Dynamical Bifurcation in Gas‐Phase XH− + CH3Y SN2 Reactions: The Role of Energy Flow and Redistribution in Avoiding the Minimum Energy Path

The gas‐phase reactions of XH^? (X=O, S) + CH₃Y (Y=F, Cl, Br) span nearly the whole range of S_N2 pathways, and show an intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) (minimum energy path) with a deep well owing to the CH₃XH???Y^? (or CH₃S^????HF) hydrogen‐bonded postreaction complex. MP2 quasiclassical‐type direct dynamics starting at the [HX???CH₃???Y]^? transition‐state (TS) structure reveal distinct mechanistic behaviors. Trajectories that yield the separated CH₃XH+Y^? (or CH₃S^?+HF) products directly are non‐IRC, whereas those that sample the CH₃XH???Y^? (or CH₃S^????HF) complex are IRC. The IRCIRC/non‐IRC ratios of 90:10, 40:60, 25:75, 2:98, 0:100, and 0:100 are obtained for (X, Y)=(S, F), (O, F), (S, Cl), (S, Br), (O, Cl), and (O, Br), respectively. The properties of the energy profiles after the TS cannot provide a rationalization of these results. Analysis of the energy flow in dynamics shows that the trajectories cross a dynamical bifurcation, and that the inability to follow the minimum energy path arises from long vibration periods of the X?C???Y bending mode. The partition of the available energy to the products into vibrational, rotational, and translational energies reveals that if the vibrational contribution is more than 80 %, non‐IRC behavior dominates, unless the relative fraction of the rotational and translational components is similar, in which case a richer dynamical mechanism is shown, with an IRC/non‐IRC ratio that correlates to this relative fraction.     

Structural isotopic effects in the smallest chiral amino acid: observation of a structural phase transition in fully deuterated alanine

A first study of possible changes instigated by deuteration in amino acids was carried out using neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and Raman scattering in l-alanine, C2H4(NH2)COOH. Careful analysis of the structural parameters shows that deuteration of l-alanine engenders significant geometric changes as a function of temperature, which can be directly related to the observation of new lattice vibration modes in the Raman spectra. The combination of the experimental data suggests that C2D4(ND2)COOD undergoes a structural phase transition (or a structural rearrangement) at about 170 K. Considering that this particular amino acid is a hydrogen-bonded system with short hydrogen bonds (O...H approximately 1.8 A), we evoke the Ubbelohde effect to conclude that substitution of hydrogen for deuterium gives rise to changes in the hydrogen-bonding interactions. The structural differences suggest distinct relative stabilities for the hydrogenous and deuterated l-alanine.     

Latrunculin analogues with improved biological profiles by "diverted total synthesis": preparation, evaluation, and computational analysis

Deliberate digression from the blueprint of the total syntheses of latrunculin A (1) and latrunculin B (2) reported in the accompanying paper allowed for the preparation of a focused library of "latrunculin-like" compounds, in which all characteristic structural elements of these macrolides were subject to pertinent molecular editing. Although all previously reported derivatives of 1 and 2 were essentially devoid of any actin-binding capacity, the synthetic compounds presented herein remain fully functional. One of the designer molecules with a relaxed macrocyclic backbone, that is compound 44, even surpasses latrunculin B in its effect on actin while being much easier to prepare. This favorable result highlights the power of "diverted total synthesis" as compared to the much more widely practiced chemical modification of a given lead compound by conventional functional group interconversion. A computational study was carried out to rationalize the observed effects. The analysis of the structure of the binding site occupied by the individual ligands on the G-actin host shows that latrunculin A and 44 both have similar hydrogen-bond network strengths and present similar ligand distortion. In contrast, the H-bond network is weaker for latrunculin B and the distortion of the ligand from its optimum geometry is larger. From this, one may expect that the binding ability follows the order 1 >/= 44 > 2, which is in accord with the experimental data. Furthermore, the biological results provide detailed insights into structure/activity relationships characteristic for the latrunculin family. Thus, it is demonstrated that the highly conserved thiazolidinone ring of the natural products can be replaced by an oxazolidinone moiety, and that inversion of the configuration at C16 (latrunculin B numbering) is also well accommodated. From a purely chemical perspective, this study attests to the maturity of ring-closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM) catalyzed by a molybdenum alkylidyne complex generated in situ, which constitutes a valuable tool for advanced organic synthesis and natural product chemistry.     

Thalidomide analogs from diamines: Synthesis and evaluation as inhibitors of TNF-alpha production

Fourteen thalidomide analogs bearing two phthalimido units were prepared in high yields (83-94%) by condensation of different diamines with phthalic or 3-nitrophthalic anhydride. An in vitro investigation of the compounds as inhibitors of the TNF-alpha production was performed. The inhibition was higher for compounds bearing amino and nitro groups and was modulated by increasing the size of the spacers between the phthalimide groups.     

Thermal behavior of the maleic anhydride modified poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB has been structurally modified through reaction with maleic anhydride, MA. Transesterification reaction was carried out fixing the PHB and MA and besides time and temperature the concentration of the triethylamine (used as catalyst) was changed. Glass transition, melting and crystallization temperature obtained from DSC curves and thermal degradation temperatures obtained from TG traces were used to evaluate the influence of the reaction conditions on the modification of PHB according to factorial design. On the base of the results the optimum conditions are to perform the PHB modification reaction with MA reaction at 110°C for 1 h with 5% v/v triethylamine.     

Kinetics study of norbixin’s first stage thermal decomposition,using dynamic method

Cis-norbixin isomer obtained by hydrolysis of cis-bixin and isolated by solvent extraction from annatto seeds. The thermal decomposition data of the cis-norbixin samples were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis at different heating rates in the 25–900°C temperature range. DSC curves showed that thermal decomposition reactions for cis-norbixin occurred in the solid phase. The kinetic parameters, such as activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined using integral and approximate methods: Coats–Redfern, Madhusudanan, Horowitz–Metzger and Van Krevelen. F1 mechanism describes well the first stage of the thermal decomposition.     

Thermo-programmed reduction study of Pt/WO<Subscript>x</Subscript>–ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> materials by thermogravimetry

The thermo-programmed reduction study of Pt/WO_x–ZrO₂ materials prepared with different tungsten loading were performed by thermogravimetry. The samples were synthesized by impregnation method and calcined at 600, 700 and 800°C. The characterizations of both un-calcined and calcined materials were carried out using different techniques: thermal analysis (TG and DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermo-programmed reduction (TPR). TG and DTA analysis of un-calcined were used to determination of calcination temperatures of the samples. XRD diffractograms were useful to help us in the determination of phase presents. TPR profiles showed between three and four events at different temperatures attributed to platinum reduction and the different stages of tungsten specie reduction.     

Lanthanide nitrate complexes with 2-azacyclononanone

Thermal behavior of rare earth nitrate complexes with 2-azacyclononanone (AZA) with Ln(NO₃)₃·3(AZA) composition (where Ln=Gd, Er and Ho) was analyzed in kinetic point of view. Kinetic parameters were calculated from thermogravimetric data. All obtained results were similar. The first decomposition step was representative to the loss of ligand and the residue was essentially Ln₂O₃. Furthermore, a reaction path was proposed for the thermal decomposition of the Ln(NO₃)₃·3(AZA).     

Thermal and mechanical properties of PE/organoclay nanocomposites

Polyethylene/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites were obtained via direct melt intercalation. The clay was organically modified with four different types of quaternary ammonium salts. The objective of this work is to study the use of montmorillonite clay in the production of nanocomposites by means on rheological, mechanical and crystallization properties of nanocomposites and to compare to the properties of the matrix and PE/unmodified clay nanocomposites. In general, the tensile test showed that the yield strength and modulus of the nanocomposites are close to the pure PE. Apparently, the mixture with Dodigen salt seems to be more stable than the pure PE and PE/unmodified clay.     

Diagnosing broken ergodicity using an energy fluctuation metric

The Mountain and Thirumalai energy fluctuation metric, Omega(t), has been used to study the effective ergodicity of 60- and 256-atom binary Lennard-Jones mixtures in order to determine the reliability of the calculated diffusion constants at different energies. A plot of Omega(t) against 1time allows the identification of two distinct regimes: ergodic supercooled liquids, where Omega(t) approaches zero, and nonergodic glassy states, where Omega(t) asymptotically approaches a nonzero value on the molecular dynamics time scale. This approach seems to be more appropriate than attempting to define a threshold value for Omega(t)/Omega(0). The behavior of systems between these two limits, which are nonergodic on the time scale considered but may be approaching ergodicity, was examined for a range of simulation times. The calculated diffusion constants change as effective ergodicity is approached, moving closer to the Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher fit defined by higher-energy systems that are already considered to be effectively ergodic. Using the form of the decay of the metric as a measure of ergodicity, we have been able to reproduce the trend in fragility obtained by Sastry for a 256-atom system [Nature (London) 409, 164 (2001)], correcting some of our earlier results [J. Chem. Phys. 120, 8314 (2004)].