Kaikki aineistot
Lisää
Ab initio calculations of the structures, vibrational spectra and supermolecular and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) interaction energies of the HXeOH and HXeSH complexes with H2O and H2S molecules are presented. Two minima already reported in the literature were reproduced and ten new ones were found together with some transition states. All complexes show blue shift in Xe–H stretching mode upon complexation. The computed spectra suggest that it should be possible to detect and distinguish the complexes experimentally. The structures where H2O or H2S is the proton-donor were found to be the most stable for all complex compositions. The SAPT analysis shows significant differences between the complexes with H2O and H2S indicating much larger dispersion and exchange contributions in the complexes with H2S.
The aim of this study was to investigate chemistry teacher students’ experiences of an experimental chemistry field course. A narrative approach was used because the aim was to obtain authentic reports. The study participants (N = 8) had all taken part in an experimental chemistry field course between 2013 and 2015. The teacher students reported that once they had participated in the field course, they were ready to teach science outside the classroom with students in future. Without the field course, they would be less likely to do so. The results indicate that chemistry teacher students feel they need more training in different learning environments.
We report on the complex of a noble-gas hydride HXeOH with carbon monoxide. This species is prepared via the annealing-induced H + Xe + OH···CO reaction in a xenon matrix, the OH···CO complexes being produced by VUV photolysis of the H2O···CO complexes. The H–Xe stretching mode of the HXeOH···CO complex absorbs at 1590.3 cm–1 and it is blue-shifted by 12.7 cm–1 from the H–Xe stretching band of HXeOH monomer. The observed blue shift indicates the stabilization of the H–Xe bond upon complexation, which is characteristic of complexes of noble-gas hydrides. The HXeOH···CO species is the first complex of a noble-gas hydride with carbon monoxide and the second observed complex of HXeOH. On the basis of the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ-PP calculations, the experimental complex is assigned to the structure, where the carbon atom of CO interacts with the oxygen atom of HXeOH.
A chemistry concept inventory (Chemical Concept Inventory 3.0/CCI 3.0), previously developed for use in Norwegian universities, was tested and evaluated for use in a Finnish university setting. The test, designed to evaluate student knowledge and learning of chemistry concepts, was administered as both pre- and posttest in first year general chemistry courses at the University of Jyväskylä. The results were evaluated using different statistical tests, focusing both on individual item analysis and the entire test. Some individual questions were found to be not discriminating or reliable enough or too difficult, yet the results, as a whole, indicate that the concept inventory is a reliable and discriminating tool that can be used in the Finnish university context.
This study was carried out to determine adolescents’ perception of scientific inquiry (SI) in nature and the effect of a science camp on those perceptions. Eleven science campers (14 to 16 years old) participated in this research during a science camp. Pre- and post-test included open questions and drawing tasks. The campers’ drawings were analyzed to assess their out-of-school perceptions related to SI. The aim was to clarify what phases and factors the campers associated with SI in nature, and how their perceptions differ after participating at a science camp. The findings suggest that the phases of SI were well known before the camp, but minor developments in campers’ perceptions of the phases of SI did occur. In the drawing analysis, symbols from a range of areas were identified. The symbols most frequently referred to the natural environment. The drawings in the post-test were generally more detailed than those in the pre-test. In particular, symbols of technology and laboratory equipment appeared more frequently after the science camp.
During recent years, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä has made an extensive effort to support chemistry students’ first study year. The first-year curriculum includes enhanced study counselling course, intensive orientation course and support for academic study skills via a specific course. In this study, the effects of the revisions were studied by exploring the chemistry students study continuation and what factors contributed to it. In 2015 to 2017, data were collected from first-year chemistry students (n = 106), who completed a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of their first semester. The results show that the percentage of dropout rates after the first year decreased. Students’ current challenges are different than they have been previously, thus putting new demands on their guidance. The results of the study indicate that students value guidance and study counselling especially at the beginning of their studies.
In this article, we present results from ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of overtone excitation in formic acid monomer and its water complex in the gas phase. For the monomer, a conformation change is observed employing both OH and CH vibrational excitations, which supports experimental findings. In the formic acid–water complex, interconversion also takes place, but it proceeds via hydrogen exchange rather than via intramolecular reaction. Simulations raise a question on effect of quantum and matrix effects to the results. Also, a brief test of different computation methods was done on the system.
The influence of inherent tire char ash during co-gasification with coconut hydrochar prepared at different intensities was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis to ascertain the extent to which synergistic interaction, reactivity, and activation energy reduction were altered. High-ash tire tread (TT) and low-ash sidewall (SW) both exhibited enhanced synergy, reactivity, and activation reduction upon co-gasification with hydrochars; however, the extent of promotion was more pronounced in SW-hydrochar blends. This difference was caused by the inhibiting nature of TT inherent ash, particularly the role of Si-containing compounds. Inhibition in TT-hydrochar blends was mainly due to the promotion of alkaline and alkaline earth metal transformation into inactive silicates, and to a lesser extent, the mass transfer effect caused by accumulated ash, especially at conversions higher than 70\%. The extent of enhancement correlated well with the concentration of available alkaline and alkaline earth metals. The findings may be useful in justifying the exclusion of high ash tire char as gasification feedstock to mitigate ash-related problems.
This study introduces the Kitchen Chemistry (KC) course and its influences on chemistry education as a whole. KC is considered to be a life-relevant learning environment that engages learners in science through the pursuit of personally relevant and meaningful goals. KC, as a form of interdisciplinary learning, aims to develop boundary-crossing skills and to support the development of pupils’ scientific thinking. The purpose of this research was to determine how KC as a context-based teaching approach applies to chemistry education and what it offers to chemistry teaching and teacher education. We found that KC gave lower secondary school pupils the opportunity to understand the chemical phenomena in a familiar context. Teachers of visiting groups saw that integration is the challenge: pupils often see the subjects of chemistry and home economics as separate entities. The chemistry education students highlighted real-world connections to chemistry concepts and contexts. They also found KC to be an interesting form of teaching chemistry. According to the KC course teachers, the students were motivated and excited, and provided positive feedback on the course. These findings suggest that teachers and teacher education students need to be guided in actively using integration.
In the title compound, C14H16N6O2, the dihedral angles formed by the mean plane of the acetohydrazide group [maximum deviation 0.0629 (12) A˚ ] with the pyrazole and pyridine rings are 81.62 (6) and 38.38 (4) respectively. In the crystal, molecules are connected by N—HO and O—HN hydrogen bonds into supramolecular chains extending parallel to the c-axis direction.
Gasification of biomass in a fluidized bed (FB) was modeled based on kinetic data obtained from previously conducted thermo- gravimetic analysis. The thermogravimetric analysis experiments were designed to closely resemble conditions in a real FB gasifier by using high sample heating rates, in situ devolatilization and gas atmospheres of H 2 O / H 2 and CO 2 / CO mixtures. Several char kinetic models were evaluated based on their ability to predict char conversion based on the thermogravimetric data. A modified version of the random pore model was shown to provide good fitting of the char reactivity and suitability for use in a reactor model. An updated FB reactor model which incorporates the newly developed char kinetic expression and a submodel for the estimation of char residence time is presented and results from simulations were compared against pilot scale gasification data of pine sawdust. The reactor model showed good ability for predicting char conversion and product gas composition.
In the title compound, [Fe(C9H13N4O4)(NH3)2], the FeIII atom, lying on a mirror plane, is coordinated by four N atoms of a triply deprotonated tetradentate N-[2-(hydroxyimino)- propionyl]-N0 -[2-(oxidoimino)propionyl]propane-1,3-diaminide ligand in the equatorial plane and two N atoms of two ammonia molecules at the axial positions in a distorted octahedral geometry. A short intramolecular O—HO hydrogen bond between the cis-disposed oxime O atoms stabilizes the pseudo-macrocyclic configuration of the ligand. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—HO hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. The ligand has a mirror-plane symmetry. One of the methylene groups of the propane bridge is disordered over two sets of sites with equal occupancy factors.
Jotta opetusta voidaan tehokkaasti kehittää, tulisi tuntea sekä opiskelijoiden lähtötaso että opiskelijoiden ajattelussa tapahtuvat muutokset kurssin aikana. Jyväskylän yliopiston kemian laitoksella selvitettiin näitä asioita kahdella testillä, joista toinen mittasi kemian käsitteiden ymmärtämistä ja toinen opiskelijoiden käsityksiä ja asenteita kemian oppimiseen liittyen. Kokeilu toteutettiin syksyllä 2016 kahdella ensimmäisellä kemian perusopintojen kurssilla siten, että opiskelijat testattiin ensimmäisen kurssin alussa ja toisen kurssin lopussa. Tässä artikkelissa esitellään testituloksia opiskelijoiden ajattelusta sekä siinä tapahtuneista muutoksista kurssien aikana ja pohditaan näiden testien käyttämistä kurssien opetuksen kehittämisessä.
This study focuses on a youth science camp for pupils in sixth to ninth grades that is organized annually by the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The main idea of the science camp is to learn to do guided inquiry in nature. The study investigates the significance of science camp for encouraging young participants to learn science and how the camp supports their learning. The research method used was a survey. Altogether, 47 youth participated in the camp in 2012 and 2013. The results show that the participants wanted to learn more about science than secondary school could offer, and science camp had a positive impact on their interest in science. It was possible to introduce important concepts of chemistry and biology in a comprehensible manner through experimentation in an authentic context. The participants worked as researchers in a positive and non-formal learning environment and they received concrete experience with the various phases of scientific research.
Asiantuntijuutta, menetelmien hallintaa, laitteiden tuntemusta, ongelmanratkaisun osaamista,uuden oppimisen kykyä,esiintymisen ja vuorovaikutuksen taitoja. Tulevat kemistit tarvitsevat näitä kaikkia. Yliopiston kemian opetuksen on uudistuttava vastaamaan sille esitettyihin haasteisiin.
We report on the first experimental observation of formic acid dimers composed of two molecules of the higher-energy cis conformer. The cis–cis formic acid dimers are prepared in an argon matrix by selective vibrational excitation of the ground state trans conformer (deuterated form HCOOD) combined with thermal annealing of the matrix at about 30 K. Five cis–cis formic acid dimers are predicted by ab initio calculations (interaction energies from −16.9 to −27.2 kJ molˉ¹), and these structures are used for the assignment of the experimental spectra. Selective vibrational excitation of the obtained cis–cis dimers leads to the formation of several trans–cis dimers, which supports the proposed assignments.
Electronic structure of the XeOF2 molecule and its two complexes with HX (X= F, Cl, Br, I) molecules have been studied in the gas phase using quantum chemical topology methods: topological analysis of electron localization function (ELF), electron density, ρ(r), reduced gradient of electron density |RDG(r)| in real space, and symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) in the Hilbert space. The wave function has been approximated by the MP2 and DFT methods, using APF-D, B3LYP, M062X, and B2PLYP functionals, with the dispersion correction as proposed by Grimme (GD3). For the Xe-F and Xe=O bonds in the isolated XeOF2 molecule, the bonding ELF-localization basins have not been observed. According to the ELF results, these interactions are not of covalent nature with shared electron density. There are two stable F2OXe…HF complexes. The first one is stabilized by the F-H…F and Xe…F interactions (type I) and the second by the F-H…O hydrogen bond (type II). The SAPT analysis confirms the electrostatic term, Eelst (1) and the induction energy, Eind (2) to be the major contributors to stabilizing both types of complexes.
A method of ultrasound-assisted digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) used for the determination of trace element (chromium, copper, lead, nickel, vanadium and zinc) concentrations in fly ash samples was developed. All the measurements were performed in robust plasma conditions. Ultrasound-assisted digestion procedures using digestion solutions of aqua regia and hydrofluoric acid (HF) resulted in recovery rates of over 80% for all the analyte elements. Ultrasound-assisted two-step digestion with digestion solutions of 6 mL of HNO₃(Step 1) and 3 mL of HNO₃+ 3 mL of HF (Step 2) resulted in recovery rates of over 92% for all the analyte elements with one exception, chromium, which had a recovery of about 85%. The analysis of SRM 1633b showed that the two-step ultrasound-assisted digestion method developed resulted in chromium, copper, nickel and zinc concentrations higher than the microwave digestion method standardized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA method 3052). This is the very first time when a digestion method using ultrasound resulted in higher efficiency than microwave (USEPA method 3052) for chromium and nickel in very hard to dissolve samples. The major advantages of the ultrasound-assisted digestion over microwave digestion is the high treatment rate (about 30 samples simultaneously with a sonication time of 18 min) and the possibility to use new sample vessels without a significant increase in costs.
Synthesis, detailed structural characterization (X-ray, NMR, MS, IR, elemental analysis), and studies of toxicity, antioxidant activity and bioavailability of unique potent anti-atherosclerotic succinobucol-steroid conjugates are reported. The conjugates consist of, on one side, the therapeutically important drug succinobucol ([4-{2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-[(1-{[3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-5-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]sulfanyl}ethyl)sulfanyl]phenoxy}-4-oxo-butanoic acid]) possessing an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and on the other side, plant stanol/sterols (stigmastanol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol) possessing an ability to lower the blood cholesterol level. A cholesterol-succinobucol prodrug was also prepared in order to enhance the absorption of succinobucol through the intestinal membrane into the organism and to target the drug into the place of lipid metabolism—The enterohepatic circulation system. Their low toxicity towards mice fibroblasts at maximal concentrations, their antioxidant activity, comparable or even higher than that of ascorbic acid as determined by direct quenching of the DPPH radical, and their potential for significantly altering total and LDL cholesterol levels, suggest that these conjugates merit further studies in the treatment of cardiovascular or other related diseases. A brief discussion of succinobucol’s ability to quench the radicals, supported with a computational model of the electrostatic potential mapped on the electron density surface of the drug, is also presented.
High efficiency of light harvesting in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes is governed by evolutionary-perfected protein-assisted tuning of individual pigment properties and inter-pigment interactions. Due to the large number of spectrally overlapping pigments in a typical photosynthetic complex, experimental methods often fail to unambiguously identify individual chromophore properties. Here we report a first principles-based modeling protocol capable of predicting properties of pigments in protein environment to a high precision. The technique was applied to successfully uncover electronic properties of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) pigment-protein complex. Each of the three subunits of the FMO complex contains eight strongly coupled bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) pigments. The excitonic structure of FMO can be described by an electronic Hamiltonian containing excitation (site) energies of BChl a pigments and electronic couplings between them. Several such Hamiltonians have been developed in the past based on the information from various spectroscopic measurements of FMO; however, fine details of the excitonic structure and energy transfer in FMO, especially assignments of short-lived high-energy sites, remain elusive. Utilizing polarizable embedding QM/MM with the effective fragment potentials (EFP) we were able to compute the electronic Hamiltonian of FMO that is in general agreement with previously reported empirical Hamiltonians and quantitatively reproduces experimental absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the FMO protein. The developed computational protocol is sufficiently simple and can be utilized for predictive modeling of other wild type and mutated photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes.
Materials exhibiting a substitutional disorder such as multicomponent alloys and mixed metal oxides/oxyfluorides are of great importance in many scientific and technological sectors. Disordered materials constitute an overwhelmingly large configurational space, which makes it practically impossible to be explored manually using first-principles calculations such as density functional theory due to the high computational costs. Consequently, the use of methods such as cluster expansion (CE) is vital in enhancing our understanding of the disordered materials. CE dramatically reduces the computational cost by mapping the first-principles calculation results on to a Hamiltonian which is much faster to evaluate. In this work, we present our implementation of the CE method, which is integrated as a part of the atomic simulation environment (ASE) open-source package. The versatile and user-friendly code automates the complex set up and construction procedure of CE while giving the users the flexibility to tweak the settings and to import their own structures and previous calculation results. Recent advancements such as regularization techniques from machine learning are implemented in the developed code. The code allows the users to construct CE on any bulk lattice structure, which makes it useful for a wide range of applications involving complex materials. We demonstrate the capabilities of our implementation by analyzing the two example materials with varying complexities: a binary metal alloy and a disordered lithium chromium oxyfluoride.
Reactions of 4,5-dicyano-1-methylimidazole with CuX2 (X = Cl, Br) in alcohol solvents (ethanol and methanol) resulted in the formation of Cu(II) carboximidate complexes [CuCl2(5- cyano-4-C(OEt)N-1-methylimidazole)(EtOH)] (1), [Cu2(µ-Cl)2Cl2(5-cyano-4-C(OMe)N-1-methylimidazole)2] (2), [Cu2(µ-Br)2Br2(5-cyano-4-C(OMe)N-1-methylimidazole)2] (3), and [Cu2(µ-Br)2Br2(5-cyano-4-C(OEt)N-1-methylimidazole)2] (4). The structures were determined by the X-ray crystallographic method, and further spectroscopic and computational methods were employed to explain the structural features. The solvent contributed to the alcoholysis reaction of the cyano group, as the result of which the ligand coordinated to the metal center in bidentate mode forming a five-membered chelating ring. In 1, the solvent also acts as an additional ligand, which coordinates to the metal center of a monomeric complex. In compounds 2–4, two halogen ligands link the metal atoms forming dihalo-bridged copper dimers. The infrared absorption characteristics were verified by simulation of the infrared spectra at the density functional theory level. In addition, the electronic absorption characteristics were explained by simulation of the UV–Vis spectra using the TD-DFT method. Molecular modelling at the DFT level was performed to study the effects of halogen type and steric hindrance of the alkoxy groups in forming the copper(II) complexes.
Stumps and knotwood of Norway spruce (Picea abies) are valuable sources of wood extractives. Although lignans from knotwood have already been utilized in value-added products, the behavior and valorization of stump-derived extractives are less studied. In this study, the composition of lipophilic and hydrophilic extractives, particularly lignans, from various spruce stump samples (stump bottom, stump heart, and crushed stump samples) stored outside were studied. Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts were separated with an accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) apparatus using n-hexane and hot water, respectively. The detailed extractives content of samples was then determined by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector and a mass detector (GC-FID/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In stump bottom samples, an apparent decrease in total dissolved solids was observed in all the major extractives groups during storage: lignans, sugars, stilbene–glucosides, organic acids, resin acids, fatty acids, diterpenoids, and sterols. While a definitive decrease in extractives could not be demonstrated due to the moderately high variation of extractives among different samples, a good indication of the accessibility of important extractives in weathered stumps was obtained. Of the identified hydrophilic extractives, 79% were lignans, 53% of them being composed of 7-hydroxymatairesinol (HMR), 16% conidendric acid, and 12% todolactol. After 12 weeks of storage, the total amount of lignans was 15.3 mg/g of dry matter in stump bottom, 17.0 mg/g of dry matter in stump heart samples, and 10.2 mg/g of dry matter in crushed stump samples.
Weak intermolecular forces are typically very difficult to observe in highly competitive polar protic solvents as they are overwhelmed by the quantity of competing solvent. This is even more challenging for three-component ternary assemblies of pure organic compounds. In this work, we overcome these complications by leveraging the binding of fused aromatic N-heterocycles in an open resorcinarene cavity to template the formation of a three-component halogen-bonded ternary assembly in a protic polar solvent system.
Homoaggregates of isocyanic acid (HNCO) were studied using FTIR spectroscopy combined with a low-temperature matrix isolation technique and quantum chemical calculations. Computationally, the structures of the HNCO dimers and trimers were optimized at the MP2, B3LYPD3 and B2PLYPD3 levels of theory employing the 6-311++G(3df,3pd) basis set. Topological analysis of the electron density (AIM) was used to identify the type of non-covalent interactions in the studied aggregates. Five stable minima were located on the potential energy surface for (HNCO)2, and nine were located on the potential energy surface for (HNCO)3. The most stable dimer (D1) involves a weak, almost linear N-H⋯N hydrogen bond. Other structures are bound by a N-H⋯O hydrogen bond or by O⋯C or N⋯N van der Waals interactions. Similar types of interactions as in (HNCO)2 were found in the case of HNCO trimers. Among nine stable (HNCO)3 structures, five represent cyclic forms. The most stable T1 trimer structure is characterized by a six-membered ring formed by three N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and representing high symmetry (C3h). The analysis of the HNCO/Ar spectra after deposition indicates that the N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonded dimers are especially prevalent. Upon annealing, HNCO trimers were observed as well. Identification of the experimentally observed species relied on previous experimental data on HNCO complexes as well as computed data on HNCO homoaggregates’ vibrational spectra.
The design of molecular containers capable of selective binding of specific guest molecules presents an interesting synthetic challenge in supramolecular chemistry. Here, we report the synthesis and structure of a coordination cage assembled from Cu3I4– clusters and tripodal cationic N-donor ligands. Owing to the localized permanent charges in the ligand core the cage binds iodide anions in specific regions within the cage by ionic interactions. This allows the selective binding of bromomethanes as secondary guest species within cage promoted by halogen bonding, which was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction.
The present synthetic strategy involves the synthesis of indolyl-triazolo-thiadiazole heterocyclic ring systems 8–13 from the condensation of 4-amino-5-(1H-indol-2-yl)-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione 1 with the aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives 2–7 in presence of POCl3 for 1 h. All compounds were obtained in very good yields and have been well-characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Exclusively, good quality crystals from the target organic hybrid 8-(1H-indol-2-yl)-5-(p-tolyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo [3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole 9 were obtained and found suitable for X-ray single crystal diffraction measurement, which is used to confirm and analyze the molecular and supramolecular structure aspects of 9. The solid-state structure of the synthesized molecule 9 agrees very well with other characterizations. The packing of 9 is dominated by the N…H, S…H, C…C and S…C non-covalent interactions, which agree with the Hirshfeld surface analysis. The percentages of these contacts are calculated to be 20.3%, 5.4%, 9.4% and 4.3%, respectively.
Single Atom Catalysts (SACs) have shown that the miniaturization of the active site implies new phenomena like dynamic charge transfer between isolated metal atoms and the oxide. To obtain direct proof of this character is challenging, as many experimental techniques provide averaged properties or have limitations with poorly conductive materials, leaving kinetic measurements from catalytic testing as the only reliable reference. Here we present an integrated Density Functional Theory-Microkinetic model including ground and metastable states to address the reactivity of Pt1/CeO2 for CO oxidation. Our results agree with experimentally available kinetic data in the literature and show that CO oxidation activity of Pt1/CeO2 is tunable via the electronic properties of the support. Particularly, samples with higher n-doping via oxygen depletion should be better in CO oxidation, as they help maintain the active state Pt0 of the catalyst. This provides an alternative strategy for tuning the performance of low-temperature oxidations in single-atom catalysts via charge transfer control.
Solid-state NMR has been applied to a series of Barluenga-type iodine(I) [L-I-L]PF6 (L=pyridine, 4-ethylpyridine, 4-dimethylaminopyridine, isoquinoline) complexes as their hexafluorophosphate salts, as well as their respective non-liquid ligands (L), their precursor silver(I) complexes, and the respective N-methylated pyridinium and quinolinium hexafluorophoshate salts. These results are compared and contrasted to the corresponding solution studies and single-crystal X-ray structures. As the first study of its kind on the solid-state NMR behavior of halogen(I) complexes, practical considerations are also discussed to encourage wider utilization of this technique in the future.
The development of new families of synthetic molecular systems projecting neutral, bi-, or multi-H-bonding donor units is significant to acquire the desired selectivity within the fascinating area of anion recognition. Here, we illustrate the reaction between a neutral 4-amino-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole ligand (L) with acidic solutions containing either chloride, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, iodide, sulfate, hexafluorosilicate, fluoride, tetrafluoroborate or perchlorate anions, yielding 16 new anion-mediated supramolecular entities, H2LCl2 (1), H2LBr2 (2), H2L(NO3)2 (3), HL(H2PO4) (4), H2L(H2PO4)2 (5), [H2L]2I4 (6), H2L(NO3)2 (7), H2L(SO4)·H2O (8), H2LSiF6 (9), H2LSiF6·2H2O (10), H2L(HF2)2 (11), H3LI3 (12), H3L(BF4)3 (13), H3L(ClO4)3 (14), H3L(ClO4)3·2H2O (15), and H3LH3O(SiF6)2·2H2O (16), thoroughly examined by elemental analyses, Fourier transform-attenuated total reflectance-infrared (FT-ATR-IR), thermal analysis, powder diffraction, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We identified the propensity of H2PO4– into a cyclic hexameric cluster (H2PO4–)6 stabilized by a bent ligand L via a combination of functionalities such as an amino group, pyridyl terminals, and a triazolyl core. Additionally, we also found the anion–water clusters ranging from a cyclic tetramer [(SO4)2–(H2O)2]4– and an octameric cluster [(SiF6)4–(H2O)4]∞8– to an acyclic tetramer [(ClO4–)2(H2O)2]. As shown by the study, subtle modulation in the crystallization environment offers the possibility to yield entirely distinctive forms of molecular salts comprising both anhydrous and a few hydrates with different protonated numbers (mono-, di- or triprotonated). A systematic study indicates that the molecular salts obtained from different anions construct diverse supramolecular extended architectures (e.g., bricklayer, columns, zig-zag, stair-steps, wave-like, helical, double chain, and criss-cross orientation) self-assembled by a combination of noncovalent interactions, constituting distinct H-bonded geometry patterns, essentially depending on the molecular conformation of the bent ligand and the type of the anion utilized (linear, spherical, triangular, tetrahedral, and octahedral) in the preparation of salts.
The synthesis and X-ray structure analysis of the new [PdLCl2]*0.5 CH2Cl2 complex where L is hydrazono-s-triazine di-morpholine derivative, were presented. In the neutral inner sphere of this complex, the organic ligand L is acting as a NN-bidentate chelate via the pyridine and hydrazone N-atoms. The coordination configuration of the Pd(II) is completed by two chloride ions at cis-positions. The tetra-coordinated Pd(II) showed a distorted square planar geometry. The outer sphere comprised half methylene chloride molecule per [PdLCl2] as crystal solvent. The crystal stability is dominated by a number of weak C-H…N, C-H…Cl, and C-H…O non-covalent interactions. Based on Hirshfeld analysis, the H…H, N…H, H…Cl, O…H, Pd…C, and Cl…C intermolecular interactions contributed by 45.2, 9.3, 21.5, 5.8, 2.3, and 3.4%, respectively. DFT studies revealed closed shell characters for the Pd-N and Pd-Cl coordinate bonds. The net charge of Pd is also predicted to be 0.311 e and the amount of electron density transferred from the ligand groups is 1.689 e. The Pd(II) complex exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, HepG2, and A549 cells with IC50 values of 1.18, 4.74, and 5.22 μg/mL, compared to cisplatin with IC50 values of 4.1, 9.7, and 12.3 μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, it exhibited poor cytotoxicity against WISH cells with much higher IC50 values (IC50 = 37.2 μg/mL). Investigating apoptosis-induction, the Pd(II) complex induced apoptotic cell death by an 11-fold change in MCF-7 cells arresting the cell phase at the G0–G1 phase. Accordingly, Pd(II) complex can be developed as a promising anti-breast cancer agent.
The synthesis of 4-methyl/phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetraazafluoranthen-3(2H)-one 4 and 7 has been reported with ninhydrin via a reaction first with ethyl acetoacetate or ethyl benzoylacetate and then a reaction of the resultant esters with hydrazine hydrate. The mechanism of hydrazinolysis and cyclization to obtain tetraazafluoranthen-3(2H)-ones is ambiguous, and the previously proposed mechanism was not based on facts because the actual intermediates were not isolated. Herein, the important intermediates involved in the hydrazinolysis–cyclization mechanistic pathway were isolated and characterized using NMR and X-ray single-crystal analysis. The intermediates demonstrate that the reaction carried out via two hydrazinolysis–cyclization reactions, the first of which includes the condensation of one hydrazine molecule with two ketone groups and the second of which includes the reaction of another hydrazine molecule with the ester and then condensation with the other ketone group. The stability of hydrazide 11 enabled the hydrazine to reduce the carbonyl of the ketone group to form 12 via a Wolff–Kishner-like reduction. The structure of the three intermediates was confirmed using X-ray crystallographic analysis. It was found that the three fused ring systems deviated from planarity to different extents, with their deviation from being coplanar reaching up to 5.3°. The possible non-covalent interactions which control the molecular packing of these intermediates were elucidated with the aid of Hirshfeld analysis.
MoTe2 has been experimentally and theoretically identified as a promising cathode candidate for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR). A full understanding of its reactivity requires special consideration of the reaction kinetics, but this is challenging due to the varying electrode potential in the canonical density functional theory (DFT), which calls for grand canonical, constant potential methods. Here, the full reaction pathways for the CO2RR to CO and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are investigated on a MoTe2 edge in an alkaline medium using a grand canonical ensemble DFT approach with a hybrid solvent model to understand the explicit effect of the applied potential. Our results show that the barrier of the first CO2RR step, the CO2 adsorption, is lower than the first HER step, the Volmer step, which implies that the CO2RR is favored. We also find that at more negative potentials, the first CO2RR steps become more favorable, whereas CO desorption becomes less favorable, indicating that further CO reduction is expected instead of CO desorption. However, the potential of the Volmer step depends more strongly on the potential than CO2 adsorption, making HER more favorable at more negative potentials. Overall, our study identified edge-rich MoTe2 nanoribbons as possible catalysts for alkaline CO2RR.
Four new pentadentate N5-donor ligands, [N-(1-methyl-2-imidazolyl)methyl-N-(2-pyridyl)-methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)-amine] (L1), [N-bis(1-methyl-2-imidazolyl)methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine] (L2), (N-(isoquinolin-3-ylmethyl)-1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine (L3), and N,N-bis(isoquinolin-3-ylmethyl)-1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)methanamine (L4), have been synthesized based on the N4Py ligand framework, where one or two pyridyl arms of the N4Py parent are replaced by (N-methyl)imidazolyl or N-(isoquinolin-3-ylmethyl) moieties. Using these four pentadentate ligands, the mononuclear complexes [FeII(CH3CN)(L1)]2+ (1a), [FeII(CH3CN)(L2)]2+ (2a), [FeII(CH3CN)(L3)]2+ (3a), and [FeII(CH3CN)(L4)]2+ (4a) have been synthesized and characterized. The half-wave potentials (E1/2) of the complexes become more positive in the order: 2a < 1a < 4a ≤ 3a ≤ [Fe(N4Py)(CH3CN)]2+. The order of redox potentials correlates well with the Fe–Namine distances observed by crystallography, which are 2a > 1a ≥ 4a > 3a ≥ [Fe(N4Py)(CH3CN)]2+. The corresponding ferryl complexes [FeIV(O)(L1)]2+ (1b), [FeIV(O)(L2)]2+ (2b), [FeIV(O)(L3)]2+ (3b), and [FeIV(O)(L4)]2+ (4b) were prepared by the reaction of the ferrous complexes with isopropyl 2-iodoxybenzoate (IBX ester) in acetonitrile. The greenish complexes 3b and 4b were also isolated in the solid state by the reaction of the ferrous complexes in CH3CN with ceric ammonium nitrate in water. Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements (using superconducting quantum interference device) show that the four complexes 1b, 2b, 3b, and 4b are low-spin (S = 1) FeIV═O complexes. UV/vis spectra of the four FeIV═O complexes in acetonitrile show typical long-wavelength absorptions of around 700 nm, which are expected for FeIV═O complexes with N4Py-type ligands. The wavelengths of these absorptions decrease in the following order: 721 nm (2b) > 706 nm (1b) > 696 nm (4b) > 695 nm (3b) = 695 nm ([FeIV(O) (N4Py)]2+), indicating that the replacement of the pyridyl arms with (N-methyl) imidazolyl moieties makes L1 and L2 exert weaker ligand fields than the parent N4Py ligand, while the ligand field strengths of L3 and L4 are similar to the N4Py parent despite the replacement of the pyridyl arms with N-(isoquinolin-3-ylmethyl) moieties. Consequently, complexes 1b and 2b tend to be less stable than the parent [FeIV(O)(N4Py)]2+ complex: the half-life sequence at room temperature is 1.67 h (2b) < 16 h (1b) < 45 h (4b) < 63 h (3b) ≈ 60 h ([FeIV(O)(N4Py)]2+). Compared to the parent complex, 1b and 2b exhibit enhanced reactivity in both the oxidation of thioanisole in the oxygen atom transfer (OAT) reaction and the oxygenation of C–H bonds of aromatic and aliphatic substrates, presumed to occur via an oxygen rebound process. Furthermore, the second-order rate constants for hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions affected by the ferryl complexes can be directly related to the C–H bond dissociation energies of a range of substrates that have been studied. Using either IBX ester or H2O2 as an oxidant, all four new FeII complexes display good performance in catalytic reactions involving both HAT and OAT reactions.
The proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a long-standing enigma in electrocatalysis. Despite decades of research, the factors determining the microscopic mechanism of ORR-PCET as a function of pH, electrolyte, and electrode potential remain unresolved, even on the prototypical Pt(111) surface. Herein, we integrate advanced experiments, simulations, and theory to uncover the mechanism of the cation effects on alkaline ORR on well-defined Pt(111). We unveil a dual-cation effect where cations simultaneously determine i) the active electrode surface by controlling the formation of Pt−O and Pt−OH overlayers and ii) the competition between inner- and outer-sphere PCET steps. The cation-dependent transition from Pt−O to Pt−OH determines the ORR mechanism, activity, and selectivity. These findings provide direct evidence that the electrolyte affects the ORR mechanism and performance, with important consequences for the practical design of electrochemical systems and computational catalyst screening studies. Our work highlights the importance of complementary insight from experiments and simulations to understand how different components of the electrochemical interface contribute to electrocatalytic processes.
Dynamic covalent synthesis aims to precisely control the assembly of simple building blocks linked by reversible covalent bonds to generate a single, structurally complex, product. In recent years, considerable progress in the programmability of dynamic covalent systems has enabled easy access to a broad range of assemblies, including macrocycles, shape-persistent cages, unconventional foldamers and mechanically-interlocked species (catenanes, knots, etc.). The reversibility of the covalent linkages can be either switched off to yield stable, isolable products or activated by specific physico-chemical stimuli, allowing the assemblies to adapt and respond to environmental changes in a controlled manner. This activatable dynamic property makes dynamic covalent assemblies particularly attractive for the design of complex matter, smart chemical systems, out-of-equilibrium systems, and molecular devices.
N-Alkyl sulfoximines react with arynes generated in situ under mild conditions providing o-sulfinylanilines in good yields. The transformation is characterized by a broad substrate scope and a good functional group tolerance. The structure of a reaction product was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
The present work undertakes the study of a new thiocyanic complex (C6H6NF)2[Co(SCN)2], a synergy between the two experimental and theoretical approach allows us to characterize and evaluate our crystal. (C6H6NF)2[Co(SCN)2] has been successfully synthesized at room temperature by slow evaporation and crystallized in monoclinic system with P21/c space group, in addition the X-ray powder diffraction to punctuate the obtention of a pure phase of the desired complex. Infrared spectrum was registered to revel the vibrational modes of the coordination compound. To highlight the optical properties, the UV–visible analysis was performed using a polar solvent. Thermal analyses were carried out to account for the thermal decomposition of complex. In order to gain insights into the role of weak molecular interactions in the complex that influence the self-assembly process and crystal packing, Hirshfeld surface analysis and DFT calculation were also performed. Furthermore, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations were performed for the compounds against different antibacterial targets to identify to which target the compounds show the best binding affinity. The MurF enzyme, which catalyzed the last cytoplasmic step of bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis, among the target was revealed to show better interactions with the enzyme and formed strong and stable intermolecular complex. Molecular docking analysis reveals that 1EPBN might display the inhibitory activity against coronavirus proteins (COVID-19 and SARS-CoV2).
Two novel compounds, [Zn(SCN)4] (C5H7N2)2 (I) and (C5H7N2)NCS (II), were successfully synthesized and grown at room temperature by slow evaporation. The investigation of compound's properties was occurred using various techniques such as IR, thermal analysis, and single X-ray analysis. X-ray diffraction shows that both compounds (I) and (II) crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group P 21/c." Compound (I) contains a distorted tetrahedral [Zn(SCN)4] anions. According to crystal packing analysis, the [Zn(NCS)4]2− anions and 2-aminopyridine cations are linked via N–H...S hydrogen bonds. Compound (II) consolidates the stacking of the crystal by forming an intriguing three-dimensional network via N–H...N, C–H...S, C–H...π, and π...π intermolecular interactions between 2-aminopyridinium and NCS. The vibrational modes of the various functional groups contained in both compounds were investigated using FT-IR. Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed to investigate the short contacts and hydrogen bonds in the compounds. To get further insights into the molecular properties, NLO, NBO, electrostatic potential, molecular orbital, and QTAIM analyses were performed. Explorations of impedance spectroscopy on (I) and (II) reveal fascinating electrical behavior. It is a useful material for the development of photonic and non-linear optical devices due to the increased dielectric constant and dielectric loss with frequency variation. In the [273–623 K] ranking, the thermal behavior shows a phase transition and the decomposition of both complexes. Finally, the compound's antioxidant activity was tested to reveal a high chelating power which is confirmed by ESP values around sulfur atoms and the QTAIM and NCI-RDG calculation.
The multidentate ligand H2L upon complexation with Zn (II) and Cd (II) provide a one‐dimensional polymeric networks. These coordination polymers (CPs) CP‐1 and CP‐2 containing Zn (II) and Cd (II) metals respectively are well characterized. The single crystal structural analysis confirms the formation of one‐dimensional coordination polymer with zigzag fashion in CP‐1 and ladder chain CP‐2. Both the CPs are applied as catalysts to synthesize various cyclic carbonates from epoxides and carbon dioxide. The catalysts are giving better conversion under solvent‐free and additive‐free condition using 10 bar CO2 and 100 °C as optimized pressure and temperature. The detailed kinetic experiments suggesting the first order kinetics, the energy of activation (Ea) is calculated for this catalytic conversion.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spurred a wide range of approaches to control and combat the disease. However, selecting an effective antiviral drug target remains a time-consuming challenge. Computational methods offer a promising solution by efficiently reducing the number of candidates. In this study, we propose a structure- and deep learning-based approach that identifies vulnerable regions in viral proteins corresponding to drug binding sites. Our approach takes into account the protein dynamics, accessibility and mutability of the binding site and the putative mechanism of action of the drug. We applied this technique to validate drug targeting toward severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein S. Our findings reveal a conformation- and oligomer-specific glycan-free binding site proximal to the receptor binding domain. This site comprises topologically important amino acid residues. Molecular dynamics simulations of Spike in complex with candidate drug molecules bound to the potential binding sites indicate an equilibrium shifted toward the inactive conformation compared with drug-free simulations. Small molecules targeting this binding site have the potential to prevent the closed-to-open conformational transition of Spike, thereby allosterically inhibiting its interaction with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. Using a pseudotyped virus-based assay with a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, we identified a set of hit compounds that exhibited inhibition at micromolar concentrations.
We report highly enantioselective synthesis of L-α-hydroxy carboxylic acids (L-αHCAs) via enzymatic intramolecular Cannizzaro reaction of (hetero)aryl glyoxals in the presence of glutathione-independent human glyoxalase DJ-1. Combined with the optimized synthesis of D-αHCAs using glyoxalases I and II, this approach offers a general, scalable and operationally simple access to both enantiomers of α-hydroxy acids in moderate to excellent yields with uniformly high enantioselectivity.
The coordination nature of 2-mono- and 2,6-disubstituted pyridines with electron-withdrawing halogen and electron-donating methyl groups for [N–X–N]⁺ (X =I, Br) complexations have been studied using 15N NMR, X-ray crystallography, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The 15N NMR chemical shifts reveal iodine(I) and bromine(I) prefer to form complexes with 2-substituted pyridines and only 2,6-dimethylpyridine. The crystalline halogen(I) complexes of 2-substituted pyridines were characterized by using X-ray diffraction analysis, but 2,6-dihalopyridines were unable to form stable crystalline halogen(I) complexes due to the lower nucleophilicity of the pyridinic nitrogen. In contrast, the halogen(I) complexes of 2,6-dimethylpyridine, which has a more basic nitrogen, are characterized by X-crystallography, which complements the 15N NMR studies. DFT calculations reveal that the bond energies for iodine(I) complexes vary between -291 and -351 kJmol-1 and for bromine between -370 and -427 kJmol-1. The bond energies of halogen(I) complexes of 2-halopyridines with more nucleophilic nitrogen are 66 - 76 kJmol-1 larger than those of analogous 2,6-dihalopyridines with less nucleophilic nitrogen. The experimental and DFT results show that the electronic influence of ortho-halogen substituents on pyridinic nitrogen leads to a completely different preference for the coordination bonding of halogen(I) ions, providing new insights into bonding in halogen(I) chemistry.
Cancer represents a global challenge, and the pursuit of developing new cancer treatments that are potent, safe, less prone to drug resistance, and associated with fewer side effects poses a significant challenge in cancer research and drug discovery. Drawing inspiration from pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole natural products, a novel series of spirooxindoles has been synthesized through a one-pot three-component reaction, involving a [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. The cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and safety profile against WISH cells of the newly developed library were assessed using the MTT assay. Compounds 5l and 5o exhibited notable cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 3.4 and 4.12 μM, respectively) and MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 = 8.45 and 4.32 μM, respectively) compared to Erlotinib. Conversely, compounds 5a-f displayed promising cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values range (IC50 = 5.87–18.5 μM) with selective activity against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. Compound 5g demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity (IC50 = 2.8 μM) among the tested compounds. Additionally, compounds 5g, 5l, and 5n were found to be safe (non-cytotoxic) against WISH cells with higher IC50 values ranging from 39.33 to 47.2 μM. Compounds 5g, 5l, and 5n underwent testing for their inhibitory effects against EGFR and CDK-2. Remarkably, they demonstrated potent EGFR inhibition, with IC50 values of 0.026, 0.067, and 0.04 μM and inhibition percentages of 92.6%, 89.8%, and 91.2%, respectively, when compared to Erlotinib (IC50 = 0.03 μM, 95.4%). Furthermore, these compounds exhibited potent CDK-2 inhibition, with IC50 values of 0.301, 0.345, and 0.557 μM and inhibition percentages of 91.9%, 89.4%, and 88.7%, respectively, in contrast to Roscovitine (IC50 = 0.556 μM, 92.1%). RT-PCR analysis was performed on both untreated and 5g-treated MCF-7 cells to confirm apoptotic cell death. Treatment with 5g increased the gene expression of pro-apoptotic genes P53, Bax, caspases 3, 8, and 9 with notable fold changes while decreasing the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations (100 ns simulation using AMBER22) were conducted to investigate the binding mode of the most potent candidates, namely, 5g, 5l, and 5n, within the active sites of EGFR and CDK-2.