DFT Level Research Articles

Effects of Heterocyclic Ring Fusion and Chain Elongation on Chiroptical Properties of Polyaza[9]helicene: A Computational Study.

In the present work, the effect of lateral and helical extensions on the physical and chiroptical properties of azahelicenes is reported. Starting with the experimentally reported polyaza[9]helicene (9Ha), three derivatives, two with laterally fused electron-withdrawing rings and the third with larger helical length, are designed. For the excited-state properties such as UV-vis and CD spectra, performances of different DFT functionals are evaluated by comparing the energies and characters of the excited states against the ADC(2) results. CPL properties are calculated at DFT level. Among the three designed systems, pyrazine-based 9HaP shows an improved gCPL value compared to that for parent 9Ha. However, quinoxaline-based 9HaQ is found to be the worst CPL emitter with the lowest dissymmetry factor. The helically extended derivative, 11Ha, shows good CPL results, but gCPL remains smaller than that for the parent system. The CPL results are analyzed in terms of electric dipole transition moment (EDTM) and magnetic dipole transition moment (MDTM) vectors, and angles between these two vectors.

Molecular Structural, Hydrogen Bonding Interactions, and Chemical Reactivity Studies of Ezetimibe-L-Proline Cocrystal Using Spectroscopic and Quantum Chemical Approach.

Ezetimibe (EZT) being an anticholesterol drug is frequently used for the reduction of elevated blood cholesterol levels. With the purpose of improving the physicochemical properties of EZT, in the present study, cocrystals of ezetimibe with L-proline have been studied. Theoretical geometry optimization of EZT-L-proline cocrystal, energies, and structure–activity relationship was carried out at the DFT level of theory using B3LYP functional complemented by 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. To better understand the role of hydrogen bonding, two different models (EZT + L-proline and EZT + 2L-proline) of EZT-L-proline cocrystal were studied. Spectral techniques (FTIR and FT-Raman) combined with quantum chemical methodologies were successfully implemented for the detailed vibrational assignment of fundamental modes. It is a zwitterionic cocrystal hydrogen bonded with the OH group of EZT and the COO− group of L-proline. The existence and strength of hydrogen bonds were examined by a natural bond orbital analysis (NBO) supported by the quantum theory of atoms in molecule (QTAIM). Chemical reactivity was reflected by the HOMO–LUMO analysis. A smaller energy gap in the cocrystal in comparison to API shows that a cocrystal is softer and chemically more reactive. MEPS and Fukui functions revealed the reactive sites of cocrystals. The calculated binding energy of the cocrystal from counterpoise method was −11.44 kcal/mol (EZT + L-proline) and −26.19 kcal/mol (EZT + 2L-proline). The comparative study between EZT-L-proline and EZT suggest that cocrystals can be better used as an alternative to comprehend the effect of hydrogen bonding in biomolecules and enhance the pharmacological properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Thermal Rearrangement of Azulenes to Naphthalenes: A Deeper Insight into the Mechanisms.

The thermal rearrangement of azulene to naphthalene has been the subject of several experimental and computational studies. Here, we reexamine the proposed mechanisms at the DFT level. The use of different functionals showed that the HF-exchange contribution significantly affects reaction energies and barrier heights. Accordingly, all proposed pathways were investigated with the optimal method, M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p), which confirms the norcaradiene-vinylidene mechanism (A) as the dominant unimolecular route (Ea ≈ 76 kcal/mol) able to account for the major products of pyrolyses using 13C- or substituent-labeled azulenes. Moreover, a facile vinylidene-acetylene interconversion will scramble the terminal carbon atoms in the vinylidene. Several other potential intramolecular reaction mechanisms (B-E) are ruled out because of higher activation energies (>84 kcal/mol) and failure to reproduce the results obtained with substituted and 13C-labeled azulenes and benzazulenes. These experimental results also demonstrate that the proposed free radical or H atom-induced intermolecular methylene walk and spiran mechanisms cannot be major contributors, especially under flash vacuum pyrolysis conditions.

Photoionization Observables from Multi-Reference Dyson Orbitals Coupled to B-Spline DFT and TD-DFT Continuum.

We present a theoretical model to compute the accurate photoionization dynamical parameters (cross-sections, asymmetry parameters and orbital, or cross-section, ratios) from Dyson orbitals obtained with the multi-state complete active space perturbation theory to the second order (MS-CASPT2) method. Our new implementation of Dyson orbitals in OpenMolcas takes advantage of the full Abelian symmetry point group and has the corrected normalization. The Dyson orbitals are coupled to an accurate description of the electronic continuum obtained with a multicentric B-spline basis at the DFT and TD-DFT levels. Two prototype diatomic molecules, i.e., CS and SiS, have been chosen due to their smallness, which hides important correlation effects. These effects manifest themselves in the appearance of well-characterized isolated satellite bands in the middle of the valence region. The rich satellite structures make CS and SiS the perfect candidates for a computational study based on our highly accurate MS-CASPT2/B-spline TD-DFT protocol.

Synthesis, characterisation and biological activities of mixed ligand oxovanadium (IV) complexes derived from N,N‐diethyl‐N′‐para‐substituted‐benzoylthiourea and hydrotris(3,5‐dimethylpyrazolyl)borate

AbstractA series of oxovanadium (IV) complexes namely, [Tp*VOL1], [Tp*VOL2], [Tp*VOL3], [Tp*VOL4] and [Tp*VOL5] (where Tp = hydrotris(3,5‐dimethylpyrazolyl)borate, HL1 = 1‐benzoyl‐3,3‐diethylthiourea, HL2 = 1‐(4‐chlorobenzoyl)‐3,3‐diethylthiourea, HL3 = 1,1‐diethyl‐3‐(4‐methoxybenzoyl)thiourea, HL4 = 1,1‐diethyl‐3‐(4‐nitrobenzoyl)thiourea, HL5 = N‐(diethylcarbamothioyl)biphenyl‐4‐carboxamide) were prepared and characterised on the basis of mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and spectroscopy techniques (IR, UV–Vis and electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR) and mass spectrometry. The crystal structure of [Tp*VOL3] was elucidated from single crystal X‐ray diffraction study and the crystals adopted a triclinic system with a P‐1 (Z = 2) space group and unit cell parameters of a = 10.4953(4), b = 11.5290(5) and c = 15.0656(7) Å. The cyclic voltammetry showed a reversible oxidation of V (IV)/V(V) at about 0.50 V (vs Fc+/Fc). The HOMO and LUMO of benzoylthiourea were established by theoretical calculation based on DFT level using B3LYP method and a double numeric plus polarisation (DNP) basis set. The in vitro tests for antimicrobial activity showed that the complexes have a moderate inhibitory effect. The complex [Tp*VOL1] exhibited cytotoxic activity against the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) at the concentration of 20 mg ml−1. However, no cytotoxic activity was observed against the Chang liver cells.

Solvent Influence on Absorption Spectra and Tautomeric Equilibria of Symmetric Azomethine-Functionalized Derivatives: Structural Elucidation and Computational Studies.

A new series of azomethine‐functionalized compounds was synthesized from the condensation of 2‐hydroxy‐1,3‐propanediamine and 2‐thienylcarboxaldehydes in the presence of a drying agent. The derivatives were spectroscopically characterized by NMR, LC‐MS, UV/Vis, IR and elemental analysis. Variable temperature 1H‐NMR (−60 to +60 °C) was performed to investigate the effect of solvent polarity; the capability of solvent to form H‐bond was found to dramatically influencing the tautomerization process of the desired structures. The calculated thermochemical parameters (ΔH298, ΔG298 and ΔS298) at DFT and MP2 levels of theory explained that 3 b exists in equilibrium with two tautomers. The basis of the electronic absorptions was pursued through Time‐Dependent Density‐Functional Theory (TD‐DFT). Analysis of the structural surfaces was inspected and the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) demonstrated that the three functionalized compounds were relatively analogous in the electronic distributions. Furthermore, the electrophilic and nucleophilic centers lying on the molecular surfaces were probably playing a key‐role in stabilizing the compounds through the nonclassical C−H⋅⋅⋅π interactions and hydrogen bonding. The impact of solvent polarity on absorption spectra were investigated via solvatochromic shifts. For instance, compound 3 c displayed a gradual shift of the maximum absorption to the red area when the solvent polarity was increased, recording a 21 nm of bathochromic shift. In contrast, no significant solvent‐effect on 3 a and 3 b was observed. The solvation relation was pursued between Gutmann's donicity numbers the experimental λmax; exhibited almost positive linear performance with a minor oscillation, that ascribe to the possible weak interface between the molecules of solute and designated solvents. The bandgap energy of all products were assessed experimentally using optical absorption spectra following Tauc approach, giving −4.050 (3 a), −3.900 (3 b) and −3.210 (3 c) eV. However, the ΔE were computationally figured out from TD‐DFT simulation to be −4.258 (3 a), −4.022 (3 b) and −3.390 (3 c) eV.

Competing N vs. P(O),C(O)-coordination in complexes of mono- and bis-1,2,3-triazole ligands modified by carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide fragments with palladium(II), uranyl(II), and lanthanum(III): Solid and solution structures

Six new complexes [PdCl2(L1)2] (1), [PdCl2(L2)2]·2H2O (2), [PdCl2(L3)] (3), [UO2(L2)(NO3)2]·MeCN, (4), [(UO2)2(L3)(NO3)4] (5), [La(L2)2(NO3)3] (6) (L1 – 1-phenyl-4-propyl-1,2,3-triazole, L2, and L3 – mono- and bis-1,2,3-triazole ligands decorated with carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) fragments, respectively) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR and Raman spectroscopy. The structures of complexes 1, 2, 4–6 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The ligands L2 and L3 display P(O),C(O) coordination mode with U(VI), and La(III), but N3 mode with Pd(II) in both solid state and solutions. Various intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions involving nitrogen and hydrogen atoms of 1,2,3-triazole fragments were revealed in all studied crystalline complexes irrespective of whether triazole fragment coordinates to metal cation (1, 2) or not 4–6). The complex 1 displayed non-classical triazolyl CH…Cl– hydrogen bonding. These hydrogen bonds were also studied by QTAIM theory. Normal coordinate analysis of the vibrations at the DFT level was performed for the ligand L1 and its complex 1. Solution structure of all complexes has been investigated by IR and multinuclear (1H, 13C, and 31P) NMR spectroscopy. Extraction efficiency of Pd(II), U(VI), and La(III) from 3 M HNO3 into 1,2-dichloroethane using extractants L2 and L3 and the known CMPO extractant – Ph2P(O)CH2C(O)NBu2 is discussed in comparison with structure of the corresponding complexes in solutions.

Synthesis, spectral, structural and antimicrobial activities of Ethyl-4-｛[-(1-(2-(4-nitrobenzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl]｝-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate

A new ethyl-4-{[-(1-(2-(4-nitrobenzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl]}-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (ENBHEDPC) has been synthesized, characterized (FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, UV-Visible, DART-Mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis) and evaluated for antituberculosis and antibacterial activity. Quantum chemical calculations have been performed by DFT level of theory using the B3LYP functional and 6–311++G(d,p) as basis set. The 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts and electronic transitions are calculated using gage including atomic orbitals (GIAO) and time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) approach in DMSO as solvent. Combined theoretical and experimental wavenumber analyses confirm the existence of dimer. Hydrogen bonding and other multiple interactions have been analyzed by Bader's ‘Atoms in molecules’ AIM theory in detail. The intermolecular hydrogen bond energy of dimer is calculated as -12.28 kcal/mol. The calculated thermodynamic parameters show that reaction is exothermic and non-spontaneous at room temperature. The local reactivity descriptors analyses determine the reactive sites within molecule by nucleophilic attack. Nonlinear optical (NLO) behavior of title compound is investigated by the computed value of the first hyperpolarizability (β0). The synthesized compound show good antimicrobial and antituberculosis activity.

Prediction of Thermal Properties of Zeolites through Machine Learning

The use of machine learning for the prediction of physical and chemical properties of crystals based on their structure alone is currently an area of intense research in computational materials science. In this work, we studied the possibility of using machine-learning-trained algorithms in order to calculate the thermal properties of siliceous zeolite frameworks. We used as training data the thermal properties of 120 zeolites, calculated at the DFT level, in the quasi-harmonic approximation. We compared the statistical accuracy of trained models (based on the gradient-boosting regression technique) using different types of descriptors, including ad hoc geometrical features, topology, pore space, and general geometric descriptors. While geometric descriptors were found to perform best, we also identified limitations on the accuracy of the predictions, especially for a small group of materials with very highly negative thermal expansion coefficients. We then studied the generalizability of the technique, demonstrating that the predictions were not sensitive to the refinement of framework structures at a high level of theory. Therefore, the models are suitable for the exploration and screening of large-scale databases of hypothetical frameworks, which we illustrate on the PCOD2 database of zeolites containing around 600 000 hypothetical structures.

Quest for Zinc Methoxyisoporphyrin Molecules: Experimental and Theoretical Studies

AbstractThis study describes the synthesis, characterization and theoretical studies of two new zinc isoporphyrin compounds, [5‐(methoxy)‐5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(4‐hydroxy)‐5,15H‐porphinato]zinc(II) 1 b, and [5‐(methoxy)‐5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(4‐methyl)‐5,15H‐porphinato]zinc(II) 2 b. Meso‐tetra(4‐hydroxyphenyl)zinc porphyrin, [ZnT(4‐OH)PP], 1 a and, meso‐tetra(4‐methylphenyl)zinc porphyrin, [ZnT(4‐CH3)PP] 2 a were used as a parent porphyrins to synthesize the respective isoporphyrin complexes in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) in methanol medium. The synthesized isoporphyrin compounds are characterized using all standard spectroscopic techniques like UV‐Visible, IR, 1HNMR, and ESI‐Mass spectrometric method. Theoretical calculations at the DFT level was performed to understand the properties and reactivity of the isoporphyrins. To get some insight into the mechanism of isoporphyrin formation via zinc porphyrin dication, the geometry of zinc porphyrin dication [ZnT(4‐OH)PP]++ was optimized and the distribution of Mulliken charge in the dication ring was calculated. The higher positive charge at the meso C‐atoms of the zinc porphyrin dication with respect to other ring carbon atoms supports the proposed nucleophilic attack at the meso carbon of the dication. The DFT calculations studied here is suitable to understand the mechanism of formation of isoporphyrins in the presence of nucleophiles, unique electronic spectra, and redox properties of isoporphyrins.

Anti-Electrostatic Pi-Hole Bonding: How Covalency Conquers Coulombics.

Intermolecular bonding attraction at π-bonded centers is often described as “electrostatically driven” and given quasi-classical rationalization in terms of a “pi hole” depletion region in the electrostatic potential. However, we demonstrate here that such bonding attraction also occurs between closed-shell ions of like charge, thereby yielding locally stable complexes that sharply violate classical electrostatic expectations. Standard DFT and MP2 computational methods are employed to investigate complexation of simple pi-bonded diatomic anions (BO−, CN−) with simple atomic anions (H−, F−) or with one another. Such “anti-electrostatic” anion–anion attractions are shown to lead to robust metastable binding wells (ranging up to 20–30 kcal/mol at DFT level, or still deeper at dynamically correlated MP2 level) that are shielded by broad predissociation barriers (ranging up to 1.5 Å width) from long-range ionic dissociation. Like-charge attraction at pi-centers thereby provides additional evidence for the dominance of 3-center/4-electron (3c/4e) nD-π*AX interactions that are fully analogous to the nD-σ*AH interactions of H-bonding. Using standard keyword options of natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, we demonstrate that both n-σ* (sigma hole) and n-π* (pi hole) interactions represent simple variants of the essential resonance-type donor-acceptor (Bürgi–Dunitz-type) attraction that apparently underlies all intermolecular association phenomena of chemical interest. We further demonstrate that “deletion” of such π*-based donor-acceptor interaction obliterates the characteristic Bürgi–Dunitz signatures of pi-hole interactions, thereby establishing the unique cause/effect relationship to short-range covalency (“charge transfer”) rather than envisioned Coulombic properties of unperturbed monomers.

Detection of the mineral constituents in human renal calculi by vibrational spectroscopic analysis combined with allied techniques Powder XRD, TGA, SEM, IR imaging and TXRF

Detection of the mineral constituents in a batch of 310 samples of human urinary calculi (kidney stones-235 and bladder stones-75) combined with a semi-quantitative analysis has been presented on the basis of Fourier Transform based IR and Raman spectral measurements. Some of the observed characteristic IR and Raman bands have been proposed as ‘Marker Bands’ for the most reliable identification of the constituents. A detailed vibrational spectral analysis combined with a DFT level calculation for the functional groups in Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (COM), Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Hexahydrate (MAPH), Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate (CHPD), Penta-Calcium Hydroxy-Triphosphate (PCHT) and Uric Acid (UA) has been proposed. It has been shown that the identified mineral constituents as major or minor components can be deduced from the application of Lambert-Beer law of radiation absorption and results are in agreement with quantitative Spectral Data base. This simple method has the potential to be integrated into the management of Urolithiasis, a process of forming renal calculi in the kidney, bladder and/or urethra. Employment of powder XRD, TGA, SEM, TXRF and IR Imaging techniques has provided additional support for the proposed foolproof identification of the mineral constituents. Among the mineral constituents, Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate, Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate or their mixture account for 85% of the total number of samples; the remaining 15% and 5% samples contain Phosphate and Uric acid stones respectively.

A DFT Prediction Study of Dibutyl Dithiophosphate Isomers as Extractant for Rare Earth Elements

In this work, based on the DFT approach, the electronic structural properties of dibutyl dithiophosphate (DBDTP) and its isomers (sec-butyl dithiophosphate and tert-butyl dithiophosphate) as extracants for the separation of rare earth elements at the DFT level B3LYP/6 -31G(d) were predicted and also to ascertain the DBDTP ligand isomer’s conformation as well as their relative stability. Using the base function 6-31G*, the chemical reactivity was computed with the help of chemical hardness descriptors, electronic chemical potential and electrophilicity. It was found that sec.-BDTP has biggest energy gap, while tert.-BDTP exhibited the smallest energy gap. Thus, tert.-BDTP is the most chemically reactive and stable isomer, suggesting that the rare earth metal complexes with tert.-BDTP ligand is more stable.

Combined experimental and computational study of Al2O3 catalyzed transamidation of secondary amides with amines.

Amides are the most extensively used substances in both synthetic organic and bioorganic chemistry. Unfortunately, the traditional synthesis of amides suffers from some important drawbacks, including low atom efficiency, high catalyst loading, separation of products from the reaction mixture and production of byproducts. Al2O3 is an amphoteric catalyst that activates the carbonyl carbon of the secondary amide group and helps the C–N cleavage of the reactant amide group by attacking the N–H hydrogen. By using the concepts of amphoteric properties of Al2O3, amides were synthesized from secondary amides and amines in the presence of triethylamine solvent. Several aliphatic and aromatic amines were used for the transamidation of N-methylbenzamide in the presence of the Al2O3 catalyst. Moreover, using the Gaussian09 software at the DFT level, HUMO, LUMO and the intrinsic reaction coordinates (IRCs) have also been calculated to find out the transition state of the reaction and energy. In this study, five successful compounds were synthesized by the transamidation of secondary amides with amines using a reusable Al2O3 catalyst. The catalyst was reused several times with no significant loss in its catalytic activity. The products were purified by recrystallization and column chromatography techniques. This catalytic method is effective for the simultaneous activation of the carbonyl group and N–H bond by using the Al2O3 catalyst.

Antioxidant and copper-chelating power of new molecules suggested as multiple target agents against Alzheimer's disease. A theoretical comparative study.

In this study, the scavenging activity against OOH radicals and the copper-chelating ability of two new synthesized molecules (named L1 and L2) that can act as multiple target agents against Alzheimer's disease have been investigated at the density functional theory level. The pKa and molar fractions at physiological pH have been predicted. The main antioxidant reaction mechanisms in lipid-like and water environments have been considered and the relative rate constants determined. The copper-chelating ability of the two compounds has also been explored at different coordination sites and computing the complexation kinetic constants. Results show the L1 compound is a more effective radical scavenging and copper-chelating agent than L2.

Enhancing DFT-based energy landscape exploration by coupling quantum mechanics and static modes.

Unravelling the atomic scale diffusion that can occur at the surface, at the interface or into the bulk is challenging: multi-scale modelling approaches usually require intensive prospective calculations and moreover huge human investment. In this article, the Static Mode (SM) approach is coupled with Quantum Mechanics (QM) calculations in order to guide the exploration of the energy landscape, by optimizing the choice of events that are significant for the evolution of the system. SM enable the determination of the strain field of a set of atoms submitted to external and localized stresses, like atomic displacements. Here, we present a workflow based on the systematic SM exploration, with the objective to reduce both exploration time and human load when used with ab initio level calculations. The QMSM coupling allows the screening, scoring and selection of relevant directions that are further used to initiate and study diffusion in atomic systems. The most relevant deformations are then refined and relaxed with DFT calculations. In this paper, the overall QMSM approach is described and we discuss its use for the identification of atomic diffusion in two different systems of interest: grafting of a molecule on an oxide surface and studying the dynamical behavior of a point-defect in a bulk crystalline material.

Impact of counter anions on spin-state switching of manganese(III) complexes containing an azobenzene ligand.

Four mononuclear manganese(III) complexes coordinated with photo-active hexadentate azobenzene ligands, [Mn(5azo-sal2-323)](X) (X = Cl, 1; X = BF4, 2; X = ClO4, 3; X = PF6, 4), were prepared. The impact of various counter anions on the stabilization and switching of the spin state of the manganese(III) center was explored through detailed magneto-structural investigation using variable temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic, spectroscopic, and spectroelectrochemical studies, along with theoretical calculations. All four complexes consisted of an isostructural monocationic distorted octahedral MnN4O2 coordination environment offered by the hexadentate ligand and Cl-, BF4-, ClO4-, and PF6- as counter anions respectively. Complex 1 with a spherical Cl- counter anion showed a reversible and gradual spin-state switching between low-spin (LS) (S = 1) and high-spin (HS) (S = 2) states above 400 K, where non-covalent cation-anion interactions played a significant role in stabilizing the LS state. While, irrespective of the shape of the counter anion, complexes 2-4 remained in the HS state throughout the measured temperature range of 300-2 K, where strong π-π interaction between the azobenzene motifs among cationic units played a substantial role in stabilizing the HS state. Furthermore, magnetic data analyses revealed significantly large zero-field splitting in the S = 1 state for 1 (D = 19.4 cm-1, E/D = 0.008) in comparison with that in the S = 2 state for 2-4 (D = 3.99-4.97 cm-1, E/D = 0.002-0.195). Spectroelectrochemical investigations revealed the quasi-reversible reduction and oxidation of the manganese(III) center to manganese(II) and manganese(IV), respectively. A detailed theoretical calculation at the DFT and CASSCF level of theory was carried out to better understand the magneto-structural correlation.

Anthraquinone and its derivatives as sustainable materials for electrochemical applications - a joint experimental and theoretical investigation of the redox potential in solution.

Anthraquinone (AQ) has long been identified as a highly promising lead structure for various applications in organic electronics. Considering the enormous number of possible substitution patterns of the AQ lead structure, with only a minority being commercially available, a systematic experimental screening of the associated electrochemical potentials represents a highly challenging and time consuming task, which can be greatly enhanced via suitable virtual pre-screening techniques. In this work the calculated electrochemical reduction potentials of pristine AQ and 12 hydroxy- or/and amino-substituted AQ derivatives in N,N-dimethylformamide have been correlated against newly measured experimental data. In addition to the calculations performed using density functional theory (DFT), the performance of different semi-empirical density functional tight binding (DFTB) approaches has been critically assessed. It was shown that the SCC DFTB/3ob parametrization in conjunction with the COSMO solvation model provides a highly adequate description of the electrochemical potentials also in the case of the two-fold reduced species. While the quality in the correlation against the experimental data proved to be slightly inferior compared to the employed DFT approach, the highly advantageous cost-accuracy ratio of the SCC DFTB/3ob/COSMO framework has important implications in the formulation of hierarchical screening strategies for materials associated with organic electronics. Based on the observed performance, the low-cost method provides sufficiently accurate results to execute efficient pre-screening protocols, which may then be followed by a DFT-based refinement of the best candidate structures to facilitate a systematic search for new, high-performance organic electronic materials.

N/O→B dative bonds supplemented by N-HN/HC hydrogen bonds make BN-cages an attractive candidate for DNA-nucleobase adsorption - an MP2 prediction.

The response of B12N12-nanocages towards DNA-nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) is investigated using MP2 and DFT (M06-2X) levels of theory with the 6-311+G** basis set. Multiple BN-cage-nucleobase structures for each nucleobase emerged depending on the number of Lewis base centers of nucleobases. The main source of stability of these complexes is the N/O→B dative bond, where the N or O atom of nucleobases donates the lone-pair electron to one of the boron atoms of the nanocage. Nitrogen atoms of the BN-cage, adjacent to the B-site forming dative bond, act as a proton acceptor to form multiple (N-HN and N-HC) hydrogen bonds, where proton-donors NH and CH are part of nucleobases. MP2/6-311+G** adsorption energies are -43.1, -43.4 and -45.3 kcal mol-1 (B12N12-adenine), -37.1, -41.9 and -43.3 kcal mol-1 (B12N12-guanine), -41.3 and -43.4 (B12N12-cytosine), and -29.3 and -31.3 (B12N12-thymine). Similar adsorption energies were recorded for larger BN-fullerenes-nucleobases, namely B16N16 and B24N24. Changes in adsorption energies and structures of these nano-bio-hybrid materials in aqueous media are also discussed. Computationally cost-effective MP2 single point calculations at the M06-2X optimized geometries were found to be reliable in predicting adsorption energies. The effect of the BN-network and H-bonds on the adsorption process is assessed by comparing the results with simple BH3-nucleobase models. BSSE correction to the adsorption energy is not recommended.

Effect of a Support on the Properties of Zinc Oxide Based Sorbents.

We present the comparative analysis of three Zn-based sorbents for the process of sulphur removal from hot coal gas. The sorbents were prepared by a slurry impregnation of TiO2, SiO2 and Al2O3, resulting in complex, multiphase materials, with the dominant phases of Zn2TiO4, Zn2SiO4 and ZnAl2O4, respectively. We have analyzed the effect of supports on the phase composition, texture, reducibility and H2S sorption. We have found that the phase composition significantly influences the susceptibility of the investigated materials to reduction by hydrogen. Zn2TiO4 have been found to be the easiest to reduce which correlates with its ability to adsorb the largest amount of hydrogen sulphide—up to 4.2 gS/100 g—compared to the other sorbents, which absorb up to 2.2 gS/100 g. In the case of Zn2SiO4 and ZnAl2O4, this effect also correlates with reducibility—these sorbents have been found to be highly resistant to reduction by hydrogen and to absorb much less hydrogen sulphide. In addition, the capacity of ZnAl2O4 for H2S adsorption decreases in the subsequent work cycles—from 2.2 gS/100 g in the first cycle to 0.8 gS/100 g in the third one. Computational analysis on the DFT level has shown that these materials show different thermodynamic stability of sulphur sites within the unit cells of the sorbents. For Zn2TiO4 and Zn2SiO4, the adsorption is favorable in both the first and second layers of the former and only the top layer of the latter, while for zinc aluminate it is not favorable, which is consistent with the experimental findings.