Molecular Origin of the Hydrolytic Activity and Fixed Regioselectivity of a ZrIV‐Substituted Polyoxotungstate as Artificial Protease

A multitechnique approach has been applied in order to identify the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters related to the regioselective hydrolysis of human serum albumin (HSA) promoted by the Wells–Dawson polyoxometalate (POM), K₁₅H[Zr(α₂‐P₂W₁₇O₆₁)₂]. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies indicate that up to four POM molecules interact with HSA. While the first interaction site is characterized by a 1:1 binding and an affinity constant of 2×10⁸ M ^?1, the three remaining sites are characterized by a lower global affinity constant of 7×10⁵ M ^?1. The higher affinity constant at the first site is in accordance with a high quenching constant of 2.2×10⁸ M ^?1 obtained for fluorescence quenching of the Trp214 residue located in the only positively charged cleft of HSA, in the presence of K₁₅H[Zr(α₂‐P₂W₁₇O₆₁)₂]. In addition, Eu^III luminescence experiments with an Eu^III‐substituted POM analogue have shown the replacement of water molecules in the first coordination sphere of Eu^III due to binding of the metal ion to amino acid side chain residues of HSA. All three interaction studies are in accordance with a stronger POM dominated binding at the positive cleft on the one hand, and interaction mainly governed by metal anchoring at the three remaining positions, on the other hand. Hydrolysis experiments in the presence of K₁₅H[Zr(α₂‐P₂W₁₇O₆₁)₂] have demonstrated regioselective cleavage of HSA at the Arg114?Leu115, Ala257?Asp258, Lys313?Asp314 or Cys392?Glu393 peptide bonds. This is in agreement with the interaction studies as the Arg114?Leu115 peptide bond is located in the positive cleft of HSA and the three remaining peptide bonds are each located near an upstream acidic residue, which can be expected to coordinate to the metal ion. A detailed kinetic study has evidenced the formation of additional fragments upon prolonged reaction times. Edman degradation of the additional reaction products has shown that these fragments result from further hydrolysis at the initially observed cleavage positions, indicating a fixed selectivity for K₁₅H[Zr(α₂‐P₂W₁₇O₆₁)₂].     

An Unsual Cys-Glu-Lys Catalytic Triad is Responsible for the Catalytic Mechanism of the Nitrilase Superfamily: A QM/MM Study on Nit2

Nitrilase 2 (Nit2) is a representative member of the nitrilase superfamily that catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-ketosuccinamate into oxaloacetate. It has been associated with the metabolism of rapidly dividing cells like cancer cells. The catalytic mechanism of Nit2 employs a catalytic triad formed by Cys191, Glu81 and Lys150. The Cys191 and Glu81 play an active role during the catalytic process while the Lys150 is shown to play only a secondary role. The results demonstrate that the catalytic mechanism of Nit2 involves four steps. The nucleophilic attack of Cys191 to the α-ketosuccinamate, the formation of two tetrahedral enzyme adducts and the hydrolysis of a thioacyl-enzyme intermediate, from which results the formation of oxaloacetate and enzymatic turnover. The rate limiting step of the catalytic process is the formation of the first tetrahedral intermediate with a calculated activation free energy of 18.4 kcal/mol, which agrees very well with the experimental k_cat (17.67 kcal/mol).     

QM/MM study on catalytic mechanism of aspartate racemase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrococcus horikoshii</Emphasis> OT3

The enzyme aspartate racemase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 catalyzes the interconversion between l- and d-Asp. In this work, we employed the hybrid QM/MM approach with the self-consistent charge-density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) model to study the catalytic mechanism for the conversion of l-Asp into d-Asp. The molecular dynamics simulation showed that the substrate l-Asp forms an extensive network of interactions with the active-site residues of the aspartate racemase through its side chain carboxylate, ammonium group, and α-carboxylate. The potential of mean force calculations confirmed that the racemization reaction involves two proton transfers (from the α-carbon to Cys194 and from Cys82 to the α-carbon), which occurs in a concerted way, although highly asynchronous. The calculated free energy of activation is 17.5 kcal/mol, which is consistent with the reaction rate measured from experiment. An electrostatic interaction analysis was performed to estimate the key role played by individual residues in stabilizing the transition state. The docking study on the binding of l-Asp and d-Asp to aspartate racemase indicates that this enzyme employs a “two-base” mechanism not a “one-base” mechanism.     

A DFT study of the mechanism of Ni superoxide dismutase (NiSOD): role of the active site cysteine-6 residue in the oxidative half-reaction

In the present DFT study, the catalytic mechanism of H2O2 formation in the oxidative half-reaction of NiSOD, E-Ni(II) + O2- + 2H+ --> E-Ni(III) + H2O2, has been investigated. The main objective of this study is to investigate the source of two protons required in this half-reaction. The proposed mechanism consists of two steps: superoxide coordination and H2O2 formation. The effect of protonation of Cys6 and the proton donating roles of side chains (S) and backbones (B) of His1, Asp3, Cys6, and Tyr9 residues in these two steps have been studied in detail. For protonated Cys6, superoxide binding generates a Ni(III)-O2H species in a process that is exothermic by 17.4 kcal/mol (in protein environment using the continuum model). From the Ni(III)-O2H species, H2O2 formation occurs through a proton donation by His1 via Tyr9, which relative to the resting position of the enzyme is exothermic by 4.9 kcal/mol. In this pathway, a proton donating role of His1 residue is proposed. However, for unprotonated Cys6, a Ni(II)-O2- species is generated in a process that is exothermic by 11.3 kcal/mol. From the Ni(II)-O2- species, the only feasible pathway for H2O2 formation is through donation of protons by the Tyr9(S)-Asp3(S) pair. The results discussed in this study elucidate the role of the active site residues in the catalytic cycle and provide intricate details of the complex functioning of this enzyme.     

Insights into the mechanism of methionine oxidation catalyzed by metal (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Fe3+)—Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide complexes: A computational study

In this DFT study, a mechanism of the oxidation of methionine (Met) amino acid residue catalyzed by the metal (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Fe³⁺) bound amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide has been proposed. Based on experimental information, two different mechanisms: (1) stepwise and (2) concerted mechanisms for this important process have been investigated. The B3LYP calculations suggest that in the stepwise mechanism, the two separate pathways leading to the same sulfoxide product [Met(O)] go through prohibitively high barriers of 27.3 and 35.1 kcal/mol, therefore it is ruled out. In the concerted mechanism, the Cu²⁺‐Aβ complex has been found to be the most efficient catalyst with the computed barrier of 14.3 kcal/mol. The substitutions of Cu²⁺ by Zn²⁺ and Fe³⁺ increase barriers to 19.6 and 16.9 kcal/mol, respectively and make the reaction thermodynamically less favorable. It was also found that, in comparison with the cysteine (Cys) residue, Met is more susceptible toward oxidation. Its substitution with Cys slightly increased the barrier to 15.8 kcal/mol for the Cu²⁺‐Aβ complex. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2009     

Theoretical study of the CO catalytic oxidation on Au/SAPO‐11 zeolite

Quantum chemistry calculations were carried out, using ONIOM2 methodology, to investigate the CO adsorption and oxidation on gold supported on Silicoaluminophospates (SAPO) molecular sieves Au/SAPO‐11 catalysts. Two models were studied, one containing one Au atom per site (Au? SAPO‐11), and the other with two Au atoms per site (Au₂? SAPO‐11). The results reveal that the CO adsorption and oxidation are exothermic on Au/SAPO11 with an ΔE of ?41.0 kcal/mol and ΔE = ?52.0 kcal/mol, for the adsorption and oxidation, respectively. On the Au₂? SAPO‐11 model, the CO adsorption and oxidation reaction occur, with a ΔE of ?29.7 kcal/mol and ?52 kcal/mol, respectively. According to our results, the oxidation reaction exhibits an Eley‐Rideal type mechanism with adsorbed CO. The theoretical calculations reveal that this type of material could be interesting to disperse Au and consequently to strengthen its catalytic use for different reactions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110:2573–2582, 2010     

Reaction HFCO + 2H2O — Calculated Mechanisms

Three possible reaction mechanisms of methanoyl fluoride with 2H₂O include a concerted and a stepwise hydrolysis of HFCO into HCOOH + HF, and a pure catalytic decomposition of HFCO into HF + CO. Among these, the two H₂O molecules acting as catalyst to decompose HFCO has the lowest calculated barrier, 25.1 kcal/mol with respect to the reactant‐adduct complex, whereas the barriers for the concerted and stepwise hydrolytic reactions in which one H₂O acts as a reactant and the other H₂O as catalyst are similar, 30.8 kcal/mol for concerted and 29.9 kcal/mol for stepwise. The formation of transoid HCOOH in the hydrolysis of HFCO is more favorable than cisoid HCOOH.     

Quantitative determination of protein of bacterial origin on the basis ofd-aspartic acid andd-glutamic acid content

Summary In recent decades several methods have been developed for determination of the proportion of nitrogen-containing substances passed from the rumen into the abomasum, or small intestine, which are of microbial origin. Recently, when examining thed-amino acid content of foodstuffs, particularly milk and milk products, it was observed that, in addition tod-alanine (d-Ala,d-glutamic acid (d-Glu) andd-aspartic acid (d-Asp) can also be detected in similar quantities, primarily in products which have links with bacterial activity. This gave rise to the idea of examining the diaminopimelic acid (DAPA),d-Glu, andd-Asp content of bacteria extracted from the rumen of cattle, and that of chyme from the same cattle, to establish whetherd-Asp andd-Glu can be used to estimate protein of bacterial origin. The investigations performed have provided evidence that bothd-Asp andd-Glu might be appropriate for determination of protein of bacterial origin. The results obtained using these two bacterial markers (d-Asp andd-Glu) proved to the approximately 10% lower than those obtained using DAPA; this was not because of to error attributable to the new markers but rather to the unreliability of determination using DAPA Analyses performed on samples of known bacterial protein content indicate thatd-Asp andd-Glu gave almost identical results for bacterial protein content which were very close to the theoretical (calculated) values. Presented at Balaton Symposium '01 on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 2–4, 2001.     

Characterization of thyroxine-albumin binding using high-performance affinity chromatography. I. Interactions at the warfarin and indole sites of albumin.

A high-performance affinity column containing immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) was used to study the binding of thyroxine at the warfarin and indole sites of HSA. Frontal analysis, using R-warfarin and L-tryptophan as probes for these sites, demonstrated that the immobilized HSA had binding behavior equivalent to that observed for HSA in solution. By injecting R-warfarin or L-tryptophan in the presence of excess thyroxine, it was found that thyroxine was binding directly to both types of site. The warfarin and indole sites had relatively strong binding for thyroxine, with association constants at 37 degrees C of 1.4 x 10(5) and 5.7 x 10(5) M-1, respectively. The value of delta G for these sites ranged from -7 to -8 kcal/mol and had a significant entropy component. The techniques used in this study are not limited to thyroxine-HSA interactions, but should also be valuable in examining the site-specific binding of other drugs and hormones to HSA.     

An accurate theoretical study of energy barriers of alkaline hydrolysis of carboxylic esters

Hydrolysis of esters is one of the most important and frequently used reactions in both organic synthesis and biochemistry. While the reaction mechanism in solution is reasonably well understood, many questions still remain to be answered. In the present study, the combination method, MPW1B95/6-311++G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d)//HF//CPCM/UA0, was found to be reliably predict the energy barriers of alkaline hydrolysis of various esters. The MAD and RMSE were equal to 1.03 and 1.06?kcal/mol, respectively. With this authorized theoretical protocol in hand, we systematically studied the mechanisms of alkaline hydrolysis of ethyl benzoate. The acyl-oxygen cleavage B_AC2 route is preferred over the alkyl-oxygen cleavage B_AL2 route. Then, the total activation energy barriers of B_AC2 and B_AL2 routes of over 40 esters have been calculated. And this large body of data allows us to systematically study the various effects controlling the alkaline ester hydrolysis, including the polar effect, the steric effect, and the remote substituent effect. Also, the solvent effect has been extensively studied in this work. Furthermore, the differences between B_AC2 and B_AL2 routes of these effects are also discussed. The results enable us to predict the energy barrier of the hydrolysis of cyhalofop-butyl in aquatic solution.     

Unveiling VIVO2+ Binding Modes to Human Serum Albumins by an Integrated Spectroscopic–Computational Approach

Human serum albumin (HSA) is involved in the transport of metal ions and potential metallodrugs. Depending on the metal, several sites are available, among which are N-terminal (NTS) and multi-metal binding sites (MBS). Despite the large number of X-ray determinations for albumins, only one structure with Zn²⁺ is available. In this work, the binding to HSA of the V^IVO²⁺ ion was studied by an integrated approach based on spectroscopic and computational methods, which allowed the systems to be characterized even in the absence of X-ray analysis. The behavior depends on the type of albumin, defatted (HSA^d) or fatted (HSA^f). With HSA^d ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ sites were revealed, NTS with (His3, His9, Asp13, Asp255) and MBS with (His67, His247, Asp249, Asn99 or H₂O); with increasing the ratio V^IVO²⁺/HSA^d, ‘tertiary’ sites, with one His-N and other donors (Asp/Glu-O or carbonyl-O) are populated. With HSA^f, fatty acids (FAs) cause a rotation of the subdomains IA and IIA, which results in the formation of a dinuclear ferromagnetic adduct (V^IVO)₂^D(HSA^f) with a μ_1,1-Asp249 and the binding of His247, Glu100, Glu252, and His67 or Asn99. FAs hinder also the binding of V^IVO²⁺ to the MBS.     

Theoretical study of the neutral hydrolysis of methyl formate via a concerted and stepwise water-assisted mechanism using free-energy curves and molecular dynamics simulation

A procedure previously described by us is used for the theoretical study of chemical reactions in solution by means of molecular dynamics simulation, with solute–solvent interaction potentials LJ (12-6-1) derived from ab initio quantum calculations. We apply the procedure to the case of the neutral hydrolysis of methyl formate, HCOOCH₃ + 3H₂O → HCOOH + CH₃OH + 2H₂O in aqueous solution, via concerted and stepwise water-assisted mechanisms. We use the solvent as reaction coordinate, and the free-energy curves for the calculation of the activation energies. The theoretical calculation for the thermodynamics of this hydrolysis reaction in aqueous solution, assisted by three water molecules, is in agreement with the available experimental information. In particular our study gives values of ΔG ^≠ = 28.88 and 28.17 kcal/mol for the concerted and stepwise mechanisms, close to the experimental activation barrier of 28.8 kcal/mol, and a significant improvement over the values of 48.05 and 45.66 kcal/mol found in another similar study using the PCM model.     

High-performance affinity chromatography and the analysis of drug interactions with modified proteins: binding of gliclazide with glycated human serum albumin

This study used high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) to examine the binding of gliclazide (i.e., a sulfonylurea drug used to treat diabetes) with the protein human serum albumin (HSA) at various stages of modification due to glycation. Frontal analysis conducted with small HPAC columns was first used to estimate the number of binding sites and association equilibrium constants (K _a) for gliclazide with normal HSA and glycated HSA. Both normal and glycated HSA interacted with gliclazide according to a two-site model, with a class of high-affinity sites (average K _a, 7.1–10 × 10⁴ M⁻¹) and a group of lower-affinity sites (average K _a, 5.7–8.9 × 10³ M⁻¹) at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. Competition experiments indicated that Sudlow sites I and II of HSA were both involved in these interactions, with the K _a values for gliclazide at these sites being 1.9 × 10⁴ and 6.0 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, respectively, for normal HSA. Two samples of glycated HSA had similar affinities to normal HSA for gliclazide at Sudlow site I, but one sample had a 1.9-fold increase in affinity at this site. All three glycated HSA samples differed from normal HSA in their affinity for gliclazide at Sudlow site II. This work illustrated how HPAC can be used to examine both the overall binding of a drug with normal or modified proteins and the site-specific changes that can occur in these interactions as a result of protein modification.     

Elucidation by computer simulations of the CUS regeneration mechanism during HDS over MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> in combination with <Superscript>35</Superscript>S experiments

The first part of this paper is a short review of the ³⁵S radioactive tracer methods developed in recent years. Then, the experimental results obtained so far on Mo/Al₂O₃ catalysts are compared with computer simulation results recently claimed in order to elucidate the coordinatively unsaturated site (CUS) creation/replenishment/ regeneration mechanism over MoS₂ crystallites. The computer simulations allowed us to pre-select thermodynamically acceptable mechanisms among a set of suggested ones. Then, by comparison of the calculated activation energies with the ³⁵S experiments results we could further validate the most probable mechanism. This mechanism involved the dissociative adsorption of an H₂ molecule on the metallic edge of a MoS₂ crystallite surface with further creation of a CUS by release of one H₂S molecule in the gas phase. Both laboratory and computer simulated experiments permitted to calculate the activation energy for the H2S liberation reaction. In both cases, this energy was about 10- 12 kcal/mol, confirming the accuracy of the proposed mechanism. Moreover, the calculated activation energy of the rate-limiting step for the creation of one CUS by the proposed mechanism was about 23 kcal/mol, which was also in good agreement with the experimental activation energy of the dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) reaction (typically about 20- 22 kcal/mol). This correlation indicated that the DBT HDS reaction rate might be intrinsically governed by the CUS formation/replenishment process, i.e. that the vacancy formation process is a crucial parameter in the global HDS reaction mechanism. Nevertheless, in the case of the 4,6-dimethyl DBT (4,6-DMDBT) HDS reaction, the experimental activation energy is higher (approx. 30 kcal/mol), confirming that external parameters induced by the 4,6-DMDBT-specific properties themselves are likely to play an important role in the reaction process, in addition to the ones intrinsic to the catalytic phase.     

<Superscript>19</Superscript>F NMR spectroscopic characterization of the interaction of niflumic acid with human serum albumin

The interaction of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, niflumic acid (NFA), with human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated by ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A ¹⁹F NMR spectrum of NFA in a buffered (pH 7.4) solution of NaCl (0.1 mol L⁻¹) contained a single sharp signal of its CF₃ group 14.33 ppm from the internal reference 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. Addition of 0.6 mmol L⁻¹ HSA to the NFA buffer solution caused splitting of the CF₃ signal into two broadened signals, shifted to the lower fields of 14.56 and 15.06 ppm, with an approximate intensity ratio of 1:3. Denaturation of HSA by addition of 3.0 mol L⁻¹ guanidine hydrochloride (GU) restored a single sharp signal of CF₃ at 14.38 ppm, indicating complete liberation of NFA from HSA as a result of its denaturation. These results suggest that the binding is reversible and occurs in at least two HSA regions. Competitive ¹⁹F NMR experiments using warfarin, dansyl-l-asparagine, and benzocaine (site I ligands), and l-tryptophan and ibuprofen (site II ligands) revealed that NFA binds to site I at two different regions, Ia and Ib, in the ratio 1:3. By use of ¹⁹F NMR with NFA as an ¹⁹F NMR probe the nonfluorinated site I-binding drugs sulfobromophthalein and iophenoxic acid were also found to bind sites Ia and Ib, respectively. These results illustrate the usefulness and convenience of ¹⁹F NMR for investigation of the HSA binding of both fluorinated and nonfluorinated drugs.     

Mechanism and kinetics of the reaction of the 2-propargyl radical with ammonia

Gas-phase mechanism and kinetics of the reactions of the 2-propargyl radical (H₂CCCH), an important intermediate in combustion processes, with ammonia were investigated using ab initio molecular orbital theory at the coupled-cluster CCSD(T)//B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p) method in conjunction with transition state theory (TST), variational transition state theory (VTST), and Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Macus (RRKM) calculations for rate constants. The potential energy surface (PES) constructed shows that the C₃H₃ + NH₃ reaction has four main entrances, including two H-abstraction and two addition channels in which the former are energetically more favorable. The H-abstraction channels occur via energy barriers of 24 (T0/P2) and 26 kcal/mol (T0/P3) forming loose van de Waals complexes, COM_1 (12 kcal/mol) and COM_2 (14 kcal/mol), respectively. These complexes can easily be decomposed via barrier-less processes resulting HCCCH₃ + NH₂ (P2, 14 kcal/mol) and HCCCH₃ + NH₂ (P3, 15 kcal/mol), respectively. The additional channels occur initially by formation of two intermediate states, H₂CCCHNH₃ (35 kcal/mol) and H₂CC(NH₃)CH (37 kcal/mol) via energy barriers of 37 and 40 kcal/mol at T0/1 and T0/5, respectively, followed by isomerization and decomposition yielding 21 different products. These processes are fully depicted in an as-complete-as-possible PES. The rate constants and product branching ratios for the low-energy channels calculated show that the C₃H₃ + NH₃ reaction is almost pressure-independent. For the temperature range of 300–2000 K, the HCCCH₃ + NH₂ is the major product, whereas the minor one, HCCCH₃ + NH₂, has more contribution when temperature increases. Theoretical results on the mechanism and kinetics of the reaction considered may be helpful for future experiments as well as for understanding the role of the propargyl radical in combustion chemistry.     

Gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange as a molecular probe for the interaction of methanol and protonated peptides

The gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium (HID) exchange kinetics of several protonated amino acids and dipeptides under a background pressure of CH₃OD were determined in an external source Fourier transform mass spectrometer. H/D exchange reactions occur even when the gas-phase basicity of the compound is significantly larger (> 20 kcal/mol) than methanol. In addition; greater deuterium incorporation is observed for compounds that have multiple sites of similar basicities. A mechanism is proposed that involves a structurally specific intermediate with extensive interaction between the protonated compound and methanol.     

Inhibition mechanism of human salivary α-amylase by lipid transfer protein from Vigna unguiculata

VuLTP1.1, a LTP1 from Vigna unguiculata, inhibits 78.1 % of the human salivary α-amylase (HSA) activity at 20 μM. We had performed a correlation study between VuLTP1.1 structure and HSA inhibitory activity and showed that two VuLTP1.1 regions are responsible for HSA inhibition. In one of them we had characterized the crucial importance of an Arg₃₉ for inhibition. In this work, we analyzed the VuLTP1.1-HSA interaction by protein-protein docking to understand the most probable interaction model and the mechanism of HSA inhibition by VuLTP1.1. The VuLTP1.1 tertiary structure quality and refinement as well as the docking assay between VuLTP1.1 and HSA were done by bioinformatic programs. HSA inhibition occurs by direct interaction of the VuLTP1.1 with the HSA causing the obstruction of the carbohydrate biding cleft with Gibbs free energy of -18.5 Kcal/mol and the dissociation constant of 2.6E⁻¹⁴ M. The previously identified Arg₃₉ of VuLTP1.1 is burrowed into the active site of the HSA and there it interacts with the Asp₃₀₀ of HSA catalytic site by a hydrogen bond. We had confirmed the importance of the Arg₃₉ of VuLTP1.1 for the HSA inhibition which interacts with the Asp₃₀₀ at the HSA active site. I-2, a LTP-like peptide, presents the same HSA inhibition pattern that VuLTP1.1, which indicates that the inhibition mechanism of the LTPs towards α-amylase is very similar. For the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that the HSA inhibition mechanism was understood and described for the LTP1s using VuLTP1.1 and I-2 as prototype inhibitors.     

A theoretical study of topomerization of imine systems: Inversion,rotation or mixed mechanisms?

The different mechanisms, rotation, inversion, or intermediate mechanism, by which occur the topomerization of imine systems R₂ CN X have been studied by applying ab initio, B3LYP, and MP2 methods. The effect of a wide variety of substituents R and X on the isomerization pathway have been examined by computing fully optimized structures of the ground and transition states (136 isomers belonging to different imine families were studied and more than 300 transition structures were determined at various levels of theory). Energy barriers have been also obtained and it was found that the groups R and X have a strong influence on the type of mechanism involved and the activation energies. Thus, and depending on the type of substituents, transition state structures related to the following kinds of processes were found: pure inversion, intermediate mechanisms, rotation, and enhanced rotation (hyper‐rotation). In turn, the corresponding activation energies range between very low (<10 kcal/mol) and extremely high (> 70 kcal/mol) values. A simple index that allows us to quantify the percentage of inversion or rotation mechanism is proposed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

A novel mechanism for the isomerization of N2O4 and its implication for the reaction with H2O and acid rain formation

We have discovered, by high‐level quantum‐chemical calculations, a new and predominant isomerization mechanism for N₂O₄ → ONONO₂ via a roaming‐like transition state occurring unimolecularly or bimolecularly during collision with H₂O. The new mechanism allows N₂O₄ to react with H₂O with a significantly lower barrier (< 13.1 kcal/mol) than the commonly known tight transition state (∼30‐45 kcal/mol) by concurrent stretching of the N N bond and rotation of one of the NO₂ groups to form trans‐ONONO₂, which then undergoes a rapid metathetical reaction with H₂O in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. The results have a significant implication for the hydrolysis of N₂O₄ in water to produce HONO and HNO₃. Rate constants for the isomerization and hydrolysis reactions have been predicted for atmospheric modeling applications.