Two-electron distribution functions and intracules

 Two-electron distribution functions and intracules are functions of electronic coordinates and occupy an important, and frequently overlooked, middle ground between the beguiling simplicity of electron densities and the bewildering complexity of wavefunctions. We survey the functions that have been considered by earlier workers and introduce two new ones, the Wigner intracule and the action intracule, that have not previously been discussed. To illustrate their usefulness, we consider the intracules of jellium, a few small atoms and the dissociating hydrogen molecule. Received: 26 July 2002 / Accepted: 20 October 2002 / Published online: 30 January 2003 Correspondence to: P.M.W. Gill e-mail: peter.gill@nott.ac.uk     

Regiospecific synthesis of 11-desoxyanthracycline antibiotics starting with aloe-emodin

The regiospecific synthesis of an established 11-desoxyanthracycline synthon ($\text{8b}$) from aloe-emodin ($\text{3a}$) is described.     

Unexpected products from the Fp2-catalyzed reductive cyclization of nitroaromatics bearing pendant unsaturation

A representative o-nitroenone (Z=O) was cyclized by reduction with CO and [CpFe(CO)₂]₂ (Fp₂) as the catalyst to give the corresponding 4-quinolone. In contrast, Baylis-Hillman adducts derived from o-nitrobenzaldehydes were cyclized to N-formylindolines and indoles under the same conditions.     

Novel bromotyrosine alkaloids: inhibitors of mycothiol S-conjugate amidase

[structure: see text] The novel alkaloids 1 and 4 were isolated from an Australian non-verongid sponge, Oceanapia sp. Compound 1 contains an unprecedented imidazolyl-quinolinone substructure attached to a bromotyrosine-derived spiro-isoxazoline. Three other known alkaloids were isolated in addition to 1 and 4 and together represent the first examples of inhibitors of a new mycobacterial enzyme mycothiol S-conjugate amidase (MCA).     

Microwave spectra and structures of KrAuF, KrAgF, and KrAgBr; 83Kr nuclear quadrupole coupling and the nature of noble gas-noble metal halide bonding

Microwave spectra of the complexes KrAuF and KrAgBr have been measured for the first time using a cavity pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The samples were prepared by laser ablation of the metal from its solid and allowing the resulting plasma to react with an appropriate precursor (Kr, plus SF6 or Br2) contained in the backing gas of the jet (usually Ar). Rotational constants; geometries; centrifugal distortion constants; vibration frequencies; and 197Au, 79Br, and 81Br nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have all been evaluated. The complexes are unusually rigid and have short Kr-Au and Kr-Ag bonds. The 197Au nuclear quadrupole coupling constant differs radically from its value in an AuF monomer. In addition 83Kr hyperfine structure has been measured for KrAuF and the previously reported complex KrAgF. The geometry of the latter has been reevaluated. Large values for the 83Kr nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been found for both complexes. Both the 197Au and 83Kr hyperfine constants indicate a large reorganization of the electron distribution on complex formation. A thorough assessment of the nature of the noble gas-noble metal bonding in these and related complexes (NgMX; Ng is a noble gas, M is a noble metal, and X is a halogen) has been carried out. The bond lengths are compared with sums of standard atomic and ionic radii. Ab initio calculations have produced dissociation energies along with Mulliken populations and other data on the electron distributions in the complexes. The origins of the rigidity, dissociation energies, and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants are considered. It is concluded that there is strong evidence for weak noble gas-noble metal chemical bonding in the complexes.     

Bulky Arylgallium and Indium Derivatives with Co(CO)4 and Mn(CO)5 Substituents

Further investigation of the reaction of Ar*GaCl₂ (Ar* = 2,4,6-t-Bu₃C₆H₂) with Na[Mn(CO)₅] resulted in the new compound, [Ga(Ar*){Mn(CO)₅}₂] 2 . The new indium compounds, [In(Ar*){Co(CO)₄}₂] 3 and [In(Ar*){Mn(CO)₅}₂] 4 , have been prepared by the treatment of Ar*InBr₂ with Na[Co(CO)₄] and Na[Mn(CO)₅], respectively. The structure of 3 was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction: space group P1 (No. 2), Z = 2, a = 8.625(1) Å, b = 10.557(2) Å, c = 17.55(2) Å, α = 88.43(1)°, β = 83.45(1)°, γ = 71.14(1)°. The X-ray crystal structure of [Ga{Mn(CO)₅}₃] is also reported: space group Pbca (No. 61), Z = 8, a = 12.83(3) Å, b = 11.753(2) Å, c = 29.662(6) Å, α = β = γ = 90°.     

Determination of spiroxamine residues in grapes, must, and wine by gas chromatography/ion trap-mass spectrometry

Analytical methodology was developed and validated for the determination of spiroxamine residues in grapes, must, and wine by gas chromatography/ion trap-mass spectrometry (GC/IT-MS). Two extraction procedures were used: the first involved grapes, must, and wine extraction with alkaline cyclohexane-dichloromethane (9 + 1, v/v) solution, and the second grape extraction with acetone, dichloromethane, and petroleum ether. In both procedures, the extract was centrifuged, evaporated to dryness, and reconstituted in cyclohexane or 2,2,4-trimethylpentane-toluene (9 + 1, v/v), respectively. Spiroxamine diastereomers A and B were determined by GC/IT-MS, and a matrix effect was observed in the case of grapes but not in must and wine. Recovery of spiroxamine from fortified samples at 0.02 to 5.0 mg/kg ranged from 78-102% for grapes and must, with relative standard deviation (RSD) <13%; for red and white wines, recoveries ranged from 90 to 101% with RSD <9%. The limit of quantification was 0.02 mg/kg for grapes, must, and wine or 0.10 mg/kg for grapes, depending on the extraction procedure used.     

The nature of the exchange coupling between high-spin Fe(III) heme o3 and CuBII in Escherichia coli quinol oxidase, cytochrome bo3: MCD and EPR studies

Fully oxidized cytochrome bo3 from Escherichia coli has been studied in its oxidized and several ligand-bound forms using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopies. In each form, the spin-coupled high-spin Fe(III) heme o3 and CuB(II) ion at the active site give rise to similar fast-relaxing broad features in the dual-mode X-band EPR spectra. Simulations of dual-mode spectra are presented which show that this EPR can arise only from a dinuclear site in which the metal ions are weakly coupled by an anisotropic exchange interaction of J 1 cm-1. A variable-temperature and magnetic field (VTVF) MCD study is also presented for the cytochrome bo3 fluoride and azide derivatives. New methods are used to extract the contribution to the MCD of the spin-coupled active site in the presence of strong transitions from low-spin Fe(III) heme b. Analysis of the MCD data, independent of the EPR study, also shows that the spin-coupling within the active site is weak with J approximately 1 cm-1. These conclusions overturn a long-held view that such EPR signals in bovine cytochrome c oxidase arise from an S' = 2 ground state resulting from strong exchange coupling (J > 10(2) cm-1) within the active site.     

Ab initio studies of internal rotation barriers and vibrational frequencies of (C2H2)2, (CO2)2, and C2H2-CO2

We have performed large-scaleab initio calculations using second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) on the three van der Waals dimers formed from acetylene and carbon dioxide. Intermolecular geometrical parameters are reliably computed at this level of theory. Calculations of vibrational frequencies of the van der Waals modes, currently unobtainable by experimental means, give important information about the intermolecular potential and predict significant large-amplitude motion. Zero point energy contributions are shown to be vital in assessing the relative stability of conformations which are close in energy. Our studies suggest that the barrier to interconversion tunnelling in (CO₂)₂ is significantly smaller than previously inferred and is approximately the same as in (C₂H₂)₂. The reason for the rigidity of (CO₂)₂ is the difference in monomer centre-of-mass separation between ground state and transition state. We also show that, in addition to the previously observedC _2v form, the collinear form of C₂H₂-CO₂ is a local minimum on its potential energy surface.     

Sequences of rational torsions on abelian varieties

Summary We address the question of how fast the available rational torsion on abelian varieties over increases with dimension. The emphasis will be on the derivation of sequences of torsion divisors on hyperelliptic curves. Work of Hellegouarch and Lozach (and Klein) may be made explicit to provide sequences of curves with rational torsion divisors of orders increasing linearly with respect to genus. The main results in §2) are applications of a new technique which provide sequences of hyperelliptic curves for all torsions in an interval [a _g ,a _g +b _g ]] wherea _g is quadratic ing andb _g is linear ing. As well as providing an improvement from linear to quadratic, these results provide a wide selection of torsion orders for potential use by those involved in computer integration. We conclude by considering possible techniques for divisors of non-hyperelliptic curves, and for general abelian varieties.