Theoretical analysis of the 13C NMR of iodoalkynes upon complexation with Lewis bases

Recent experiments have demonstrated that the (13)C NMR spectra of iodoalkynes exhibit a strong solvent effect because of complexation with Lewis-basic solvents. This paper describes DFT NMR calculations (B3LYP-GIAO with LanL2DZ or Sadlej pVTZ basis set) of iodoalkynes and their Lewis acid-base complexes, interpreted by using Natural Chemical Shift (NCS) analysis within the framework of the Ramsey formalism for chemical shift. In particular, the paper presents calculations on diiodoethyne and its complexes with one and two ammonia molecules. Examination of the orbital changes upon forming the mono- and bisammonia complexes indicates that mixing of the nitrogen lone pair with the C-I antibonding orbital increases the paramagnetic deshielding at C1. Further increases can be attributed to increased polarization of the iodine lone-pair orbitals onto C1. The haloiodoalkyne series XCCI (X = F, Cl, Br, I) offers additional support for this model of the solvent effect.     

Metal atom-induced diffuse scattering from short-range order among deuterium atoms in single crystal α-phase V2D

X-ray scattering has been studied above the critical ordering temperature, T_c (133°C), in b.c.c. α-phase V₂D. At 140 and 200°C quite weak diffuse intensity was observed centered on the reciprocal lattice points of the ordered superlattice. This intensity is due to short-range order among deuterium atoms which induces a local or short-range modulation of the parent vanadium lattice and suggests the possibility of local octahedral D—D fluctuations building up well above T_c.     

Intermolecular additions of cyclobutylchlorocarbene

Cyclobutylchlorocarbene can be intercepted by simple alkenes in successful competition with intramolecular ring expansion and hydride migration reactions.     

Cluster bonding and energetics of the borane anions,BnHn2− (n = 5–12): A comparative study using bond length—bond enthal

Cluster bond enthalpies, E_L(BB), and orders, n?(BB), for the structurally characterised closo anions, B_nH_n^2? (n = 6 and 8–12), have been estimated using the logarithmic length—enthalpy and enthalpy—order relationships E_L(BB) (kJ mol^?1) = 1.766 × 10¹¹ [L(BB)]^?4.0 and E_L(BB) (kJ mol^?1) = 318.8[n?(BB)]^0.697, respectively. In a parallel study, the molecular-orbital bond index CNDO-based calculation method has been used to give BB and BH bond indices, I(BB) and I(BH), from which bond index based bond enthalpies, E_I, have been calculated using the relationships E_I(BB) = 297.9 I(BB) and E_I(BH) = 374.8I(BH) (enthalpies in kJ mol^?1; lengths in pm). From these, total skeletal bond enthalpies Σ E(BB), and total bond enthalpies, Σ E(BB) + Σ E(BH), have been calculated. Although calculated values of E_L and Σ E_L generally exceed those of E_I and Σ E_I by some 8% and calculated values of I generally exceed those of n? by a greater amount, the trends in these parameters for the series of B_nH_n^2? anions are very similar, showing the greater efficiency with which the n + 1 skeletal electron pairs are used as n increases. However, the two approaches differ in that, whereas the Σ E_I values suggest that the anions are all of comparable stability, the ΣE_L values clearly show B₆H₆^2?, B₁₀H₁₀^2? and B₁₂H₁₂^2? to be more stable than B₈H₈^2?, B₉H₉^2? and B₁₁H₁₁^2?. The interatomic distances in B₇H₇^2? and in the unknown B₅ H₅^2? are estimated and used to assess their relative stabilities. The E_L values suggest that B₇ H₇^2? is of comparable stability to B₈H₈^2? etc., but show B₅H₅^2? as relatively unstable. The E_I values suggest that both of these anions should be relatively stable members of the series of closo anions.     

Quantitative analysis of electron diffraction data from epitaxially grown crystals

Epitaxial growth produces oriented crystal projections where a long unit cell axis is parallel to the major crystal face rather than perpendicular to it and thus provides a favorable condition for electron diffraction data collection which minimizes perturbations due to elastic crystal bending. Even though the crystals are not so perfect as those produced by solution growth, the intensity data from them have been useful for the quantitative crystal structure analysis of several molecular organic compounds and linear polymers as discussed in this review.     

Does sex induce a phase transition?

We discovered a dynamic phase transition induced by sexual reproduction. The dynamics is a pure Darwinian rule applied to diploid bit-strings with both fundamental ingredients to drive Darwin's evolution: (1) random mutations and crossings which act in the sense of increasing the entropy (or diversity); and (2) selection which acts in the opposite sense by limiting the entropy explosion. Selection wins this competition if mutations performed at birth are few enough, and thus the wild genotype dominates the steady-state population. By slowly increasing the average number m of mutations, however, the population suddenly undergoes a mutational degradation precisely at a transition point m_c. Above this point, the “bad” alleles (represented by 1-bits) spread over the genetic pool of the population, overcoming the selection pressure. Individuals become selectively alike, and evolution stops. Only below this point, m < m_c, evolutionary life is possible. The finite-size-scaling behaviour of this transition is exhibited for large enough “chromosome” lengths L, through lengthy computer simulations. One important and surprising observation is the L-independence of the transition curves, for large L. They are also independent on the population size. Another is that m_c is near unity, i.e. life cannot be stable with much more than one mutation per diploid genome, independent of the chromosome length, in agreement with reality. One possible consequence is that an eventual evolutionary jump towards larger L enabling the storage of more genetic information would demand an improved DNA copying machinery in order to keep the same total number of mutations per offspring.