Fourth-order diagrammatic MB-RSPT calculations of the interaction energy between two helium atoms

The efficiency of the MB-RSPT in the calculations of the correlation contributions to the interaction energies was investigated, using He₂ as a model Van der Waals system. The attention has been focused on the convergency of the perturbation expansion in the calculations of the interaction energy and on the analysis of the fourth-order terms of MB-RSPT. The rôle of the renormalization term in the correct long-range behaviour of the interaction potential has been emphasized.     

Determination of sugar structures in solution from residual dipolar coupling constants: methodology and application to methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside

We have developed methodology for the determination of solution structures of small molecules from residual dipolar coupling constants measured in dilute liquid crystals. The power of the new technique is demonstrated by the determination of the structure of methyl beta-d-xylopyranoside (I) in solution. An oriented sample of I was prepared using a mixture of C(12)E(5) and hexanol in D(2)O. Thirty residual dipolar coupling constants, ranging from -6.44 to 4.99 Hz, were measured using intensity-based J-modulated NMR techniques. These include 15 D(HH), 4 (1)D(CH), and 11 (n)D(CH) coupling constants. The accuracy of the dipolar coupling constants is estimated to be < +/- 0.02 Hz. New constant-time HMBC NMR experiments were developed for the measurement of (n)D(CH) coupling constants, the use of which was crucial for the successful structure determination of I, as they allowed us to increase the number of fitted parameters. The structure of I was refined using a model in which the directly bonded interatom distances were fixed at their ab initio values, while 16 geometrical and 5 order parameters were optimized. These included 2 CCC and 6 CCH angles, and 2 CCCC and 6 CCCH dihedral angles. Vibrationally averaged dipolar coupling constants were used during the refinement. The refined solution structure of I is very similar to that obtained by ab initio calculations, with 11 bond and dihedral angles differing by 0.8 degrees or less and the remaining 5 parameters differing by up to 3.3 degrees . Comparison with the neutron diffraction structure showed larger differences attributable to crystal packing effects. Reducing the degree of order by using dilute liquid crystalline media in combination with precise measurement of small residual dipolar coupling constants, as shown here, is a way of overcoming the limitation of strongly orienting liquid crystals associated with the complexity of (1)H NMR spectra for molecules with more than 12 protons.     

Coupled-column liquid chromatography method with photochemically induced derivatization for the direct determination of benzoylureas in vegetables

The coupled-column (LC-LC) system, consisting of a first column packed with internal surface reversed phase (ISRP) (50 x 4.6mm ID) and a Chrompack C18 (100 x 4.6 mm ID) as second column, allowed the simultaneous determination of five benzoylurea insecticides in dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) extracts of vegetable samples without any clean-up step. This system was combined with a photochemically induced fluorescence (PIF) post-column derivatization in order to provide strongly fluorescent photoproducts from the non-fluorescent benzoylureas. Limits of detection ranged from 0.21 to 0.98 microg L(-1) of pesticide (equivalent to 0.14-0.65 microg kg(-1) in vegetable samples) and limits of determination ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 microg L(-1) (equivalent to 2.7-6.7 microg kg(-1)). Linearity of the method was established between 2 and 1800 microg L(-1), depending upon the compound. Validation of the total method was performed by randomly analyzing recoveries of four vegetable samples (aubergine, cucumber, green bean, and tomato) spiked at two levels of concentration (10.0 and 33.3 microg kg(-1)). The combination of the LC-LC system with PIF detection provides a sensitive, selective, and rapid method for the determination of pesticides in vegetable samples at levels lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established for these compounds by Spanish legislation.     

5-Pyrimidylboronic acid and 2-methoxy-5-pyrimidylboronic acid: new heteroarylpyrimidine derivatives via Suzuki cross-coupling reactions

5-Pyrimidylboronic acid and 2-methoxy-5-pyrimidylboronic acid 4 have been synthesised by lithium-halogen exchange reactions on 5-bromopyrimidine and 2-methoxy-5-bromopyrimidine, respectively, followed by reaction with triisopropylborate. Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of 2 and 4 with heteroaryl halides [Na(2)CO(3), Pd(PPh(3))(2)Cl(2), 1,4-dioxane, 95 degrees C] yield heteroarylpyrimidines (heteroaryl = thienyl, quinolyl and pyrimidyl). Two-fold reaction of 2 with 4,6-dichloropyrimidine 12 gave 4,6-bis(5-pyrimidyl)pyrimidine 8(56% yield). Reaction of 4,6-dichloropyrimidine with 2-methoxy-5-pyridylboronic acid gave 4,6-bis(2-methoxy-5-pyridyl)pyrimidine 14 (84% yield). Conversion of into 4,6-bis(2-chloro-5-pyridyl)pyrimidine 15 (63% yield) followed by two-fold Suzuki reaction with 4-tert-butylbenzeneboronic acid gave the penta-arylene derivative 4,6-bis[2-(4-tert-butyl)phenyl-5-pyridyl]pyrimidine 16 (16% yield). Analogous reaction of 12 with 2-methoxy-3-pyridylboronic acid 17 gave 4,6-bis(2-methoxy-3-pyridyl)pyrimidine 18 (64% yield). The X-ray crystal structures of compound 2.0.5H(2)O and compound 18 are reported. The two hydroxyl H atoms in 2 have the usual exo-endo orientation. However, unlike most arylboronic acids, molecule 2 does not form a centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimer. In molecule 18, the pyridine rings form dihedral angles of 39.9 degrees and 22.8 degrees with the central pyrimidine ring.     

Effect of asymmetry on the electronic delocalization in diiron and iron-cobalt mixed valence metallocenic compounds

In this work, we report the synthesis and a study on the degree of electronic delocalization in the asymmetric mixed valence complexes [CpFe(C(8)H(6))Fe(C(8)H(7))](+), 3a(+), and [CpCo(C(8)H(6))Fe(C(8)H(7))](+), 3b(+), (Cp = C(5)Me(5), C(8)H(6) = pentalenyde, C(8)H(7) = hydropentalenyde, and = ((3,5(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3))(4)B(-))). Electrochemical methods, (57)Fe M?ssbauer spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance were used for this purpose. Although the anti conformation of the complexes precludes any metal-metal interaction, all the techniques employed show that 3a(+) is a electronic delocalized system, while 3b(+) behaves as two individual metallic centers with localized electron density.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of tocopherols in infant formulas

A method for the simultaneous determination of alpha-tocopherol acetate and alpha-, delta-, and gamma-tocopherols by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescent detector in infant formula is proposed. The values obtained in the determination of the analytical parameters: linearity, precision, limit of detection and accuracy (analysis of a standard reference material, SRM 1846), confirm the quality of the method. The proposed method is useful for the determination of alpha-, delta-, and gamma-tocopherols and alpha-tocopherol acetate in infant formulas at a low cost and in a total time of 2 h.     

Effective atom volumes for implicit solvent models: comparison between Voronoi volumes and minimum fluctuation volumes

An essential element of implicit solvent models, such as the generalized Born method, is a knowledge of the volume associated with the individual atoms of the solute. Two approaches for determining atomic volumes for the generalized Born model are described; one is based on Voronoi polyhedra and the other, on minimizing the fluctuations in the overall volume of the solute. Volumes to be used with various parameter sets for protein and nucleic acids in the CHARMM force field are determined from a large set of known structures. The volumes resulting from the two different approaches are compared with respect to various parameters, including the size and solvent accessibility of the structures from which they are determined. The question of whether to include hydrogens in the atomic representation of the solute volume is examined. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 1857-1879, 2001     

Intramolecular electronic interactions in conjugated ferrocene-pi-extended-tetrathiafulvalene donor-pi-donor molecular hybrids

The synthesis of new hybrid ferrocene and pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) donor(1)-pi-donor(2) molecular assemblies 16a-c has been carried out by a Wittig-Horner reaction of the respective phosphonate esters 15a-c with 2-(2-ferrocenylvinyl)-9, 10-anthraquinone (18) prepared by olefination of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde (14) and the anthraquinone phosphonium salt 17. Electrochemical studies show that the D(1)-pi-D(2) (D = donor) molecular assemblies 16a-c essentially retain the redox characteristics of both ferrocene and the pi-extended TTF components and the effects of solvent, temperature, scan rate, and working electrode are significant. Most importantly, pronounced intramolecular electronic interactions between the two donor moieties were observed by cyclic voltammetry and Osteryoung square wave voltammetry in both the ground and charged states. Semiempirical calculations support the electrochemical observations.     

Predicting the selectivity of imprinted polymers

Summary Imprinted polymers as stationary phases for HPLC separations have been the subject of extensive investigations in recent years. In order to aid the rational design of synthetic protocols for the preparation of imprinted polymers, a series of calculations were made to assess the equilibrium concentration of templatemonomer complexes as a function of association constant (K) for the functional groups involved in the interactions and initial concentrations of reactants. This data was then used to predict the selectivity of polymers prepared under different reaction conditions and the model was tested using an experimentally determined value ofK and separation factors taken from the literature.