A theoretical investigation of the gas-phase oxidation reaction of the saturated tert-butyl radical.

The radical-radical reaction mechanisms and dynamics of ground-state atomic oxygen [O(3P)] with the saturated tert-butyl radical (t-C4H9) are investigated using the density functional method and the complete basis set model. Two distinctive reaction pathways are predicted to be in competition: addition and abstraction. The barrierless addition of O(3P) to t-C4H9 leads to the formation of an energy-rich intermediate (OC4H9) on the lowest doublet potential energy surface, which undergoes subsequent direct elimination or isomerization-elimination leading to various products: C3H6O + CH3, iso-C4H8O + H, C3H7O + CH2, and iso-C4H8 + OH. The respective microscopic reaction processes examined with the aid of statistical calculations, predict that the major addition pathway is the formation of acetone (C3H6O) + CH3 through a low-barrier, single-step cleavage. For the direct, barrierless H-atom abstraction mechanism producing iso-C4H8 (isobutene) + OH, which was recently reported in gas-phase crossed-beam investigations, the reaction is described in terms of both an abstraction process (major) and a short-lived addition dynamic complex (minor).     

Structure and dynamics of high-spin Ru in aqueous solution: Ab initio QM/MM molecular dynamics simulation

The structural and dynamical properties of high-spin Ru²⁺ in aqueous solution have been theoretically studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The conventional MD simulation based on pair potentials gives the overestimated average first shell coordination number of 9, whereas the value of 5.9 was observed when the three-body corrected function was included. A combined ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to take into account the many-body effects on the hydration shell structure of Ru²⁺. The most important region, the first hydration shell, was treated by ab initio quantum mechanics at UHF level using the SBKJC VDZ ECP basis set for Ru²⁺ and the 6-31G^∗ basis sets for water. An exact coordination number of 6 for the first hydration shell was obtained from the QM/MM simulation. The QM/MM simulation predicts the average Ru²⁺–O distance of 2.42 Å for the first hydration shell, whereas the values of 2.34 and 2.46 Å are resulted from the pair potentials without and with the three-body corrected simulations, respectively. Several other structural properties representing position and orientation of the solvate molecules were evaluated for describing the hydration shell structure of the Ru²⁺ ion in dilute aqueous solution. A mean residence time of 7.1 ps was obtained for water ligands residing in the second hydration shell.     

Insight into the cation–anion interaction in 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium lactate ionic liquid

In order to deepen the understanding of cation–anion interaction in ionic liquids (ILs), the structure and interionic interaction of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium lactate ([tmg][L]) ion pair, including stable configuration, hydrogen bond, frontier molecular orbital, electron density, ion interaction energy and charge transfer, are studied by using ab initio calculations. It is found that more charge-localized character of [tmg][L], especially the C1 carbocation on [tmg]⁺, and the intermolecular –NH₂-associated hydrogen bonds can substantially increase the cation–anion interaction, the interaction energy is 65.3–109.3 kJ/mol higher than that of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ILs. It is also found that the frontier molecular orbitals, i.e., the HOMO, HOMO + 1 of [L]⁻ and the LUMO, LUMO + 1 of [tmg]⁺, can effectively interact and more charges are transferred between cation and anion. Based on the above results, the physical property of ILs is discussed.     

Investigation of nu(N-H) and nu(C-N) stretching modes of propylamine (C3H7NH2) in a binary system C3H7NH2 + CH3OH via concentration dependent Raman study and ab initio calculations

Raman spectra of propylamine (C3H7NH2) and its binary mixtures, C3H7NH2 + CH3OH with varying mole fractions of the reference system, C3H7NH2, C were recorded in two widely apart wavenumber regions, 3100-3600 cm(-1) and 1225-1325 cm(-1). In the former region, the two Raman bands at approximately 3305 and approximately 3326 cm(-1), obtained after the line shape analysis, which were assigned to symmetric nu(N-H) and anti-symmetric nu(N-H) stretching modes, respectively, show a downshift upon dilution. However, whereas the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric mode shows a shift of 18.6 cm(-1), the nu(N-H) symmetric mode shows a much smaller shift (5.7 cm(-1)) between neat liquid and high dilution, C = 0.1. This aspect has been explained using the optimized geometries calculated employing ab initio theory (MP2 level) for the neat C3H7NH2 and its different hydrogen-bonded complexes. The linewidth versus concentration plot for the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric stretching mode, however exhibits a distinct maxima at C = 0.4, which has been explained as a slight departure from the concentration fluctuation model. In the latter region, a symmetric peak is observed, which corresponds to nu(C-N) stretching mode, which shows an upshift upon dilution and an almost linear concentration dependence. This has also been explained in terms of the parameters obtained from the optimized geometries of the different hydrogen-bonded complexes.     

Ab initio prediction of vibrational spectra: A database approach

Efforts to develop a database of quadratic force fields for organic molecules are described. The database is based on systematic ab initio calculations, scaled to reproduce the experimentally observed frequencies. The choice of the theoretical method, the basis sets, geometries, internal coordinates and the scaling procedure are discussed. A key point in the procedure is the automatic generation of the internal valence coordinates. This is also very advantageous for geometry optimization. The database should permit the prediction of vibrational frequencies for most organic molecules to 10–20 cm⁻¹, together with semiquantitative intensities. The accuracy is sufficient to identify unknown compounds from a list of reasonable candidates.     

Stabilization of a high energy molecular conformation by specific intermolecular forces, a novel planar benzylideneaniline system

The system containing six benzylideneanilines (BA) has been studied: Group 1:

MOLECULAR CLOSE-PACKING METHOD AND ITS APPLICATION TO CRYSTAL STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF DESHEXAPEPTIDE (B25--B30) INSULIN

Based on the molecule-packing theory, we defined a molecule-packing function express-ing the compatibility of packing among the symmetry-related molecules in a unit cell. Acomputer program imitating the close-packing of molecules in the objective crystal latticeand giving the function value of each rotation and translation of the molecule in the unitcell was performed, and it therefore made the close-packing of molecules expressquantitatively. This method not only could judge a correct solution from several peaks ofthe rotation or translation function but it may also independently, quantitatively and quicklysolve some specific problems of rotation and translation. Using known structure of despenta-peptide (B26--B30) insulin as an example, the effectiveness of this method and its programwas inspected, and this method was successfully applied to solving the translation problem ofthe unknown structure of deshexapeptide (B25--B30) insulin. The molecular close-packingmethod proved by the results of R--search     

Polyethylene with bimodal molecular weight distribution synthesized by 2,6-bis(imino)pyridyl complexes of Fe(II) activated with various activators

Polyethylenes with bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD) were synthesized by 2,6-bis(imino)pyridyl complexes of Fe(II) combined with different activators, which were prepared from alkylaluminium. It is found that the molecular weight (MW) and MWD was influenced by not only iron complexes but activators as well. The activator plays key important role in determination of the MW and MWD of final polymer and the MWD shape could be regulated by selection of various activators and polymerization conditions. The study on the variation of the MWD with the polymerization time and fitting of bimodal MWD with two Flory distributions suggests that bimodal MWD is caused by chain transfer reaction to activator or two active sites.     

Ab initio and density functional theory studies on the mechanism of nucleophilic vinylic substitution of 4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-pyran-4-one and 2-methyl-4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-pyran-4-one with ammonia

 Nucleophilic vinylic substitutions of 4H-pyran-4-one and 2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one with ammonia were calculated by the B3LYP method using the 6-31G(d,p) basis set. Bulk solvent effects of aqueous solution were estimated by the polarized continuum and Poisson–Boltzmann self-consistent reaction field models using the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. In the gas phase different mechanisms were found for the two reaction systems calculated. The reaction of 4H-pyran-4-one proceeds through enol, whereas a feasible path for the less reactive 2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one is the mechanism through a keto intermediate. Addition of ammonia in concert with proton transfer is the rate-determining step ofthe reaction. The mechanism proceeding either by a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) or by one involving a tetrahedral zwitterionic intermediate is shown to be unlikely in the gas phase or nonpolar solution. The effects of bulk solvent not only consist in a reduction of the various activation barriers by about 25–40 kJ mol⁻¹ but also in a change in the reaction mechanism. Received 26 May 2002 / Accepted 26 July 2002 / Published online: 14 February 2003     

A Theoretical Study of LiHe+ n , NaHe+ n , and MgHe+ n Complexes, with n=1, 2, 3, 4

The LiHe⁺ _n , the NaHe⁺ _n , and the MgHe⁺ _n complexes with n=1, 2, 3, 4 were studied using ab initio calculations with the MP2/6-311+G(3df, 3pd) method. The complexes are found to be stable. For the n=1 complexes, previous results were available and the calculations performed are in good agreement with those results. This lends credibility to the results obtained for the complexes with higher n.