Based on the structure of MOF-808, different substituents were introduced to replace hydrogen atom on the phenyl ring of MOF-808. The GCMC method was used to study the effect of functional groups on the hydrogen storage properties of MOF-808-X (X?=??OH, ?NO2, ?CH3, ?CN, ?I). The H2 uptakes and isosteric heat of adsorption were simulated at 77 K. The results indicate that all these substituents have favorable impact on the hydrogen storage capacity, and –CN is found to be the most promising substituent to improve H2 uptake. These results may be helpful for the design of MOFs with higher hydrogen storage capacity.
Graphical abstract Atomistic structures of MOFs. (a) The structures of MOF-808-X. (b) Model of organic linker. Atom color scheme: C, gray; H, white; O, red; X, palegreen (X?=??OH, ?NO2, ?CH3, ?CN, ?I)
The local and condensed Fukui functions as well as the principle of hard and soft acids and bases were used to study the addition of free radicals to the exocyclic and endocyclic double bonds of seven monocyclic monoterpenes of formula C10H16. The results obtained showed that, in general, the most reactive double bond was the one with the most substituents on the double-bonded carbon atoms, and that the reaction of a double bond with an electrophile is a soft–soft interaction. The effects of substituents on the double-bonded carbon atoms and the stabilization of the monoterpenes were interpreted by invoking hyperconjugated structures, which led us to propose a simple rule: the larger the value of the Fukui function for the double bond, the greater the hyperconjugative stabilization and the susceptibility of the double bond to electrophilic attack. In general, our results are in good accordance with relevant experimental and theoretical results published in the literature.
Magnetic shielding constants for an isolated fullerene C60, cucurbituril CB[9], and the host-guest complex C60@CB[9] were calculated as a function of separation of the monomers. Our results in the gas phase and water indicate a significant variation of the magnetic properties for all atoms of the monomers in the complex and after liberation of fullerene C60 from the interior of the CB[9] cavity. The interaction between the two monomers results in a charge transfer that collaborates with a redistribution of electron density to deshield the monomers.
The ternary complexes ML???PyZX2???NH3 (ML?=?CuCl, CuCN, AgCN, and AuCN; Z?=?P, As, and Sb; X?=?H and F) have been investigated with quantum chemical calculations. The results showed that the existence of coordination interaction has a prominent enhancing effect on the strength of pnicogen bonding. Even in ML???PySbH2???NH3, ML???PyAsF2???NH3, and ML???PySbF2???NH3, the pnicogen bond varies from a purely closed-shell interaction to a partially covalent interaction. The coordination interaction results in the enlargement of the σ-hole on the pnicogen atom and thus the enhancement of pnicogen bonding. In addition, the contribution of orbital interaction is also important.
Utilizing first-principles calculations, we studied the electronic and optical properties of C24, C12X6Y6, and X12Y12 fullerenes (X?=?B, Al; Y?=?N, P). These fullerenes are energetically stable, as demonstrated by their negative cohesive energies. The energy gap of C24 may be tuned by doping, and the B12N12 fullerene was found to have the largest energy gap. All of the fullerenes had finite optical gaps, suggesting that they are optical semiconductors, and they strongly absorb UV radiation, so they could be used in UV light protection devices. They could also be used in solar cells and LEDs due to their low reflectivities.
A perfectly planar Al13+ cluster (CI) and a quasi-planar Al13+ cluster (CII) have been found for the first time. Both clusters have a triangular core surrounded by a set of ten Al atoms in the form of a ring. These cationic clusters have substantial aromatic character. The planar CI cluster has local antiaromatic patches within global aromatic sea. It is doubly aromatic having both σ and π aromatic character. The quasi-planar CII cluster is also aromatic but it has more σ-delocalization.
Calcium complexes with bidentate carbonyl ligands are important in biological systems, medicine and industry, where the concentration of Ca2+ is controlled using chelating ligands. The exchange of two water molecules of [Ca(H2O)6]2+ for one bidentate monosubstituted and homo disubstituted dicarbonyl ligand was investigated using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. The ligand substituents NH2, OCH3, OH, CH3, H, F, Cl, CN and NO2 are functional groups with distinct electron-donating and -withdrawing effects that bond directly to the sp2 C atom of the carbonyl group. The geometry, charge and energy characteristics of the complexes were analyzed to help understand the effects of substituents, spacer length and chelation. Coordination strength was quantified in terms of the enthalpy and free energy of the exchange reaction. The most negative enthalpies were calculated for the coordination of bidentate ligands containing three to five methylene group spacers between carbonyls. The chelate effect contribution was analyzed based on the thermochemistry. The electronic character of the substituent modulates the strength of binding to the metal cation, as ligands containing electron-donor substituents coordinate stronger than those with electron-acceptor substituents. This is reflected in the geometric (bond length and chelating angle), electronic (atomic charges) and energetic (components of the total interacting energy) characteristics of the complexes. Energy decomposition analysis (EDA)—an approach for partitioning of the energy into its chemical origins—shows that the electrostatic component of the coordination is predominant, and yields relevant contribution of the covalent term, especially for the electron-withdrawing substituted ligands. The chelate effect of the bidentate ligands was noticeable when compared with substitution by two monodentate ligands.
Graphical abstract The affinity of 18 bidentate carbonyl ligands toward the [Ca(H2O)4]2+ cation is evaluated in terms of energetic, geometric and electronic parameters of the isolated ligands and the substituted aqua complexes. The electronic effects—inductive and mesomeric—intrinsic to the molecular structure of each ligand are found to modulate the strength of the metal-ligand interaction. The effects of polysubstitution, chelation and the length of the alkyl spacers between the anchor points of the ligand are also analyzed.
MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations were performed for complexes linked by hydrogen bonds. Three types of proton donating species were taken into account: H2O, CCl3H, and H3O+. These calculations are supported by the natural bond orbital (NBO) method and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) approach. Numerous correlations between parameters of H-bonded systems were found. The most important are those which show the response of the system on the H-bond formation; for example, the increase of polarization of the A-H bond correlates with the strength of the hydrogen bond. Similar relationships were found for the σ-hole bonds while the π-hole bonds do not follow the trends known for the hydrogen bonds.
Nine minima were found on the intermolecular potential energy surface for the ternary system HNO3(CH3OH)2 at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The cooperative effect, which is a measure of the hydrogen-bonding strength, was probed in these nine conformations of HNO3…(CH3OH)2. The results are discussed here in terms of structures, energetics, infrared vibrational frequencies, and topological parameters. The cooperative effect was observed to be an important contributor to the total interaction energies of the cyclic conformers of HNO3…(CH3OH)2, meaning that it cannot be neglected in simulations in which the pair-additive potential is applied.
Seven models that related the features of molecular surface electrostatic potentials (ESPs) above the bond midpoints and rings, statistical parameters of ESPs to the experimental impact sensitivities h50 of eight strained cyclic explosives with the C–NO2 bonds were theoretically predicted at the DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G** level. One of the models was used to investigate the changes of h50 for the nitrocyclohydrocarbon frameworks in the H-bonded complexes of HF with nitrocyclopropane, nitrocyclobutane, nitrocyclopentane, and nitrocyclohexane. The results show that the correlation coefficients of the obtained models are small. When adding the effect of ring strain, the value of correlation coefficient is increased. According to the calculated h50, the sensitivities in the frameworks are increased after hydrogen bonding. As a global feature of molecules, surface electrostatic potential is more available to judge the sensitivity change than the trigger bond dissociation energy or ring strain energy in H-bonded complex.
Graphical Abstract A theoretical prediction of the relationships between the impact sensitivity and electrostatic potential in strained cyclic explosive and application to H-bonded complex of nitrocyclohydrocarbon?
The effect of alkali metal oxides MnO (M?=?Li, Na, K; n?=?2, 3, 4) on the geometric, electronic, and linear and nonlinear optical properties of the Mg12O12 nanocage was investigated by density-functional-based methods. According to the computational results, these alkali metal oxides are adsorbed on the Mg12O12 nanocage because this adsorption reduces its energy gap. The static first hyperpolarizability (β0) of the nanocage is dramatically increased in the presence of the alkali metal oxides, with the greatest increase seen in the presence of the superalkalis (i.e., M3O; M?=?Li, Na, and K). The highest first hyperpolarizability (β0?≈?600,000 a.u.) was calculated for K3O@Mg12O12, which was considerably more than that for Mg12O12. The thermodynamic properties and relative stabilities of these inorganic compounds are discussed.
The methylxanthines have attracted interest due to the changes on their biological activities and physicochemical properties in terms of the number and position of the methyl groups present in the xanthine moiety. We report a theoretical study of the influence of the methyl substituent in the basicity and reactivity of xanthine and its methylated derivatives. Our results provide that when the xanthine increases the number of methyl substituents, the gas phase basicity increases (reactivity to proton increases), and the global hardness decreases. The result is in agreement with the maximum hardness principle (MHP) that states, “at equilibrium, chemical systems are as hard as possible” (Pearson, R.G., J. Chem. Educ., 1987, 64, 561–567, and Parr R.G., Chattaraj P.K., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 1854–1855).
An accurate comparison of the interaction of furan, pyrrole, and thiophene with different gaseous analytes is vital not only for understanding the sensing mechanism of corresponding polymers but also for rational design of new materials. In the present study, DFT calculations at (M05-2X/Aug-cc-PVDZ) have been performed to investigate the interaction behavior of furan, pyrrole, and thiophene (as models for their corresponding polymers) with different analytes (NH3, CO2, CO, N2H4, HCN, H2O2, H2S, CH4, CH3OH, SO2, SO3, H2O). The interaction of heterocycles with analytes is illustrated by changes in geometric, energetic, and electronic properties. SAPT calculations were performed for energy decomposition analysis to study the contribution of non-covalent components of the total interaction energy for each complex. Analysis of energetic and electronic properties reveals that all heterocycles are highly sensitive to SO3. The results suggest that sensing ability of polypyrrole is higher than polyfuran and polythiophene for all analytes.
Density functional theory (B3LYP, B3LYP-D2 and wB97XD functionals) was used in finite models of zigzag carbon nanotubes (CNT), (n,0)×k with n?=?6–9 and k?=?2–4, to systematically investigate the effects of size on their structural and electronic properties. We found that the ratio between the length (Lt) and the diameter (dt) of the pristine CNT has to be larger than 2, i.e., Lt/dt?>?2, in order to provide the observed experimental trends of C=C bond distances, as well as to maintain the atomic charges nearly constant and zero around the center of the tube. Therefore, the concepts of useful length and volume were developed and tested for the encapsulation process of HCN and C2H2 into CNTs. The energies involved in these processes, as well as the changes in molecular structure and electronic properties of the dopants and the CNTs are discussed and rationalized by the amount of charge transferred between dopant and CNT.
Knowledge of multi-dimensional carbohydrate structure is essential when delineating structure–function relationships in the development of analytical techniques such as ion mobility-mass spectrometry and of carbohydrate-based therapeutics, as well as in rationally modifying the chemical and physical properties of drugs and materials based on sugars. Although monosaccharides are conventionally presumed to adopt the canonical 4C1 chair conformation, it is not well known how altering the substituent identity around the pyranose ring affects the favored conformational state. This work provides a comprehensive and systematic computational comparison of all eight aldohexose isomers in the gas phase with reduction and oxidation at the C-6 position using density functional theory (M05-2X/cc-pVTZ(?f)//B3LYP/6-31G**) to determine the conformational and anomeric preference for each sugar in the gas phase. All 6-deoxyhexose and aldohexose isomers favored the 4C1 chair conformation, while oxidation at C-6 showed a shift in equilibrium to favor the 1C4 chair for β-alluronic acid, β-guluronic acid, and β-iduronic acid. The anomeric preference was found to be significantly affected by a remote change in oxidation state, with the alternate anomer favored for several isomers. These findings provide a fundamental platform to empirically test steric and electronic effects of pyranose substituents, with the goal of formulating straightforward rules that govern carbohydrate reactivity and drive quicker, more efficient syntheses.
Graphical abstract A systematic comparative conformational analysis of all eight aldohexose isomers using DFT methods (M05-2X/cc-pVTZ(-f)) reveals changes in anomeric and ring conformational preference upon reduction or oxidation at the C-6 position for several sugars
For the first time, the structures, stabilities and electronic properties of alkaline-earth metal doped B44 fullerenes were investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. Our results reveal that M@B44 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) possess endohedral configurations as their lowest energy structures, whereas the exohedral form is favored when metal is Be or Mg. The large binding energies and sizable HOMO–LUMO gap energies of Ca@B44, Sr@B44 and Ba@B44 suggest the considerable possibility to achieve these novel endohedral borofullerenes experimentally. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BO-MD) simulations at various temperatures further confirmed the extreme dynamic stabilities of these endohedral complexes. Their bonding patterns were also analyzed in detail. Finally, we simulated their infrared absorption spectra and 11B nuclear magnetic resonance spectra to help future structural characterization.
To explore the adsorption mechanism of NO, NH3, N2 on a carbon surface, and the effect of basic and acidic functional groups, density functional theory was employed to investigate the interactions between these molecules and carbon surfaces. Molecular electrostatic potential, Mulliken population analyses, reduced density gradient, and Mayer bond order analyses were used to clarify the adsorption mechanism. The results indicate that van der Waals interactions are responsible for N2 physisorption, and N2 is the least likely to adsorb on a carbon surface. Modification of carbon materials to decorate basic or acidic functional groups could enhance the NH3 physisorption because of hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions, however, NO physisorption on a carbon surface is poor. Zig-zag sites are more reactive than armchair sites when these gas molecules absorb on the edge sites of carbon surface.
The dual role of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium trifluoroacetic acid ([C4mim]TFA) as an extractant for thiophene (TH) and a catalyst for the oxidation of TH was explored at the molecular level by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The calculated interaction energies demonstrated why [C4mim]TFA is a better extractant for thiophene sulfone (THO2) than for TH. Two pathways were proposed for the oxidation of TH to THO2 with [C4mim]TFA acting as a catalyst. In the dominant pathway, a peracid is formed which then oxidizes TH to the sulfoxide and sulfones. The presence of [C4mim]TFA was found to greatly reduce the barrier to the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of TH using H2O2 as an oxidant.
Novel chalcone derivatives with different substituents attached to A and B-rings: hydroxyl, methoxyl, geranyl, and prenyl groups were synthesized. The obtained compounds were characterized by NMR, HRMS, UV-Vis, IR, and MS. The theoretical analysis was carried out in all the compounds using density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP, PBE0, and M06-2X functionals in combination with the 6-311G(d,p) Pople-type basis set. The excited state properties were calculated by time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) using the same methodology applied for the ground state properties. The calculated vertical absorption wavelengths (λmax) in gas phase and in ethanol as a solvent are consistent with the experimental ones, being the TD-DFT:B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and PCM-TD-DFT:PBE0/6-311G(d,p) the best methodologies for these calculations with good approximation to the experimental values. The calculated reorganization energies indicated that, the four chalcone derivatives present an electron transfer character due to the smaller registered values. From these parameters it is proposed that these show an n-type semiconductor character. The localization of the frontier orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) shows that only the compound containing a hydroxyl group on the A-ring displays a marked delocalization favoring the charge-transfer process in this system. The HOMO-LUMO gap energies indicate that the inclusion of different donor groups in the rings does not improve the obtained values for this property.
Graphical Abstract Relationship between spectroscopic and geometrical properties of chalcones were carried out using quantum-chemical calculations and compared with experimental values.
