Stability and reactivities based on moment analysis

Electrostatic Potential Topology for Probing Molecular Structure, Bonding and Reactivity

Following the pioneering investigations of Bader on the topology of molecular electron density, the topology analysis of its sister field viz. molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) was taken up by the authors’ groups. Through these studies, MESP topology emerged as a powerful tool for exploring molecular bonding and reactivity patterns. The MESP topology features are mapped in terms of its critical points (CPs), such as bond critical points (BCPs), while the minima identify electron-rich locations, such as lone pairs and π-bonds. The gradient paths of MESP vividly bring out the atoms-in-molecule picture of neutral molecules and anions. The MESP-based characterization of a molecule in terms of electron-rich and -deficient regions provides a robust prediction about its interaction with other molecules. This leads to a clear picture of molecular aggregation, hydrogen bonding, lone pair–π interactions, π-conjugation, aromaticity and reaction mechanisms. This review summarizes the contributions of the authors’ groups over the last three decades and those of the other active groups towards understanding chemical bonding, molecular recognition, and reactivity through topology analysis of MESP.

Spectral moments of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Solution of a kinetic problem

The relationship between the rate of supercritical fluid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from coal-tar pitch and some topological invariants are examined. The aim is to explain the appearance of a minimum value on the activation energy/molar mass curve of the PAHs. Rate constants are approximated using spectral moment expansion. It is shown that the size of the PAHs determines more than 95% of the extraction rate. Activation energy for the extraction of the PAHs was found to increase with increasing molar mass. The appearance of a minimum value on the activation energy/molar mass curve is the consequence of experimental difficulties resulting from the tendency of lower members of the PAHs to sublime.

Spectral moments of phenylenes

In a series of publications Estrada (Estrada, E. J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 1996, 36, 844-849; 1997 37, 320-328; 1998, 38, 23-27) employed spectral moments of line graphs in QSPR and QSAR relationship studies of various classes of compounds. A recent paper (Marković, S.; Gutman, I. J. Chem. Inf Comput. Sci. 1999, 39, 289-293) reported that in QSPR and QSAR investigations of benzenoid hydrocarbons based on linear combination of spectral moments, it made no difference whether one used spectral moments of the molecular graph or those of the line graph. In the present work spectral moments of molecular graphs (Mk) and line graphs (muk) of phenylenes are considered. The first few Mk's and muk'S of phenylenes are dependent on identical structural parameters. It is proved that the two sets of moments of phenylenes are linearly dependent. It is also shown that in the case of the heat of formation of phenylenes there is no advantage in using lower spectral moments of line graphs instead of lower spectral moments of molecular graphs. In this way the redundancy observed in the case of benzenoid hydrocarbons is also shown to exist in the class of phenylenes.