Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the Proton-Bound Dimer of Lysine

The structure of the proton-bound lysine dimer has been investigated by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. The structures of different possible isomers of the proton-bound lysine dimer have been optimized at the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level of theory and IR spectra calculated using the same computational method. Based on relative Gibbs free energies (298 K) calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level of theory, LL-CS01, and followed closely (1.1 kJ mol^–1) by LL-CS02 are the most stable non-zwitterionic isomers. At the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d) and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + (d,p) levels of theory, isomer LL-CS02 is favored by 3.0 and 2.3 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The relative Gibbs free energies calculated by the aforementioned levels of theory for LL-CS01 and LL-CS02 are very close and strongly suggest that diagnostic vibrational signatures found in the IRMPD spectrum of the proton-bound dimer of lysine can be attributed to the existence of both isomers. LL-ZW01 is the most stable zwitterionic isomer, in which the zwitterionic structure of the neutral lysine is well stabilized by the protonated lysine moiety via a very strong intermolecular hydrogen bond. At the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-31 + G(d), MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d) and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ//6-31 + G(d,p) levels of theory, the most stable zwitterionic isomer (LL-ZW01) is less favored than LL-CS01 by 7.3, 4.1 and 2.3 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The experimental IRMPD spectrum also confirms that the proton-bound dimer of lysine largely exists as charge-solvated isomers. Investigation of zwitterionic and charge-solvated species of amino acids in the gas phase will aid in a further understanding of structure, property, and function of biological molecules.     

Sodium Cation Affinities of Commonly Used MALDI Matrices Determined by Guided Ion Beam Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The sodium cation affinities of six commonly used MALDI matrices are determined here using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The collision-induced dissociation behavior of six sodium cationized MALDI matrices, Na⁺(MALDI), with Xe is studied as a function of kinetic energy. The MALDI matrices examined here include: nicotinic acid, quinoline, 3-aminoquinoline, 4-nitroaniline, picolinic acid, and 3-hydroxypicolinic acid. In all cases, the primary dissociation pathway corresponds to endothermic loss of the intact MALDI matrix. The cross section thresholds are interpreted to yield zero and 298 K Na⁺−MALDI bond dissociation energies (BDEs), or sodium cation affinities, after accounting for the effects of multiple ion-neutral collisions, the kinetic and internal energy distributions of the reactants, and dissociation lifetimes. Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G* and MP2(full)/6-311+G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G* levels of theory are used to characterized the structures and energetics for these systems. The calculated BDEs exhibit very good agreement with the measured values for most systems. The experimental and theoretical Na⁺−MALDI BDEs determined here are compared with those previously measured by cation transfer equilibrium methods.     

Ab initio study of rate constants of the reaction: HCN + OH → CN + H2O

A method applying ab initio direct dynamics has been utilized in studying the hydrogen abstraction reaction HCN + OH → CN + H₂O. The geometries of the reactants, products, and the transition state have been optimized at the QCISD/6-311G(d, p) level. Single-point energies were further evaluated at the QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2df, 2p)//QCISD/6-311G(d, p) level. The barrier heights for the forward and reverse reactions were predicted to be 15.95 and 7.51 kcal mol⁻¹ at the QCISD(T)/6-311 + G(2df, 2p)//QCISD/6-311G(d, p) level, respectively. The reaction rate constants were calculated in the temperature range from 298 to 4,000 K using the canonical variational transition-state theory with a small-curvature tunneling correction. The results of the calculation show that the theoretical rate constants are in good agreement with experimental data over the measured temperature range of 400–2,600 K. Received: 18 August 2002 / Accepted: 30 August 2002 / Published online: 20 November 2002 Acknowledgements. Our thanks are due to D.G. Truhlar for providing the POLYRATE 8.2 program. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China. We also thank D.C. Fang and Y. M. Xie for their valuable help, and P.R. Yan for reading our paper. Correspondence to: Q. S. Li e-mail: qsli@mh.bit.edu.cn     

丁烯和丁烷自由基阳离子的分子结构和超精细结构的 理论研究

用密度函数理论B3LYP方法和6-31G(d,p),6-311G(d,p)及6-311+G(d,p)基组，分别对1-C4H^+~8,2-C4H^+~8和C4H^+~10进行了构型优化和频率分析计算，预言1-C4H^+~8具有非平面构型，与以往报道的从头算和密度函数理论计算结果不同。在各自由基阳离子的B3LYP构型上，进行了B3LYP、MP2及MRSDCI方法的超精细偶合常数计算，得到了比以往更好的结果，特别是MP2/B3LYP计算值是至今与实验值符合得最好的理论计算结果。     

Theoretical Studies on Structures and Stabilities of C4H2+ Isomers

The structures, energies, stabilities and spectroscopies of doublet C₄H₂⁺ cations were explored at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311G(d,p), CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df,2pd)(single-point), and G3B3 levels. Ten minimum isomers including the chainlike, three-member-ring, and four-member-ring structures are interconverted by means of 15 interconversion transition states. The potential energy surface was investigated. At the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df,2pd) and G3B3 levels, the global minimum isomer was found to be a linear HCCCCH. The structures of the stable isomer and its relevant transition state are further optimized at the QCISD/6-311G(d,p) level. The bonding nature and structure of isomer HCCCCH were analyzed.     

The performance of the rapid estimation of basis set error and correlation energy from partial charges method on new molecules of the G3/99 test set

Experimental enthalpies of formation have been approximated using single-point Hartree–Fock (HF)–self-consistent-field (SCF) total energies plus the rapid estimation of basis set error and correlation energy from partial charges (REBECEP) energy corrections. The energy corrections are calculated from the HF–SCF partial atomic charges and optimized atomic energy parameters. The performance of the method was tested on 51 closed-shell neutral molecules (50 molecules from the G3/99 thermochemistry database plus urea, composed of H, C, N, O, and F atoms). The predictive force of the method is demonstrated, because these larger molecules were not used for the optimization of the atomic parameters. We used the earlier RECEP-3 [HF/6-311+G(2d,p)] and REBECEP [HF/6-31G(d)] atomic parameter sets obtained from the G2/97 thermochemistry database (containing small molecules) together with natural population analysis and Mulliken partial charges. The best results were obtained using the natural population analysis charges, although the Mulliken charges also provide useful results. The root-mean-square deviations from the experimental enthalpies of formation for the selected 51 molecules are 1.15, 3.96, and 2.92 kcal/mol for Gaussian-3, B3LYP/6-11+G(3df,2p), and REBECEP (natural population analysis) enthalpies of formation, respectively (the corresponding average absolute deviations are 0.94, 7.09, and 2.27 kcal/mol, respectively). The REBECEP method performs considerably better for the 51 test molecules with a moderate 6-31G(d) basis set than the B3LYP method with a large 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis set. Received: 10 March 2001 / Accepted: 5 July 2001 / Published online: 11 October 2001     

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the decomposition of lithiated hydroxyl side-chain amino acids

Lithium cation complexes with serine (Ser) and threonine (Thr) are collisionally activated with xenon in a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer and are observed to exhibit a variety of decomposition pathways in addition to a loss of the intact ligand. Prominent pathways include a loss of H2O, CO2, and aldehydes (XCHO where X=H for Ser and CH3 for Thr). Quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level are used to explore the reaction mechanisms for these processes in detail. Complete potential energy surfaces for all three processes are elucidated, including all intermediates and transition states. Theoretical molecular parameters for the rate-limiting transition states are then used to analyze the threshold energies in the experimental data, providing experimental measurements of the energies of these transition states. These experimental energies are compared with single-point energies calculated at three different levels, B3LYP, B3P86, and MP2(full), using the 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set with geometries and zero-point energies calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. Good agreement between experiment and theory (especially MP2(full)) suggests that the reaction mechanisms have been reasonably elucidated.     

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.     

Transition state structure and energetics of the N(2)O + X (X = Cl,Br) reactions

The structural and vibrational properties of the transition state of the N(2)O + X (X = Cl,Br) reactions have been characterized by ab initio methods using density functional theory. We have employed Becke's hybrid functional (B3LYP), and transition state optimizations were performed with 6-31G(d), 6-311G(2d,2p), 6-311+G(3d,2p), and 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis sets. For the chlorine atom reaction the coupled-cluster method (CCSD(T)) with 6-31G(d) basis set was also used. All calculations resulted in transition state structures with a planar cis arrangement of atoms for both reactions. The geometrical parameters of transition states at B3LYP are very similar, and the reaction coordinates involve mainly the breaking of the N-O bond. At CCSD(T)/6-31G(d) level a contribution of the O-Cl forming bond is also observed in the reaction coordinate. In addition, several highly accurate ab initio composite methods of Gaussian-n (G1, G2, G3), their variations (G2(MP2), G3//B3LYP), and complete basis set (CBS-Q, CBS-Q//B3LYP) series of models were applied to compute reaction energetics. All model chemistries predict exothermic reactions. The G3 and G2 methods result in the smallest deviations from experiment, 1.8 and 0 kcal mol(-1), for the enthalpies of reaction for N(2)O reaction with chlorine and bromine, respectively. The G3//B3LYP and G1 methods perform best among the composite methods in predicting energies of the transition state, with a deviation of 1.9 and 3.0 kcal mol(-1), respectively, in the activation energies for the above processes. However, the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) method gives smaller deviations of 0.4 and -1.0 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The performance of the methodologies applied in predicting transition state energies was analyzed.     

Cage strain in nitro-substituted 1,3,5,7-tetraazacubanes

Homodesmotic reactions were designed for the computation of strain energies (SE) for four nitro-substituted 1,3,5,7-tetraazacubane derivatives. Total energies of the optimized geometric structures at the DFT-B3LYP/6-31G* and DFT-B3LYP/6-311G** levels were used to derive the SE. The variation of SE with respect to the number of substituents is similar with both basis sets. The SE value is 237.32 kcal/mol at the B3LYP/6-311G** level for 2,4,6,8-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacubane, which is unexpectedly much larger than that of its cubane analogue. The SE increases remarkably with more nitro groups being attached to the cage skeleton of tetraazacubane. The ‘bending’ of the bonds within the cubic skeleton attributes to the increase of strains as the attached number of nitro groups increases.     

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide with ethene and 2-butene: a computational study

B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) has been used to calculate the relative energies and geometrical parameters of the respective reactants, transition states, and cycloadducts from the cycloadditions of azomethine ylide and ethene, (Z)-2-butene, and (E)-2-butene. The half-chair (envelope) transition state structures are consistent with a synchronous concerted cycloaddition mechanism.     

HNO自由基与O2反应机理的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)和从头算方法,在B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)水平上对反应HNO+O_2做了理论计算研究。优化得到了反应物、中间体、过渡态和产物的几何构型以及相应的能量值、振动频率。通过分析反应路径的能量差异,以及异构化难易程度,发现HNO+O_2反应有2种产物通道:HOONO和HNO_3。其中过氧亚硝酸HOONO是主要产物,有3种稳定的构象。     

CH2F自由基与HNCO反应机理的理论研究

The reaction mechanism of CH2F radical with HNCO was investigated by density functional theory (DFT)at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. The geometries of the reactants, the intermediates, the transition states and the products were optimized. The transition states were verified through the vibration analysis.The relative energies were calculated at the QCISD(T)/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Seven feasible reaction pathways of the reaction were studied. The results indicate that the pathway (5) is the most favorable to occur, so it is the main pathway of the reaction.     

Theoretical study of the potential-energy surface of C2NP

 The B3LYP/6-311G(d) and CCSD(T)/6-311G(2df) (single-point) methods have been used to investigate the singlet potential energy surface of C₂NP, in which seven stationary isomers and seventeen interconversion transition states are involved. At the final CCSD(T)/6-311G(2df)//B3LYP6-311G(d) level with zero-point vibrational energy correction the lowest-lying isomer is a linear NCCP followed by two linear CNCP isomers at 23.9  and CCNP at 65.8 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. The three isomers are kinetically very stable towards both isomerization and dissociation, and CCNP is even more kinetically stable than CNCP – by 14.3 kcal mol⁻¹ despite its high energy. Further comparative calculations were performed at the QCISD and QCISD(T) levels with the 6-311G(d) and 6-311G(2d) basis sets to obtain more reliable structures and spectroscopy for the three isomers. The calculated bond lengths, rotational constant, and dipole moment for NCCP were in close agreement with the experimentally determined values. Finally, similarities and discrepancies between the potential energy surface of C₂NP and those of the analogous species C₂N₂ and C₂P₂ were compared. The results presented in this paper might be helpful for future identification of the two still unknown yet kinetically very stable isomers CNCP and CCNP, both in the laboratory and in interstellar space. Received: 3 January 2001 / Accepted: 6 June 2001 / Published online: 30 October 2001     

Thermochemical properties of molecules and cations of MgNnHm (n=1,2 and m=1–6): enthalpies of formation, proton affinities and ionization energies

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations are reported for small neutral molecules and cations containing magnesium, nitrogen and hydrogen. Structures have been optimized using gradient techniques at B3LYP/6-31+G(d) and at MP2(full)/6-311++G(d,p). Single-point calculations are reported at QCISD(T)(full)/6-311++G(2df,p) and at CCSD(T)(full)/6-311++G(2df,p) levels using geometries optimized at MP2(full)/6-311++G(d,p). Standard enthalpies of formation at 298 K have been calculated at these two higher levels of theory. Other thermochemical properties calculated include ionization energies and proton affinities. The binding enthalpies of ammonia to Mg⁺, MgNH₂⁺ and MgNH₃⁺ are also reported.     

类锗烯H2C=GeLiCl与RH(R=F,OH, NH2)的插入反应

采用DFT B3LYP和QCISD方法研究了不饱和类锗烯H2C=GeLiCl与RH(R=F, OH, NH2)的插入反应. 在B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)水平上优化了反应势能面上的驻点构型. 结果表明, H2C=GeLiCl与HF、H2O 或NH3发生插入反应的机理相同. QCISD/6-311++G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)计算的三个反应的势垒分别为173.53、194.48和209.05 kJ·mol-1, 反应热分别为60.18、72.93和75.34 kJ·mol-1. 相同条件下发生插入反应时, 反应活性顺序都是H—F>H—OH>H—NH2.     

DFT study on mechanism of the classical Biginelli reaction

The condensation of benzaldehyde, urea, and ethyl acetoacetate according to the procedure described by Biginelli was investigated at the B3LYP/6-31G（d）, B3LYP/6-31 ＋G（d,p）, and B3LYP/6-311＋G（3df,2p）//B3LYP/6-31＋G（d,p） levels to explore the reaction mechanism. According to the mechanism proposed by Kappe, structures of five intermediates were optimized and four transition states were found. The calculation results proved that the mechanism proposed by Kappe is right.     

The spin-forbidden reaction CH(2∏) + N2→ HCN + N(4S) revisited I. Ab initio study of the potential energy surfaces

High-level ab initio electronic structure theories have been applied to investigate the detailed reaction mechanism of the spin-forbidden reaction CH(²∏) + N₂ → HCN + N(⁴S). The G2M(RCC) calculations provide accurate energies for the intermediates and transition states involved in the reaction, whereas the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) method overestimates the stability of some intermediates by as much as about 10 kcal/mol. A few new structures have been found for both the doublet and quartet electronic states, which are mainly involved in the dative pathways. However, due to the higher energies of these structures, the dominant mechanism remains the one involving the C ₂ intersystem-crossing step. The C ₂ minima on the seam of crossing (MSX) structures and the spin-orbit coupling between the doublet and quartet electronic states are rather close to those found in previous studies. Vibrational frequencies orthogonal to the normal of the seam which have been applied in a separate publication to calculate the rate of the CH(²∏) + N₂ → HCN + N(⁴S) reaction with a newly proposed nonadiabatic transition-state theory for spin-forbidden reactions have been calculated at the MSX from first principles. Received: 23 June 1998 / Accepted: 21 September 1998 / Published online: 8 February 1999