A representation of the polarization term in the interaction energy between a molecule and a point-like charge

The interaction energy of a molecule M with a point-like charge q can be partitioned into simpler contributions, two of which can be expressed in terms of the charge distribution _M of the sole M. The first term, qV(r), represents the interaction of q with the undistorted charge _M ⁰ of M while the second q ² P(r) gives the additional contributions due to the polarization of _M ⁰ under the influence of the charge q placed at the point r. In this paper we investigate the possibility of getting an inexpensive and sufficiently accurate analytical representation of P(r) over the whole space outside the van der Waals volume of M.     

An electronic structure investigation of the BNO-BON-NBO system

The potential energy hypersurface of the ground triplet states of the BNO-BON-NBO system has been investigated using traditional ab initio electronic structure theory. The molecules studied have the molecular formula BON and include three linear and three angular species, and two transition states for the isomerization of an angular N-B-O to an angular B-O-N and a linear B-NO, respectively. All stationary points on the BNO-BON-NBO isomerization potential energy surface have been characterized employing UMP2, UMP4, and Gaussian-2 (G2) theory with the 6-311G(d), 6-311G(2d), and TZ2P basis sets. The isomerization for an angular N-BO to the linear B-NO has a lower energy barrier than that of the former to an angular B-ON. Energetics are presented with G2 energies. Two sets of resonance structures for both bent B-NO (boron nitrosyl) and B-ON (boron isonitrosyl) were proposed and the bonding in the two species was analyzed. For the purpose of comparison, the density functional theory based hybrid methods B3LYP/6-311G(d) and B3LYP/TZ2P have also been applied to both geometry optimization and single-point calculations. It is found that the B3LYP prediction of the nature of the linear B-O is contradictory to that made by all MPn(n = 2 and 4) calculations. The cause for this contradiction is discussed.     

An Electrostatic Bond Energy Model for Enthalpies of Formation of Chloroalkanes in Gaseous States

An electrostatic bond energy model is formulated to fit the enthalpies of formation and dipole moments of the alkanes and chloroalkanes. In this model, the charge distributions are calculated by an electrostatic approach similar to the "MSE" method, and the enthalpy of formation of a molecule is the sum of the bond energy terms plus the electrostatic energy of the interactions between the charges on all atoms. All parameters of this model are obtained by parameterization. The calculated dipole moments for 13 chloroalkanes and enthalpies of formation for 19 alkanes and non-geminal chloroalkanes agree with the determined values very well. To calculate the enthalpies of formation of geminal chloroalkanes, a correction mainly attributed to the van der Waals interactions in the geminal substituted group, about 24 kJ/mol per pair of geminal chlorine atoms, is introduced.     

The initial oxidation of magnesium: an in situ study with XPS,HERDA and ellipsometry

The initial oxidation of magnesium at oxygen partial pressures between 1.3 × 10^?8 and 1.3 × 10^?5 Pa and at temperatures ranging from 273 to 550 K has been investigated in situ with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ellipsometry and high resolution elastic recoil detection analysis (HERDA). Quantitative analysis of the XPS spectra showed a clear oxygen deficiency with respect to MgO for the initial oxide. HERDA measurements confirmed this relatively low oxygen content in the thin oxide layers formed. Ellipsometry measurements showed that the electronic structure of the initially formed oxide differs significantly from that of bulk MgO. The band gap values at room temperature for the oxide layers investigated are clearly smaller than the value for bulk MgO. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculation of the proton affinities of polyfluorobenzenes and the activation energies for 1,2-hydrogen shifts in their carbocations

Isolated polyfluorobenzene (PFB) molecules and their protonated forms are investigated by the AM1 method with full geometry optimization. The proton affinities of PFB are estimated for different protonated positions. The proton affinity of PFB averaged over all isomers is shown to decrease monotonically as the number of fluorine atoms in the molecule increases. The relative populations of different isomers of arenonium ions (AI) formed by PFB protonation are determined. From the calculated data, the value of ⁺ for the F atom in theipso-position is estimated as 1.00. The activation energies of the 1,2-hydrogen shifts in AI are calculated. The dependences of the proton affinity and the activation energies of 1,2-hydrogen shifts on the number of halogen atoms are found to have distinct characters for PFB and polychlorobenzenes. The physical reasons for these difference are discussed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 1878–1882, November, 1993.     

Structure‐Dependent Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Fullerodendrimers with Light‐Harvesting Oligophenylenevinylene Terminals

Oligophenylenevinylene (OPV)‐terminated phenylenevinylene dendrons G1 – G4 with one, two, four, and eight “side‐arms”, respectively, were prepared and attached to C₆₀ by a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides generated in situ from dendritic aldehydes and N‐methylglycine. The relative electronic absorption of the OPV moiety increases progressively along the fullerodendrimer family C₆₀G1 – C₆₀G4 , reaching a 99:1 ratio for C₆₀G4 (antenna effect). UV/Vis and near‐IR luminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy was used to elucidate photoinduced energy and electron transfer in C₆₀G1 – C₆₀G4 as a function of OPV moiety size and solvent polarity (toluene, dichloromethane, benzonitrile), taking into account the fact that the free‐energy change for electron transfer is the same along the series owing to the invariability of the donor–acceptor couple. Regardless of solvent, all the fullerodendrimers exhibit ultrafast OPV→C₆₀ singlet energy transfer. In CH₂Cl₂, the OPV→C₆₀ electron transfer from the lowest fullerene singlet level (¹C₆₀*) is slightly exergonic (ΔG_CS≈0.07 eV), but is observed, to an increasing extent, only in the largest systems C₆₀G2 – C₆₀G4 with lower activation barriers for electron transfer. This effect has been related to a decrease of the reorganization energy upon enlargement of the molecular architecture. Structural factors are also at the origin of an unprecedented OPV→C₆₀ electron transfer observed for C₆₀G3 and C₆₀G4 in apolar toluene, whereas in benzonitrile, electron transfer occurs in all cases. Monitoring of the lowest fullerene triplet state by sensitized singlet oxygen luminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy shows that this level is populated through intersystem crossing and is not involved in photoinduced electron transfer.     

A theoretical study of five nitrates: Electronic structure and bond dissociation energies

Three density-functional methods (B3P86, B3PW91, and B3LYP) are employed to investigate the O–NO₂ bond lengths, frontier orbital energies, and O–NO₂ bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of n-propyl nitrate (NPN), isopropyl nitrate (IPN), 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (EHN), triethylene glycol dinitrate (Tri-EGDN), and tetraethylene glycol dinitrate (Tetra-EGDN). It is found that the O–NO₂ bond lengthens (destabilizes) in the order of IPN, NPN, EHN, Tetra-EGDN, and Tri-EGDN. From the data of frontier orbital energies (E_HOMO, E_LUMO), and energy gaps (ΔE), we estimate the relative thermal stability ordering of five nitrates and their corresponding radicals. The predicted BDEs of O–NO₂ bond in NPN, IPN, EHN, Tri-EGDN, and Tetra-EGDN, are 176.6, 174.5, 168.1, 156.1, and 159.3 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Based on the finding that the present results of BDEs are well coincident with the experimental results of apparent activation energies from the literature, we can draw a conclusion that the experimental thermolysis of five nitrates is only unimolecular homolytical cleavage of the O–NO₂ bonds.     

Similarities and differences in the electron ionization-induced fragmentation of structurally related N-alkoxymethyl lactams and sultams

Unimolecular fragmentation patterns of the molecular ions of selected lactams and sultams bearing alkoxymethyl group at the nitrogen atom were studied. The main common fragmentation reaction observed for all compounds studied in this work is the elimination of an aldehyde molecule. This reaction is considered to proceed via two different mechanisms. For lactams, hydrogen rearrangement within an alkoxymethyl group is observed, which leads to the appropriate N-methyl derivatives. For sultams, transfer of the methyl group to the nitrogen and oxygen atoms, proceeding through an ion-neutral complex, dominates. Another important fragmentation channel characteristic exclusively for lactams is the loss of an alkyl radical. This process takes place within the N-alkoxymethyl moiety, yielding the appropriate protonated ion of N-formyllactams. This process is accompanied by relatively high kinetic energy release.     

Diffusion of Cesium Ions in Agar Gel Containing Alkali Metal Bromides

The present paper gives an account of different aspects of the tracer diffusion of Cs⁺ ions in alkali metal bromides. We have measured the diffusion coefficients, D, of cesium ions in 1% agar gel medium at 25 ^∘C using a zone-diffusion technique over a concentration range of 5 × 10⁻⁵ to 0.1 mol,dm⁻³. The values of the diffusion coefficients were found to deviate from theory, which are explained on the basis of different types of interactions occurring in the ion-gel-water system. The study is also focused on the effect of alkali metal bromides on the obstruction effect and activation energy for the tracer-diffusion of cesium ions in agar gel medium. It is observed that both parameters, extent of obstruction, ∝, and activation energy, E, decrease with increasing charge density of the cation of the supporting electrolyte. The influence of these trends is explained on the basis of competitive hydration between the ions and agar molecules, and the relative distortion in the water structure that is brought about by these different ions and agar molecules.