Why copper is intrinsically more selective than silver in alkene epoxidation: ethylene oxidation on Cu(111) versus Ag(111)

The heterogeneously catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes is experimentally challenging, theoretically interesting, and technologically important. Although large-scale ethylene epoxidation is universally carried out with Ag catalysts, recent laboratory studies on single crystal surfaces show that Cu is intrinsically much more selective than Ag in the epoxidation of a variety of terminal alkenes. The reasons for this striking difference between Ag and Cu have been investigated by means of density functional theory. It is found that the fundamental cause is the inversion in the ordering of activation barriers for the competing pathways to epoxide formation versus acetaldehyde formation (the latter being the first step on the route to combustion). On Cu, epoxide formation is less activated than aldehyde formation; the opposite is true on Ag. This behavior is associated with a late transition state to epoxidation on Cu (i.e., product-like) compared to an early (reactant-like) transition state to epoxidation on Ag.     

Ion solvation in water clusters

We describe here molecular dynamics computer simulations performed to study the solvation of ions (Cl^? and Na⁺) in water clusters. Our simulations show that the calculated structure and dynamics of the clusters is very sensitive to the potential model which is used to describe the interactions. From the comparison with thermodynamic data and data from the photoelectron spectra we conclude that in Cl^?(H₂O)_n (n≤20) clusters the ion is located on the surface of the cluster.     

Electric field induced electron transfer at the adsorbate-surface interface. Effect of the type of metal surface

The ab initio two-state model for electron transfer induced by an external electric field has been applied to the chloride oxidation on Cu, Rh, Pd, Ag, Pt and Au (001) surface models. The two electronic states involved in the model represent physical situations where the electron transferred from the chloride anion to the metal surface lies either on the halide or on the metal substrate. The model assumes that electron transfer takes place when these two states become degenerate and this is achieved by applying an external electric field. Two different situations representing either ultrahigh vacuum or electrochemical conditions have been considered. For the former the present study shows that electric field necessary to achieve degeneracy of the two electronic states is directly related to the metal surface work function whereas for the latter, it is found to be rather insensitive to the metal surface.     

Novel chiral three-dimensional iron(III) compound exhibiting magnetic ordering at T(c) = 40 K

The preparation and crystal structure determination of the iron(III) compound of formula [(NH(4))(2)[Fe(2)O(ox)(2)Cl(2)].2H(2)O](n) (1) (ox = oxalate dianion) are reported here. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Fdd2, with a = 14.956(7) A, b = 23.671(9) A, c = 9.026(4) A, and Z = 8. The structure of complex 1 consists of the chiral anionic three-dimensional network [Fe(2)O(ox)(2)Cl(2)](2-) where the iron(III) ions are connected by single oxo and bisbidentate oxalato groups. The metal-metal separations through these bridging ligands are 3.384(2) and 5.496(2) A, respectively. Ammonium cations and crystallization water molecules are located in the helical pseudohexagonal tunnels defined by iron atoms. The longest iron-iron distance in the pseudohexagonal tunnel is 15.778(2) A whereas the shortest one is 8.734(2) A. The iron atoms are hexacoordinated: a terminal chloro ligand and five oxygen atoms, that of the oxo group and four from two cis coordinated oxalate ligands, build a distorted octahedral environment around the metal atom. The Fe-O(oxo) bond distance [1.825(2) A] is significantly shorter than the Fe(III)-O(ox) [average value 2.103(4) A] and Fe(III)-Cl bond distances [2.314(2) A]. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1 in the temperature range 2.0-300 K reveal the occurrence of a susceptibility maximum at 195 K and a transition toward a magnetically ordered state in the lower temperature region with T(c) = 40 K. The strong antiferromagnetic coupling through the oxo bridge (J = -46.4 cm(-1), the Hamiltonian being H = -JS(A).S(B)) accounts for the susceptibility maximum whereas a weak spin canting of approximately 0.3 degrees due to the antisymmetric magnetic exchange within the chiral three-dimensional network is responsible for the magnetic ordering. The values of coercive field (H(c)) and remnant magnetization (M(r)) obtained from the hysteresis loop of 1 at 5 K are 4000 G and 0.016 micro(B).     

Aurophilicity-coordination interplay in the design of cyano-bridged nickel(II)-Gold(I) bimetallic assemblies: structural and computational studies of the gold(I)-gold(I) interactions

Two polymorphic cyano-bridged Au(I)-Ni(II) bimetallic complexes of formulas [Ni(en)2Au(CN)2][Au(CN)2] (1) and [Ni(en)2[Au(CN)2]2] (2) have been prepared from the 1:2 reaction between [Au(CN)2]- and either [Ni(en)2Cl2]Cl or [Ni(en)3]Cl2.2H2O, respectively. The structure of 1 consists of polymeric cationic chains of alternating [Au(CN)2]- and [Ni(en)2]2+ units running along the a axis and [Au(CN)2]- anions lying between the chains. The noncoordinated dicyanoaurate anions are aligned perpendicular to the ac plane and involved in aurophilic interactions with the bridging dicyanoaurate groups, ultimately leading to a 2D bimetallic grid. The structure of 2 consists of trinuclear molecules made of two [Au(CN)2]- anions linked to [Ni(en)2]2+ unit in trans configuration. Trinuclear units are joined by aurophilic interactions to form 1D zigzag chains. The magnetic properties of these compounds are strongly dominated by the local anisotropy of the octahedral Ni(II) ions, thus indicating that the magnetic exchange interaction mediated by dicyanoaurate bridging groups, if it exists, is very weak. To get insight into the electronic properties of the inter- and intramolecular interactions of the [Au(CN)2]- building blocks, the structures of different aggregates of dicyanogold units were optimized and then analyzed by making use of atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory. Moreover, bond indices were calculated by methods based upon nonlinear population analysis.     

Diferratricarbaboranes of the subcloso-[(eta5-C5H5)2Fe2C3B8H11] type, the first representatives of the 13-vertex dimetallatricarbaborane series

Treatment of the [2-Cp-9-tBuNH-closo-2,1,7,9-FeC(3)B(8)H(10)] (1) ferratricarbollide (Cp = eta(5)-C(5)H(5) (-)) with Na(+) C(10)H(8) (-) in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) at room temperature produced an air-sensitive transient anion with a tentatively identified nido-[tBuNH-CpFeC(3)B(8)H(10)](2-) constitution. In-situ reaction of this low-stability ion with [CpFe(CO)(2)I] or [CpFe(CO)(2)](2) generated three violet diferratricarbaboranes identified as paramagnetic subcloso complexes [4,5-Cp(2-)-4,5,1,6,7-Fe(2)C(3)B(8)H(11)] (2; yield 2 %), [4,5-Cp(2-)-4,5,1,7,12-Fe(2)C(3)B(8)H(11)] (3; yield 2 %), and [7-tBuNH-4,5-Cp(2-)-4,5,1,7,12-Fe(2)C(3)B(8)H(10)] (4; yield 14 %). These first representatives of the 13-vertex dimetallatricarbaborane family were characterized by EPR and IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Anti-Inflammatory,Antidiabetic Properties and In Silico Modeling of Cucurbitane-Type Triterpene Glycosides from Fruits of an Indian Cultivar of Momordica charantia L.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the fastest-growing health challenges of the last decades. Studies have shown that chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the innate immune system are intimately involved in type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. Momordica charantia L. fruits are used in traditional medicine to manage diabetes. Herein, we report the purification of a new 23-O-β-d-allopyranosyl-5β,19-epoxycucurbitane-6,24-diene triterpene (charantoside XV, 6) along with 25ξ-isopropenylchole-5(6)-ene-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), karaviloside VI (2), karaviloside VIII (3), momordicoside L (4), momordicoside A (5) and kuguaglycoside C (7) from an Indian cultivar of Momordica charantia. At 50 µM compounds, 2–6 differentially affected the expression of pro-inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS, and mitochondrial marker COX-2. Compounds tested for the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes at 0.87 mM and 1.33 mM, respectively. Compounds showed similar α-amylase inhibitory activity than acarbose (0.13 mM) of control (68.0–76.6%). Karaviloside VIII (56.5%) was the most active compound in the α-glucosidase assay, followed by karaviloside VI (40.3%), while momordicoside L (23.7%), A (33.5%), and charantoside XV (23.9%) were the least active compounds. To better understand the mode of binding of cucurbitane-triterpenes to these enzymes, in silico docking of the isolated compounds was evaluated with α-amylase and α-glucosidase.     

Reactivity of pyrrole pigments. Part 9 MINDO/3 calculations on dipyrrolic partial models of bile pigments

The applicability of the MINDO/3 method is evaluated for calculations on dipyrrolic partial structures of bile pigments. It is shown that this method cannot be used for an accurate conformational analysis. However, when applying the frontier orbital model for reactivity parameters, a good picture of the HOMO and the LUMO distribution can be obtained in this type of molecules.

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Reaktivität von Pyrrolpigmenten, 9. Mitt. MINDO/3-Rechnungen von dipyrrolischen Partialmodellen von Gallenpigmenten

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Einsatzmöglichkeiten von MINDO/3 für den Fall dipyrrolischer Partialstrukturen der Gallenpigmente aufgezeigt. Die Methode ist für eine genaue Konformationsanalyse nicht geeignet. Unter Verwendung der Reaktionsparameter des Frontier-Orbital-Modells läßt sich jedoch ein gutes Bild der HOMO- und LUMO-Verteilung für diesen Verbindungstyp gewinnen.