Phenol adsorption on closed carbon nanotubes

We present the results of systematic studies of phenol adsorption on closed commercially available, unmodified carbon nanotubes. Phenol adsorption is determined by the value of tube-specific surface area, the presence of small amount of surface groups influence adsorption only in very small amount. Phenol can be applied as a probe molecule for comparative analysis of tube surface areas. Tube curvature influences adsorption from solution, i.e., we observe increasing adsorption energy (and slower desorption process) with the decrease in tube curvature. This is in full accordance with molecular simulation results.     

Evaluation of 1‐arylpiperazine derivative of hydroxybenzamides as 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT7 serotonin receptor ligands: An experimental and molecular modeling approach

The synthesis and evaluation as 5‐HT_1A and 5‐HT₇ serotonin receptor ligands of the two sets of O‐substituted hydroxybenzamides, structurally related to 2‐{3‐[4‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)piperazin‐1‐yl]propoxy}benzamide ( 1 ), (K_i 5‐HT_1A = 21 nM, 5‐HT₇ = 234 nM) are reported. To affect the affinity for 5‐HT_1A and 5‐HT₇ receptors, an amide moiety ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ) and a hydrocarbon chain length ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ) were modified. The serotonergic activity of compounds 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 was generally higher in the case of 5‐HT_1A receptors compared with 5‐HT₇ ones; the most active 5‐HT_1A ligands being meta‐isomer 2 (K_i = 7 nM) and both analogs of 1 with the longest spacer, i.e., penta‐ and hexa‐methylene derivatives 9 and 10 (K_i = 4 and 3 nM, respectively). The observed biological properties of compounds 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 were elucidated using molecular modeling procedures. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2010).     

Weak intermolecular interactions in gas-phase nuclear magnetic resonance

Gas-phase nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra demonstrating the effect of weak intermolecular forces on the NMR shielding constants of the interacting species are reported. We analyse the interaction of the molecular hydrogen isotopomers with He, Ne, and Ar, and the interaction in the He-CO(2) dimer. The same effects are studied for all these systems in the ab initio calculations. The comparison of the experimental and computed shielding constants is shown to depend strongly on the treatment of the bulk susceptibility effects, which determine in practice the pressure dependence of the experimental values. Best agreement of the results is obtained when the bulk susceptibility correction in rare gas solvents is evaluated from the analysis of the He-rare gas interactions, and when the shielding of deuterium in D(2)-rare gas systems is considered.     

Geometric and magnetic properties of Pt clusters supported on graphene: relativistic density-functional calculations

The geometric and magnetic structures of small Pt(n) clusters (n = 1 - 5) supported on a graphene layer have been investigated using ab initio density functional calculations including spin-orbit coupling. Pt-Pt interactions were found to be much stronger than the Pt-C interactions promoting the binding to the support. As a consequence, the equilibrium structure of the gas-phase clusters is preserved if they are deposited on graphene. However, the clusters bind to graphene only via at most two Pt-C bonds: A Pt(2) dumbbell prefers an upright position, the larger clusters are bound to graphene only via one edge of the planar cluster (Pt(3) and Pt(5)) or via two terminal Pt atoms of a bent Pt(4) rhombus. Evidently, the strong buckling of the graphene layer induced by the Pt-C bonds prevents the formation of a larger number of cluster-support bonds. As the local spin and orbital magnetic moments are quenched on the Pt atoms forming Pt-C bonds, the magnetic structure of the supported clusters is much more inhomogeneous as in the gas-phase. This leads to noncollinear magnetic structures and a strongly reduced magnetic anisotropy energy.     

Strong spin-orbit effects in small Pt clusters: geometric structure, magnetic isomers and anisotropy

Ab initio density functional calculations including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) have been performed for Pt(n), n = 2-6 clusters. The strong SOC tends to stabilize planar structures for n = 2-5, whereas for clusters consisting of six atoms, three-dimensional structures remain preferred. SOC leads to the formation of large orbital magnetic moments and to a mixing of different spin states. Due to the spin-mixing the total magnetic moment may be larger or smaller than the spin moment in the absence of SOC. Both spin and orbital moments are found to be anisotropic. Because of the strong SOC the energy differences between coexisting magnetic isomers can be comparable to or even smaller than their magnetic anisotropy energies. In this case the lowest barrier for magnetization reversal can be determined by a magnetic isomer which is different from the ground state configuration.     

Rotationally resolved infrared spectrum of the Na(+)-D2 complex: an experimental and theoretical study

The infrared spectrum of mass-selected Na(+)-D(2) complexes is recorded in the D-D stretch vibration region (2915-2972 cm(-1)) by detecting Na(+) photofragments resulting from photo-excitation of the complexes. Analysis of the rotationally resolved spectrum confirms a T-shaped equilibrium geometry for the complex and a vibrationally averaged intermolecular bond length of 2.461 A?. The D-D stretch band centre occurs at 2944.04 cm(-1), representing a -49.6 cm(-1) shift from the Q(1)(0) transition of the free D(2) molecule. Variational rovibrational energy level calculations are performed for Na(+)-D(2) utilising an ab initio potential energy surface developed previously for investigating the Na(+)-H(2) complex [B. L. J. Poad et al., J. Chem. Phys. 129, 184306 (2008)]. The theoretical approach predicts a dissociation energy for Na(+)-D(2) of 923 cm(-1) with respect to the Na(+)+ D(2) limit, reproduces the experimental rotational constants to within 1-2%, and gives a simulated spectrum closely matching the experimental infrared spectrum.     

Protonated N-confused porphyrin dimer: formation, structure, and guest binding

The protonation of 3,3'-bis(meso-tetratolyl-2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin) with various acids was studied. The stepwise formation of mono-, di-, and tetracationic species was shown on the basis of UV-vis-near-IR and low-temperature (1)H NMR. Upon going from di- to tetraprotonated form, the bis(porphyrinoid) skeleton changes its conformation from cisoid to bent-transoid, which was found by single-crystal X-ray analyses, 2D NMR, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The formation of cation-anion complexes was established in both the solid state and solution. The substitution of anions was studied by spectrophotometric and (1)H NMR titrations. A pronounced decrease of the HOMO-LUMO gap in the tetraprotonated species was shown by cyclovoltametry and time-dependent DFT calculations.     

Common origin, common fate: regular porphyrin and N-confused porphyrin yield an identical tetrapyrrolic degradation product

The formation of an identical linear tetrapyrrole observed in the course of photooxidation of meso-tetraarylporphyrin and its N-confused isomer can be explained as a result of 1,2- and 1,3-dioxygen addition, respectively, as substantiated by DFT calculations.     

Oxidation of annelated diarylamines: analysis of reaction pathways to nitroxide diradical and spirocyclic products

Oxidation of diaryldiamine 2, a tetrahydrodiazapentacene derivative, provides diarylnitroxide diradical 1 accompanied by an intermediate nitroxide monoradical and a multitude of isolable diamagnetic products. DFT-computed tensors for EPR spectra and paramagnetic (1)H NMR isotropic shifts for nitroxide diradical 1 show good agreement with the experimental EPR spectra in rigid matrices and paramagnetic (1)H NMR spectra in solution, respectively. Examination of the diamagnetic products elucidates their formation via distinct pathways involving C-O bond-forming reactions, including Baeyer-Villiger-type oxidations. An unusual diiminoketone structure and two spirocyclic structures of the predominant diamagnetic products are confirmed by either X-ray crystallography or correlations between DFT-computed and experimental spectroscopic data such as (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR chemical shifts and electronic absorption spectra.     

Two-photon absorption properties of two-dimensional π-conjugated chromophores: combined experimental and theoretical study

The two-photon absorption (TPA) properties of four TPEB [tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzene] derivatives (TD, para, ortho, and meta) with different donor/acceptor substitution patterns have been investigated experimentally by the femtosecond open-aperture Z-scan method and theoretically by the time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) method. The four compounds show relatively large TPA cross sections, and the all-donor substituted species (TD) displays the largest TPA cross-section σ(2) = 520 ± 30 GM. On the basis of the calculated electronic structure, TD shows no TPA band in the lower energy region of the spectrum because the transition density is concentrated on particular transitions due to the high symmetry of the molecular structure. The centrosymmetric donor-acceptor TPEB para shows excitations resulting from transitions centered on D-π-D and A-π-A moieties, as well as transition between the D-π-D and A-π-A moieties; this accounts for the broad nature of the TPA bands for this compound. Calculations for two noncentrosymmetric TPEBs (ortho and meta) reveal that the diminished TPA intensities of higher-energy bands result from destructive interference between the dipolar and three-state terms. The molecular orbitals (MOs) of the TPEBs are derivable with linear combinations of the MOs of the two crossing BPEB [bis(phenylethynyl)benzene] derivatives. Overall, the characteristics of the experimental spectra are well-described based on the theoretical analysis.