A density functional study on a biomimetic non-heme iron catalyst: insights into alkane hydroxylation by a formally HO-FeV=O oxidant

The reactivity of [HO-(tpa)Fe(V)=O] (TPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), derived from O-O bond heterolysis of its [H(2)O-(tpa)Fe(III)-OOH] precursor, was explored by means of hybrid density functional theory. The mechanism for alkane hydroxylation by the high-valent iron-oxo species invoked as an intermediate in Fe(tpa)/H(2)O(2) catalysis was investigated. Hydroxylation of methane and propane by HO-Fe(V)=O was studied by following the rebound mechanism associated with the heme center of cytochrome P450, and it is demonstrated that this species is capable of stereospecific alkane hydroxylation. The mechanism proposed for alkane hydroxylation by HO-Fe(V)=O accounts for the experimentally observed incorporation of solvent water into the products. An investigation of the possible hydroxylation of acetonitrile (i.e., the solvent used in the experiments) shows that the activation energy for hydrogen-atom abstraction by HO-Fe(V)=O is rather high and, in fact, rather similar to that of methane, despite the similarity of the H-CH(2)CN bond strength to that of the secondary C-H bond in propane. This result indicates that the kinetics of hydrogen-atom abstraction are strongly affected by the cyano group and rationalizes the lack of experimental evidence for solvent hydroxylation in competition with that of substrates such as cyclohexane.     

UO22＋•nH2O和PuO22＋•nH2O (n＝2, 4, 5, 6)密度泛函理论研究

首先用密度泛函理论(DFT)方法研究了铀酰和钚酰离子的几何与电子结构, 计算结果与实验基本符合, 表明DFT方法也能用于含铀和钚重原子的化合物计算. 然后对铀酰和钚酰水合离子的几何构型、Mulliken集居数分布以及铀酰(钚酰)与配体水分子的结合能进行计算, 计算结果表明UO₂^2＋•5H₂O和PuO₂^2＋•5H₂O分别为铀酰和钚酰系列水合离子中最稳定的配合物.     

低温加氢催化剂的设计: 理论与实践

简要总结了我们在C=C及C=O双键低温加氢双金属催化剂方面的最新研究成果. 首先, 我们以环己烯加氢为探针反应, 证明了平行使用多种研究手段的重要性, 包括单晶表面的基础研究与DFT计算, 多晶表面的合成与表征, 负载型催化剂的制备与性能测试等. 其次, 总结了双金属催化剂在其他加氢反应, 如丙烯醛C=O双键的选择性加氢, 苯的低温加氢, 以及乙炔的选择性加氢等反应中的应用. 最后, 讨论了利用金属碳化物代替贵金属Pt以减少双金属催化剂中Pt用量的可能性.     

Determination of extremely localized molecular orbitals in the framework of density functional theory

Extremely localized molecular orbitals are rigorously localized on only a preselected set of atoms and do not have any tails outside the localization region. The importance of these orbitals lies in their ability to be transferred from one molecule to another one. A new algorithm to determine extremely localized molecular orbitals in the framework of the density functional theory method is presented. This could also be a valuable tool in the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methodology where localized molecular orbitals are used to describe covalent bonds across the frontier region. The present approach is used to build up the electron density of thymopentin, a polypeptide constituted by five residues, starting from extremely localized molecular orbitals determined on a set of model molecules. The results obtained confirm good transferability properties for these orbitals.Proceedings of the 11th International Congress of Quantum Chemistry satellite meeting in honor of Jean-Louis Rivail     

Highly conjugated p-quinonoid pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene derivatives: a class of highly distorted electron donors

A new class of pi-extended TTF-type electron donors (11 a-c) has been synthesized by Wittig-Horner olefination of bianthrone (9) with 1,3-dithiole phosphonate esters (10 a-c). In cyclic voltammetry experiments, donors 11 a-c reveal a single, electrochemically irreversible oxidation-yielding the corresponding dicationic products-at relatively low oxidation potentials (approximately 0.7-0.8 V). Theoretical calculations, performed at the DFT level (B3 P86/6-31 G*), predict a highly-folded C(2h) structure for 11 a. In the ground state, the molecule adopts a double saddle-like conformation to compensate the steric hindrance. The calculations suggest that the intramolecular charge transfer associated with the HOMO-->LUMO transition is responsible for an absorption band observed above 400 nm. While the radical cation 11 a*+ retains the folded C(2h) structure predicted for the neutral molecule as the most stable conformation, the dication 11 a(2+) has a fully aromatic D(2) structure, formed by an orthogonal 9,9'-bianthryl central unit to which two singly-charged dithiole rings are attached. The drastic conformational changes that compounds 11 undergo upon oxidation account for their electrochemical properties. By means of pulse radiolysis measurements, radical-induced one-electron oxidation of 11 a-c was shown to lead to the radical cation species (11 a-c*+), which were found to disproportionate with generation of the respective dication species (11 a-c(2+)) and the neutral molecules (11 a-c).     

低温加氢催化剂的设计: 理论与实践

简要总结了我们在C=C及C=O双键低温加氢双金属催化剂方面的最新研究成果. 首先, 我们以环己烯加氢为探针反应, 证明了平行使用多种研究手段的重要性, 包括单晶表面的基础研究与DFT计算, 多晶表面的合成与表征, 负载型催化剂的制备与性能测试等. 其次, 总结了双金属催化剂在其他加氢反应, 如丙烯醛C=O双键的选择性加氢, 苯的低温加氢, 以及乙炔的选择性加氢等反应中的应用. 最后, 讨论了利用金属碳化物代替贵金属Pt以减少双金属催化剂中Pt用量的可能性.     

Theoretical study on the adsorption of aromatic compounds on platinum clusters

B3 LYP hybrid functional with LACVP* pseudopotential was applied for the optimization of geometries of complexes resulting from interaction of benzene, pyridine, naphthalene, and quinoline with Pt_n (n = 4, 7) clusters. For benzene‐containing complexes, the most stable form corresponds to a bridge adsorption, with benzene undergoing considerable geometric distortions, assuming a boat‐like conformation. C? H bonds are bended upward from the plane of the cluster. C? C bonds stretch, especially when they form π‐complexes with low coordinated Pt atoms. Some arrangements for pyridine complexes involving the N atom of the organic moiety undergo further distortions, apparently preserving a formal C? N π bond. Except for that distortion, the behavior of any heteroaromatic complex is similar to that of benzene in the same arrangement. The quinoline–Pt₇ complex can suitably be used for simulation of the cinchonidine (CD) anchorage over Pt. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003     

Ab initio and DFT studies on tautomerism of indazole in gaseous and aqueous phases

Electronic structure of optimized Ge₅, Ge₁₇, Ge₅–O and Ge₅ embedded in SiO₂ nanoparticles have been studied by density functional theory to find out the effect of cluster size and Ge–O bond(s) on the optical energy gap between LUMO and HOMO. It was found that the optical energy gap depends on both cluster size and the number of Ge–O bonds nonlinearly. The optical energy gap was found to be in visible light range when the Ge₅ nanoparticle has been embedded in SiO₂ matrix.     

The Reactivity of Bis(para‐methoxyphenyl)telluroxide towards Triflic Acid and Diphenylphosphinic Acid. Theoretical Considerations of the Protonation and Hydration Process of Diorganotelluroxanes

The reaction of (p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂TeO with two equivalents of HO₃SCF₃ and HO₂PPh₂ provided the tetraorganoditelluroxanes (F₃CSO₃)(p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂TeOTe(p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂(O₃SCF₃) ( 1 ) and (Ph₂PO₂)(p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂TeOTe(p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂(O₂PPh₂)·2 Ph₂PO₂H ( 2 ) in good yields. Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized by solution and solid‐state ³¹P and ¹²⁵Te NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry, conductivity measurements and single crystal X‐ray diffraction. In solution, compound 1 undergoes an electrolytic dissociation and reversibly reacts with traces of water to give the mononuclear cation [(p‐MeOC₆H₄)₂TeOH]⁺ and triflate anions. Theoretical aspects of the protonation and hydration of model telluroxanes R₂TeO (R = H, Me, Ph) were investigated by preliminary DFT calculations and compared to the corresponding selenoxanes R₂SeO. The tellurium dihydroxides R₂Te(OH)₂ seem to be more stable than the hydrogen‐bonded complexes R₂TeO·H₂O.