Theory of chemical bonds in metalloenzymes XXII: a concerted bond-switching mechanism for the oxygen–oxygen bond formation coupled with one electron transfer for water oxidation in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II

ABSTRACT

QM(UB3LYP)/MM(AMBER) calculations were performed for the locations of the transition structure (TS) of the oxygen–oxygen (O–O) bond formation in the S₄ state of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII). The natural orbital (NO) analysis of the broken-symmetry (BS) solutions was also performed to elucidate the nature of the chemical bonds at TS on the basis of several chemical indices defined by the occupation numbers of NO. The computational results revealed a concerted bond switching (CBS) mechanism for the oxygen–oxygen bond formation coupled with the one-electron transfer (OET) for water oxidation in OEC of PSII. The orbital interaction between the σ-HOMO of the Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎ bond and the π*-LUMO of the Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ bond plays an important role for the concerted O–O bond formation for water oxidation in the CaMn₄O₆ cluster of OEC of PSII. One electron transfer (OET) from the π-HOMO of the Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ bond to the σ*-LUMO of the Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎ bond occurs for the formation of electron transfer diradical, where the generated anion radical [Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎]^-? part is relaxed to the ?Mn(III)₄?…?O₍₅₎^- structure and the cation radical [O₍₆₎=Mn(V)₁]⁺ ? part is relaxed to the ⁺O₍₆₎–Mn(IV)₁? structure because of the charge-spin separation for the electron-and hole-doped Mn–oxo bonds. Therefore, the local spins are responsible for the one-electron reductions of Mn(IV)₄->Mn(III)₄ and Mn(V)₁->Mn(IV)₁. On the other hand, the O₍₅₎^- and O₍₆₎⁺ sites generated undergo the O–O bond formation in the CaMn₄O₆ cluster. The Ca(II) ion in the cubane- skeleton of the CaMn₄O₆ cluster assists the above orbital interactions by the lowering of the orbital energy levels of π*-LUMO of Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ and σ*-LUMO of Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎, indicating an important role of its Lewis acidity. Present CBS mechanism for the O–O bond formation coupled with one electron reductions of the high-valent Mn ions is different from the conventional radical coupling (RC) and acid-base (AB) mechanisms for water oxidation in artificial and native photosynthesis systems. The proton-coupled electron transfer (PC-OET) mechanism for the O–O bond formation is also touched in relation to the CBS-OET mechanism.     

Changes in the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra of long-chain diacetylene derivatives through photopolymerization in Langmuir–Blodgett films

Photopolymerization of cadmium 10,12-pentacosadiynoate (CdDA) in Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films, with the molecular packing well arranged by moderate preannealing, was investigated with near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Greenish films of polydiacetylene with an absorption wavelength of 705 nm were obtained through the photopolymerization of preannealed monomer LB films, and this resulted in an extended π-conjugate system based on the well-ordered monomer in a two-dimensional arrangement. The electronic structures of the polydiacetylenes were found to be correlated to the variation of the molecular arrangements in the films from the changes in the NEXAFS spectra through photopolymerization in the LB films. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2329–2336, 2004     

Amine‐cured epoxy/clay nanocomposites. II. The effect of the nanoclay aspect ratio

The thermophysical and mechanical properties of a nanocomposite material composed of amine‐cured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) reinforced with organomontmorillonite clay are reported. The storage modulus at 100 °C, which was above the glass‐transition temperature (T_g), increased approximately 350% with the addition of 10 wt % (6.0 vol %) of clay. Below the T_g, the storage modulus at 30 °C increased 50% relative to the value of unfilled epoxy. It was determined that the T_g linearly increased as a function of clay volume percent. The tensile modulus of epoxy at room temperature increased approximately 50% with the addition of 10 wt % of clay. The reinforcing effect of the organoclay nanoplatelets is discussed with respect to the Tandon–Weng and Halpin–Tsai models. A pseudoinclusion model is proposed to describe the behavior of randomly oriented, uniformly dispersed platelets in nanocomposite materials. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4391–4400, 2004     

Resolving Discrepancy between Theoretical and Experimental Optical Trapping Forces Using Effects of Beam Waist and Trapping Position Displacement due to Gravity

Optical trapping forces of polystyrene microspheres are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally, and comparisons are made between the two. Discrepancies are mainly caused by straight-ray approximation for axial trapping, and by trapping-position vertical displacement due to gravity for transverse trapping.     

An efficient conversion of 1-abietic acid to (+)−3-deoxyaphidicolin

The first total synthesis of (+)?3-deoxyaphidicolin, a selective inhibitor of eukaryotic DNA polymerase α, has been completed efficiently and stereoselectively starting from 1-abietic acid.     

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic and scanning near-field optical microscopic studies of rhodamine dye adsorbed in cationic Langmuir-Blodgett films

The fluorescence lifetimes decays and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectra were measured to investigate the dynamics of the excited state of sulforhodamine B (SRB) molecules adsorbed in the mono- and multilayered Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of octadecylamine. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy reveals that the fluorescence lifetimes and contents of the monomer and dimers in the molecular organizates depend upon the concentration of the dye in the solution and the adsorption process. SRB dye molecules adsorbed in LB films have been imaged with scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). This information is exploited to map the distribution with molecular spatial resolution. SNOM provide the visual evidence of the monomers and dimers of SRB in cationic LB films.     

Reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with tetravalent ceric ion

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAI) was oxidized by ceric ion, Ce(IV), in aqueous HNO₃ medium at different temperatures and found to be degraded as a result of selective cleavage of the 1,2-glycol unit existing in PVAl. The rate of oxidation increased with increasing temperature. The aldehyde groups formed at the ends of the degraded polymer upon oxidation were relatively stable at 0°C. With rise of temperature, the aldehyde groups reacted either with excess of Ce(IV) to carboxylic acids or with hydroxyl groups of PVAl molecules to give acetal linkage. When the acetalization predominated over the oxidation to carboxyl group, gelation of the reaction mixture was observed. Based on these results, a plausible mechanism of oxidation of PVAl with Ce(IV) and the subsequent reactions is discussed.     

Selective reduction of tertiary alkyl,benzyl, and allyl halides to hydrocarbons using lithium 9,9-di-n-butyl-9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanate

The title 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane(9-BBN) ate complex (1) brings about selective removal of tertiary alkyl, benzyl and allyl halides to give the corresponding hydrocarbons in excellent yields without concomitant attack on secondary, primary and aryl derivatives. The reduction of cis- and trans - 4 - t - butyl - 1 - methylcyclohexyl chlorides (2) with 1 gives 4 - t - butyl - 1 - methylcyclohexanes (3) with partial inversion of configuration in cyclohexane, while that in benzene gives thermodynamically stable trans-3 predominantly. The reactions of 1,1 - dimethyl - 5 - hexenyl chloride (4) and 1,7,7 - trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept - 2 - yl chloride (8) with 1 proceed with the rearrangements characteristic to a carbonium ion intermediate. The reduction of 1 - ethyl - 1 - methylpentyl chloride with 1 follows a second-order rate equation.     

Particle size determination by radioisotope x-ray absorptiometry with sedimentation method]

The possibility of radioisotope X-ray absorptiometry to determine the particle size of powder in conjunction with sedimentation was investigated. The experimental accuracy was primarily determined by Cow and X-ray intensity. where Co'=weight concentration of the particle in the suspension w'=(micron/rho)l/(mu/rho)s-rhol/rhos rho; density micron/rho; mass absorption coefficient, suffix l and s indicate dispersion and particle, respectively. The radiosiotopes, Fe-55, Pu-238 and Cd-109 have high w-values over the wide range of the atomic number. However, a source of high micron value such as Fe-55 is not suitable because the optimal X-ray transmission length, Lopt is decided by the expression, micronlLopt approximately 2/(1+C'ow') by using Cd-109 AgKX-ray source, the weight size distribution of particles from the heavy elements such as PbO2 to light elements such as Al2O3 or flyash was determined.     

Electron spin resonance of hydrogen-absorbed graphite-potassium intercalation compounds

The conduction electron spin resonance (CESR) of the graphite—potassium intercalation compounds, C₈ K and C₂₄ K, was studied in hydrogen gas. An enhancement of CESR absorption and a decrease in asymmetry parameter were observed for C₈K in the initial stage of hydrogen absorption, attributed to paramagnetic hydrogen atoms stabilized in the matrix of the compound.