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Molecular Diversity - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia and is associated with a decline in cognitive function and language ability. The deficiency of the...     

Weak discontinuities in a chemically reacting atmosphere

Summary The growth and decay of a weak discontinuity headed by a singular surface of arbitrary shape in three dimensions is investigated in a chemically reacting atmosphere, in the absence of dissipative mechanisms such as viscosity, diffusion and heat conduction. The combined effects of the disequilibrium due to the chemical reaction and a wave front curvature on the propagation of discontinuities have been examined and discussed. It has been observed that the chemical disequilibrium, with its Arrhenius rate dependence, causes the compression wave to steepen more swiftly that it does in an inert atmosphere. The critical values of the initial discontinuity, and time for shock formation, in cases of diverging and converging waves, have been determined.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman measurements and DFT calculations for l‐tryptophan of varying pH in silver sol

The interaction of l ‐tryptophan (Trp) with silver colloids was investigated at between pH values of 6.11 and 10.6 of the sol. The measurements of surface‐enhanced Raman bands of Trp in the colloidal solution indicate the evolution of interaction between the metal particles and the molecules with increasing pH values for the sol. The experimental observations were explained using the estimated atomic charge distribution in the zwitterionic and anionic forms of the residue, obtained by density functional theory calculations. The variation in the ratio of the spectral intensities of the Fermi resonance bands with the pH reflects the effect of the colloidal environment on Trp. The results obtained can be used as a marker for describing the nature of the interaction of silver colloids with the specific terminus of the residue, at varying pH environments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computational analysis of ordering in higher homologous series of nBAC: The effect of a dielectric medium

A computational analysis of ordering in higher homologous series of p-n-alkylbenzoic acids (nBAC) that have 7 (7BAC) and 9 (9BAC) carbon atoms in the alkyl chain has been carried out on the basis of quantum mechanics and intermolecular forces. The molecular geometry of 7BAC and 9BAC has been constructed on the basis of published crystallographic data with the standard values of bond lengths and bond angles. The evaluation of atomic charge and dipole moment at each atomic center has been carried out through the complete neglect differential overlap (CNDO/2) method. The configurational energy has been computed via the Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation method. The total interaction energy values obtained through these computations were used to calculate the probability of each configuration in a dielectric medium at the nematic-isotropic-transition temperature through the use of the Maxwell-Boltzmann formula. It has been observed that there is a considerable rise in the probability of interactions, although the order of preference remains the same. The present article offers theoretical support to the experimental observations. In addition, this provides a new way of looking at the liquid-crystalline molecules in a dielectric medium.     

Geometrical parameters,vibrational wavenumbers,and relationships established with six difluorobenzonitriles

The geometry, vibrational wavenumbers, and thermodynamical parameters have been calculated using density functional methods (DFT) for benzonitrile (BN) and the six difluorobenzonitriles (DFBNs) of the series. The results were compared with the available experimental data, and correlations were established for the ? C?N and C? F moieties between the natural atomic charges and the geometrical parameters of the compounds. These relations were found as linear or slightly parabolic in most cases. Investigations were carried out to examine the effect of substituents on structural deformations and other properties. Correlations were also determined with the stretching vibrations. Other general conclusions have also been drawn. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

pH dependent SERS and solvation studies of tyrosine adsorbed on silver colloidal nano particles combined with DFT calculations

The surface enhanced Raman spectra of tyrosine in colloidal Ag solution have been recorded over a range of pH. A line shape analysis of the bands at 1359, 1505 and 1577 cm⁻¹ was performed between pH 3.5 and 8.5. The variation of spectral linewidth (FWHM) of the band at 1359 cm⁻¹ with pH is explained in terms of two mechanisms in solution: (i) the fluctuation of the pH of a microscopic volume in a solution with an overall uniform pH and/or (ii) the role of changing viscosity and solvation at different pH values due to the intermolecular ionic interactions between different charged states of the tyrosine molecule. The blue shift in three bands with increasing pH has been explained in terms of charge transfer between the different charged states of tyrosine and metal ions upon chemisorption. The experimental spectra are compared with ab initio/DFT calculations of vibrational wavenumbers, bond geometries, binding energy and charge distributions obtained by means of Hartree–Fock (HF) analysis, the nonlocal density functional method (BLYP) and the hybrid functional method (B3LYP). Two basis sets, CEP-31G and lanl2DZ, were used for all calculations.     

Revisiting mechanistic studies on dinitrogen reduction to ammonia by an iron dinitrogen complex as nitrogenase mimic

Conversion of free nitrogen to ammonia is a required chemical reaction for both biologically and industrially but their mechanism, specifically the attachment of electron and proton transfer during the cycle, is still doubtful. In this view, a thorough knowledge of the mechanism is crucial. In this article, we employ a density functional method on [(TPB)FeN₂]⁻, the iron-dinitrogen complex carrying the tris(phosphine)borone (TPB) ligand, for the ammonia production with the inclusion of electrons and protons. The electronic structures, reactivity, and mechanistic possibilities have been extensively explored using the B3LYP functional. Both asymmetric and symmetric pathways in addition to the possible intermediates species and transition states are considered here. Our results conclude tremendously small energy barrier of 3.5 kJ/mol for the first protonation (S = 1/2) for the N─H bond activation by the [(TPB)FeN₂]⁻ species. However, high activation barrier for the third protonation was estimated to be 78.5 kJ/mol, which is explained by the high energy of the unoccupied δ_x²_-y² orbital in ¹ts4 species. The computed spectroscopic parameters such as absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, and Mössbauer also established the electronic structure details of the species. The calculated parameters are compatible with the experimental results.     

Flow effects in 84Kr induced collisions in emulsion at 0.95 GeV per nucleon

Using emulsion detector the collective flow signals in inelastic interactions of ⁸⁴Kr nuclei with Ag(Br) at 950 MeV/nucleon are studied. A transverse momentum analysis is performed to determine the reaction plane. The bounce-off of spectator fragments is observed. In azimuthal distributions relative to the reaction plane squeeze-out and side-splash of participants are seen. Received: 27 September 1999     

Laser photochromic velocimetry estimation of the vorticity and pressure field – two-dimensional flow in a curved vessel

 Laser photochromic velocimetry was successfully used to determine details of a steady two-dimensional flow field. In the plane of symmetry of a 90° curved tube at a Reynolds number of 250, the axial and radial velocity fields were measured using laser photochromic velocimetry combined with a technique involving interpolation of the photochromic data. The wall shear stress, vorticity, and pressure field were also estimated. The experimental results were compared with those from numerical simulation. The agreement was remarkably good lending validity to the interpolation method used for this flow field. Received: 29 May 1997 / Accepted: 13 November 1997     

A computational analysis of ordering in 2O.4 based on quantum mechanics and intermolecular forces

A computational analysis of ordering in p-ethoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (2O.4) has been carried out based on quantum mechanics and intermolecular forces. The evaluation of atomic charges and dipole moments at each atomic center has been carried out using the CNDO/2 method. The configuration energy has been computed using the modified Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation method at an interval of 1 Å in translation and 10° in rotations. The various possible geometrical arrangements of molecular pairs during the different modes of interactions have been considered, and the most favorable configuration of pairing has been obtained. A comparative picture of the molecular parameters, such as the total energy, binding energy, and total dipole moment of 2O.4 with other nematogen 4-4′-di-n-propoxy-azoxybenzene (DPAB) and 5-(trans-4-ethylcyclohexyl)-2-(4-cyanophenyl)-pyrimidine (ECCPP), has been given. The results are discussed in the light of experimental and other theoretical observations.