Dimerization Equilibrium Constant Research Articles

A Note on Stability of a Dopant for Perovskite Solar Cells: Dimerization of 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diamine Iodine

The note continues with the density-functional theory (DFT) quantum-chemical understanding of perovskite solar cells at molecular level. In particular, 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diamine iodine (or BFBAI2, stoichiometry C14H12F6I2N2) is further calculated—the species is known to improve the power conversion efficiency and device stability. The thermodynamic-stability calculations are performed at the M06-2X/3-21G level with anharmonic vibrational analysis (including vibrational-rotational coupling) for construction of the vibrational-rotational partition functions. The dimerization is shown to be an essential feature of BFBAI2 (it is based on the formation of two hydrogen bonds). The BFBAI2 dimerization is described in the terms of the standard Gibbs energy and the related dimerization equilibrium constant. Comparisons are made with the water dimer, commonly used as a model system for hydrogen-bond formation. The equilibrium constants for the water dimerization are consistently lower than for the dimerization of BFBAI2 - as the presence of two hydrogen bonds in the BFBAI2 dimer contributes to the larger stabilization. The dimerization of BFBAI2 upon higher surface coverages represents an additional factor for the layer stabilization as there is decrease in the standard Gibbs energy at moderate temperatures. The dimerization also brings additional features for modulation of surface conditions.

Kinetics and Energetics of Electron Transfer to Dimer Radical Cations.

Spectra of the dimer cations naphthalene (Nap2•+) and ethene (Ethene2•+) were measured in liquid dichloromethane (DCM). The spectra peak at very different energies, 1.2 and 3.3 eV. In DCM dimerization stabilizes Nap2•+ by ΔGd°(Nap2•+) = -218 meV relative to the monomer Nap•+ as determined from the dimerization equilibrium constant. Both dimers can transfer a positive charge to hole acceptor molecules, but for both the rate constants rise more gradually with reaction energetics than do many charge transfer reactions previously studied. A striking observation finds that the rate constant for hole transfer from the Nap2•+ dimer to phenanthrene is smaller by two decades than that from biphenyl•+ monomer to Nap, although both reactions have the same -ΔG° = 0.05 eV. A plausible interpretation for these observations is the presence of an energy of reorganization, λ(M2), for the dimer that involves movement apart of the two partners in the dimer. While the dimerization equilibrium cannot be measured for Ethene2•+, the charge transfer data imply that both ΔGd°(Ethene2•+) and λ(Ethene2•+) are considerably larger, perhaps by factors of 2-4 than for Nap2•+.

Absolute Configuration and Conformation of (-)-R-t-Butylphenylphosphinoamidate: Chiroptical Spectroscopy and X-ray Analysis.

The absolute configuration and conformations of (−)-tert-butylphenylphosphinoamidate were determined using three different chiroptical spectroscopic methods, namely vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD). In each of the spectroscopic methods used, experimental data for the (−)-enantiomer of tert-butylphenylphosphinoamidate were measured in the solution phase. Using the concentration-dependent experimental infrared spectra, the existence of dimers in the solution was investigated, and the monomer–dimer equilibrium constant was determined. Concomitant quantum mechanical predictions of the VCD, ECD, and ORD for monomeric tert-butylphenylphosphinoamidate were carried out using density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G(d), 6-311G(2d,2p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets. Similar predictions for dimeric tert-butylphenylphosphinoamidate were also obtained using the B3LYP/6-31G(d) method. A comparison of theoretically predicted data with the corresponding experimental data led to the elucidation of the absolute configuration as (−)-(R)-tert-butylphenylphosphinoamidate with one predominant conformation in the solution. This conclusion was independently supported by X-ray analysis of the complex with (+)-R-2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthol ((+)-R- BINOL).

J-dimer emission in interwoven metal-organic frameworks.

J-dimer emission is an emergent property that occurs when pairs of ground state fluorophores associate, typically in a dilute solution medium. The resulting fluorescence is shifted with respect to the monomer. J-dimer emission, however, has never been observed in concentrated dispersions or in the solid state. We posited that multivariate (MTV) MOFs with double interwoven structures would help to isolate these dimers within their crystalline matrix. Using this strategy, J-aggregate density was controlled during crystallization by following a substitutional solid solution approach. Here, we identified the presence of J-dimers over the entire composition range for interwoven PIZOF-2/NNU-28 structures with variable amounts of a diethynyl-anthracene aggregate-forming link. We produced bulk crystals that systematically shifted their fluorescence from green to red with lifetimes (up to 13 ns) and quantum yields (up to 76%) characteristic of π–π stacked aggregates. Photophysical studies also revealed an equilibrium constant of dimerization, KD = 1.5 ± 0.3 M−1, enabling the first thermodynamic quantification of link–link interactions that occur during MOF assembly. Our findings elucidate the role that supramolecular effects play during crystallization of MTV MOFs, opening pathways for the preparation of solid-state materials with solution-like properties by design.

Salt bridges govern the structural heterogeneity of heme protein interactions and porphyrin networks: microperoxidase-11.

In this work, a proteolytic digest of cytochrome c (microperoxidase 11, MP-11) was used as a model to study the structural aspects of heme protein interactions and porphyrin networks. The MP-11 structural heterogeneity was studied as a function of the starting pH (e.g., pH 3.1–6.1) and concentration (e.g., 1–50 μM) conditions and adduct coordination. Trapped ion mobility spectrometry coupled to mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) showed the MP-11 structural dependence of the charge state distribution and molecular ion forms with the starting pH conditions. The singly charged (e.g., [M]+, [M − 2H + NH4]+, [M − H + Na]+ and [M − H + K]+) and doubly charged (e.g., [M + H]2+, [M − H + NH4]2+, [M + Na]2+ and [M + K]2+) molecular ion forms were observed for all solvent conditions, although the structural heterogeneity (e.g., number of mobility bands) significantly varied with the pH value and ion form. The MP-11 dimer formation as a model for heme-protein protein interactions showed that dimer formation is favored toward more neutral pH and favored when assisted by salt bridges (e.g., NH4+, Na+ and K+vs. H+). Inspection of the dimer mobility profiles (2+ and 3+ charge states) showed a high degree of structural heterogeneity as a function of the solution pH and ion form; the observation of common mobility bands suggest that the different salt bridges can stabilize similar structural motifs. In addition, the salt bridge influence on the MP-11 dimer formations was measured using collision induced dissociation and showed a strong dependence with the type of salt bridge (i.e., a CE50 of 10.0, 11.5, 11.8 and 13.0 eV was observed for [2M + H]3+, [2M − H + NH4]3+, [2M + Na]3+ and [2M + K]3+, respectively). Measurements of the dimer equilibrium constant showed that the salt bridge interactions increase the binding strength of the dimeric species.

Dimerization of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-Disulfonic acid (AQDS)

The redox flow battery is a leading candidate to supply society with large-scale energy storage. In the category of aqueous organic redox flow batteries, 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS) is considered a top-performing molecule and shows ideal electrochemical behavior at low concentrations around 1 mM. However, its behavior at higher concentrations was rarely studied. In this work, the correlation between concentration and electrochemical capacity is evaluated for AQDS in 1 M H2SO4 and 1 M alkaline sodium carbonate buffer, employing cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk electrode voltammetry and diffusion NMR. It was found that an electrochemically inactive dimer was formed by the unreduced AQDS molecules, with dimerization equilibrium constants determined to be K = 5 M−1 for the acidic electrolyte and 8 M−1 for the alkaline one, significantly inhibiting full electrochemical utilization of the system. However, upon reduction of the bulk material, the dimerization will shift in favor of monomer or quinhydrone formation, possibly alleviating the impediment to reduction. Finally, it was found that the dimerization could be decreased slightly by increasing the temperature of the system.

Effect of Substituents on the Bond Strength of Air-Stable Dicyanomethyl Radical Thermochromes.

A series of substituted aryl dicyanomethyl radicals were synthesized, and the bonding thermodynamic parameters for self-dimerization were determined from van't Hoff plots obtained from variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. At low temperatures, the radicals dimerize, but the colored, air-stable free radicals return upon heating. Heating and cooling cycles (5-95 °C) can be repeated without radical degradation and with striking thermochromic behavior. We find a linear free energy relationship between the Hammett para substituent parameter and the dimerization equilibrium constant, with para electron-donating substituents leading to a weaker bond and electron-withdrawing substituents leading to stronger bonds, following a captodative effect. Density functional theory investigations [B98D/6-31+G(d,p)] reveal that the dimers prefer a slip-stacked geometry and feature elongated bonds.

Measuring Membrane Protein Dimerization Equilibrium in Lipid Bilayers by Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy.

Dimerization of membrane protein interfaces occurs during membrane protein folding and cell receptor signaling. Here, we summarize a method that allows for measurement of equilibrium dimerization reactions of membrane proteins in lipid bilayers, by measuring the Poisson distribution of subunit capture into liposomes by single-molecule photobleaching analysis. This strategy is grounded in the fact that given a comparable labeling efficiency, monomeric or dimeric forms of a membrane protein will give rise to distinctly different photobleaching probability distributions. These methods have been used to verify the dimer stoichiometry of the Fluc F- ion channel and the dimerization equilibrium constant of the ClC-ec1 Cl-/H+ antiporter in lipid bilayers. This approach can be applied to any membrane protein system provided it can be purified, fluorescently labeled in a quantitative manner, and verified to be correctly folded by functional assays, even if the structure is not yet known.

Classical calculation of the equilibrium constants for true bound dimers using complete potential energy surface.

The present paper aims at deriving classical expressions which permit calculation of the equilibrium constant for weakly interacting molecular pairs using a complete multidimensional potential energy surface. The latter is often available nowadays as a result of the more and more sophisticated and accurate ab initio calculations. The water dimer formation is considered as an example. It is shown that even in case of a rather strongly bound dimer the suggested expression permits obtaining quite reliable estimate for the equilibrium constant. The reliability of our obtained water dimer equilibrium constant is briefly discussed by comparison with the available data based on experimental observations, quantum calculations, and the use of RRHO approximation, provided the latter is restricted to formation of true bound states only.

Розрахунок константи рівноваги димерізації молекул насиченої пари важкої води

The magnitude and the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant of dimerization of heavy water molecules in saturated vapor in terms of the second virial coefficient of the equation of state have been determined. An expression is found for the equilibrium dimerization constant of water vapor molecules, which contains terms involving the monomer–monomer, monomer–dimer, and dimer–dimer interaction. The obtained results are compared with experimental data. The equilibrium constant of dimerization in heavy water vapor is shown to exceed that in light water vapor within the whole temperature interval.

Microwave-Promoted Synthesis of Sulfonated Metallophthalocyanines and Aggregation in Different Solvents

Five metallosulfophthalocyanines (Fe, Ni, Zn, Co, and Cu) compounds were synthesized by microwave irradiation. Compared to the conventional method of synthesis in terms of reaction time and yields, the microwave-promoted synthesis is preferred with high product yield and short reaction time. All synthesized products were characterized with MALDI-TOF mass spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Aggregation behavior of the five metallosulfophthalocyanines (MSPc) in different solvents was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy separately in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and NaOH aqueous solution (5%wt). A redshift of maximum absorption wavelength and deviations from Lambert-Beer law with increasing the concentration were observed. The dimerization equilibrium constants (K) of the five MSPc were determined, respectively.

Atmospheric chemistry. Direct kinetic measurement of the reaction of the simplest Criegee intermediate with water vapor.

Carbonyl oxides, or Criegee intermediates, are important transient species formed in the reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons with ozone. Although direct detection of Criegee intermediates has recently been realized, the main atmospheric sink of Criegee intermediates remains unclear. We report ultraviolet absorption spectroscopic measurements of the lifetime of the simplest Criegee intermediate, CH2OO, at various relative humidity levels up to 85% at 298 kelvin. An extremely fast decay rate of CH2OO was observed at high humidity. The observed quadratic dependence of the decay rate on water concentration implied a predominant reaction with water dimer. On the basis of the water dimer equilibrium constant, the effective rate coefficient of the CH2OO + (H2O)2 reaction was determined to be 6.5 (±0.8) × 10(-12) cubic centimeters per second. This work would help modelers to better constrain the atmospheric concentrations of CH2OO.

Improvements in the assessment of the thermodynamic properties of condensed and gaseous phases of the CsOH compound

Thermodynamic properties of condensed and gas phases of the CsOH compound are assessed. Thermal functions of the condensed phase are those already selected in a preceding compilation with some important modification concerning the melting temperature of CsOH(s,γ) that has been re-evaluated to be T=649±2K from recent mass spectrometric determination certifying the total lack of water impurity and from a comparison between the CsOH–H2O and the RbOH–H2O phase diagram shapes. The vapor phase thermodynamic properties – dealing mainly with the CsOH(g) and Cs2O2H2(g) molecules – are re-evaluated from the selection of a new dimerization equilibrium constant and a thorough analysis of preceding vaporization experiments. Besides, flame studies that give directly the dissociation energies of the CsOH bond are analyzed from the main assumed reactions as well as considering the different analytical methods as used. The reliability of flame results have also been analyzed in this work by thermodynamic adiabatic calculations of the flame. The mean formation enthalpies as retained in the present analysis are:ΔfH°(CsOH,g,298.15K)=-252.7±7.0kJ·mol-1, and ΔfH°(Cs2O2H2,g,298.15K)=-652.0±11.7kJ·mol-1.

EmrE dimerization depends on membrane environment

The small multi-drug resistant (SMR) transporter EmrE functions as a homodimer. Although the small size of EmrE would seem to make it an ideal model system, it can also make it challenging to work with. As a result, a great deal of controversy has surrounded even such basic questions as the oligomeric state. Here we show that the purified protein is a homodimer in isotropic bicelles with a monomer–dimer equilibrium constant (KMD2D) of 0.002–0.009mol% for both the substrate-free and substrate-bound states. Thus, the dimer is stabilized in bicelles relative to detergent micelles where the KMD2D is only 0.8–0.95mol% (Butler et al. 2004). In dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) liposomes KMD2D is 0.0005–0.0008mol% based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements, slightly tighter than bicelles. These results emphasize the importance of the lipid membrane in influencing dimer affinity.

Dynamical simulation of electrostatic striped colloidal particles.

The static and dynamic properties of striped colloidal particles are obtained using molecular dynamics computer simulations. Striped particles with n = 2 to n = 7 stripes of alternating electric charge are modeled at a high level of detail through a pointwise (PW) representation of the particle surface. We also consider the extent to which striped particles are similar to comparable isotropically attractive particles-such as depletion attracting colloids-by modeling striped particles with an isotropic pair interaction computed by coarse-graining (CG) over orientations at a pair level. Surprisingly, the CG models reproduce the static structure of the PW models for a range of volume fractions and interaction strengths consistent with the fluid region of the phase diagram for all n. As a corollary, different n-striped particle systems with comparable pair affinities (e.g., dimer equilibrium constant) have similar static structure. Stronger pair interactions lead to a collapsed structure in simulation as consistent with a glass-like phase. Different n-striped particle systems are found to have different phase boundaries and for certain n's no glass-like state is observed in any of our simulations. The CG model is found to have accelerated dynamics relative to the PW model for the same range of fluid conditions for which the models have identical static structure. This suggests striped electrostatic particles have slower dynamics than comparable isotropically attractive colloids. The slower dynamics result from a larger number of long-duration reversible bonds between pairs of striped particles than seen in isotropically attractive systems. We also found that higher n-striped particles systems generally have slower dynamics than lower n-striped systems with comparable pair affinities.

Synthesis and Dimerization Behavior of Five Metallophthalocyanines in Different Solvents

Metallophthalocyanine (MPc) has become one of the metal organic compounds with the largest production and the most widely application, because of its excellent performance in catalytic oxidation. However, aggregation of the MPc in solution, resulting in decreased solubility, greatly limits the performance of application. Studying the behavior of dimerization of MPcs can provide a theoretical basis for solving the problem of the low solubility. So five metallophthalocyanines (FePc, CoPc, NiPc, CuPc, and ZnPc) were prepared with improved method and characterized. Dimerization of the five MPcs was measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy separately in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The red-shift of maximum absorption wavelength and deviations from Lambert-Beer law with increasing the concentration were observed for all the five MPcs. The dimerization equilibrium constants (K) of the five MPcs in DMF were arranged in order of CoPc > ZnPc > CuPc > FePc > NiPc, while in DMSO they were arranged in order of ZnPc > CoPc > FePc > CuPc > NiPc. The type of the central metal and nature of the solvent affect the dimerization of the MPcs.

Molecular Speciation and Mesoscale Clustering in Formaldehyde–Methanol–Water Solutions in the Presence of Sodium Carbonate

Nanoporous organic gels can be synthesized from aqueous solutions of formaldehyde and resorcinol in the presence of basic electrolytes such as sodium carbonate. It is well known that formaldehyde is present in the form of methylene glycols or methoxy-glycols in aqueous and methanolic solutions, but influence of pH or electrolytes on speciation in these solutions has not been previously studied. Here we investigated effects of sodium carbonate on the speciation and colloidal scale clustering in formaldehyde-methanol-water solutions in the absence of resorcinol. We used (13)C NMR spectroscopy to quantitatively characterize molecular speciation in solutions and to estimate corresponding equilibrium constants for glycol dimerization and methoxylation. We found that species distribution is essentially independent of carbonate concentration for pH values between 3.4 (no carbonate) and 10.6. This was also consistent with ATR IR measurements of the same solutions. However, NMR spin-spin relaxation time measurements showed an unexpected behavior for glycols and especially for diglycol (but not for methanol), with relaxation times strongly decreasing with increasing carbonate concentration, indicating differences in local molecular environment of glycols. We further used dynamic light scattering to confirm the presence of mesoscale clustering in formaldehyde-methanol-water (for both H2O and D2O) solutions in the presence of sodium carbonate. We propose that the observed phenomena are due to glycol-rich cluster mesospecies in equilibrium bulk solution, together forming a thermodynamically stable mesostructured liquid phase.

Theory and Simulations of Adhesion Receptor Dimerization on Membrane Surfaces

The equilibrium constants of trans and cis dimerization of membrane bound (2D) and freely moving (3D) adhesion receptors are expressed and compared using elementary statistical-thermodynamics. Both processes are mediated by the binding of extracellular subdomains whose range of motion in the 2D environment is reduced upon dimerization, defining a thin reaction shell where dimer formation and dissociation take place. We show that the ratio between the 2D and 3D equilibrium constants can be expressed as a product of individual factors describing, respectively, the spatial ranges of motions of the adhesive domains, and their rotational freedom within the reaction shell. The results predicted by the theory are compared to those obtained from a novel, to our knowledge, dynamical simulations methodology, whereby pairs of receptors perform realistic translational, internal, and rotational motions in 2D and 3D. We use cadherins as our model system. The theory and simulations explain how the strength of cis and trans interactions of adhesive receptors are affected both by their presence in the constrained intermembrane space and by the 2D environment of membrane surfaces. Our work provides fundamental insights as to the mechanism of lateral clustering of adhesion receptors after cell-cell contact and, more generally, to the formation of lateral microclusters of proteins on cell surfaces.

Separation of Timescales for Endophilin Dimerization and Membrane Binding

The membrane association of endophilin is a pivotal step in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. In this process, the basis for the functional role of endophilin is believed to involve the promotion of membrane curvature, which in turn depends on membrane shaping by the dimeric structure of endophilin. Thus, the dynamic nature of endophilin-membrane association and dimerization are functionally important. However, little is known about the timescales and factors determining the kinetics of the interactions involved. To illuminate these aspects, we study the kinetics and equilibria of endophilin N-BAR dimerization and membrane binding. We determine the dimerization equilibrium constant by using subunit exchange FRET. We characterize N-BAR membrane association, under conditions where the dimeric species predominates, by stopped-flow, observing prominent electrostatic sensitivity. Our results suggest that membrane insertion of amphipathic helices rapidly follows association, in a non-rate-limiting manner. Relative to membrane binding, we find that dimerization is governed by far slower kinetics. Thus, monomer-dimer exchange does not contribute to the kinetic mechanism of membrane binding. These results underscore a separation of timescales for endophilin dimerization and membrane binding, which may facilitate temporal regulation of functional membrane processes.

Dimerization model to represent compressibility of alcohol–alkane mixtures

A model assuming that equilibrium reaction of formation of non-compressible dimers dominates in and governs the acoustic properties of liquid mixtures of alcohols in inert hydrocarbon solvents was developed. It was found to describe satisfactorily the observed compressibility dependences on composition of the title systems, in particular those containing long-chained components. This attempt allows to estimate the dimerization equilibrium constants from the compressibility data.