Quantum chemical computations of 1,3-phenylenediacetic acid

Molecular geometry, vibrational wavenumbers and gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) 13C NMR and 1H NMR chemical shift values of 1,3-phenylenediacetic acid (C10H10O4), in the ground state have been calculated by using ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) methods with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set for the first time. Comparison of the observed fundamental vibrational modes of 1,3-phenylenediacetic acid and calculated results by density functional B3LYP and Hartree-Fock methods indicate that B3LYP is superior to the scaled Hartree-Fock approach for quantum chemical studies. Geometric parameters (bond lengths and bond angles) and vibrational wavenumbers obtained by the HF and DFT/B3LYP methods are in good agreement with the experimental data. Furthermore, this is the first time the results of the calculated JCH and JCC coupling constants of the C10H10O4 molecule are presented in this study.     

An easily accessible Re-based catalyst for the selective conversion of methanol: evidence for an unprecedented active site structure through combined operando techniques

Heterogeneous Re/SiO(2) catalysts prepared using a one pot sol-gel synthesis were found to display high activity in the direct, selective methanol conversion to methylal, which is correlated to an unprecedented rhenium oxide structure.     

Synthesis, spectroscopy, and characterization of some bis-nicotinamide metal(II) dihalide complexes

We report synthesis of six new bis-nicotinamide metal(II) dihalide complexes [M(nia)(2)Cl(2); M = Mn, Co; nia:nicotinamide, M(nia)(2)Br(2); M = Mn, Hg; M(nia)(2)I(2); M = Cd, Cu], and their characterization by combining infrared spectroscopy with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Infrared spectra indicate that ring-nitrogen is the active donor cite, and the atomic structure of the complexes is determined to be polymeric octahedral or distorted polymeric octahedral. Spin polarized electronic ground state is obtained for Mn, Co, and Cu halide complexes. The colors of the complexes also support the conclusion of octahedral coordination around the metal atoms, in agreement with DFT results.     

Quantum chemical computational studies on 5-(4-bromophenylamino)-2-methylsulfanylmethyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester

The optimized molecular geometry, vibrational frequencies, and gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) (1)H and (13)C NMR shift values of 5-(4-bromophenylamino)-2-methylsulfanylmethyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester have been calculated by using Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional method (DFT/B3LYP) with 6-31G(d), 6-31G(d,p) and LANL2DZ basis sets. The optimized molecular geometric parameters were presented and compared with the data obtained from X-ray diffraction. In order to fit the calculated harmonic wavenumbers to the experimentally observed ones, scaled quantum mechanics force field (SQM FF) methodology was proceeded. Correlation factors between the experimental and calculated (1)H chemical shift values of the title compound in vacuum and in CHCl(3) solution by using the conductor-like screening continuum solvation model (COSMO) were reported. The calculated results showed that the optimized geometry well reproduces the crystal structure. The theoretical vibrational frequencies and chemical shifts are in very good agreement with the experimental data. In solvent media the energetic behavior of the title compound was also examined by using the B3LYP method with the 6-31G(d) basis set, applying the COSMO model. The obtained results indicated that the total energy of the title compound decreases with increasing polarity of the solvent. Furthermore, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), natural bond orbital (NBO) and frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of the title compound were performed by the B3LYP/LANL2DZ method, and also thermodynamic parameters for the title compound were calculated at all the HF and B3LYP levels.     

Thermal behavior of residues (sludge) originating from the sugarcane industry

The Brazilian sugarcane industry shows a great amount of generated sludge which should be utilized adequately. Two sludge samples, aerobic and anaerobic, were collected. Both were evaluated by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (DTA) as well as X-ray power diffraction. These compounds show variations of mass between 30 and 140 °C due to the dehydration stage. The DTA curves show that the compounds have an exothermic reaction between 450 and 550 °C, which indicates that this can be used as an energy source. Details concerning the kinetic parameters of the dehydration and thermal decomposition have also been described here. The kinetic study of these stages was evaluated in open crucibles under nitrogen atmosphere. The obtained data were evaluated with the isoconversional kinetic method. The results show that different activation energies were obtained for thermal decomposition.     

Trypanocidal activity of oxoaporphine and pyrimidine-β-carboline alkaloids from the branches of Annona foetida Mart. (Annonaceae)

Phytochemical investigation of the branches of Annona foetida Mart. led to isolation from the CH(2)Cl(2) extract of four alkaloids: Atherospermidine (1), described for the first time in this species, liriodenine (2), O-methylmoschatoline (3), and annomontine (4). Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data from IR, MS, NMR (1D and 2D), and comparison with the literature. Compounds 2-4 showed potent trypanocidal effect when evaluated against epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi.     

Drug resistance modulation in Staphylococcus aureus, a new biological activity for mesoionic hydrochloride compounds

Two salts of the mesoionic compounds 1,4-diphenyl-5-(5-nitro-2-furanyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-thiol chloride (MC-1) and 4-phenyl-5-(5-nitro-2-furanyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-phenylamine chloride (MC-2) were synthesized utilizing 1,4-diphenyl-thiosemicarbazide and 5-nitro-2-furoyl chloride as starting materials. Their structures were characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. These compounds were analyzed for their influence on the effectiveness of norfloxacin, tetracycline, and erythromycin (standard antibiotics) against resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. MC-1 and MC-2, at sub-inhibitory concentrations of 16 μg/mL, favourably modulated the antibiotic activity of tetracycline by 16- and 32-fold, respectively (MIC), and that of erythromycin by 4-fold.     

Helichrysum gymnocephalum essential oil: chemical composition and cytotoxic, antimalarial and antioxidant activities, attribution of the activity origin by correlations

Helichrysum gymnocephalum essential oil (EO) was prepared by hydrodistillation of its leaves and characterized by GC-MS and quantified by GC-FID. Twenty three compounds were identified. 1,8-Cineole (47.4%), bicyclosesquiphellandrene (5.6%), γ-curcumene (5.6%), α-amorphene (5.1%) and bicyclogermacrene (5%) were the main components. Our results confirmed the important chemical variability of H. gymnocephalum. The essential oil was tested in vitro for cytotoxic (on human breast cancer cells MCF-7), antimalarial (Plasmodium falciparum: FcB1-Columbia strain, chloroquine-resistant) and antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH assays) activities. H. gymnocephalum EO was found to be active against MCF-7 cells, with an IC(50) of 16 ± 2 mg/L. The essential oil was active against P. falciparum (IC(50) = 25 ± 1 mg/L). However, the essential oil exhibited a poor antioxidant activity in the DPPH (IC(50) value > 1,000 mg/L) and ABTS (IC(50) value = 1,487.67 ± 47.70 mg/L) assays. We have reviewed the existing results on the anticancer activity of essential oils on MCF-7 cell line and on their antiplasmodial activity against the P. falciparum. The aim was to establish correlations between the identified compounds and their biological activities (antiplasmodial and anticancer). β-Selinene (R2 = 0.76), α-terpinolene (R2 = 0.88) and aromadendrene (R2 = 0.90) presented a higher relationship with the anti-cancer activity. However, only calamenene (R2 = 0.70) showed a significant correlation for the antiplasmodial activity.     

The excited state dipole moments of betaine pyridinium investigated by an innovative solvatochromic analysis and TDDFT calculations

This work reports on the solvatochromic properties of a simple heterocyclic betaine pyridinium, 2-(1-pyridinio)benzimidazolate (SBPa), having promising potentialities in non-linear optics. From advanced PCM-TDDFT calculations, the solvatochromism of SBPa was found to be unusual, involving two different electronic states for absorption (S(0)→ S(2)) and emission (S(1)→S'(0)). To account for this behavior, we developed an innovative physical treatment which consists in a non-linear fit of the solvatochromic data using the Bilot-Kawski theoretical model and visualizing the least-square coefficient χ(2) on a 2D map as a function of the solute polarizability and gas phase absorption energy. In parallel, Kamlet-Taft correlations were undertaken to select a propitious set of electrostatic solvents usable in this treatment. Protic solvents that lead to specific interactions and nonpolar solvents that favor dimerization processes were excluded. From a choice of aprotic solvents with sufficiently high polarity, 4 dipole moments μ(g)(S(0)) = +9.1 D, μ(e)(S(2)) = -1.5 D, μ(e)(S(1)) = 0 D and μ(g)(S'(0)) = +3.31 D were determined, the 3 former values being in close agreement with TDDFT values, although the solute polarizability values seem underestimated. Anyhow, disregarding this discrepancy, we evaluated the static hyperpolarizability to β(0) = -64 × 10(-30) esu from the solvatochromic data in close agreement with DFT calculations.