The fixed rotor approximation in the vibronic semi-classical treatment of atom—molecule collisions

Calculations for non-adiabatic atom—molecule collisions at low energies frequently make use of a sudden approximation vis-à-vis the molecule rotation. The present work investigates the effect on vibronic excitation and charge-transfer processes of freeing the rotation of the molecule during the collision. This is achieved in a semi-classical framework. The H⁺+O₂ collisional system is selected for this study in view of the strong anisotropy of the relevant interactions and on account of the availability of fixed rotor data for this system. Results obtained in the 1 eV/amu energy range and higher generally confirm the validity of the fixed rotor approximation. For this energy range sizeable deviations of free rotor from fixed rotor results appear in exceptional cases for impact parameters of the order of the molecule's bond distance. At lower energies (⩽0.2 eV/amu) the fixed rotor approximation becomes questionable.     

S1←S0 vibronic spectra and the vapor-state molecular structure of propanal and 2-methylpropanal

The vapor-state absorption spectra have been recorded for propanal PA and 2-methylpropanal MP with path lengths up to 120 m. The initial points in the S₁S₀ electronic transitions have been identified together with various fundamental vibrational frequencies of the PA and MP conformers. They contain nonplanar aldehyde groups in the S₁ states with inversion potential barriers of about 600 cm^–1. The parameters of the internal-rotation potential functions in the S₁ states have been determined, and the corresponding potential functions in the S₀ states have been refined.Chemical Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow University. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 20–25, January–February, 1993.     

Correlated driving-and-dissipation equation for non-Condon spectroscopy with the Herzberg–Teller vibronic coupling

Correlated driving-and-dissipation equation (CODDE) is an optimized complete second-order quantum dissipation approach, which is originally concerned with the reduced system dynamics only. However, one can actually extract the hybridized bath dynamics from CODDE with the aid of dissipaton-equation-of-motion theory, a statistical quasi-particle quantum dissipation formalism. Treated as a one–dissipaton theory, CODDE is successfully extended to deal with the Herzberg–Teller vibronic couplings in dipole–field interactions. Demonstrations will be carried out on the non-Condon spectroscopies of a model dimer system.     

Spectroscopic analysis of asymmetric top free radicals——Application to pure rotational spectra of NO_2 in the ground vibronic state

Several key problems involved in the analyses of spectra of asymmetric top molecules, i.e., the effective Hamiltonian, the representation and basis vector, identification of energy levels, the selection rules, the relative intensity, and Zeeman tuning rate, were elucidated systematically. Introducing the high-order centrifugal distortion terms into the effective Hamiltonian, the precision for calculation has been improved substantially, which allows us to analyze the high-lying rotational transitions. A global analysis of all available spectra of 14N16O2 in the ground vibronic state has been made to obtain a set of molecular constants of 14N16O2 in the ground vibronic state which is the most precise and extensive so far. Using the improved parameters, some FIR LMR lines left unassigned hitherto have been identified successfully.     

Analysis of the vibronic structure of the 1A1g → 1B3g, 1B2u transition in biphenyl -h10 and -d10

The absorption spectra of biphenyl-h₁₀ and -d₁₀ crystals in the region of the ¹A_1g → 1B_3g, ¹B_2u transitions are interpreted in terms of vibronic coupling of the two closely spaced electronic states by six b_1u vibrations.     

The role of vibronic interactions on intramolecular and intermolecular electron transfer in π-conjugated oligomers

The importance of electron-vibrational coupling for intermolecular and intramolecular electron-transfer processes is discussed on the basis of first-principles correlated quantum-mechanical calculations and of a dynamic vibronic approach. The methodology is illustrated for examples selected from some of our recent work. In all instances, the theoretical results are thoroughly compared to experimental data.     

Anionic polymerization of ϵ-caprolactam-lix effect of the ratio of reacting components,of the medium and of the ring size on the initial stage of the anionic polymerization of lactams

Effects of the concentrations and ratio of reacting components and of temperature on the kinetics of reaction of N-propionyllactam (I) with potassium salt of lactam (KL) were studied for derivatives of ϵ-caprolactam, 8-octanelactam and 12-dodecanelactam. For ϵ-caprolactam, the initial rates of propagation, acylation of open-chain amide groups and condensation of growth centres were estimated. At the ratio of the starting components [I]₀/[KL]₀ = 0.5-3, the participation of the polymerization reaction is constant, amounting to ca 45% of the overall consumption of 1. The condensation reaction is 14–36% of the total consumption of I; its initial rate passes through a maximum at [I]₀/[KL]₀ = 2. With increasing permittivity of the medium, the total rate of consumption of I increases; in two media with the same bulk permittivity, however, the rates may differ by as much as one order of magnitude.     

Construction of the Skeleton of Phthalascidin, Mechanism of the Formation of the Key Tricyclic Lactam Intermediate

Phthalascidin is a structurally simplified version of Et-743, which is a potent anti-tumor marine natural product isolated from Ecteinascidia turbinata. Its antiproliferative activity is greater than that of the agents taxol, camptothecin, adriamycin, mitomycin C, cisplatin, bleomycin, and etoposide by 1-3 orders of magnitude. An elegant synthesis of Et-743 and phthalascidin has been reported by E. J. Corey and co-workers1,2. As part of our continuing program, we have also engaged in dev…     

Synthesis of two peptides of α-bungarotoxin and the participation of the amino acid residue Trp-28 of the neurotoxin in the antigenicity of the molecule

Using the method of solid-phase peptide synthesis, two peptides have been synthesized, one of which corresponds to the central ring structure of -bungarotoxin (-BTX), while the second has in position 28 a Gly residue in place of the Trp in the first peptide, and their interrelationship with antitoxin antibodies has been investigated. It has been shown that the amino acid residue Trp-28 of -BTX, which is the contact residue in binding with the acetylcholine receptor, also participates directly in binding with the active centers of antibodies to -BTX.Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 628–631, July–August, 1997.     

Studies of the dissociation and the protonation of TB-chlorosulphophenol

The dissociation constant of each step for TB-chlorosulphophenol has been determined by potentiometric method, and the thermodynamic constants, △G°, △H° and △S°, of the dissociation process have been calculated. The protonation constants were measured by the spectrophotometric method. The pH values of various forms of anions of the chromogenic reagent at their concentrations were also calculated.     

Dicyano and pyridine derivatives of β-carotene: synthesis and vibronic, electronic, and photophysical properties

Density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations provide pictures of the molecular orbitals involved in the ground and excited states of two cyano derivatives of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al synthesized via an acid-base-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Population analysis shows that the symmetry-allowed transition, S(0) ((1)A(g)) → S(2) ((1)B(u)) based on the C(2h) symmetry is a HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) to LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) π → π* transition with electron densities located mostly on the polyene chain. Calculated and actual steady-state absorption spectra show similar features with low-energy peak maxima between 550 and 600 nm.     

Determination of the equilibrium melting point of the β-form of polypropylene

The melting behavior of the -form of isotactic polypropylene (-iPP) was investigated as a function of crystallization time and temperature. Calcium suberate, a selective -nucleating agent was used to produce samples that consist entirely of -form i-PP. The experimental melting points were recorded at different crystallization times and were extrapolated to the start of the crystallization process in order to eliminate the effect of lamellar thickening. Using the non-linear Hoffman—Weeks approach to correlate these extrapolated experimental melting temperatures with the corresponding crystallization temperatures, an equilibrium melting point of 209°C was obtained for -iPP. The equilibrium melting point estimated through the non-linear Hoffman—Weeks analysis is about 30°C higher than that (T _m ⁰=177°C) obtained on the basis of the linear extrapolation. These results are consistent with earlier claims that a linear extrapolation of T _m–T _c data leads to an underestimation of the equilibrium melting point. The results obtained for -iPP exemplify the importance of accounting for both the isothermal lamellar thickening effects and the non-linearity in the T _m–T _c correlation, when the determination of an equilibrium melting point is carried out using a procedure based on the predictions of the Lauritzen—Hoffman secondary nucleation theory.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dark state vibronic coupling in the Ã(2Π) ← ͠X(2Σ+) band of ethynyl radical via high resolution infrared absorption spectroscopy

The high resolution infrared spectrum for the ? ((2)Π) ← ?X ((2)Σ(+)) origin band of jet-cooled ethynyl radical (C(2)H) in the gas phase is reported, which exhibits a strong, parity-specific local perturbation in the upper (2)Π(1/2) state. Based on revised parity assignments of the levels, the perturbing state is unambiguously determined to be (2)Σ(+) symmetry, and thus coupled to the ? ((2)Π) state by ΔK = ±1 Coriolis interactions. By incorporating Σ-Π Coriolis coupling into the unperturbed Hamiltonian (containing only rotational, spin-rotational, spin-orbit, and lambda-doubling contributions), we are now able to fit the observed (2)Π-(2)Σ(+) origin band to a sub Doppler experimental uncertainty of 15 MHz (0.0005 cm(-1)). In addition, the observation of pairs of transitions to mixed states permits determination of the band origin (ν(pert)) and rotational constant (B(pert)) for the "dark"(2)Σ(+) state, which prove to be in remarkably quantitative agreement with full vibronic predictions of Tarroni and Carter as well as UV dispersed fluorescence studies of Hsu et al. This represents an important benchmark in mapping out non-Born-Oppenheimer vibronic interactions and energy level structure in a polyatomic combustion radical system, an understanding of which will be key to modeling chemical reactions in both terrestrial and astronomical environments.     

The applicability of the “straight-line method” of asmus in the determination of the composition of polynuclear complexes

The straight-line method of Asmus was originally developed for the determination of n in mononuclear complexes of the general form AB_n (n≧ 1). In the present investigation it is demonstrated that the method also can be used for determining the value of n in polynuclear complexes of the form A[_mB_n (m > 1). The method as suggested by Asmus, is, however, not capable of distinguishing between mono- and polynuclear species. It is further shown, that the straight-line method can be applied for the determination of the value of m.     

The effect of the primary structure of the polypeptide catalyst on the enantioselectivity of the Juliá-Colonna asymmetric epoxidation of enones

Epoxidation of chalcone (1), using basic hydrogen peroxide, catalysed by polypeptides with defined primary structures demonstrates that the residues in the chain near to the N-terminus determine the stereochemical outcome of the reaction.     

Addition of γ-silyloxyallyltins on ethyl glyoxylate: evaluation of the influence of the experimental conditions on the stereochemical course of the reaction

Ethyl glyoxylate was reacted with α-substituted γ-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-allyltributyltin in order to obtain selectively each diastereomer of ethyl 3-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-2-hydroxyhex-4-enoate and subsequently the corresponding diols. Diastereomers syn-E, anti-E and anti-Z were obtained in good yields with good to high selectivities and the obtained results were rationalized by consideration of cyclic or open transition states in agreement with the experimental conditions and with the structure of the starting reagents.