Raman anisotropic bandwidth study of C=O stretching vibration of methyl isobutyl ketone: role of van der Waals' volume of the interacting systems

The bandwidth (FWHM) of the anisotropic component (Gamma(aniso)) of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) for different concentrations of solvents varying from 10 to 90% was measured and was plotted as a function of solvent concentrations. In lower solvent concentration, the graph shows a curvature with a discontinuity which occurs between 40 and 60% and in higher solvent concentration, the graph shows a straight line for most of the solvents. In order to interpret the complicated behaviour we have taken into accounts the van der Waals' volume (V(w)) of the sphere of influence in solute dissolved in all solvents. Considering the role of van der Waals' volume in these systems the parameter Gamma(omega)=ln(Gamma(aniso)/V(w)) was plotted at different solvent concentrations. The graph shows a straight line for the entire region. In order to study the influence of screening effect on the bandwidth, the capacitances of the liquid mixture at different solvent concentrations varying from 10 to 90% were measured for all the solvents. The plot of capacitance at different solvent concentrations for each solvent shows a discontinuity around 50% of solvent concentration.     

Switching behavior of a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer: Saturating nonlinearity

This paper uses the Beam Propagation Method to investigate numerically the switching behavior of a Nonlinear Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (NMZI). A saturating-type nonlinearity has been considered for the present investigations. It is shown that the input versus output characteristics change drastically when a Kerr type nonlinear medium is replaced by a saturating type nonlinear medium. In contrast to an NMZI with Kerr nonlinearity, where only quantitative behavior changes with NMZI length, quantitative as well as qualitative behaviors change in the case of a saturating nonlinearity. We propose an all-optical stabilizer and MZI with stable “ON” and “OFF” states on the basis of our investigation.     

Profiling the structural determinants for the selectivity of representative factor-Xa and thrombin inhibitors using combined ligand-based and structure-based approaches

The current study deciphers the combined ligand- and structure-based computational insights to profile structural determinants for the selectivity of representative diverse classes of FXa-selective and thrombin-selective as well as dual FXa-thrombin high affinity inhibitors. The thrombin-exclusive insertion 60-loop (D-pocket) was observed to be one of the most notable recognition sites for the known thrombin-selective inhibitors. Based on the topological comparison of four common active-site pockets (S1-S4) of FXa and thrombin, the greater structural disparity was observed in the S4-pocket, which was more symmetrical (U-shaped) in FXa as compared to thrombin mainly due to the presence of L99 and I174 residues in latter in place of Y99 and F174 respectively in former protease. The S2 pocket forming partial roof at the entry of 12 ? deep S1-pocket, with two extended β-sheets running antiparallel to each other by undergoing U-turn (～180?), has two conserved glycine residues forming H-bonds with the bound ligand for governing ligand binding affinity. The docking, scoring, and binding pose comparison of the representative high-affinity and selective inhibitors into the active sites of FXa and thrombin revealed critical residues (S214, Y99, W60D) mediating selectivity through direct- and long-range electrostatic interactions. Interestingly, most of the thrombin-selective inhibitors attained S-shaped conformation in thrombin, while FXa-selective inhibitors attained L-shaped conformations in FXa. The role of residue at 99th position of FXa and thrombin toward governing protease selectivity was further substantiated using molecular dynamics simulations on the wild-type and mutated Y99L FXa bound to thrombin-selective inhibitor 2. Furthermore, predictive CoMFA (FXa q2 = 0.814; thrombin q2 = 0.667) and CoMSIA (FXa q2 = 0.807; thrombin q2 = 0.624) models were developed and validated (FXa r2(test) = 0.823; thrombin r(2)(test) = 0.816) to feature molecular determinants of ligand binding affinity using the docking-based conformational alignments (DBCA) of 141 (88(train)+53(test)) and 39 (27(train)+11(test)) nonamidine class of potent FXa (0.004 ≤ K(i) (nM) ≤ 4700) and thrombin (0.001 ≤ K(i) (nM) ≤ 940) inhibitors, respectively. Interestingly, the ligand-based insights well corroborated with the structure-based insights in terms of the role of steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic parameters for governing the selectivity for the two proteases. The new computational insights presented in this study are expected to be valuable for understanding and designing potent and selective antithrombotic agents.     

Anionic–Nonionic Mixed Surfactant Systems: Micellar Interaction and Thermodynamic Behavior

The interactions between an anionic surfactant, viz., sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and nonionic surfactants with different secondary ethoxylated chain length, viz., Tergitol 15-S-12, Tergitol 15-S-9, and Tergitol 15-S-7 have been studied in the present article. An attempt has also been made to investigate the effect of ethoxylated chain length on the micellar and the thermodynamic properties of the mixed surfactant systems. The micellar properties like critical micelle concentration (CMC), micellar composition (X_A), interaction parameter (β), and the activity coefficients (f_A and f_NI) have been evaluated using Rubingh's regular solution theory. In addition to micellar studies, thermodynamic parameters like the surface pressure (Π_CMC), surface excess values (Γ_CMC), average area of the monomers at the air–water interface (A_avg), free energy of micellization (ΔG_m), minimum energy at the air–water interface (G_min), etc., have also been calculated. It has been found that in mixtures of anionic and nonionic secondary ethoxylated surfactants, a surfactant containing a smaller ethoxylated chain is favored thermodynamically. Additionally, the adsorption of nonionic species on air/water interface and micelle increases with decreasing secondary ethoxylated chain length. Dynamic light scattering and viscometric studies have also been performed to study the interactions between anionic and nonionic surfactants used.     

Dinuclear nickel(II) complexes with Schiff base ligands: syntheses, structures and bio-relevant catalytic activities

Three Ni(II) complexes of cresol-based Schiff-base ligands, namely [Ni₂(L¹)(NCS)₃(H₂O)₂], (1) [Ni₂(L²)(CH₃COO)(NCS)₂(H₂O)] (2) and [Ni₂(L³)(NCS)₃] (3), (where L¹ = 2,6-bis(N-ethylpyrrolidineiminomethyl)-4-methylphenolato, L² = 2,6-bis(N-ethylpiperidineiminomethyl)-4-methylphenolato and L³ = 2,6-bis{N-ethyl-N-(3-hydroxypropyl iminomethyl)}-4-methylphenolato), have been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction in addition to routine physicochemical techniques. Density functional theory calculations have been performed to understand the nature of the electronic spectra of the complexes. Complexes 1?C3 when reacted with 4-nitrophenyl phosphate in 50:50 acetonitrile?Cwater medium promote the cleavage of the O?CP bond to form p-nitrophenol and smoothly convert 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) to 3,5-di-tert-butylquinone (3,5-DTBQ) either in MeOH or in MeCN medium. Phosphatase- and catecholase-like activities were monitored by UV?Cvis spectrophotometry and the Michaelis?CMenten equation was applied to rationalize all the kinetic parameters. Upon treatment with urea, complexes 1 and 2 give rise to [Ni₂(L¹)(NCS)₂(NCO)(H₂O)₂] (1??) and [Ni₂(L²)(CH₃COO)(NCO)(NCS)(H₂O)] (2??) derivatives, respectively, whereas 3 remains unaltered under same reaction conditions.     

New mixed-valent Mn clusters from the use of N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (edteH4): Mn3, Mn4, Mn6, and Mn10

The syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetochemical characterization are reported for the new mixed-valent Mn clusters [Mn(2)(II)Mn(III)(O(2)CMe)(2)(edteH(2))(2)](ClO(4)) (1), [Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)(edteH(2))(2)(hmp)(2)Cl(2)](Mn(II)Cl(4)) (2), [Mn(III)(6)O(2)(O(2)CBu(t))(6)(edteH)(2)(N(3))(2)] (3), [Na(2)Mn(III)(8)Mn(II)(2)O(4)(OMe)(2)(O(2)CEt)(6)(edte)(2)(N(3))(6)] (4), and (NEt(4))(2)[Mn(8)(III)Mn(2)(II)O(4)(OH)(2)-(O(2)CEt)(6)(edte)(2)(N(3))(6)](5), where edteH(4) is N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine and hmpH is 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine. 1-5 resulted from a systematic exploration of the effect of different Mn sources, carboxylates, the presence of azide, and other conditions, on the Mn/edteH(4) reaction system. The core of 1 consists of a linear Mn(II)Mn(III)Mn(II) unit, whereas that of 2 is a planar Mn(4) rhombus within a [Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)(μ(3)-OR)(2)] incomplete-dicubane unit. The core of 3 comprises a central [Mn(III)(4)(OR)(2)] incomplete-dicubane on either side of which is edge-fused a triangular [Mn(III)(3)(μ(3)-O)] unit. The cores of 4 and 5 are similar and consist of a central [Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)(μ(3)-OR)(2)] incomplete-dicubane on either side of which is edge-fused a distorted [Mn(II)Mn(III)(3)(μ(3)-O)(2)(μ(3)-OR)(2)] cubane unit. Variable-temperature, solid-state direct current (dc) and alternating current (ac) magnetization studies were carried out on 1-5 in the 5.0-300 K range, and they established the complexes to have ground state spin values of S = 3 for 1, S = 9 for 2, and S = 4 for 3. The study of 3 provided an interesting caveat of potential pitfalls from particularly low-lying excited states. For 4 and 5, the ground state is in the S = 0-4 range, but its identification is precluded by a high density of low-lying excited states.     

The Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Arsenic Atom in Molecular Entities in Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor

In chemical systems, the arsenic-centered pnictogen bond, or simply the arsenic bond, occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between the electrophilic region associated with a covalently or coordinately bound arsenic atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophile in another or the same molecular entity. It is the third member of the family of pnictogen bonds formed by the third atom of the pnictogen family, Group 15 of the periodic table, and is an inter- or intramolecular noncovalent interaction. In this overview, we present several illustrative crystal structures deposited into the Cambridge Structure Database (CSD) and the Inorganic Chemistry Structural Database (ICSD) during the last and current centuries to demonstrate that the arsenic atom in molecular entities has a significant ability to act as an electrophilic agent to make an attractive engagement with nucleophiles when in close vicinity, thereby forming σ-hole or π-hole interactions, and hence driving (in part, at least) the overall stability of the system’s crystalline phase. This overview does not include results from theoretical simulations reported by others as none of them address the signatory details of As-centered pnictogen bonds. Rather, we aimed at highlighting the interaction modes of arsenic-centered σ- and π-holes in the rationale design of crystal lattices to demonstrate that such interactions are abundant in crystalline materials, but care has to be taken to identify them as is usually done with the much more widely known noncovalent interactions in chemical systems, halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding. We also demonstrate that As-centered pnictogen bonds are usually accompanied by other primary and secondary interactions, which reinforce their occurrence and strength in most of the crystal structures illustrated. A statistical analysis of structures deposited into the CSD was performed for each interaction type As···D (D = N, O, S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, I, arene’s π system), thus providing insight into the typical nature of As···D interaction distances and ∠R–As···D bond angles of these interactions in crystals, where R is the remainder of the molecular entity.