A theoretical structural analysis of the factors that affect 1JNH, 1hJNH and 2hJNN in N–H···N hydrogen‐bonded complexes

Calculations of ¹ J_NH, ^1h J_NH and ^2h J_NN spin–spin coupling constants of 27 complexes presenting N–H·N hydrogen bonds have allowed to analyze these through hydrogen‐bond coupling as a function of the hybridization of both nitrogen atoms and the charge (+1, 0, ? 1) of the complex. The main conclusions are that the hybridization of N atom of the hydrogen bond donor is much more important than that of the hydrogen bond acceptor. Positive and negative charges (cationic and anionic complexes) exert opposite effects while the effect of the transition states ‘proton‐in‐the‐middle’ is considerable. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electronic structure of 1 to 2 nm diameter silicon core/shell nanocrystals: surface chemistry, optical spectra, charge transfer, and doping

Static and time-dependent density functional calculations, geometrically optimized and including all electrons, are described for silicon nanocrystals as large as Si(87)H(76), which contains 163 atoms. We explore and predict the effect that different sp(3) passivation schemes-F or H termination, thin oxide shell, or alkane termination-have on the HOMO and LUMO, on the optical spectra, and on electron transfer properties. Electronegativity comparisons are a useful guide in understanding the observed deviation from the simple quantum size effect model. Nanocrystals containing Al or P impurity atoms, either on the surface or in the interior, are explored to understand electrical doping in strongly quantum-confined nanocrystals. Surface dangling bonds are found to participate in internal charge transfer with P atom dopant electrons.     

Spin uncoupling in ethylene activation by palladium and platinum atoms

Spin‐dependent effects in complex formation reactions of the ethylene molecule with palladium and platinum atoms were studied by electron correlation calculations with account of spin–orbit coupling. Simple correlation diagrams illustrating spin‐uncoupling mechanisms were obtained, showing that the low spin state of the transition‐metal atom or the transition‐metal atom complex is always more reactive than are the high spin states because of the involvement of the triplet excited molecule in the chemical activation. Spin–orbit coupling calculations of the reaction between a platinum atom and ethylene explain the high‐spin Pt(³D) reactivity as due to an effective spin flip at the stage of the weak triplet complex formation. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 72: 581–596, 1999     

Synthesis of Alternating Donor–Acceptor Ladder‐Type Molecules and Investigation of Their Multiple Charge‐Transfer Pathways

We describe the synthesis as well as the optical and charge‐transport properties of a series of donor–acceptor (D‐A) ladder‐type heteroacenes. These molecules are stable, soluble, and contain up to 24 fused rings. Structural analyses indicated that the backbones of S 10r and Se 10r are bent in single crystals. The three 10‐ring heteroacenes were functionalized with thiol anchoring groups and used for single‐molecular conductance measurements. The highest conductance was observed for molecular wires containing a benzoselenadiazole (BSD) moiety, which exhibits the narrowest band gap. Multiple charge‐transport pathways were observed in molecular wires containing either benzothiadiazole (BTD) or BSD. The conductance is a complex function of both energy gap and orbital alignment.     

Mono‐ and Bis(tetrathiafulvalene)‐1,3,5‐Triazines as Covalently Linked Donor–Acceptor Systems: Structural,Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Investigations

Reaction of 2,4,6‐trichloro‐1,3,5‐triazine with lithiated tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) in stoichiometric conditions, followed by treatment with sodium methanolate, provides mono‐ and bis(TTF)–triazines as new covalently linked (multi)donor–acceptor systems. Single‐crystal X‐ray analyses reveal planar structures for both compounds, with formation of peculiar segregated donor and acceptor stacks for the mono(TTF)–triazine compound, while mixed TTF–triazine stacks establish in the case of the bis(TTF) derivative. Cyclic voltammetry measurements show reversible oxidation of the TTF units, at rather low potential, with no splitting of the oxidation waves in the case of the dimeric TTF, whereas irreversible reduction of the triazine core is observed. Intramolecular charge transfer is experimentally evidenced through solution electronic absorption spectroscopy. Time‐dependent DFT calculations allow the assignment of the charge transfer band to singlet transitions from the HOMO of the donor(s) to the LUMO of the acceptor. Solution EPR measurements correlated with theoretical calculations were performed in order to characterize the oxidized species. In both cases the spectra show very stable radical species and contain a triplet of doublet pattern, in agreement with the coupling of the unpaired electron with the three TTF protons. The dication of the bis(TTF)–triazine is paramagnetic, but no spin–spin exchange interaction could be detected.     

A Novel Polymeric Chemosensor: Dual Colorimetric Detection of Metal Ions Through Click Synthesis

A highly colored polystyrene derivative bearing side chain chromophores composed of dialkylanilino donor and cyano‐based acceptor groups, prepared by atom‐economic click postfunctionalization, displays the dual colorimetric detection behavior of several metal ions based on the specific interactions with different nitrogen atoms. Hard to borderline metal ions, such as Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, and Sn²⁺, are always recognized by the dialkylanilino nitrogen atom, resulting in a decrease in the charge‐transfer (CT) band intensity of the donor–acceptor chromophores. On the other hand, the recognition site of a soft metal ion of Ag⁺ is the cyano nitrogen atom due to the readily formed multivalent coordination, which produces a bathochromic shift of the CT band.     

A Geometric Definition of Short to Medium Range Hydrogen-Mediated Interactions in Proteins

We present a method to rapidly identify hydrogen-mediated interactions in proteins (e.g., hydrogen bonds, hydrogen bonds, water-mediated hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and aromatic π-hydrogen interactions) through heavy atom geometry alone, that is, without needing to explicitly determine hydrogen atom positions using either experimental or theoretical methods. By including specific real (or virtual) partner atoms as defined by the atom type of both the donor and acceptor heavy atoms, a set of unique angles can be rapidly calculated. By comparing the distance between the donor and the acceptor and these unique angles to the statistical preferences observed in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), we were able to identify a set of conserved geometries (15 for donor atoms and 7 for acceptor atoms) for hydrogen-mediated interactions in proteins. This set of identified interactions includes every polar atom type present in the Protein Data Bank except OE1 (glutamate/glutamine sidechain) and a clear geometric preference for the methionine sulfur atom (SD) to act as a hydrogen bond acceptor. This method could be readily applied to protein design efforts.     

Proton Transfer Influence on Geometry and Electron Density in Benzoic Acid–Pyridine Complexes

The influence of the proton transfer on the geometry of donor and acceptor molecule in benzoic acid–pyridine complexes is investigated by theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level of theory. Systematic shifts of the H‐atom in the H‐bond are reflected in the geometry of the COOH group and the lengths of aromatic ring bond lengths of the proton acceptor. Changes in electron densities have been studied by atoms in molecules analysis. A systematic natural bond orbital analysis has been performed to study the proton transfer mechanism. Two donor orbitals are engaged in the proton transfer process which is accompanied by a change in orbital delocalization of H‐atom that can switch between two donor orbitals so the path of proton transfer in intermolecular H‐bond is not determined by the orbital shape. Theoretical results have been confirmed by experimental results published previously.     

A computational investigation on the geometries,stabilities, antioxidant activity,and the substituent effects of the L‐ascorbic acid and their derivatives

The geometries, stabilities, and antioxidant activities of L‐Ascorbic acid (1a), D‐erythroascorbate (2a), and D‐erythroascorbate glucoside (3a) as well as their sulfur and selenium derivatives are systematically investigated by using density functional theory. Emphasis is placed on studies of the two main mechanisms, that is, hydrogen atom donation and single‐electron transfer, and the O—H bond dissociation enthalpy and the ionization potential are computed in the gas phase and water solution. The calculated results indicate that the 2‐OH group in the five‐membered ring acts as an important H atom donor to free radicals. The 2‐OH radical spin density distribution shows that the unpaired electron is mostly located at the C3 atom of the five‐membered ring and partially at the vicinal O atoms, proving that a certain delocalization of the odd electron is effective in the five‐membered ring. In water aqueous solution, the antioxidant capacity and the electron donating ability are increased as the O atom in the five‐membered ring of 1a, 2a, and 3a is replaced by S and Se, respectively, in good agreement with experimental measurements; Furthermore, their antioxidant capacities are enhanced as compared with the standard antioxidant (resveratrol). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Theoretical study of novel porphyrins bearing electron donor–acceptor groups

This research project is focused on molecules that comprise a series of asymmetrically A₃B‐type meso‐substituted free‐base porphyrins and their related Zn‐metalloporphyrins. A and B were taken as electron‐donor and electron–acceptor groups. Full geometry optimizations without symmetry constrains were performed with B3LYP/6‐31G(d,P) methodology. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations of the optimized structures indicate that there is a good agreement with the available experimental results. The highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gaps (ranging between 2.62 and 2.80 eV) are similar to those reported before for other porphyrins (2.29 eV). Also, the LUMO is situated close to the conduction band of titanium oxide, increasing the possibility of a charge transfer process. As porphyrins may act as electron transfer systems, the electron donor–acceptor capacity of these systems is characterized using two parameters; electrodonating (χ?) and electroaccepting (χ+) electronegativity. The main goal of this investigation is to analyze the electronic structure and the donor–acceptor properties of these porphyrins to see if these compounds could be useful for further applications related to the design of solar cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of dialkyl[1,1-bis(alkylchloroalanyl)organylmethyl]phosphine•dialkylchloroalane(1/1) complexes

Dialkyl[1,1-bis(alkylchloroalanyl)organylmethyl]phosphine?dialkylchloroalane(1/1) complexes (1a–1d) were synthesized and fully characterized. In 1a–1d, dative bonding between phosphorus or chlorine as a donor atom and aluminum as an acceptor atom results in a bicyclic system. The ³¹P{¹H} NMR spectra of all compounds dissolved in d₆-benzene indicate the presence of several isomers in solution. The ²⁷Al{¹H} NMR spectra of 1a–1d dissolved in d₆-benzene as well show very broad singlets between 177 and 140 ppm. For all compounds, crystal structures consist of two fused four- and five-membered rings. The 1λ³-phosphaalkyne reacts at the Al–C bond of the starting material, whereas the Al–Cl moiety remains intact. The heterocycle isolated is a molecular complex of the underlying insertion compound and a third equivalent of dialkylaluminum chloride. The four- and five-membered rings both contain two chlorine-bridged aluminum atoms, Al3 and Al1, slightly more symmetrical than that between Al1 and Al6. In the four-membered ring the two aluminum atoms Al1 and Al6 approach each other at an average distance of 289.1 pm which tallies with the element–element distance (286.3 pm) in aluminum metal.     

Diaqua{6,6′‐dimethoxy‐2,2′‐[propane‐1,3‐diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne‐N)]diphenolato‐O,O′}nickel(II)

In the title compound, [Ni(C₁₉H₂₀N₂O₄)(H₂O)₂], the Ni atom has a distorted octahedral coordination geometry in which the tetradentate Schiff base ligand acts as a cis‐N₂O₂ donor defining an equatorial plane, and water mol­ecules occupy the axial positions. The two parts of the mol­ecule are related by a mirror plane that passes through the Ni atom and is perpendicular to the equatorial plane. The angular distortions from normal octahedral geometry are in the range 1–6°, and the equatorial plane, defined by the donor atoms of the Schiff base, is almost square planar. The six‐membered ring comprising the Ni, the imine N and the propyl­ene C atoms adopts a half‐chair conformation. The Ni—O [2.017 (2) Å] and Ni—N [2.071 (2) Å] distances are within the ranges expected for high‐spin octahedral nickel complexes.     

Four cocrystals of thymine with phenolic coformers: influence of the coformer on hydrogen bonding

Cocrystals are molecular solids composed of at least two types of neutral chemical species held together by noncovalent forces. Crystallization of thymine [systematic name: 5‐methylpyrimidine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐dione] with four phenolic coformers resulted in cocrystal formation, viz. catechol (benzene‐1,2‐diol) giving thymine–catechol (1/1), C₅H₆N₂O₂·C₆H₆O₂, (I), resorcinol (benzene‐1,3‐diol) giving thymine–resorcinol (2/1), 2C₅H₆N₂O₂·C₆H₆O₂, (II), hydroquinone (benzene‐1,4‐diol) giving thymine–hydroquinone (2/1), 2C₅H₆N₂O₂·C₆H₆O₂, (III), and pyrogallol (benzene‐1,2,3‐triol) giving thymine–pyrogallol (1/2), C₅H₆N₂O₂·2C₆H₆O₃, (IV). The resorcinol molecule in (II) occupies a twofold axis, while the hydroquinone molecule in (III) is situated on a centre of inversion. Thymine–thymine base pairing is common across all four structures, albeit with different patterns. In (I)–(III), the base pair is propagated into an infinite one‐dimensional ribbon, whereas it exists as a discrete dimeric unit in (IV). In (I)–(III), the two donor N atoms and one carbonyl acceptor O atom of thymine are involved in thymine–thymine base pairing and the remaining carbonyl O atom is hydrogen bonded to the coformer. In contrast, in (IV), just one donor N atom and one acceptor O atom are involved in base pairing, and the remaining donor N atom and acceptor O atom of thymine form hydrogen bonds to the coformer molecules. Thus, the utilization of the donor and acceptor atoms of thymine in the hydrogen bonding is influenced by the coformers.     

Origin of improved visible photocatalytic activity of nitrogen/hydrogen codoped cubic In2O3: first-principles calculations

We have employed DFT calculations to carry out an accurate analysis of the effect of N- and NH-doping on the visible photocatalytic activity in the cubic In(2)O(3). In the substitutional N-doped In(2)O(3), the 2p impurity states of N induce a red shift in the optical absorption, while in the interstitial N-doping the red shift is dominantly caused by the localized π antibonding states of NO. When a H atom is accompanied by a N impurity in the lattice, the H atom acts as a charge donor and compensates the hole state created by N-doping, thus the energy level of the impurity states is reduced. As a result, the mixing of impurity states and the valence band is enhanced. At the same nitrogen dopant concentration, NH-codoping yields a larger band gap narrowing, especially for the interstitial NH-codoping. The theoretical calculations presented in this work explain well the previous experimental results of the enhanced visible photocatalytic activity in NH-codoped cubic In(2)O(3).     

Electron energy structure of GaN when titanium or zinc atoms substitute for gallium

A calculation scheme based on density functional theory with full geometry optimization, modified for structures with translational symmetry is applied to study the electron energy spectrum and magnetic characteristics of hexagonal gallium nitride and structures such as Y _x Ga_1?x N (Y: donor (Ti) or acceptor (Zn) impurity). The dependence of relaxation shifts of interstitial atoms, the position of the chemical potential level, energy band boundaries, valence band widths, and energies corresponding to the intraband maxima of the density of states on the dopant concentration is discussed.     

Photoinduced Electron Transfer within a Zinc Porphyrin–Cyclobis(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) Donor–Acceptor Dyad

Understanding the mechanism of efficient photoinduced electron‐transfer processes is essential for developing molecular systems for artificial photosynthesis. Towards this goal, we describe the synthesis of a donor–acceptor dyad comprising a zinc porphyrin donor and a tetracationic cyclobis(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) (CBPQT⁴⁺) acceptor. The X‐ray crystal structure of the dyad reveals the formation of a dimeric motif through the intermolecular coordination between the triazole nitrogen and the central Zn metal of two adjacent units of the dyad. Photoinduced electron transfer within the dyad in MeCN was investigated by femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, as well as by transient EPR spectroscopy. Photoexcitation of the dyad produced a weakly coupled ZnP^+.–CBPQT^3+. spin‐correlated radical‐ion pair having a τ=146 ns lifetime and a spin–spin exchange interaction of only 0.23 mT. The long radical‐ion‐pair lifetime results from weak donor–acceptor electronic coupling as a consequence of having nine bonds between the donor and the acceptor, and the reduction in reorganization energy for electron transfer caused by charge dispersal over both paraquat units within CBPQT^3+..     

How Does Substitutional Doping Affect Visible Light Absorption in a Series of Homodisperse Ti11 Polyoxotitanate Nanoparticles?

Homodisperse doped polyoxotitanate nanoclusters with formulae Ti₁₁(MX)O₁₄(OiPr)₁₇ (M=Mn, Fe or Co; X=Cl, Br or I, OiPr=isopropoxide) display strongly dopant‐dependent properties. Spectroscopic solution and reflectance measurements backed up by density of states and time‐dependent DFT calculations based on the determined structures, show the prominent effect of FeX substitution by decreasing the HOMO–LUMO gap of the particles. The effect is attributed to the presence of an occupied Fe β orbital halfway up the bandgap, leading to long‐wavelength absorption with electron transfer to the titanium atoms of the cluster. Whereas the light absorption varies significantly with variation of the transition metal dopant, its dependency on the nature of the halogen atom or the change in dipole moment across the series is minor.     

Photocontrolled Intramolecular Charge/Energy Transfer and Fluorescence Switching of Tetraphenylethene‐Dithienylethene‐Perylenemonoimide Triad with Donor–Bridge–Acceptor Structure

Photochromic 1,2‐dithienylethene (DTE) derivatives with a high thermal stability and fatigue resistance are appealing for optical switching of fluorescence. Here, we introduce a donor–photochromic bridge–acceptor tetraphenylethene‐dithienylethene‐perylenemonoimide (TPE‐DTE‐PMI) triad, in which TPE acts as the electron donor, PMI as the electron acceptor, and DTE as the photochromic bridge. In this system, the localized and intramolecular charge transfer emission of TPE‐DTE‐PMI with various Stokes shifts have been observed due to the photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer in different solvents. Upon UV irradiation, the fluorescence quenching resulting from photochromic fluorescence resonance energy transfer in TPE‐DTE‐PMI has been demonstrated in solution and in solid films. The fluorescence on/off switching ratio in polymethylacrylate film exceeds 100, a value much higher than in polymethylmethacrylate film, thus indicating that the fluorescence switching is dependent on matrices.     

N2O…HOCl复合物结构和性质的理论研究

分别在DFT-B3LYP和MP2/6-311++G**水平上求得HOCl + N2O复合物势能面上的六种(S1, S2, S3, S4, S5和S6)和四种(S1, S2, S4和S5)构型. 频率分析表明,其中的S1和S3为过渡态,其它为稳定构型. 在复合物S3, S5 和S6中,HOCl 单体的σ*(5O-6H)作为质子供体,与N2O单体中作为质子受体的3O原子相互作用,形成氢键结构,而在氢键复合物S2中, 质子受体为N2O单体中的端1N原子;复合物S1中,HOCl分子的σ*(5O-4Cl)作为质子供体与N2O分子中的端1N原子(质子受体)相互作用,形成卤键结构,而复合物S4中的卤键结构的质子受体为N2O分子中的端3O原子. 经B3LYP/6-311++G**水平上的计算,考虑了基组重叠误差(BSSE)校正的单体间相互作用能在-1.56 ~ -8.73 kJ·mol-1之间. 采用自然键轨道理论(NBO)对两种单体间相互作用的本质进行了考查,并通过分子中原子理论(AIM)分析了复合物中氢键和卤键键鞍点处的电子密度拓扑性质.     

NMR spin–spin coupling constants in hydrogen‐bonded glycine clusters

The influence of the hydrogen bond formation on the NMR spin–spin coupling constants (SSCC), including the Fermi contact (FC), the diamagnetic spin‐orbit, the paramagnetic spin‐orbit, and the spin dipole term, has been investigated systematically for the homogeneous glycine cluster, in gas phase, containing up to three monomers. The one‐bond and two‐bond SSCCs for several intramolecular (through covalent bond) and intermolecular (across the hydrogen‐bond) atomic pairs are calculated employing the density functional theory with B3LYP and KT3 functionals and different types of extended basis sets. The ab initio SOPPA(CCSD) is used as benchmark for the SSCCs of the glycine monomer. The hydrogen bonding is found to cause significant variations in the one‐bond SSCCs, mostly due to contribution from electronic interactions. However, the nature of variation depends on the type of oxygen atom (proton‐acceptor or proton‐donor) present in the interaction. Two‐bond intermolecular coupling constants vary more than the corresponding one‐bond constants when the size of the cluster increases. Among the four Ramsey terms that constitute the total SSCC, the FC term is the most dominant contributor followed by the paramagnetic spin‐orbit term in all one‐bond interaction.