An approach to developing a force field for molecular simulation of martensitic phase transitions between phases with subtle differences in energy and structure

d,l-Norleucine is one of only a few molecules whose crystals exhibit a martensitic or displacive-type phase transformation where the emerging phase shows a topotaxial relationship with the parent phase. The molecular mechanism for such phase transformations, particularly in molecular crystals, is not well understood. Crystalline phases that exhibit displacive phase transitions tend to be very similar in structure and energy. Consequently, the development of a force field for such phases is challenging as the phase behavior is determined by subtle differences in their lattice energies and entropies. We report an approach for developing a force field for such phases with an application to d,l-norleucine. The proposed procedure includes calculation of the phase diagram of the crystalline phases as a function of temperature to identify the best force field. d,l-Norleucine also presents an additional problem since in the solid state it exists as a zwitterion that is unstable in vacuo and therefore cannot be characterized using high-level ab initio calculations in the gas phase. However, a stable zwitterion could be obtained using Onsager's reaction-field continuum model for a solvent (SCRF) using both Hartree-Fock and density functional theory. A number of force fields and the various sets of partial charges obtained from the SCRF calculations were screened for their ability to reproduce the crystal structures of the two known phases, alpha and beta, of d,l-norleucine. Selected parameter sets were then employed in free energy minimizations to identify the best set on the basis of a correct prediction of the alpha-beta phase transition. The Williams' nonbonded parameters combined with partial charges from SCRF-Polarized Continuum Model calculation were found to reproduce the structures of the phases accurately and also maintained their stability in extended molecular dynamics simulations in the Parrinello-Rahman constant stress ensemble. Moreover, we were also able to successfully simulate the phase transformation of the beta- to the alpha-phase. The identified force field should enable detailed studies of the phase transformations exhibited by crystals of d,l-norleucine and hence enhance our understanding of martensitic-type transformations in molecular crystals.     

Struktur/wirkung-Beziehungen bei Geruchsstoffen mit dem Bicyclo[2.2.2.]octan-Gerüst

Structure-Activity Relationships of Odorants with a Bicyclo[2.2.2]octane System The synthesis of the olfactory interesting homonojigikualcohol 2 and of its epimer 10 leads to the keto alcohols 6a, b and 7a, b as intermediates. The latter have OH and C?O groups (an AH/B system) fixed at the rigid bicyclic nucleus at different distances (2.8 and 4.7 Å) and confirm Ohloff's rule for odoriferous properties which is based on this distance.     

Electronic structure of the radicals NF and NCl. III. The radiative lifetimes of the bΣ and aΔ states

The radiative lifetimes of the b¹Σ⁺ and a¹Δ states have been evaluated by perturbation expansions including X³Σ⁻, a¹Δ, b¹Σ⁺, 1^3,1Π, 2^3,1Π, 2³Σ⁻ and 2¹Σ⁺ states. All wavefunctions result from large MRD CI calculations. The b—X transition is dominated by the parallel transition moment; it is found to be much stronger than the a—X transition. The calculated radiative lifetimes of τ(¹Σ⁺)=18 ms, τ(¹Δ)=2.2 s for NF and τ(¹Σ⁺)=2.5–3.5 ms for NCl are in good accord with corresponding experimentally deduced values. The lifetime for the a¹Δ state in NCl is found to be τ(¹Δ)=1.1 s, ie. much longer than derived from a recent experiment. Its magnitude is consistent with the τ(b¹Σ⁺)/τ(a¹Δ) ratio of similar systems and with the decrease in lifetime from NF to NCl and is thus believed to be quite reliable. A detailed analysis of all contributions of the perturber states to the transition mechanism is made and comparison with the related data in SO, O₂ and S₂ is undertaken. The b-a transition probability dominated by the quadrupole transition is fairly constant in all the systems in the order of A = 0.013 (NF) - 0.0013 (S₂) s⁻¹.     

Complete assignment of 1H and 13C NMR data of pravastatin derivatives

The complete ¹H and ¹³C NMR data of 27 pravastatin derivatives are presented. Assignment was achieved by use of 1D and 2D NMR experiments (selective 1D NOE, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integrated production and distribution scheduling with lifespan constraints

We consider an integrated production and distribution scheduling problem in a make-to-order business scenario. A product with a short lifespan (e.g., perishable or seasonal) is produced at a single production facility with a limited production rate. This means that the product expires in a constant time after its production is finished. Orders are received from a set of geographically dispersed customers, where a demand for the product and a time window for the delivery is associated with each customer for the planning period. A single vehicle with non-negligible traveling times between the locations is responsible for the deliveries. Due to the limited production and distribution resources, possibly not all customers may be supplied within their time windows or the lifespan. The problem consists in finding a selection of customers to be supplied such that the total satisfied demand is maximized. We extend the work by Armstrong et al. (Annals of Operations Research 159(1):395–414, 2008) on the problem for fixed delivery sequences by pointing out an error in their branch and bound algorithm and presenting a corrected variant. Furthermore, we introduce model extensions for handling delays of the production start as well as for variable production and distribution sequences. Efficient heuristic solution algorithms and computational results for randomly generated instances are presented.     

Stability analysis of phase fitted variational integrators

In the present work, we discuss the benefits, limitations and restrictions for the high order phase fitted variational integrators, derived specifically for the numerical integration of systems with oscillatory solutions. To do that, we study linear stability properties of these methods using the eigenvalues of the amplification matrix. The obtained stability region verifies their good behavior, when used for the numerical solution of highly oscillatory problems. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)