Molecular structure and bonding character of mono and divalent metal cations (Li+, Na+, K+, Be2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) with substituted benzene derivatives: AIM, NBO, and NMR analyses

A computational study on acetaminophen drug complexed with Mn+, Fe2+, Co+, Ni2+, and Cu+ ions: structural analysis, electronic properties, and solvent effects

In the present research, the cation-π interactions in acetaminophen-M complexes (M = Mn⁺, Fe²⁺, Co⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu⁺) are investigated using density functional theory (DFT/ωB97XD) in the gas phase and solution. The results show that the absolute values of energy are reduced in going from the gas phase to the solution. Based on the obtained data, the complexes in water are the most stable. The natural bond orbital (NBO) and the atoms in molecules (AIM) analyses are also applied to achieve more details about the nature of interactions. These results are useful for understanding the role of the drug-receptor interactions in the complexes. According to AIM outcomes, the cation-π interactions are the closed-shell and may indicate the partially covalent nature in the complexes. A comprehensive analysis is also performed on the conceptual DFT parameters of the complexes to evaluate their electronic properties. Our findings show increasing the stability and decreasing the reactivity of the complexes in the solution phase with respect to the gas phase. These interactions are ubiquitous in biological systems, and their importance in theoretical models led us to study such important interactions. The results of this study may be useful for the design and synthesis of a variety of supramolecular complexes with the desired properties.

Antipsychotic drug waste: A potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in the oil and gas industry

In this study, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of thioridazine hydrochloride (TH), an antipsychotic drug, on mild steel (commonly used pipeline material in the oil and gas industry) in 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was evaluated using electrochemical techniques and weight loss method. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results suggest that TH significantly enhances the polarization resistance (R_p) of mild steel. Similarly, potentiodynamic polarization results showed that the corrosion current density (i_corr) of mild steel decreased significantly with addition of TH. To understand the long-term effect of TH, mild steel was tested for 7 days in 100 ppm TH containing electrolyte. EIS results showed that the R_p did not change significantly after 24 h exposure as compared to 2 h exposure; whereas the R_p increased by 28% after 7-day exposure. Weight loss measurements revealed that the inhibition efficiency of TH is remarkably high (98.8%) after 7-day exposure. The adsorption free energy calculation suggests that at the initial stage (1-day) of mild steel exposure, TH was physically adsorbed onto the surface. However, at a later stage (7- day) the binding of TH was chemical, and hence the corrosion protection increased with increase in the exposure period. As compared to the wide range of corrosion inhibitors reported in the literature, TH has shown to be highly effective for mild steel. Thus, it can be suggested that TH drug waste is a potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel pipelines in the oil and gas industry.

Metal Ion-Directed Functional Metal-Phenolic Materials

Metal ions are ubiquitous in nature and play significant roles in assembling functional materials in fields spanning chemistry, biology, and materials science. Metal-phenolic materials are assembled from phenolic components in the presence of metal ions through the formation of metal-organic complexes. Alkali, alkali-earth, transition, and noble metal ions as well as metalloids interacting with phenolic building blocks have been widely exploited to generate diverse hybrid materials. Despite extensive studies on the synthesis of metal-phenolic materials, a comprehensive summary of how metal ions guide the assembly of phenolic compounds is lacking. A fundamental understanding of the roles of metal ions in metal-phenolic materials engineering will facilitate the assembly of materials with specific and functional properties. In this review, we focus on the diversity and function of metal ions in metal-phenolic material engineering and emerging applications. Specifically, we discuss the range of underlying interactions, including (i) cation-π, (ii) coordination, (iii) redox, and (iv) dynamic covalent interactions, and highlight the wide range of material properties resulting from these interactions. Applications (e.g., biological, catalytic, and environmental) and perspectives of metal-phenolic materials are also highlighted.

Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Aryl 2-Pyridyl Ethers with Organozinc Reagents: Removal of the Directing Group via Cleavage of the Carbon-Oxygen Bonds

Reaction of aryl 2-pyridyl ethers with arylzinc reagents under catalysis of NiCl₂(PCy₃)₂ affords aryl-aryl cross-coupling products via selective cleavage of C_Ar-OPy bonds. The reaction features a wide substrate range and good compatibility of functional groups. β-H-free alkylzinc reagents are also applicable as the nucleophiles in the transformation, whereas β-H-containing alkylzinc reagents lead to a mixture of cross-coupling and hydrogenation products.

The effect of cation-π interactions on the stability and electronic properties of anticancer drug Altretamine: a theoretical study

The present work utilizes density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the influence of cation-π interactions on the electronic properties of the complexes formed by Altretamine [2,4,6-tris(dimethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine], an anticancer drug, with mono- and divalent (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Be²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) metal cations. The structures were optimized with the M06-2X method and the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set in the gas phase and in solution. The theory of `Atoms in Molecules' (AIM) was applied to study the nature of the interactions by calculating the electron density ρ(r) and its Laplacian at the bond critical points. The charge-transfer process during complexation was evaluated using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The results of DFT calculations demonstrate that the strongest/weakest interactions belong to Be²⁺/K⁺ complexes. There are good correlations between the achieved densities and the amounts of charge transfer with the interaction energies. Finally, the stability and reactivity of the cation-π interactions can be determined by quantum chemical computation based on the molecular orbital (MO) theory.

Cation-π Interactions and Their Contribution to Mussel Underwater Adhesion Studied Using a Surface Forces Apparatus: A Mini-Review

Mussel underwater adhesion is a model phenomenon important for the understanding of broader biological adhesion and the development of biomimetic wet adhesives. The catechol moiety of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (DOPA) is known to be actively involved in the mechanism of mussel underwater adhesion; however, other underwater adhesion mechanisms are also crucial. The surface forces apparatus (SFA) has often been used to explore the contributions of other mechanisms to mussel underwater adhesion; e.g., recent SFA-based nanomechanical studies have revealed that cation-π interactions, one of the strongest intermolecular interactions in water, are the pivotal interactions of adhesive proteins involved in underwater mussel adhesion. This mini-review surveys recent research on cation-π interactions and their contributions to strong mussel underwater adhesion, shedding light on some biological processes and facilitating the development of biomedical adhesives.

Solvation Structure of Poly(benzyl methacrylate) in a Solvate Ionic Liquid: Preferential Solvation of Li-Glyme Complex Cation

We report the solvation structure of a lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type thermoresponsive polymer in a solvate ionic liquid (SIL, i.e., an ionic liquid comprising solvate ions) to elucidate the predominant interaction for the dissolution of the thermoresponsive polymer in SIL at low temperatures. The solvation structure of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBnMA) and a model compound of its monomer in a typical glyme-based SIL, [Li(G4)][TFSA] (G4: tetraglyme; TFSA: bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide), have been investigated using high-energy X-ray total scattering and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. In the model compound/SIL system, the intermolecular components extracted from the total G( r)s revealed that the ester moiety of BnMA is preferentially solvated by Li cations through a cation-dipole interaction, which induces slight desolvation of the G4 molecules, and the aromatic ring of BnMA is secondarily solvated by the [Li(G4)] cation complex through a cation-π interaction with maintaining the complex structure. In contrast, TFSA anions are attracted only by the [Li(G4)] cation. These interactions result in the formation of a solvation layer of SILs around the aromatic ring, which plays a key role in the negative entropy and enthalpy of mixing. Meanwhile, in the polymer solution, the coordination number of the Li cation around the ester moiety significantly decreased. This could be ascribed to the steric effect of the bulky side chains, preventing the approach of the [Li(G4)] cation complex to the ester moiety located near the main chain. These solvation structures lead to small absolute values of negative entropy and enthalpy of mixing, which together are key factors to understand the LCST-type phase behavior in the IL system.

Thermosensitive Phase Separation Behavior of Poly(benzyl methacrylate)/Solvate Ionic Liquid Solutions

We report a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of binary systems consisting of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBnMA) and solvate ionic liquids: equimolar mixtures of triglyme (G3) or tetraglyme (G4) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide. We evaluated the critical temperatures (T_cs) using transmittance measurements. The stability of the glyme-Li⁺ complex ([Li(G3 or G4)]⁺) in the presence of PBnMA was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, pulsed-field gradient spin-echo NMR (PGSE-NMR), and thermogravimetric analysis to demonstrate that the complex was not disrupted. The interaction between glyme-Li⁺ complex and PBnMA was investigated via ⁷Li NMR chemical shifts. Upfield shifts originating from the ring-current effect of the aromatic ring within PBnMA were observed with the addition of PBnMA, indicating localization of the glyme-Li⁺ complex above and below the benzyl group of PBnMA, which may be a reason for negative mixing entropy, a key requirement of the LCST.

Competitive/co-operative interactions in acid base sandwich: role of cation vs. substituents

The cation-π interaction can be envisaged as a lewis acid base interaction, and it is in line with Pearson's acid base concept. The critical examination of interactions between the π-acids (alkali metal cations - Li⁺, Na⁺ and alkaline earth metal cations Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) on one face and tripodal Cr(CO)₃ moiety on the other π face of substituted arenes demonstrates the role of cation and substitutents in manipulating the interactions between them. The interaction of the two π acids on both faces of arene is not expectedly additive, rather it shows either depreciation of interaction energy revealing the competition of acids toward the base or enhancement of interaction energy denoting a cooperative effect. Among the metal cations under study, Mg²⁺ shows a cooperative gesture. Although the substituents play a meek role, they unfailingly exert their electronic effects and are amply documented by excellent correlation of various parameters with the Hammett constant σ_m. The elusive switching of λ_max from the UV to IR region on binding Mg²⁺ with substituted arene-Cr(CO)₃ complex is a characteristic clue that TDDFT can help design the ionic sensors for Mg²⁺ cations.

An assessment of the random-phase approximation functional and characteristics analysis for noncovalent cation-π interactions

The binding energy is of great importance in understanding the formation and stability of noncovalent interactions. However, the determination of the binding energy with high precision and efficiency in medium- and long-range noncovalent interactions is still challenging for quantum chemistry. Here, we assess the performance of random-phase approximation (RPA), a fully non-local fifth-rung of the Jacob ladder functional, in determining the binding energy of cation-π systems (cation = Li⁺, Na⁺, Be²⁺, Mg²⁺, Al⁺, and NH₄⁺; π = C₆H₆), which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been investigated. Using experimental results as the benchmark, we systematically compared the RPA method to the other ab initio methods (DFT/B3LYP, MP2, CCSD(T), and QCISD(T)) both in calculation accuracy and efficiency. From the perspective of accuracy, RPA is the best among these approaches, followed by the CCSD(T) and QCISD(T) methods. DFT/B3LYP and MP2 provide the worst accuracy. In addition, the computational efficiency of RPA is much faster than that of CCSD(T) and QCISD(T). We believe that RPA is a robust method for the precise description of medium- and long-range noncovalent interactions and is capable of providing benchmarking data. The interaction strength and interaction nature of cation-π systems are further analyzed by atoms in molecules (AIM) and the color-mapped reduced density gradient (RDG) isosurface, which are consistent with the characteristics of a typical cation-π interaction.

Cation-π interactions in competition with cation microhydration: a theoretical study of alkali metal cation-pyrene complexes

Cation–π interactions were systematically investigated for the adsorption of H⁺ and alkali metal cations M⁺ to pyrene by means of Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and density functional theory (DFT). The main aims were to determine the preferred adsorption sites and how the microhydration shell influences the adsorption process. The preferred adsorption sites were characterized in terms of structural parameters and energetic stability. Stability analysis of the M⁺–pyrene complexes revealed that the binding strength and the barrier to transitions between neighboring sites generally decreased with increasing cation size from Li⁺ to Cs⁺. Such transitions were practically barrierless (<<1 kcal/mol) for the large Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ ions. Further, the influence of the first hydration shell on the adsorption behavior was investigated for Li⁺ and K⁺ as representatives of small and large (alkali metal) cations, respectively. While the isolated complexes possessed only one minimum, two minima—corresponding to an inner and an outer complex—were observed for microhydrated complexes. The small Li⁺ ion formed a stable hydration shell and preferentially interacted with water rather than pyrene. In contrast, K⁺ favored cation–π over cation–water interactions. It was found that the mechanism for complex formation depends on the balance between cation–π interactions, cation–water complexation, and the hydrogen bonding of water to the π-system.

Theoretical insight into the interaction between SnX2 (X = H, F, Cl, Br, I) and benzene

For a series of five model complexes composed of a singlet SnX₂ molecule (X = H, F, Cl, Br, I) and a benzene molecule, the first-principles calculations of their energetics and the analysis of their electron density topology have been performed. The CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energy between SnX₂ and C₆H₆ fall into the range between −10.0 and −11.2 kcal/mol, which indicates that the complexes are rather weakly bound. The relevant role of electrostatic and dispersion contributions to the interaction energy between SnX₂ and C₆H₆ is highlighted in the results obtained from the symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). The electron density topological analysis has been carried out using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the noncovalent interactions (NCI) visualization index. Both QTAIM and NCI prove the closed-shell, noncovalent and attractive character of the interaction. A very small charge transfer from C₆H₆ to SnX₂ has been detected. The formation of the five complexes is accompanied by the electron density deformations that are spatially restricted mostly to the region around the Sn atom and its adjacent C atom. The results presented in this work shed some light on the nature of the interactions associated with crystalline structural motifs involving low-valent tin complexed with neutral aryl rings.

Structural, QTAIM, thermodynamic properties, bonding, aromaticity and NMR analyses of cation–π interactions of mono and divalent metal cations (Li+, Na+, K+, Be2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) with substituted pyrazine derivatives

Theoretical investigation of 42 cation-π complexes formed by the alkali metal ( Li +, Na +, K +), alkaline-earth cations ( Be 2+, Mg 2+, Ca 2+) and π-system of the pyrazine and its derivatives have been performed at density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP functional) and MP2 methods with 6-311++G** basis set in the gas phase and the polarized continuum model (PCM)-water solvation. The following substituents have been taken into consideration: Br , Cl , CH 3, OH , OCH 3 and SH . The interactions present in these complexes have been investigated by means of the natural bond orbital (NBO) and the Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIMs) approaches. The effects of the interactions on NMR data have been probed using the GIAO-based method to extend investigation of the studied compounds. The calculated highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies show that charge transfer occurs within each complex. Vibrational frequencies and physical properties such as dipole moment, chemical potential, chemical hardness and chemical electrophilicity of these compounds have been systematically explored. The aromaticity of aromatic rings has been measured using several well-established indices of aromaticity such as nucleus-independent chemical shift, harmonic oscillator models of the aromaticity, para-delocalization index, average two-center indices, aromatic fluctuation index and π-fluctuation aromatic index.