Computational design of multifunctional materials

We propose a general scheme for the computational design of new materials using density functional theory. We then apply the scheme to two classes of materials; ferromagnetic ferroelectrics and half-metallic antiferromagnets. Our first “designer” ferromagnetic ferroelectric has subsequently been synthesized and the predicted properties verified. Our computations on half-metallic antiferromagnets have stimulated experimental study but the phenomenon remains unconfirmed.     

Photofragmentation of Halogenated Pyrimidine Molecules in the VUV Range

In the present work, we studied the photoinduced ion chemistry of the halogenated pyrimidines, a class of prototype radiosensitizing molecules, in the energy region 9–15 eV. The work was stimulated by previous studies on inner shell site-selective fragmentation of the pyrimidine molecule, which have shown that the fragmentation is governed by the population/formation of specific ionic states with a hole in valence orbitals, which in turn correlate to accessible dissociation limits. The combined experimental and theoretical study of the appearance energies of the main fragments provides information on the geometric structure of the products and on the role played by the specific halogen atom and the site of halogenation in the dissociation process. This information can be used to gain new insights on the elementary mechanisms that could possibly explain the enhanced radiation damage to the DNA bases or to the medium in which the bases are embedded, thereby contributing to their radiosensitizing effect.

A novel one-pot synthesis of oxazolidinones through direct introduction of CO2 into allylamine derivatives

1,3-Oxazolindin-2-one derivatives were obtained for the first time through carboxylative cyclization of allylamines in the absence of any metal or base catalyst. An electron-withdrawing substituent on the allylic double bond is crucial for the reaction success. Allylamines react with CO₂ in MeCN/MeOH mixture and in scCO₂ giving satisfactory results.     

Defective α‐Fe2O3(0001): An ab Initio Study

By using density functional theory calculations at the PBE+U level, we investigated the properties of hematite (0001) surfaces decorated with adatoms/vacancies/substituents. For the most stable surface termination over a large range of oxygen chemical potentials (${\mu _{\rm{O}} }$ ), the vacancy formation and adsorption energies were determined as a function of ${\mu _{\rm{O}} }$ . Under oxygen‐rich conditions, all defects are metastable with respect to the ideal surface. Under oxygen‐poor conditions, O vacancies and Fe adatoms become stable. Under ambient conditions, all defects are metastable; in the bulk, O vacancies form more easily than Fe vacancies, whereas at the surface the opposite is true. All defects, that is, O and Fe vacancies, Fe and Al adatoms, and Al substituents, induce important modifications to the geometry of the surface in their vicinity. Dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen is likely to be exothermic on surfaces with Fe/Al adatoms or O vacancies.     

Paley–Wiener Theorems on the Siegel Upper Half-Space

Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications - In this paper we study spaces of holomorphic functions on the Siegel upper half-space $${\mathcal U}$$ and prove Paley–Wiener type theorems for...     

The development of N-aryl trifluoroacetimidate-based benzyl and allyl protecting group reagents

An exploration of the role of para-substituents on the balance between stability and reactivity of N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidates prompted the discovery of new reagents for the addition of allyl and benzyl protecting groups, namely O-allyl and O-benzyl N-(p-nitrophenyl)trifluoroimidates. These compounds are stable and crystalline at ambient temperature, making them ideal alternatives to existing benzylating and allylating reagents used under acidic conditions.