A new method to reconstruct three-dimensional spatial distribution function from radial distribution function in solvation structure

Three-dimensional spatial distribution function (SDF) of solvent is a fundamental quantity for analysis of solvation. However, its calculation has been very limited because long computational time is required. We here developed a novel and robust method to construct approximated SDFs of solvent sites from radial distribution functions. In this method, the expansion of SDFs in real solid harmonics around atoms of solute leads to a linear equation, from which SDFs are evaluated with reasonable computational time. This method is applied to the analysis of the solvation structure of liquid water, as an example. The successful results clearly show that this method is very powerful to investigate solvation structure.     

A new analysis of molecular orbital wave functions based on resonance theory

A new method to evaluate the weights of resonance structures from molecular orbital wave function is proposed, which is based on the second quantization of singlet-coupling. The present method is useful to analyze molecules of which the electronic structures are well localizable. The evaluation is carried out through localization of molecular orbitals followed by algebraic calculation of density matrices. This method is applied to H(2)O, H(3)O(+), and BH(3). The calculated weights of covalent and ionic structures are in excellent agreement with those of the previous works and our chemical intuition.     

Transition‐Metal‐Mediated Cleavage of Fluoro‐Silanes under Mild Conditions

Si?F bond cleavage of fluoro‐silanes was achieved by transition‐metal complexes under mild and neutral conditions. The Iridium‐hydride complex [Ir(H)(CO)(PPh₃)₃] was found to readily break the Si?F bond of the diphosphine‐ difluorosilane {(o‐Ph₂P)C₆H₄}₂Si(F)₂ to afford a silyl complex [{[o‐(iPh₂P)C₆H₄]₂(F)Si}Ir(CO)(PPh₃)] and HF. Density functional theory calculations disclose a reaction mechanism in which a hypervalent silicon species with a dative Ir→Si interaction plays a crucial role. The Ir→Si interaction changes the character of the H on the Ir from hydridic to protic, and makes the F on Si more anionic, leading to the formation of H^δ+???F^δ? interaction. Then the Si?F and Ir?H bonds are readily broken to afford the silyl complex and HF through σ‐bond metathesis. Furthermore, the analogous rhodium complex [Rh(H)(CO)(PPh₃)₃] was found to promote the cleavage of the Si?F bond of the triphosphine‐monofluorosilane {(o‐Ph₂P)C₆H₄}₃Si(F) even at ambient temperature.     

Structural-Deformation-Energy-Modulation Strategy in a Soft Porous Coordination Polymer with an Interpenetrated Framework

To achieve unique molecular-recognition patterns, a rational control of the flexibility of porous coordination polymers (PCPs) is highly sought, but it remains elusive. From a thermodynamic perspective, the competitive relationship between the structural deformation energy (E_def) of soft PCPs and the guest interaction is key for selective a guest-triggered structural-transformation behavior. Therefore, it is vital to investigate and control E_def to regulate this competition for flexibility control. Driven by these theoretical insights, we demonstrate an E_def-modulation strategy via encoding inter-framework hydrogen bonds into a soft PCP with an interpenetrated structure. As a proof of this concept, the enhanced E_def of PCP enables a selective gate-opening behavior toward CHCl₃ over CH₂Cl₂ by changing the adsorption-energy landscape of the compounds. This study provides a new direction for the design of functional soft porous materials.     

Reactions of a Silylyne Complex with Aldehydes: Formation of W−Si−O−C Four-Membered Metallacycles and Their Metathesis-Like Fragmentation

A tungsten silylyne complex having a W≡Si triple bond reacted with two molecules of aldehydes at room temperature to give W−Si−O−C four-membered metallacycles by [2+2] cycloaddition and subsequent formyl hydrogen transfer from one aldehyde molecule to another. Upon heating to 70 °C, the four-membered metallacycles underwent metathesis-like fragmentation cleanly to afford carbyne complexes and “silanoic esters,” in a manner similar to that of metallacyclobutadiene, an intermediate of alkyne metathesis reactions, and dimerization of the latter products gave 1,3-cyclodisiloxanes. The “silanoic ester” was also trapped by pivalaldehyde to give a [2+2] cycloaddition product in high yield.     

Towards single biomolecule handling and characterization by MEMS

Applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology are widespread in both industrial and research fields providing miniaturized smart tools. In this review, we focus on MEMS applications aiming at manipulations and characterization of biomaterials at the single molecule level. Four topics are discussed in detail to show the advantages and impact of MEMS tools for biomolecular manipulations. They include the microthermodevice for rapid temperature alternation in real-time microscopic observation, a microchannel with microelectrodes for isolating and immobilizing a DNA molecule, and microtweezers to manipulate a bundle of DNA molecules directly for analyzing its conductivity. The feasibilities of each device have been shown by conducting specific biological experiments. Therefore, the development of MEMS devices for single molecule analysis holds promise to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional technique for biological experiments and acts as a powerful strategy in molecular biology. Figure Towards single bio molecular handling and characterization by MEMS     

Syntheses, structures, and coordination chemistry of phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins: promising macrocyclic P,N2,X-mixed donor ligands for designing reactive transition-metal complexes

The syntheses, structures, and coordination chemistry of phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins (P,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins) and the catalytic activities of their transition-metal complexes are reported. The 5,10-porphodimethene type 14pi-P,(NH)2,X- and 16pi-P,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins (X = O, S, NH) are prepared via acid-promoted dehydrative condensation between a sigma4-phosphatripyrrane and the corresponding 2,5-bis[hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]heteroles followed by DDQ oxidation. Both spectroscopic and crystallographic data of the hybrid calixphyrins have revealed that the conformation and size of the macrocyclic platforms as well as the oxidation state of the -conjugated pyrrole-heterole-pyrrole (N-X-N) units vary considerably depending on the combination of heteroles. The sigma3-P,(NH)2,S- and sigma3-P,N2,S-hybrids react with Pd(OAc)2 and Pd(dba)2, respectively, to afford the same Pd(II)-P,N2,S-hybrid complex, in which the calixphyrin platform is regarded as a dianionic ligand. In the complexation with [RhCl(CO)2]2 in dichloromethane, the sigma3-P,N2,S-hybrid behaves as a neutral ligand to afford an ionic Rh(I)-P,N2,S-hybrid complex, whereas the sigma3-P,N2,NH-hybrid behaves as an anionic ligand to produce Rh(III)-P,N3-hybrid complexes. In the latter reaction, it is likely that a neutral Rh(I)-P,N3-hybrid complex, generated as a highly nucleophilic intermediate, undergoes C-Cl bond activation of the solvent. The complexation of AuCl(SMe2) with the sigma3-P,N2,X-hybrids (X = S, NH) leads to the formation of the corresponding Au(I)-monophosphine complexes. The spectral data and crystal structures of these metal complexes exhibit the hemilabile nature of the phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrin platforms derived from the flexible phosphole unit and the redox active N-X-N units. The hybrid calixphyrin-palladium and -rhodium complexes catalyze the Heck reaction and hydrosilylations, respectively, implying that the metal center in the core is capable of activating the substrates under appropriate reaction conditions. The present results demonstrate the potential utility of the phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins as a new class of macrocyclic P,N2,X-mixed donor ligands for designing highly reactive transition-metal complexes.     

Theoretical study of pyrazolate-bridged dinuclear platinum(II) complexes: interesting potential energy curve of the lowest energy triplet excited state and phosphorescence spectra

Four kinds of 3,5-dialkylpyrazolate(R2pz)-bridged dinuclear platinum(II) complexes [Pt2(mu-R2pz)2(dfppy)2] (dfppy=2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine; R2pz=pyrazolate in 1, 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate in 2, 3-methyl-5- tert-butylpyrazolate in 3, and 3,5-bis(tert-butyl)pyrazolate in 4) were theoretically investigated by the DFT(B3PW91) method. The Stokes shift of their phosphorescence spectra was discussed on the basis of the potential energy curve (PEC) of the lowest energy triplet excited state (T1). This PEC significantly depends on the bulkiness of substituents on pz. In 1 and 2, bearing small substituents on pz, one local minimum is present in the T1 state besides a global minimum. The local minimum geometry is similar to the S0-equilibrium one. The T1 state at this local minimum is characterized as the pi-pi* excited state in dfppy, where the dpi orbital of Pt participates in this excited state through an antibonding interaction with the pi orbital of dfppy; in other words, this triplet excited state is assigned as the mixture of the ligand-centered pi-pi* excited and metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state ((3)LC/MLCT). The geometry of the T1-global minimum is considerably different from the S0-equilibrium one. The T1 state at the global minimum is characterized as the triplet metal-metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MMLCT) excited state, which is formed by the one-electron excitation from the dsigma-dsigma antibonding orbital to the pi* orbital of dfppy. Because of the presence of the local minimum, the geometry change in the T1 state is suppressed in polystyrene at room temperature (RT) and frozen 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) at 77 K. As a result, the energy of phosphorescence is almost the same in these solvents. In fluid 2-MeTHF at RT, on the other hand, the geometry of the T1 state easily reaches the T1-global minimum. Because the T1-global minimum geometry is considerably different from the S0-equilibrium one, the phosphorescence occurs at considerably low energy. These are the reasons why the Stokes shift is very large in fluid 2-MeTHF but small in polystyrene and frozen 2-MeTHF. In 3 and 4, bearing bulky tert-butyl substituents on pz, only the T1-global minimum is present but the local minimum is not. The electronic structure of this T1-global minimum is assigned as the (3)MMLCT excited state like 1 and 2. Though frozen 2-MeTHF suppresses the geometry change of 3 and 4 in the T1 state, their geometries moderately change in polystyrene because of the absence of the T1-local minimum. As a result, the energy of phosphorescence is moderately lower in polystyrene than in frozen 2-MeTHF. The T1-global minimum geometry is much different from the S0-equilibrium one in 3 but moderately different in 4, which is interpreted in terms of the symmetries of these complexes and the steric repulsion between the tert-butyl group on pz and dfppy. Thus, the energy of phosphorescence of 3 is much lower in fluid 2-MeTHF than in frozen 2-MeTHF like 1 and 2 but that of 4 is moderately lower; in other words, the Stokes shift in fluid 2-MeTHF is small only in 4.     

Heteropolynuclear complexes of 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate [Pt2M4(Me2pz)8] (M = Ag, Cu). Highly luminescent character of the triplet excited state based on mixed-metal cores

The platinum dimer and heteropolynuclear platinum complexes of 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate, [Pt2M4(mu-Me2pz)8] [M = H (1), Ag (2), Cu (3)], were synthesized and structurally characterized. They exhibit yellow, sky-blue, and orange luminescence, respectively, in the solid state. The absorption bands of 2 and 3 are mainly assigned to the combination of the metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer and [Pt2 --> Pt2M4] transitions by the time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) method. DFT calculations also indicate that the emissive states of 2 and 3 are 3[Pt2 --> Pt2Ag4] and 3[Cu(d) --> Pt2Cu4], respectively.