Theoretical Insights into Intermolecular Hydrogen-Bonding Strengthening in Fluorenone-Methanol Complexes Induced by Electronic Excitation and Bulk Solvent Effect

This work presents a theoretical insight into the variation of the site-specific intermolecular hydrogen-bonding （HB）, formed between C=O group of fluorenone （FN） and O-H groups of methanol （MeOL） molecules, induced by both the electronic excitation and the bulk solvent effect. Through the calculation of molecular ground- and excited-state properties, we not only demonstrate the characters of HB strengthening induced by electronic excitation and the bulk solvent effect but also reveal the underlying physical mechanism which leads to the HB variation. The strengthening of the intermolecular HB in electronically excited states and in liquid solution is characterized by the reduced HB bond-lengths and the red-shift IR spectra accompanied by the increasing intensities of IR absorption corresponding to the characteristic vibrational modes of the O-H and C--O stretching. The HB strengthening in the excited electronic states and in solution mainly arises from the charge redistribution of the FN molecule induced by the electronic excitation and bulk solvent instead of the intermolecular charge transfer. The charge redistribution of the solute molecule increases the partial dipole moment of FN molecule and the FN-MeOL intermolecular interaction, which subsequently leads to the HB strengthening. With the bulk solvent effect getting involved, the theoretical IR spectra of HBed FN-MeOL complexes agree much better with the experiments than those of gas-phase FN-MeOL dimer. All the calculations are carried out based on our developed analytical approaches for the first and second energy derivatives of excited electronic state within the time-dependent density functional theory.     

The Effect of Sample Age and Neutron Radiation to Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Parameters in Some Asphaltene Suspensions

Nuclear magnetic resonance and the Overhauser effect type dynamic nuclear polarization experiments were performed to study suspensions of asphaltene in the xylene isomers at a low magnetic field of 1.44 mT at room temperature. Intermolecular spin-spin interactions occur between nuclear spins of hydrogen in the solvent medium and the free electron spins in the asphaltene micelles. The samples were prepared in three different asphaltene concentrations at vacuum. The samples were waited for four years and dynamic nuclear polarization parameters were found via dynamic nuclear polarization experiments performed again. Thus, it was investigated the effect of sample age to dynamic nuclear polarization parameters. In addition, the medium concentrations of each sample were exposed to radiation for 48 hours and neutron radiation effects to the dynamic nuclear polarization parameters were investigated. The results are discussed.     

Synthesis of novel O-alkylbenzochromeno-1,5-benzodiazepinones. Study of the N–H····N and CO····HN hydrogen bonding interactions with 2-aminopyridines

A series of novel 6-(O-alky)lbenzochromeno-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-ones 4a–c was prepared through the condensation between the [1]benzopyrano[4,3-c][1,5]benzodiazepin-7(8H)one 1 and a series of alkylalcohols. Scaffold 4 exhibited interesting hydrogen-bonding interaction with 2-aminopyridine derivatives. The so obtained self-assembled systems 5 were fully characterized by 1D/2D-NMR techniques and mass spectrometry. The hydrogen-bonding interaction was supported by IR and Raman spectroscopy and by ¹H NMR titration experiments, and was confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure analysis.     

Elucidating the Binding Mode between Heparin and Inflammatory Cytokines by Molecular Modeling

Heparan sulfate (HS) interacts with a broad spectrum of inflammatory cytokines, thereby modulating their biological activities. It is believed that there is a structural-functional correlation between each protein and sugar sequences in the HS polysaccharides, however, the information in this regard is limited. In this study, we compared the binding of four inflammatory cytokines (CCL8, IL-1beta, IL-2 and IL-6) to immobilized heparin by an SPR analysis. To define the molecular base of the binding, we used a heparin pentasaccharide as representative structure to dock into the 3D-molecular structure of the cytokines. The results show a discrepancy in K_D values obtained by SPR analysis and theoretical calculation, pointing to the importance to apply more than one method when describing affinity between proteins and HS. By cluster analysis of the complex formed between the pentasaccharide and cytokines, we have identified several groups in heparin forming strong hydrogen bonds with all four cytokines, which is a significant finding. This molecular and conformational information should be valuable for rational design of HS/heparin-mimetics to interfere cytokine-HS interactions.     

Multiple mobility edges in a 1D Aubry chain with Hubbard interaction in presence of electric field: Controlled electron transport

Electronic behavior of a 1D Aubry chain with Hubbard interaction is critically analyzed in presence of electric field. Multiple energy bands are generated as a result of Hubbard correlation and Aubry potential, and, within these bands localized states are developed under the application of electric field. Within a tight-binding framework we compute electronic transmission probability and average density of states using Green's function approach where the interaction parameter is treated under Hartree–Fock mean field scheme. From our analysis we find that selective transmission can be obtained by tuning injecting electron energy, and thus, the present model can be utilized as a controlled switching device.     

Comparison of the 13C (C = N) chemical shifts of substituted N‐(phenyl‐ethylene)‐anilines and substituted N‐(benzylidene)‐anilines

Comparison of ¹³C NMR of C = N bond chemical shifts δ_C(C = N) in substituted N‐(phenyl‐ethylene)‐anilines XArC(Me) = NArY (XPEAYs) with that in substituted N‐(benzylidene)‐anilines XArCH = NArY (XBAYs) was carried out. The δ_C(C = N) of 61 samples of XPEAYs were measured, and the substituent effect on their δ_C(C = N) were investigated. The results show the factors affecting the δ_C(C = N) of XPEAYs are quite different from that of XBAYs. A penta‐parameter correlation equation was obtained for the 61 compounds, which has correlation coefficient 0.9922 and standard error 0.12 ppm. The result indicates that, in XPEAYs, the inductive effects of substituents X and Y are major factors affecting the δ_C(C = N), while the conjugative effect of them have very little effect on the δ_C(C = N) and can be ignored. The substituent‐specific cross‐interaction effects between X and Y and between Me of C = N bond and substituent Y are important factors affecting the δ_C(C = N). Also, the excited‐state substituent parameter of substitute Y has certain contribution to the δ_C(C = N). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.