Theoretical study on tetranuclear boron clusters: B4X4 (X = H, F, Cl, Br, I)

The molecular orbitals for B4H4, B4F4, B4Cl4, B4Br4 and B4I4 have been calculated by using all-electron or effective core potential ab initio method at the self-consistent field level using basis sets with diffuse and polarization functions. The boron-boron and boron-halide (-hydrogen) distances of these cage compounds are optimized with three kinds of basis sets constrained to a tetrahedral symmetry. According to the localization scheme of Boys, four three-centered two-electron (3c2e) B-B-B bonds localized on each of the faces of the B4 tetrahedron are derived for B4X4 clusters. The HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, atomization energies and Mulliken overlap populations of these compounds indicate that the stabilities of the clusters decrease in the sequence of B4F4 > B4Cl4, B4H4 > B4Br4 > B4I4.     

Theoretical investigations of the elastic,electronic, optical and thermodynamics properties of SrSi

The crystal structural, electronic, optical and thermodynamic properties of SrSi are investigated by using the first-principles plane-wave pseudopotential density function theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). We have calculated the ground states properties and they are in good agreement with the available experimental data and other theoretical results. We have obtained the electronic structure and density of states, and the results showed that both of Immm and Cmcm phases are metal material. The elastic properties such as elastic constants, shear modulus, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are obtained for the first time. Furthermore, the optical properties are reported for radiation up to 30 eV. Finally, the thermodynamic properties of Cmcm phase such as free energy, entropy, enthalpy, heat capacity and Debye temperature are given for reference.     

A Facile Synthesis of New Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine Derivatives via a One‐Pot Four‐Component Reaction with Sodium Acetate Supported on Basic Alumina as Promoter

An efficient one‐pot procedure for the synthesis of 3‐amino‐6‐aryl‐2‐phenylpyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine derivatives, through the reaction of aldehydes, malononitrile, benzamidine hydrochloride, and hydrazine hydrate in the presence of basic alumina‐supported sodium acetate (AcONa/Al₂O₃) under reflux conditions, is reported. This protocol has some advantages, including the use of a simple and one‐pot synthetic approach to attain pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine directly from four readily available starting materials, simple workup, high overall yields of the products, and the simultaneous conversion of a NO₂ to an amino group, offering an opportunity to synthesize more complex structures.     

Improvement on multiparameter equations of state for dimethylsiloxanes by adopting more accurate ideal-gas isobaric heat capacities: Supplementary to P. Colonna, N.R. Nannan, A. Guardone, E.W. Lemmon, Fluid Phase Equilib. 244, 193 (2006)

A recent paper by the authors reports ideal-gas isobaric heat capacities () for several siloxanes. These values were determined using ad hoc speed-of-sound measurements and ab initio calculations. Thermodynamic models for some siloxanes documented in an earlier work by the same authors adopted less accurate estimations for . This note reports coefficients for the substance-specific Aly–Lee correlations for which ensure higher accuracy when used with the multiparameter equations of state for fluids [(CH₃)₂–Si–O]₄ (D₄, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane), [(CH₃)₂–Si–O]₅ (D₅, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane), (CH₃)₃–Si–O–Si–(CH₃)₃ (MM, hexamethyldisiloxane), and (CH₃)₃–Si–O–[(CH₃)₂–Si–O]₄–Si–(CH₃)₃ (MD₄M, tetradecamethylhexasiloxane), as described in Colonna et al. [P. Colonna, N.R. Nannan, A. Guardone, E.W. Lemmon, Multiparameter equations of state for selected siloxanes, Fluid Phase Equilib. 244 (2) (2006) 193–211].     

Theoretical studies of uracil–(H2O)n (n = 1–7) clusters by ab initio and ABEEMσπ/MM fluctuating charge model

Uracil–(H₂O)_n (n = 1–7) clusters were systemically investigated by ab initio methods and the newly constructed ABEEMσπ/MM fluctuating charge model. Water molecules have been gradually placed in an average plane containing uracil. The geometries of 38 uracil–water complexes were obtained using B3LYP/6-311++G** level optimizations, and the energies were determined at the MP2/6-311++G** level with BSSE corrections. The ABEEMσπ/MM potential model gives reasonable properties of these clusters when comparing with the present ab initio data. For interaction energies, the root mean square deviation is 0.96 kcal/mol, and the linear coefficient reaches 0.997. Furthermore, the ABEEMσπ charges changed when H₂O interacted with the uracil molecule, especially at the sites where the hydrogen bond form. These results show that the ABEEMσπ/MM model is fine giving the overall characteristic hydration properties of uracil–water systems in good agreement with the high-level ab initio calculations.     

Structural and vibrational characterization of the organic semiconductor tetracene as a function of pressure and temperature

Neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed on crystalline tetracene, a molecular semiconductor of triclinic crystal structure that adopts a herringbone layered motif, as a function of pressure up to 358 MPa. In combination with theoretical and simulated computations, these measurements permit detailed characterization of the structural and vibrational changes of tetracene as a function of pressure. Powder diffraction at 295 K reveals anisotropic modification of the crystal structure with increasing pressure. Particularly, the unit cell parameters associated with the two-dimensional herringbone layers of the solid state structure displayed continuous change at all measured pressures, whereas perpendicular to the herringbone layers the structure remains relatively unchanged. The measured compressibilities along the [1 0 0], [0 1 0], and [0 0 1] crystal axes are −3.8 × 10⁻⁴, −1.9 × 10⁻⁴, and −3.4 × 10⁻⁴ Å/MPa, respectively. Inelastic neutron scattering spectra were collected at several pressures in the 25–75 and 0–25 meV energy ranges using a filter analyzer and a Fermi chopper time-of-flight spectrometer, respectively. Assignment of the spectral peaks to specific intramolecular vibrational modes has been accomplished using ab initio density functional theory calculations and the low energy lattice phonon modes were interpreted from the results of molecular dynamics simulations at 1 atm and 358 MPa. Anisotropic behavior parallel to that observed in the structural measurements is also apparent in both the intramolecular and lattice phonon vibrational dynamics. Intramolecular vibrations having atomic displacements entirely within the plane of the molecule’s aromatic ring remain unchanged with increasing pressure while vibrations with atomic displacements perpendicular to the molecular plane shift to higher energy. The lattice phonons display a similar anisotropy with increasing pressure. Phonon modes propagated within the herringbone layer are significantly shifted to higher energy with increasing pressure relative to the modes with displacements primarily perpendicular to the layers. Overall, both the planar internal geometry and the layered arrangement of the tetracene molecules significantly influence the observed structural and vibrational behavior with increasing pressure.