶超极化率β明显增加. 结合配合物的前线分子轨道分析发现, 电荷转移过程中, 对体系二阶NLO系数贡献较大的是配体内电荷转移(ILCT)和配体间电荷转移(LLCT)跃迁, 羰基引入后配体到金属的电荷转移(LMCT)使配合物[Ru^II(CO)₅L]²⁺比对应的配合物[Ru^II(NH₃)₅L]²⁺的β值增大约7倍.     

Charge states and hyperfine interaction parameters in perovskite SrFeO3

The parameters of the electronic structure and hyperfine interactions in perovskite SrFeO₃ were determined for different types of spin and charge states by ab initio discrete variations within the cluster model. The best agreement with experiment was achieved when the charge disproportionation effect {[Fe⁴⁺O₆]^8? + [Fe⁴⁺O₆]^8?} → {[Fe³⁺O₆]^9? + [Fe⁵⁺O₆]^7?} was taken into account.     

The initial stage of structural transformation of Aβ42 peptides from the human and mole rat in the presence of Fe2+ and Fe3+: Related to Alzheimer's disease

The early stage of secondary structural conversion of amyloid beta (Aβ) to misfolded aggregations is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Under normal physiological conditions, Aβ peptides can protect neurons from the toxicity of highly concentrated metals. However, they become toxic under certain conditions. Under conditions of excess iron, amyloid precursor proteins (APP) become overexpressed. This subsequently increases Aβ production. Experimental studies suggest that Aβ fibrillation (main-pathway) and amorphous (off-pathway) aggregate formations are two competitive pathways driven by factors such as metal binding, pH and temperature. In this study, we performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to examine the initial stage of conformational transformations of human Aβ (hAβ) and rat Aβ (rAβ) peptides in the presence of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions. Our results demonstrated that Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ play key roles in Aβs folding and aggregation. Fe³⁺ had a greater effect than Fe²⁺on Aβs’ folding during intermolecular interactions and subsequently, had a greater effect in decreasing structural diversity. Fe²⁺ was observed to be more likely than Fe³⁺ to interact with nitrogen atoms from the residues of imidazole rings of His. rAβ peptides are more energetically favorable than hAβ for intermolecular interactions and amorphous aggregations. We concluded that most hAβ structures were energetically unfavorable. However, hAβs with intermolecular β-sheet formations in the C-terminal were energetically favorable. It is notable that Fe²⁺ can change the surface charge of hAβ. Furthermore, Fe³⁺ can promote C-terminal folding by binding to Glu22 and Ala42, and by forming stable β-sheet formations on the C-terminal. Fe³⁺ can also pause the main-pathway by inducing random aggregations.     

Chemical bonding and electronic structure of LaMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and La<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> orthorhombic crystals

The electronic structure of the LaMnO₃ orthorhombic crystal of a stoichiometric composition and of La_0.75MnO₃ crystals with a La vacancy in the unit cell is calculated in the LSDA+U approximation of density functional theory. The calculations showed that LaMnO₃ is an insulator with a forbidden gap of 0.5 eV and with antiferromagnetic ordering of magnetic moments. The magnetic moment on the manganese ions is 3.78 BM. The La atom has ionic bonds in the lattice, while the bond between oxygen and manganese is covalent. After lanthanum has been removed, geometry optimization of the unit cell leads to La_0.75MnO₃ stable structures. In one of the structures, which is lower in energy, the states of manganese may be attributed to Mn⁴⁺ ions. In both structures with removed lanthanum, the oxygen ions have reduced effective charge, so that one can speak about O^? ions appearing along with O^2? in the structure. The oxygen, as well as lanthanum and manganese, ions are nonequivalent in these structures; their nonequivalence is primarily reflected by the local densities of states. This leads to charge and magnetic nonequivalence of ions. In La_0.75MnO₃ crystals, the degree of bond covalence between manganese and oxygen decreases.     

An N log N approximation based on the natural organization of biomolecules for speeding up the computation of long range interactions

Presented here is a method, the hierarchical charge partitioning (HCP) approximation, for speeding up computation of pairwise electrostatic interactions in biomolecular systems. The approximation is based on multiple levels of natural partitioning of biomolecular structures into a hierarchical set of its constituent structural components. The charge distribution in each component is systematically approximated by a small number of point charges, which, for the highest level component, are much fewer than the number of atoms in the component. For short distances from the point of interest, the HCP uses the full set of atomic charges available. For long‐distance interactions, the approximate charge distributions with smaller sets of charges are used instead. For a structure consisting of N charges, the computational cost of computing the pairwise interactions via the HCP scales as O(N log N), under assumptions about the structural organization of biomolecular structures generally consistent with reality. A proof‐of‐concept implementation of the HCP shows that for large structures it can lead to speed‐up factors of up to several orders of magnitude relative to the exact pairwise O(N²) all‐atom computation used as a reference. For structures with more than 2000–3000 atoms the relative accuracy of the HCP (relative root‐mean‐square force error per atom), approaches the accuracy of the particle mesh Ewald (PME) method with parameter settings typical for biomolecular simulations. When averaged over a set of 600 representative biomolecular structures, the relative accuracies of the two methods are roughly equal. The HCP is also significantly more accurate than the spherical cutoff method. The HCP has been implemented in the freely available nucleic acids builder (NAB) molecular dynamics (MD) package in Amber tools. A 10 ns simulation of a small protein indicates that the HCP based MD simulation is stable, and that it can be faster than the spherical cutoff method. A critical benefit of the HCP approximation is that it is algorithmically very simple, and unlike the PME, the HCP is straightforward to use with implicit solvent models. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Quadrupolar Ultrafast Charge Transfer in Diaminoazobenzene-Bridged Perylenediimide Triads

Strong push-pull interactions between electron donor, diaminoazobenzene (azo), and an electron acceptor, perylenediimide (PDI), entities in the newly synthesized A−D−A type triads (A=electron acceptor and D=electron donor) and the corresponding A−D dyads are shown to reveal wide-band absorption covering the entire visible spectrum. Electrochemical studies revealed the facile reduction of PDI and relatively easier oxidation of diaminoazobenzene in the dyads and triads. Charge transfer reversal using fluorescence-spectroelectrochemistry wherein the PDI fluorescence recovery upon one-electron oxidation, deterring the charge-transfer interactions, was possible to accomplish. The charge transfer state density difference and the frontier orbitals from the DFT calculations established the electron-deficient PDI to be an electron acceptor and diaminoazobenzene to be an electron donor resulting in energetically closely positioned PDI ^δ− -Azo ^δ+ -PDI ^δ− quadrupolar charge-transfer states in the case of triads and Azo ^δ+ -PDI ^δ− dipolar charge-transfer states in the case of dyads. Subsequent femtosecond transient absorption spectral studies unequivocally proved the occurrence of excited-state charge transfer in these dyads and triads in benzonitrile wherein the calculated forward charge transfer rate constants, k_f, were limited to instrument response factor, meaning >10¹² s⁻¹ revealing the occurrence of ultrafast photo-events. The charge recombination rate constant, k_r, was found to depend on the type of donor-acceptor conjugates, that is, it was possible to establish faster k_r in the case of triads (∼10¹¹ s⁻¹) compared to dyads (∼10¹⁰ s⁻¹). Modulating both ground and excited-state properties of PDI with the help of strong quadrupolar and dipolar charge transfer and witnessing ultrafast charge transfer events in the studied triads and dyads is borne out from the present study.     

A quantum-mechanical study of chemical reaction and charge-transfer processes in the (Ar + H2)+ system

A three-dimensional quantum-mechanical study of the (Ar + H₂⁺ system within the reactive infinite-order sudden approximation is presented. All four possible channels for chemical reaction and charge transfer were treated simultaneously. The various cross sections deviate by at most 50% from recent trajectory surface hopping results.     

Beziehungen zwischen chemischer Verschiebung und Ladungsdichte

This work is concerned with the relationship between chemical shifts (δ) of protons and their charge densities (q). It can be shown that the relation δ^H = a + bq^H + cq^C (q^C = charge density at the corresponding C-atom) fits best for a prediction of δ-values from calculated charge densities. The smallest standard error for the prediction of δ-values is obtained if the charge densities are calculated by the CNDO- or INDO-method.     

An energy decomposition scheme applicable to strongly interacting systems

An energy decomposition scheme useful for the analysis of the coupled types of interactions in strongly interacting systems is developed within the Hartree-Fock approximation. A dominant characteristic of the scheme is that it involves the interactions between vacant orbitals of component molecules, as can be justified from the third-order perturbation theory. On the basis ofab initio molecular orbital calculations, the utility of the scheme is illustrated for the BH₃-NH₃ complexation and the S_N2 reaction of CH₄ with H^–. It is found that the charge transfer from electron donor (i.e. NH₃ or H^–) to acceptor (i.e. BH₃ or CH₄) is strongly coupled with the polarization of the acceptor, to contribute appreciably to the stabilization of the entire system. A specific role of this coupling mode in the progress of reactions is discussed.     

Proton hyperfine couplings in VO(H2O)2+5: The validity of the point-dipole approximation

A double-zeta wavefunction has been used to calculate the dipolar electron—proton hyperfine interactions in VO(H₂O)²⁺₅ using numerical integration. The results indicate that a point-dipole model is a good approximation for this ion.