Theoretical investigations on the solvation process

The conformation energies for monohydrated associates M · H₂O, where M stands for oxirane, aziridine, oxaziridine and cyclopropene, have been obtained by using an electrostatic method, tested in a preceding paper, which relies on SCF molecular potentials calculated exactly. Stable associates have been found in the heterogroup region as well as near the bent bonds (single or double).A discussion is made on the errors in calculating thermodynamic properties for such associates in gas phase by using a priori calculations. As a numerical example the free energy change in the association process is compared for two monohydrated associates of aziridine.

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Zusammenfassung Die Konformationsenergien für Anlagerungsverbindung M · H₂O, wobei M für Oxiran, Aziridin, Oxaziridin und Cyclopropen steht, werden mit einer elektrostatischen Methode berechnet. Dieses Verfahren wurde in einer vorhergehenden Veröffentlichung getestet und beruht auf exakt berechneten SCF-Molekülpotentialen. Stabile Anlagerungsverbindungen wurden für Konformationen gefunden, bei denen das Wassermolekül in der Nähe der Heterogruppe oder der gezogenen Einfach- oder Doppelbindung liegt. Die Fehler bei der Berechnung thermodynamischer Eigenschaften für derartige Anlagerungsverbindungen in der Gasphase werden abgeschätzt. Als ein numerisches Beispiel wird die Differenz der freien Energie bei der Anlagerung für zwei Anlagerungsverbindungen von Aziridin und Molekül Wasser verglichen.

     

Oxidation behaviour in prosthetic UHMWPE components sterilised with high-energy radiation in the presence of oxygen

UHMWPE orthopaedic components are commonly sterilised by high-energy radiation. In the last 10 years, many studies pointed out that irradiation in air can lead to an oxidative degradation of the polymer, but the correlation between the sterilisation conditions and the amount and distribution of the oxidation products in the prosthetic components is still unclear.In the present study, a large number of never implanted, gamma sterilised prosthetic components have been analysed by using FTIR micro-spectroscopy and derivatisation techniques. Based on the obtained oxidation profiles, the samples were divided into three groups and a correlation between the oxidation products and their distribution and some sterilisation parameters have been proposed. Presence of oxygen, dose rate and temperature were found to play a highly relevant role in determining the whole oxidation degree and its distribution in the UHMWPE components.     

Theoretical study of reaction mechanisms for the ketonization of vinyl alcohol in gas phase and aqueous solution

Theoretical ab initio calculations are done on different mechanisms for the conversion of vinyl alcohol to acetaldehyde, both in gas phase and in solution. Several basis sets are used in order to assess the accuracy of the results in gas phase and a continuum model of the solvent is employed to mimic reactions in water solution. The results indicate a catalytic action of water in hydrated clusters in gas phase, whereas in solution, and within the error limits of our calculations, both neutral water-chain and ionic mechanisms appear to be equally probable. Finally, the action of acids or bases is tested through the analysis of the reaction of vinyl alcohol with H₃O⁺ and HO^–. The results of the calculations are shown to be in qualitative agreement with the experimental facts when 6-31++G basis set is used but not when either STO-3G or 4-31G basis sets are employed.     

Electronic structure of friedel crafts catalysts BF3+HF

SCF MO LCAO calculations using two different gaussian basis sets have been performed for the species HF, F^?, BF₃, BF ₄ ^? and HBF₄ with geometry optimization. Differences in electrophilicity and proton donating capability of HF due to the formation of the adduct with BF₃ are evidenced and discussed.     

Molecular Interactions and Inclusion Phenomena in Substituted β-Cyclodextrins. Simple Inclusion Probes: H2O, C, CH4, C6H6, NH4 +, HCOO−

Using a simple molecular mechanics approach interaction energy profiles of simple probes (C, CH₄, C₆H₆, H₂O, NH₄ ⁺, and HCOO^-) passing through the center of the -CD ring cavity along the main molecular symmetry axis were first evaluated. Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) values along the same path were also evaluated. The effect of the flexibility of the host -CD molecule together with solute-solvent (H₂O) interactions have been represented by averaging structures of MD calculations for -CD alone and -CD surrounded by 133 H₂O molecules. The effect of various substitutions of -CD has also been evaluated. Small symmetric hydrophobic probes (such as C, CH₄, C₆H₆) are predicted to form stable inclusion complexes with non-substituted and substituted -CDs, the probe position typically being near the cavity center. The stability of the inclusion complexes will increase with increasing size and aliphatic character of the probe. Small polar and charged probes (such as H₂O, NH₄ ⁺, HCOO^-) are predicted to prefer the interaction with the solvent (water) in the bulk phase rather than the formation of inclusion complexes with non-substituted and substituted -CDs. Guest–host interactions in the stable inclusion complexes with hydrophobic probes are almost entirely dominated by dispersion interactions. The MEP reaches magnitudes close to zero in the center of the non-substituted -CD ring cavity and in most of the studied substituted -CDs and shows maximum positive or negative values outside of the cavity, near the ring faces. Substitution of -CD by neutral substituents leads to enhanced binding of hydrophobic probes and significant changes in the MEP profile along the -CD symmetry axis.     

Determination of aniracetam and its main metabolite, N-anisoyl-GABA, in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Two different reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of aniracetam (I) and its metabolite N-anisoyl-GABA (II) in human plasma are described. The procedure for I involves direct injection of plasma samples spiked with the internal standard on a clean-up column followed by reversed-phase chromatography on a C18 column. The limit of quantification was 5 ng/ml, using a 200-microliters specimen of plasma. The mean inter-assay precision of the method up to 800 ng/ml was 3%. The procedure for II involved liquid-liquid extraction of II and the internal standard from plasma with ethyl acetate, and reversed-phase chromatography on a C18 column. The limit of quantification was 50 ng/ml using a 0.5-ml plasma specimen. The mean inter-assay precision up to 50 micrograms/ml was 6%. The applicability and accuracy of the methods were demonstrated by the analysis of over 1000 plasma samples from two bioavailability studies in healthy volunteers.     

A new formulation of the PCM solvation method: PCM-QINTn

A new formulation of the PCM electrostatic solution problem is proposed. Through a new derivation of the PCM-CLSn expression we propose an interpolation formula that improved the convergence: PCM-QINTn. All the available formulations are applied to the evaluation of the electrostatic component of the free energy of solvation for some molecular systems. In addition, PCM-QINT derivatives of G _el with respect to atomic coordinates are evaluated. The computational costs are compared with those of PCM-direct formulation. Received: 21 October 1996 / Accepted: 7 January 1997     

Structural events in the photocycle of green fluorescent protein

Picosecond time-resolved mid-infrared absorption changes of the wild type green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria are reported on structural events during the photocycle. Concomitant with rapid H/D transfer following excitation of the neutral A state at 400 nm, a transient signal at 1721/1711 cm(-1) (H/D) developed belonging to protonated glutamate 222, which was definitively assigned using the E222D mutant from the altered proton-transfer kinetics to aspartate in addition to the altered band position and intensity in the spectra. A transient at 1697 cm(-1), assigned to a structural perturbation of glutamine 69, had a H/D kinetic isotope effect of >32, showing the conformational dynamics to be sensitive to the active site H/D vibrations. The kinetic data up to 2 ns after excitation in the 1250-1800 cm(-1) region in D2O provided 10 and 75 ps time constants for the excited-state deuteron transfer and the associated A1* - A1 and A2* - A2 difference spectra and showed the radiative intermediate I state vibrations and the transient accumulation of the long-lived ground-state intermediate I2. Assignments of chromophore modes for the A1, A2, and I2 ground states are proposed on the basis of published model compound studies (Esposito, A. P.; Schellenberg, P.; Parson, W. W.; Reid, P. J. J. Mol. Struct. 2001, 569, 25 and He, X.; Bell, A. F.; Tonge, P. J. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 6056). Tentative assignments for the singlet-state intermediates A1*, A2*, and I* are discussed. An unexpected and unassigned band that may be a C=C chromophore vibration was observed in the ground state (1665 cm(-1)) as well as in all photocycle intermediates. Optical dumping of the transient I population was achieved using an additional 532 nm pulse and the directly obtained I2 - I* difference spectrum was highly similar to the I2 - I* photocycle spectrum. The pump-dump-probe spectrum differed from the pump-probe photocycle difference spectrum with respect to the intensity of the phenol 1 mode at 1578 cm(-1), suggesting stronger delocalization of the negative charge onto the phenolic ring of the anionic chromophore in the dumped I2 state. Indication for structural heterogeneity of the chromophore, Glu 222, and the chromophore environment was found in the two parallel proton-transfer reactions and their distinct associated ground- and intermediate-state vibrations. Vibrational spectral markers at 1695 cm(-1) assigned to Gln 69, at 1631 cm(-1) belonging to a C=C mode, and at 1354 cm(-1) belonging to a phenolate vibration further indicated the I2 and I* states to be unrelaxed.