Direct ab initio dynamics calculations of thermal rate constants for the CH4 + O2 = CH3 + HO2 reaction

Thermal rate constants of the CH₄ + O₂ = CH₃ + HO₂ reaction were calculated from first principles using both the conventional transition state theory (TST) and canonical variational TST methods with correction from the explicit hindered rotation treatment. The CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//BH&HLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ method was used to characterize the necessary potential energy surface along the minimum energy path. We found that the correction for hindered rotation treatment, as well as the re-crossing effects noticeably affect the rate constants of the title process. The calculated rate constants for both forward and reverse directions are expressed in the modified Arrhenius form as \(k_{\text{forward}}^{\text{CVT/HR}} = 2.157 \times 10^{ - 18} \times T^{2.412} \times \,\exp \,( - \frac{25812}{T})\) and \(k_{\text{reverse}}^{\text{CVT/HR}} = 1.375 \times 10^{ - 19} \times T^{2.183} \times \,{\kern 1pt} \exp \,\,(\frac{2032}{T})\) (cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) for the temperature range of 300–2,500 K. Being in good agreement with literature data, the results provide solid basis information for the investigation of the entire alkane + O₂ = alkyl radical + HO₂ reaction class.     

Density functional theory study on mechanisms of epoxy‐phenol curing reaction

A comprehensive picture on the mechanism of the epoxy‐phenol curing reactions is presented using the density functional theory B3LYP/ 6‐31G(d,p) and simplified physical molecular models to examine all possible reaction pathways. Phenol can act as its own promoter by using an addition phenol molecule to stabilize the transition states, and thus lower the rate‐limiting barriers by 27.0–48.9 kJ/mol. In the uncatalyzed reaction, an epoxy ring is opened by a phenol with an apparent barrier of about 129.6 kJ/mol. In catalyzed reaction, catalysts facilitate the epoxy ring opening prior to curing that lowers the apparent barriers by 48.9–50.6 kJ/mol. However, this can be competed in highly basic catalysts such as amine‐based catalysts, where catalysts are trapped in forms of hydrogen‐bonded complex with phenol. Our theoretical results predict the activation energy in the range of 79.0–80.7 kJ/mol in phosphine‐based catalyzed reactions, which agrees well with the reported experimental range of 54–86 kJ/mol. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Tandem chain walking polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization for efficient synthesis of dendritic nanoparticles for bioconjugation

A tandem polymerization methodology, chain walking polymerization (CWP) followed by atom transfer radical polymerization, was developed for efficient synthesis of nanoparticles for bioconjugation. Using the chain walking palladium-alpha-diimine catalyst (catalyst 1), dendritic polymers bearing multiple initiation sites were synthesized and used as macroinitiators for subsequent Cu(I)-mediated ATRP. Control of molecular weight and size of the water-soluble core-shell polymeric nanoparticles was achieved by tuning reaction conditions. Addition of an N-acryloyloxysuccinamide (NAS) monomer at the end of the ATRP afforded NHS-activated polymer nanoparticles. Conjugation with both small dye molecules and protein (ovalbumin) yielded nanoparticle conjugates with relatively high dye or protein per particle ratio. With the efficient synthesis and good biocompatibility, these nanoparticles may find many potential applications in bioconjugation.     

Ultralow-density nanostructured metal foams: combustion synthesis, morphology, and composition

The synthesis of low-density, nanoporous materials has been an active area of study in chemistry and materials science dating back to the initial synthesis of aerogels. These materials, however, are most often limited to metal oxides, e.g., silica and alumina, and organic aerogels, e.g., resorcinol/formaldehyde, or carbon aerogels, produced from the pyrolysis of organic aerogels. The ability to form monolithic metallic nanocellular porous materials is difficult and sometimes elusive using conventional methodology. Here we report a relatively simple method to access unprecedented ultralow-density, nanostructured, monolithic, transition-metal foams, utilizing self-propagating combustion synthesis of novel transition-metal complexes containing high nitrogen energetic ligands. During the investigation of the decomposition behavior of the high-nitrogen transition metal complexes, it was discovered that nanostructured metal monolithic foams were formed in a post flame-front dynamic assembly having remarkably low densities down to 0.011 g cm(-3) and extremely high surface areas as high as 270 m(2) g(-1). We have produced monolithic nanoporous metal foams via this method of iron, cobalt, copper, and silver metals. We expect to be able to apply this to many other metals and to be able to tailor the resulting structure significantly.     

Cytotoxic Coumarins from the Bark of Mammea siamensis

A new geranylated coumarin, (E)-4-(1-hydroxypropyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-6-(3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl)-8-(3-methyl-1-oxobutyl)coumarin (named surangin D), was isolated from the bark of Mammea siamensis collected in Vietnam, along with four known coumarins, surangins B and C, and theraphins B and C, and seven xanthones, 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone, 7-hydroxy-1-methoxyxanthone, 1,7-dimethoxyxanthone, 1,7-dimethoxy-6-hydroxyxanthone, 1,6,7-trihydroxyxanthone, 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone, and 1,7-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods (mainly 1D- and 2D-NMR) and preparation of methylated derivatives. The four coumarins, surangins C and D and theraphins B and C, were tested for inhibition of cell proliferation in DLD-1 (colon cancer), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), HeLa (human cervical cancer) and NCI-H460 (human lung cancer) cell lines using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. In all four cell lines, theraphin C showed the strongest activity (IC?? in the range of 1.6-5.7 μM). Testing the anti-proliferative effect of the methylated derivatives showed reduced cellular effects of all derivatives, indicating that the number and position of free hydroxyl groups were very important for the anti-proliferative effect.     

Pd(II) complexes of N,S-heterocyclic carbenes with pendant and coordinated allyl function and their Suzuki coupling activities

3-(2-Propenyl)benzothiazolium bromide () provides a direct and simple entry to Pd(ii) complexes with N,S-heterocyclic carbene (NSHC) ligands functionalized with an allyl pendant with hemilabile potential. Addition of salt to Pd(OAc)(2) eliminates HOAc and affords the bis(carbene) complexes cis-[PdBr(2)(NHSC)(2)] (cis-, NSHC = 3-(2-propenyl)benzothiazolin-2-ylidene) and trans-[PdBr(2)(NHSC)(2)] (trans-) along with the monocarbene complexes [PdBr(2)(NSHC)] () and trans-[PdBr(2)(benzothiazole-kappaN)(NSHC)] () as minor side products. Salt-metathesis of cis- with AgO(2)CCF(3) yields the mixed dicarboxylato-bis(carbene) complex cis-[Pd(O(2)CCF(3))(2)(NSHC)(2)] (). Complexes cis-, trans- and were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopies, ESI mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of complexes cis-, and have been determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction. Complexes cis- and as well as an in situ mixture of Pd(OAc)(2) and salt are active toward Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of aryl bromides and activated aryl chlorides giving good conversions.     

Tunneling rearrangement of 1-azulenylcarbene

1-Azulenylcarbene was synthesized by photolysis of 1-azulenyldiazomethane in argon or neon matrices at 3-10 K. The highly polar singlet carbene is only metastable and undergoes a tunneling rearrangement to 8-methylene-bicyclo[5.3.0]deca-1,3,5,6,9-pentaene. After substitution of the 4 and 8 positions with deuterium, the rearrangement is completely inhibited. This indicates a very large kinetic isotope effect, as expected for a tunneling reaction.     

A hydrogen-bonded dichloromethane-perchlorate-water channel in the crystal structure ofcis-[Ru(bpy)2{PPh-(o-tolyl)2}Cl+][ClO4 −]·CH2Cl2·H2O

The complexcis-[Ru(bpy)₂{PPh(o-tolyl)₂}Cl⁺][ClO₄ ^–] crystallized from a solution in dichloromethane as the dichloromethane-water solvate. The structure was refined toR=4.5% for those 2433 reflections with |F _o|>6(|F _o|). The octahedral Ru(II) cation is associated with metal-ligand distances as follows: Ru–Cl=2.434(3)Å, Ru-PPh(o-tol)₂=2.382(2)Å, and Ru–N=2.037(7)–2.088(7)Å. The structure is stabilized by a hydrogen-bonded CH₂Cl₂...ClO₄ ^–...H₂O channel which incorporates adventitious water of crystallization.     

Special issue on “The Eighth International Symposium on Information and Communication Technology—SoICT 2017”

Journal of Heuristics -     

Quantum efficiency for degenerate p-type photoluminescence and electroluminescence in GaAs crystals2

The radiative lifetime and the internal quantum efficiency for the degenerate p-type photoluminescence and the electroluminescence in GaAs crystals have been investigated with a simplified model of degenerate semiconductors in which the recombination constant B is approximately proportional to the ?$\text{5}\text{8}$power of the hole concentration. It is suggested that the radiative lifetime reaches a minimum at some hole concentration, in good agreement with the prediction of Dumke. At 77 K, the internal quantum efficiency exhibits a maximum, found to be 100% at 5 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3 for p-type GaAs crystals, in perfect agreement with experiments of Cusano, and for p-n GaAs junction crystals η_int, _max = 60% at 3 × 10¹⁸cm^?3. Finally, it is noted that in degenerate p-type GaAs crystals, the internal quantum efficiency increases linearly with increasing temperatures.