Solvent effects on NMR isotropic shielding constants. a comparison between explicit polarizable discrete and continuum approaches

The gas-to-aqueous solution shifts of the 17O and 13C NMR isotropic shielding constants for the carbonyl chromophore in formaldehyde and acetone are investigated. For the condensed-phase problem, we use the hybrid density functional theory/molecular mechanics approach in combination with a statistical averaging over an appropriate number of solute-solvent configurations extracted from classical molecular dynamics simulations. The PBE0 exchange-correlation functional and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set are used for the calculation of the shielding constants. London atomic orbitals are employed to ensure gauge-origin independent results. The effects of the bulk solvent molecules are found to be crucial in order to calculate accurate solvation shifts of the shielding constants. Very good agreement between the computed and experimental solvation shifts is obtained for the shielding constants of acetone when a polarizable water potential is used. Supermolecular results based on geometry-optimized molecular structures are presented. We also compare the results obtained with the polarizable continuum model to the results obtained using explicit MM molecules to model the bulk solvent effect.     

A simple analysis of the influence of the solvent-induced electronic polarization on the <Superscript>15</Superscript>N magnetic shielding of pyridine in water

Electronic polarization induced by the interaction of a reference molecule with a liquid environment is expected to affect the magnetic shielding constants. Understanding this effect using realistic theoretical models is important for proper use of nuclear magnetic resonance in molecular characterization. In this work, we consider the pyridine molecule in water as a model system to briefly investigate this aspect. Thus, Monte Carlo simulations and quantum mechanics calculations based on the B3LYP/6-311++G (d,p) are used to analyze different aspects of the solvent effects on the ¹⁵N magnetic shielding constant of pyridine in water. This includes in special the geometry relaxation and the electronic polarization of the solute by the solvent. The polarization effect is found to be very important, but, as expected for pyridine, the geometry relaxation contribution is essentially negligible. Using an average electrostatic model of the solvent, the magnetic shielding constant is calculated as −58.7 ppm, in good agreement with the experimental value of −56.3 ppm. The explicit inclusion of hydrogen-bonded water molecules embedded in the electrostatic field of the remaining solvent molecules gives the value of −61.8 ppm.     

Probing supercritical water with the n-pi* transition of acetone: a Monte Carlo/quantum mechanics study

The n-pi(*) electronic transition of acetone is a convenient and important probe to study supercritical water. The solvatochromic shift of this transition in supercritical water (adopting the experimental condition of P=340.2 atm and T=673 K) has been studied theoretically using Metropolis NPT Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and quantum mechanics (QM) calculations based on INDO/CIS and TDDFT-B3LYP6-31+G(d) methods. MC simulations are used to analyze hydration shells, solute-solvent interaction, and for generating statistically relevant configurations for subsequent QM calculations of the n-pi(*) transition of acetone. The results show that the average number of hydrogen bonds between acetone and water is essentially 13 of that in normal water condition of temperature and pressure. But these hydrogen bonds have an important contribution in the solute stabilization and in the solute-solvent interaction. In addition, they respond for nearly half of the solvatochromic shift. The INDO/CIS calculations explicitly considering all valence electrons of the water molecules, using different solvation shells, up to the third shell (170 water molecules), give a solvatochromic shift of 670+/-36 cm(-1) in very good agreement with the experimentally inferred result of 500-700 cm(-1). It is found that the solvatochromic effect on n-pi(*) transition of acetone in the supercritical condition is essentially given by the first solvation shell. The time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) calculations are also performed including all solvent molecules up to the third shell, now represented by point charges. This TDDFT-B3LYP6-31+G(d) also gives a good but slightly overestimated result of 825+/-65 cm(-1). For comparison the same study is also made for acetone in water at normal condition. Finally, all average results reported here are statistically converged.     

Acetone hydration in supercritical water: (13)C-NMR spectroscopy and Monte Carlo simulation

The (13)C-NMR chemical shift of acetone delta((13)C[Double Bond]O) was measured in aqueous solution at high temperatures up to 400 degrees C and water densities of 0.10-0.60 g/cm(3) for the study of hydration structure in the supercritical conditions. The average number N(HB) of hydrogen bonds (HBs) between an acetone and solvent waters and the energy change DeltaE upon the HB formation were evaluated from the delta and its temperature dependence, respectively. At 400 degrees C, N(HB) is an increasing function of the water density, the increase being slower at higher water densities. The acetone-water HB formation is exothermic in supercritical water with larger negative DeltaE at lower water densities (-3.3 kcal/mol at 0.10 g/cm(3) and -0.3 kcal/mol at 0.60 g/cm(3)), in contrast to the positive DeltaE in ambient water (+0.078 kcal/mol at 4 degrees C). The corresponding Monte Carlo simulations were performed to calculate the radial and orientational distribution functions of waters around the acetone molecule. The density dependence of N(HB) calculated at 400 degrees C is in a qualitative agreement with the experimental results. In the supercritical conditions, the HB angle in a neighboring acetone-water pair is weakly influenced by the water density, because of the absence of collective HB structure. This is in sharp contrast to the hydration structure in ambient water, where the acetone-water HB formation is orientationally disturbed by the tetrahedral HB network formation among the surrounding waters.     

Theoretical studies on the effects of methods and parameterization on the calculated free energy of hydration for small molecules

Free energies of hydration (FEH) have been computed for 13 neutral and nine ionic species as a difference of theoretically calculated Gibbs free energies in solution and in the gas phase. In‐solution calculations have been performed using both SCIPCM and PCM polarizable continuum models at the density functional theory (DFT)/B3LYP and ab initio Hartree–Fock levels with two basis sets (6‐31G* and 6‐311++G**). Good linear correlation has been obtained for calculated and experimental gas‐phase dipole moments, with an increase by ～30% upon solvation due to solute polarization. The geometry distortion in solution turns out to be small, whereas solute polarization energies are up to 3 kcal/mol for neutral molecules. Calculation of free energies of hydration with PCM provides a balanced set of values with 6‐31G* and 6‐311++G** basis sets for neutral molecules and ionic species, respectively. Explicit solvent calculations within Monte Carlo simulations applying free energy perturbation methods have been considered for 12 neutral molecules. Four different partial atomic charge sets have been studied, obtained by a fit to the gas‐phase and in‐solution molecular electrostatic potentials at in‐solution optimized geometries. Calculated FEH values depend on the charge set and the atom model used. Results indicate a preference for the all‐atom model and partial charges obtained by a fit to the molecular electrostatic potential of the solute computed at the SCIPCM/B3LYP/6‐31G* level. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004     

Generalized anomeric interpretation of the "high-energy" N-P bond in N-methyl-N'-phosphorylguanidine: importance of reinforcing stereoelectronic effects in "high-energy" phosphoester bonds

Electronic structure calculations have been performed on a model N-phosphorylguanidine, or phosphagen, to understand the stereoelectronic factors contributing to the lability of the "high-energy" N-P bond. The lability of the N-P bond is central to the physiological role of phosphagens involving phosphoryl transfer reactions important in cellular energy buffering and metabolism. Eight protonated forms of N-methyl-N'-phosphorylguanidine have been energy minimized at levels of theory ranging up to B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) to investigate the correlation between protonation state and N-P bond length. Selected forms have also been minimized using the CCSD/6-311++G(d,p) and QCISD/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory. Bulk solvation energies using the polarized continuum model (PCM) with B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) test the influence of the surroundings on computed structures and energies. The N-P bond length depends on the overall protonation state where increased protonation at the phosphoryl group or deprotonation at the unsubstituted N' nitrogen results in shorter, stronger N-P bonds. Natural bond orbital analysis shows that the protonation state affects the N-P bond length by altering the magnitude of stabilizing n(O) --> sigma*(N-P) stereoelectronic interactions and to a lesser extent the sigma(N-P) --> sigma*(C-N') and sigma(N-P) --> sigma*(C-N) interactions. The computations do not provide evidence of a competition between the phosphoryl and guanidinium groups for the same lone pair on the bridging nitrogen, as previously suggested by opposing resonance theory. The computed n(O) --> sigma*(N-P) anomeric effect provides a novel explanation of "high-energy" N-P bond lability. This offers new mechanistic insight into phosphoryl transfer reactions involving both phosphagens and other biochemically important "high-energy" phosphoester bonds.     

Molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations for the structure of the aqueous trimethylammonium chloride solution in the 0.2-1 molar range

Molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations have been performed for characterizing the structure of the 0.2 and 1 molar aqueous trimethylammonium chloride solutions. Atomic charges were derived through the CHELPG and RESP fits to the molecular electrostatic potentials calculated for the cation in water at the IEF-PCM/B3LYP level using the 6-31G* and 6-311++G** basis sets. Maxima and minima of the calculated radial distribution functions were not sensitive to the four atomic charge sets. Simulated solution structures suggest non-negligible solute-solute interactions and remarkable inhomogeneity at both concentrations. This means that equilibrium ratios, derived for conformers/tautomers by means of ab initio calculations with the IEF-PCM continuum dielectric solvent model, should be corrected for free energy changes following solute association when compared to experimental data obtained for the 0.1-1 molar aqueous solutions.     

Solvent polarity affects H atom abstractions from C-H donors

Kinetic solvent effects on hydrogen abstractions involving C-H donors (dienes, ethers, alkylbenzenes) have been corroborated by experiment and theory (UB3LYP/6-311++G**, polarized continuum model). To single out the effect of solvent polarity, rate constants for scavenging of the cumyloxyl radical and fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene were obtained in binary aprotic mixtures of ethylacetate and acetonitrile. Polar solvents result in a selective stabilization of the reactants (see TOC graphic), which results in slower rate constants.     

The nuclear magnetic shielding constants of formamide: the contribution of the non-tightly bound water molecules of the “first hydration shell”

The magnetic shielding constants of the nuclei of formamide are calculated for the isolated molecule, the molecule surrounded by its “first hydration shell” obtained from a Monte Carlo treatment, and the molecule surrounded only by the four water molecules engaged in the short solute—solvent hydrogen bonds. The results show that the six “remote” waters produce important chemical shift variations which in the case of the NH protons, are qualitatively determining. They are due mainly to a variation of the polarization of the wavefunction of the solute.     

DFT calculations of the ionization potentials and electron affinities of serinamide

Adiabatic and vertical ionization potentials (IPs) and valence electron affinities (EAs) of serinamide in the gas phase have been determined using density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91 methods with the 6‐311++G** and 6‐311G** basis sets, respectively. IPs and EAs of serinamide in solution have been calculated with the B3LYP method using the 6‐311++G** and 6‐311G** basis sets. Eight possible conformers of serinamide and its charged states in the gas phase have been optimized employing the DFT B3LYP method with 6‐311++G** and 6‐311G** basis sets, respectively. All the adiabatic and vertical ionization potentials (AIPs and VIPs) of eight serinamide conformers in our work are positive values, whether in the gas phase or in solutions; the IPs in solutions are smaller than the results in the gas phase and decrease with increased dielectric constants in solutions. This finding indicates that the cationic states in solutions are more stable than those in the gas phase. All EAs of eight serinamide conformers are negative values in the gas phase, indicating that the anionic states are unstable with respect to electron autodetachment, both adiabatically and vertically. In contrast, all other adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs) are negative values in solutions except for 6S in water; 7S in chloroform, acetone, and water; and 8S in acetone and water, and increase with increasing of dielectric constants in solutions. All vertical electron affinities (VEAs) are negative values in solutions; however, no good rule has been found for these values in solutions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

NMR spectra, GIAO and charge density calculations of five-membered aromatic heterocycles

The B3LYP/6-31+G(d) molecular geometry optimized structures of 17 five-membered heterocycles were employed together with the gauge including atomic orbitals (GIAO) density functional theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) levels of theory for the calculation of proton and carbon chemicals shifts and coupling constants. The method of geometry optimization for pyrrole (1), N-methylpyrrole (2) and thiophene (7) using the larger 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31+G(2d,p) and B3LYP/cc-pVTZ levels of theory gave little difference between calculated and experimental values of coupling constants. In general, the (1)H and 13C chemical shifts for all compounds are in good agreement with theoretical calculations using the smaller 6-31 basis set. The values of nJHH(n=3, 4, 5) and rmnJ(CH)(n=1, 2, 3, 4) were predicted well using the larger 6-31+G(d,p) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets and at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31+G(2d,2p) levels of theory. The computed atomic charges [Mülliken; Natural Bond Orbital Analysis (NBO); Merz-Kollman (MK); CHELP and CHELPG] for the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) geometry optimized structures of 1-17 were used to explore correlations with the experimental proton and carbon chemical shifts.     

Density functional theory investigation of hydrogen bonding effects on the oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen electric field gradient and chemical shielding tensors of anhydrous chitosan crystalline structure

A systematic computational investigation was carried out to characterize the 17O, 14N and 2H electric field gradient, EFG, as well as 17O, 15N, 13C and 1H chemical shielding tensors in the anhydrous chitosan crystalline structure. To include the hydrogen-bonding effects in the calculations, the most probable interacting molecules with the target molecule in the crystalline phase were considered through a hexameric cluster. The computations were performed with the B3LYP method and 6-311++G(d,p) and 6-31++G(d,p) standard basis sets using the Gaussian 98 suite of programs. Calculated EFG and chemical shielding tensors were used to evaluate the 17O, 14N and 2H nuclear quadrupole resonance, NQR, and 17O, 15N, 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR, parameters in the hexameric cluster, which are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The difference between the calculated NQR and NMR parameters of the monomer and hexamer cluster shows how much hydrogen bonding interactions affect the EFG and chemical shielding tensors of each nucleus. These results indicate that both O(3)-H(33)...O(5-3) and N-H(22)...O(6-4) hydrogen bonding have a major influence on NQR and NMR parameters. Also, the quantum chemical calculations indicate that the intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions play an essential role in determining the relative orientation of EFG and chemical shielding principal components in the molecular frame axes.     

33S NMR spectroscopy 3. Substituent effects on 33S NMR parameters in 2-substituted ethanesulfonates

33S NMR parameters (chemical shifts and linewidths) in 2-substituted sodium ethanesulfonates, XCH2CH2SO3Na (X = H, CH3, OH, SH, NH2, Cl, Br, NH3+) depend upon the electronic properties of substituents. To explain experimental results and obtain additional information on the origin of the observed substituent effect (SE), sulfur isotropic absolute shielding constants have been calculated at DFT level of theory (B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p)) by gauge-including atomic orbitals (GIAO) method. Data have been interpreted with the aid of natural bond orbital (NBO) method and natural chemical shielding (NCS) analysis. It has been demonstrated that in the class of compounds considered the diamagnetic contribution to sulfur-shielding constant is constant and the observed upfield shift of 33S resonance induced by electron-withdrawing substituents (reverse chemical shift effect) can be related to variations of the paramagnetic contribution. Substituents with different electronic properties cause variations in the polarization of S-C and S-O bonds of the -C-SO3- moiety thus determining changes of the electron density at sulfur nucleus and consequently the expansion or contraction of 3p sulfur orbitals. Also oxygen lone-pairs and sulfur core 2p electrons can play an active role in determining the paramagnetic contribution to sulfur shielding. With regard to linewidth variations, they can be ascribed primarily to changes in the nuclear quadrupole coupling constant values. B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) method allows obtaining a good reproducibility of SE on the electric field gradient (EFG) at sulfur, although its values tend to be underestimated significantly. Moreover, 17O shielding constants have been calculated.     

DFT computational studies on rotation barriers,tautomerism, intramolecular hydrogen bond,and solvent effects in 8‐hydroxyquinoline

Intramolecular hydrogen binding interactions in 8‐hydroxyquinoline, both in its zwitterionic tautomer and in the rotamer without the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB), have been computed using the B3LYP and MPW1K density functionals. The rotation of the O? H bond and intramolecular proton transfer reactions were studied theoretically. The following theory levels have been applied: B3LYP/6‐31G(d,p), B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p), MPW1K/6‐311++G(d,p), and MPW1K/6‐311++G(2d,3p)//MPW1K/6‐311++G(d,p). Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis has also been carried out. The effect of medium (benzene, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2‐dichloroethane, acetone, water) was simulated using the self‐consistent reaction field (SCRF) method within the framework of the polarizable continuum model (PCM), at the MPW1K/6‐311++G(d,p) level. The evolution of geometry, relative energies, heights of rotation (around the O? H bond) and tautomerization barriers, IHB energies, and ΔG(solv) have been systematically investigated. The results obtained have shown the failure to neglect some changes of the above characteristics in polar media with respect to the gaseous phase. The series of stability of the forms under study in the gaseous phase remains the same in solution. Thus, in spite of the important role of the solvent electrostatic effects, the intrinsic stability of those species overcomes the solvent effects. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Ab initio studies of aspartic acid conformers in gas phase and in solution

Systematic and extensive conformational searches of aspartic acid in gas phase and in solution have been performed. For the gaseous aspartic acid, a total of 1296 trial canonical structures and 216 trial zwitterionic structures were generated by allowing for all combinations of internal single-bond rotamers. All the trial structures were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311G* level and then subjected to further optimization at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level. A total of 139 canonical conformers were found, but no stable zwitterionic structure was found. The rotational constants, dipole moments, zero-point vibrational energies, harmonic frequencies, and vertical ionization energies of the canonical conformers were determined. Single-point energies were also calculated at the MP2/6-311++G** and CCSD/6-311++G** levels. The equilibrium distributions of the gaseous conformers at various temperatures were calculated. The proton affinity and gas phase basicity were calculated and the results are in excellent agreement with the experiments. The conformations in the solution were studied with different solvation models. The 216 trial zwitterionic structures were first optimized at the B3LYP/6-311G* level using the Onsager self-consistent reaction field model (SCRF) and then optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level using the conductorlike polarized continuum model (CPCM) SCRF theory. A total of 22 zwitterions conformers were found. The gaseous canonical conformers were combined with the CPCM model and optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level. The solvated zwitterionic and canonical structures were further examined by the discrete/SCRF model with one and two water molecules. The incremental solvation of the canonical and zwitterionic structures with up to six water molecules in gas phase was systematically examined. The studies show that combining aspartic acid with at least six water molecules in the gas phase or two water molecules and a SCRF solution model is required to provide qualitatively correct results in the solution.     

Theoretical study of light-metal tetrahydroborates

Ab initio calculations of the structural, energetic, vibrational, and magnetic characteristics of the lowest-lying structures for isolated molecules and ions of light-metal tetrahydroborates (Li, Na, Be, Mg, and Al) have been performed by the perturbation theory (MP2), quadratic configuration interaction (QCISD(T)), coupled cluster (CCSD(T)), and density functional theory (B3LYP) methods using the 6-31G*, 6-31G**, 6-311+G**, and 6-311++G** basis sets. The trends in the behavior of the structural parameters, the energies of different decomposition pathways, barriers to internal rotation of BH₄ groups, normal mode frequencies, magnetic shielding constants, and spin density distribution (in radicals) have been analyzed in various related series of these compounds. The results obtained by ab initio methods and at the DFT level are compared. The economical approximation B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-311+G** adequately reproduces the results obtained at the higher level of theory CCSD(T)/6-311++G*s*//MP2/6-31G* even though it requires considerably shorter CPU times and smaller amounts of memory.     

Density functional theoretical (DFT) study for the prediction of spectroscopic parameters of ClCCCN

DFT(B3LYP, B3PW91) calculations in conjunction with three different basis sets have been utilized to investigate the variations in the bond lengths, dipole moment, rotational constants, IR frequencies, IR intensities and rotational invariants of ClCCCN. The nuclear quadrupole constants of chlorine ((35)Cl, (37)Cl) and nitrogen ((14)N) of ClCCCN have been calculated on the experimental r(s) structure as well as on the B3PW91/6-311++g(d,p) optimized geometry and were found to be within the scale length of the experimental uncertainty. The slope and intercept obtained from the regression analysis between the B3LYP/6-311++g(d,p) level calculated and experimental B(o) values of ClCCCN were used to calculate reasonable values of rotational constants of all the rare isotopic species of ClCCCN having standard deviation +/-0.048 MHz. All the spectroscopic parameters obtained from DFT calculations show satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data.     

The role of local structure on formic acid decomposition in supercritical water: A hybrid quantum mechanics/Monte Carlo study

We explored water-assisted decompositions of formic acid in supercritical water in terms of local structure near reactant. A hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulation used in this paper includes QM part as first solvation shell members around the reactant. A present QM/MM approach can simulate supercritical water solution with a reasonable computational load while keeping the simulation preciseness because a density functional theory of B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level was iterated at every 1000 Monte Carlo solute moves. The formic acid converts mainly decarboxylation by water-assisted mechanism, and the coordinated water molecules play an important role for understanding supercritical water density dependence of the reaction. We analyzed a contour map based on the solute–solvent interaction energy along with the reaction pathway. Coordinated water molecule restricted the dehydration pathway by means of hydrogen bond with formic acid, however, the coordinated water promotes the decarboxylation pathway by means of stabilization of the transition state structure with one catalytic water molecule. The contour map of the pair interaction energy along the reaction path elucidates the role of local structure on reactions in supercritical water.     

Structures of water octamers (H2O)8: exploration on ab initio potential energy surfaces by the scaled hypersphere search method

The potential energy surface (PES) of water octamers has been explored by the scaled hypersphere search method. Among 164 minima on the PES (based on MP2/6-311++G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) calculations), the cubic structure with D2d symmetry has been confirmed to be the global minimum. In a thermodynamic simulation using these 164 structures, the cubic structure with S4 symmetry has the highest population at low temperature, though double rings can become dominant as temperature going up, in good accord with a recent Monte Carlo simulation using an empirical potential. A transition temperature from cubic to noncubic has significantly been underestimated when potential energy data of B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) calculations are employed in the simulation. This serious discrepancy between the MP2 and the B3LYP results suggests an importance of dispersion interactions for discussions on thermodynamics of water octamers.