Ionization energy reductions in small 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid-proline clusters

The photoionization of (pro)(n)DHB (pro = proline, DHB = 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, n = 0, 1, 2 or 4) clusters was studied both experimentally and computationally. Experimentally the (pro)(n)DHB clusters are generated in the gas phase by laser desorption and supersonic jet entrainment. The photoionization thresholds are then determined by the mass-selective measurement of both one- and two-color photoionization efficiency curves. These experiments demonstrate that the ionization energies (IEs) of the (pro)(n)DHB clusters are substantially reduced in comparison with the IE of free DHB. Computational studies of the (pro)(n)DHB clusters provide insights into the mechanism of IE reduction. For the (pro)DHB system the IE reduction results from spin delocalization in the ion state of the cluster. In contrast, for the (pro)(2)DHB and (pro)(4)DHB clusters the IE reduction results from an inductive delocalization of electron density from pro to DHB in the ground state of the cluster. This latter effect, which is a result of the specific hydrogen-bonding interactions occurring in the mixed clusters, leads to IE reductions of >1 eV. Finally, determination of the energetics of the (pro)(2)DHB radical cation demonstrate that the DHB-to-proline proton transfer reaction is a barrierless, exoergic process in the ion state and that energetic demands for cluster dissociation to protonated (pro)(2) plus a deprotonated DHB radical are substantially lower than those for cluster dissociation to (pro)(2) plus DHB(+*). Cumulatively, these studies provide new energetic and mechanistic insights into both primary and secondary MALDI ionization processes.     

Synthesis and Study of a Sulfur Heterocycle Fused p-Phenylene Vinylene Conducting Polymer

Abstract

Poly(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-diyl vinylene) (1) has been prepared by the pyrolysis of the precursor polymer 2 and studied. Quantum mechanical calculations on the aromatic and quinoid monomers, oligomers and polymers indicate that 1 is a planar aromatic polymer.     

Computational estimates of the gas-phase basicities,proton affinities and ionization potentials of the six isomers of dihydroxybenzoic acid

The gas-phase basicities (GBs), gas-phase proton affinities (PAs) and ionization potentials (IPs) of all six isomers of dihydroxybenzoic acid have been calculated using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2df,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G** level. A detailed conformational analysis of each isomer was performed, and the calculated thermodynamic properties were Boltzmann averaged over all conformations. Respectively, the GBs and the gas-phase PAs vary from 803.8 and 832.5?kJ?mol^?1 for the least basic species (3,5-DHB) to 830.1 and 861.4?kJ?mol^?1 for the most basic isomer (2,4-DHB). The reported GBs and gas-phase PAs of 2,3-DHB and 2,4-DHB, are in excellent agreement with previous experimental measurements. Agreement for the 2,5-DHB and 3,4-DHB isomers are not as good, but still close to or within the experimental error estimates. The calculated values for the GB and gas-phase PA of 2,6-DHB and especially 3,5-DHB are significantly outside the experimental error brackets. Repeating these calculations on the lowest energy conformation of each isomer at the MP2/6-311++G(2df,p)//MP2/6-31+G** level yielded significantly worse results. Our results indicate that protonation in all isomers takes place on the carboxylic sites. The vertical IPs vary from 8.14 eV for 2,5-DHB to 8.56 eV for 2,4-DHB.     

Equilibrium conditions in laser-desorbed plumes: thermodynamic properties of alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid and protonation of amino acids

The equilibrium nature of a plume of laser desorbed material is explored through the application of a simple equilibrium model to the ion signals observed in 355 nm laser desorption/ionization mass spectra of mixtures of the MALDI matrix alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (alphaCHCA) with the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, and phenylalanine. In these studies it is found that there are systematic and predictable increases in the relative yield of protonated amino acid with increases in amino acid gas-phase basicity. In addition, the thermodynamic values extracted from the equilibrium plot are shown to be in good agreement with values obtained from computational investigation of plausible alphaCHCA proton donor species. These results are supportive of a picture wherein the laser-desorbed material is viewed as a dense plume in which facile charge transfer occurs leading, ultimately, to a thermodynamically equilibrated distribution of proton donor and proton acceptor species.