Army ants algorithm for rare event sampling of delocalized nonadiabatic transitions by trajectory surface hopping and the estimation of sampling errors by the bootstrap method

The most widely used algorithm for Monte Carlo sampling of electronic transitions in trajectory surface hopping (TSH) calculations is the so-called anteater algorithm, which is inefficient for sampling low-probability nonadiabatic events. We present a new sampling scheme (called the army ants algorithm) for carrying out TSH calculations that is applicable to systems with any strength of coupling. The army ants algorithm is a form of rare event sampling whose efficiency is controlled by an input parameter. By choosing a suitable value of the input parameter the army ants algorithm can be reduced to the anteater algorithm (which is efficient for strongly coupled cases), and by optimizing the parameter the army ants algorithm may be efficiently applied to systems with low-probability events. To demonstrate the efficiency of the army ants algorithm, we performed atom-diatom scattering calculations on a model system involving weakly coupled electronic states. Fully converged quantum mechanical calculations were performed, and the probabilities for nonadiabatic reaction and nonreactive deexcitation (quenching) were found to be on the order of 10(-8). For such low-probability events the anteater sampling scheme requires a large number of trajectories ( approximately 10(10)) to obtain good statistics and converged semiclassical results. In contrast by using the new army ants algorithm converged results were obtained by running 10(5) trajectories. Furthermore, the results were found to be in excellent agreement with the quantum mechanical results. Sampling errors were estimated using the bootstrap method, which is validated for use with the army ants algorithm.     

LAMMA mass spectra of β-diketone,bis(benzoylacetone)ethylenediimine and bis(salicylidene)ethylenediimine complexes of some transition metals

Complexes of 2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetone, acac), [Cu(acac)₂], [VO(acac)₂] and [CO(acac)₃], and the chromium(III) derivative of 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedione (methylacetylacetone, meac), [Cr(meac)₃], the ligands bis(benzoylacetone)ethylenediimine and bis(salicylidene)ethylenediimine, and their cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) chelates were analysed by laser desorption mass spectrometry (LAMMA) and compared to electron impact (EI) results. The positive ion LAMMA spectra generally reveal mostly small fragments, although metal cationization peaks are seen for most complexes. Negative ion LAMMA produce carbon clusters and some structurally important fragments.     

MECHANISMS OF 1,2-DIOXETANE DECOMPOSITION: THE ROLE OF ELECTRON TRANSFER

Abstract— The chemiluminescence from the cleavage of a number of 1,6-diaryl-2,5,7,8-tetraoxabicyclo[4.2.0]octanes 1 has been examined. The ease of oxidation of (object) the aryl moiety strongly influences both the stability and chemiluminescence efficiency of these 1,2-dioxetanes. When Ar is difficult to oxidize, 1 is comparable in stability to simple. alkyl-substituted 1,2-dioxe-tanes and affords triplet excited states in moderate yield. Both biradical and concerted cleavage mechanisms have been suggested to explain this behavior. However, when Ar is a readily oxidized group, 1 is substantially destahilized and gives excited singlet states in high yield. In this instance 1 is analogous to a number of bioluminescent systems. Cleavage mechanisms involving intramolecular electron transfer are proposed to account for this observation. In certain cases thermolysis of 1 occurs by both types of mechanism in competition, and the electron transfer mechanism may be selectively catalyzed by polar, protic media.     

Arene transition metal chemistry : III. Arene exchange phenomena

Arene exchange between free arene and an arene—transition metal complex is reviewed with respect to structure, thermodynamics, kinetics and reaction mechanism. Catalysis of such arene exchange is also examined. Experimental results are presented for arene exchange between arene and the arene—metal complexes: η⁶-arene-1,5-cyclooctadieneruthenium, the cationic η⁶-arene-1,5-cyclooctadieneiridium and η⁶-arenetricarbonylmolybdenum. Mechanistic features of these exchange reactions are discussed.     

Synthesis and photolysis of doxyl derivatives of 5β-androstan-3-ones

In an unsuccessful attempt to effect remote functionalization at C9, 4,4-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl (doxyl) derivatives at C3 of 5β-androstan-3,17-dione and 5β-androstan-17β-ol-3-one were prepared and photolyzed. The former doxyl yielded its C13 stereoisomer; the latter was converted very slowly to intractable material.     

Selective ortho-cleavage of methoxymethyl- and 4-methoxybenzyl ethers

Iodine in methanol has been found to be an effective catalyst system for the cleavage of alkoxymethyl ethers. This catalyst system is particularly useful for the selective removal of ortho-methoxymethyl- and ortho-(4-methoxybenzyl) ethers in the presence of their para-counterparts. Further investigation of various metal salts in methanol for their ability to cleave alkoxymethyl ethers revealed high-valent salts as effective catalysts, presumably through the release of small quantities of HCl.     

Scope and mechanism of palladium-catalyzed amination of five-membered heterocyclic halides

Detailed studies have been conducted to determine the activity of palladium catalysts for the amination of five-membered heterocyclic halides and to determine the factors that control the scope of this reaction. Palladium-catalyzed aminations of the electron-rich furanyl, thiophenyl, and indolyl halides and of the related 2-halogenated thiazoles, benzimidazole, and benzoxazole have been shown to occur with a subset of amines. Various combinations of palladium precursors and P(t)Bu(3) were tested as catalysts for reaction of 3-bromothiophene with N-methylaniline, and the fastest reactions occurred with the Pd(I) dimer, [PdBr(P(t)Bu(3))](2). The fastest aminations of thiazoles, benzimidazoles, and benzoxazoles occurred with the combination of palladium trifluoroacetate and P(t)Bu(3) as catalyst.     

Electrospray tandem mass spectrometric analysis of zeaxanthin and its oxidation products

Carotenoids have been implicated in protection of the eye from light-mediated photo-toxicity caused by free radicals. Under conditions of normal oxidative stress the carotenoids serve as protective antioxidants; however, when the oxidative stress exceeds the antioxidant capacity, carotenoids can be oxidized into numerous cleavage products. The determination and identification of oxidized carotenoids in biological samples remains a major challenge due to the small sample size and low stability of these compounds. We investigated the reaction of various zeaxanthin cleavage products with O-ethyl hydroxylamine to evaluate their levels in a biological sample. For this, a sensitive and specific electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was developed, avoiding the classical lower sensitive and specific HPLC-UV and fluorescence absorption methods. Protonated molecules [M + H](+) of carotenoids upon collision-induced dissociation produced a number of structurally characteristic product ions. A series of complicated clusters of product ions differing in 14 (CH(2))and 26 (C(2)H(2))Da was characteristic of the polyene chain of intact carotenoids. All carotenoid ethyl oximes of zeaxanthin cleavage products were characterized by the losses of 60 and 61 Da in their MS/MS spectra. Through the application of the LC/MS/MS method, we identified two oxime derivatives of 3-hydroxy-beta-ionone and 3-hydroxy-14'-apocarotenal with protonated molecules at m/z 252 and m/z 370 respectively, in a human eye sample.     

Separation of (Z)- and (E)-isomers of thioxanthene and dibenz[b,e]oxepin derivatives with calixarenes and resorcinarenes as additives in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis

Five acidic calix[4]arenes with carboxylic or sulfonic groups at either the upper or lower rim of the cavity and one resorc[4]arene were investigated to separate three thioxanthenes (flupentixol, clopenthixol, chlorprothixene) and a dibenz[b,e]oxepin derivative (doxepin) with cis-/trans-isomerism by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE). Partial filling of the capillary with the UV-absorbing selectors led to a low detection limit and an advantageous signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). A sufficient electrophoretic mobility of the calixarenes towards the anode was necessary to outweigh the oppositely directed electroosmotic flow (EOF). This depended from the functional groups, the dissociation and the hydrodynamic radius of the cyclophanes. In contrast, the resorcinarene was useable only by addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) because only the complex of the two selectors had an anodic apparent electrophoretic mobility. p-Sulfonyl-calix[4]arene (ss-a1) was the most capable selector for all E/Z-isomers with maximal alpha-values ranging from 1.056 for doxepin to 1.224 for chlorprothixene. This was due to the sufficient migration in reversed direction to the EOF even at low pH* values of 3.0. Otherwise, electrostatic as well as hydrophobic interactions with the positively charged isomers seem to contribute to a superior recognition. Increasing the concentration up to 15 mM ss-a1 and using acidic media (pH* 5.0) led to high separation efficiency. Changing the organic solvent provides a powerful tool to improve selectivity with N,N-dimethylformamide-methanol (DMF-MeOH)-mixtures for thioxanthenes. Further electrophoretic parameters were optimized, such as the concentration of the electrolytes, the addition of SDS, the kind of electrolytes and the voltage. Distinct differences in selectivities were found between the derivatives with thioxanthene and dibenzo[b,e]oxepin ring system, respectively. Further, the different basic side chain was responsible for the different selectivity at higher pH* values. In contrast, the substitution at position 2 of the thioxanthenes played a secondary role. Based on the studies of single parameters a method for a simultaneous separation of the four pairs of isomers within 13 min was developed.     

Synthetic studies towards congeners of phomactin A. Re-examination of the structure of Sch 49028

The total syntheses of the epoxy cyclic hemiacetal structures 8 and 9, which are isomeric with the structure 6 proposed for the phomactin known as Sch 49028 isolated from the marine fungus Phoma sp. are described. Neither of these structures showed spectroscopic data consistent with those reported for the purported natural product, adding credibility to the proposal that the structure Sch 49028 does not exist in nature and that its NMR spectroscopic data should have been assigned as phomactin A (1).