Activation enthalpies of pericyclic reactions: the performances of some recently proposed functionals

Hydrogen bond symmetrization and elastic constants under pressure of δ-AlOOH

The elastic constants of δ-AlOOH have been calculated for applied pressures in the range 0-40 GPa using three exchange-correlation functionals, i.e. PBEsol, TCAsol and PBE. PBEsol and TCAsol, which describe the geometry of this system very well, give similar results, while the PBE values are smaller, a consequence of the fact that the PBE lattice parameters are too large. In agreement with the experiments, the calculations show that at low pressure the axial compressibility is greater in the b direction and smaller in the c direction, while the opposite is true at high pressure. This change takes place 5 GPa before the calculated hydrogen bond symmetrization transition. Combining this result with those reported in the experimental papers, one obtains a strong indication that symmetrization takes place at about 15 GPa, in excellent agreement with the PBEsol and TCAsol predictions.

First efficient synthesis of SF5-substituted pyrrolidines using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with pentafluorosulfanyl-substituted acrylic esters and amides

Di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted pentafluorosulfanylated pyrrolidines have been efficiently synthetized via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides.

How the choice of a computational model could rule the chemical interpretation: the Ni(II) catalyzed ethylene dimerization as a case study

In this article, we present a critical study of the theoretical protocol used for the determination of the nickel(II) catalyzed ethylene dimerization mechanism, considered as a representative example of the various problems related to the modeling a catalytic cycle. The choice of an appropriate computational procedure is indeed crucial for the validity of the conclusions that will be drawn from the computational process. The influence of the exchange-correlation functional on energetic profiles and geometries, the role of the basis set describing the metal atom, as well as the importance of the chosen molecular model, have been thus examined in details. From the obtained results, some general conclusions and guidelines are presented, which could constitute useful warnings in modeling homogenous catalysis. Besides, the database constituted by our high-level calculations can be used within benchmarking procedures to assess the performances of new computational methods based on density functional theory.