The infra-red absorption spectrum of 18O-labelled urea

Microscopic origin of pressure-induced phase-transitions in urea: a detailed investigation through first principles calculations

The potential crystal structures and properties of urea as a function of pressure were studied using ab initio based electronic structure calculations. The enthalpy-pressure behavior shows that urea undergoes a pressure induced structural phase transition from P4[combining macron]21m (phase I) → P212121 (phase III) at 0.66 GPa with a volume collapse of 4.83%, driven by softening of the acoustic mode along the Γ-X direction. Another phase transition from the P212121 → P21212 structure was identified at 3.09 GPa. The violation of Born stability criteria in the P212121 structure along with softening of the acoustic mode in the U-R direction was responsible for the pressure induced phase transition. Furthermore, the application of pressure led to the breaking and formation of N-HO bonds in the crystal structure of urea during the phase transition, i.e., the H-acceptor capacitance of the oxygen atoms was varied between phases I/IV and -III. Band structure calculations were performed using a hybrid functional (Heyd, Scuseria and Ernzerhof, HSE) which includes a part of exact Fock-exchange. The computed electronic band structure showed that the urea polymorphs are insulators with a direct band gap of 6.21, 6.85 and 6.99 eV for phase-I, -III and -IV, respectively, at selected pressures. We have also presented the dielectric functions (real (ε1(ω)) and imaginary (ε2(ω)) parts), refractive index and absorption coefficients to explore the optical characteristics of the urea phases. The geometric interpretation of intermolecular interactions were quantitatively visualized using Hirshfeld surface analysis. Our results provide a complete picture of various properties of urea polymorphs that lay the foundation for further understanding of structures and their applications.

Planar or nonplanar: what is the structure of urea in aqueous solution?

A combined quantum chemical statistical mechanical method has been used to study the solvation of urea in water, with emphasis on the structure of urea. The model system consists of three parts: a Hartree-Fock quantum chemical core, 99 water molecules described with a polarizable force-field, and a dielectric continuum. A free-energy profile along the transition of urea from planar to a nonplanar structure is calculated. This mode in aqueous solution is found to be floppy. That is, the structure of urea in water is not well-defined because the planar to nonplanar transition requires an energy of the order of the thermal energy at room temperature. We discuss the implications of this finding for simulation studies of urea in polar environments like water and proteins.

Kinetics of Formation and Dissociation of [Cr(3)O(O(2)CCH(3))(6)(urea)(3)](+): An Example of Statistically Controlled Kinetics and Equilibrium

Kinetics of the overall reaction [Cr(3)O(O(2)CCH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)](+) + 3 urea right harpoon over left harpoon [Cr(3)O(O(2)CCH(3))(6)(urea)(3)](+) + 3H(2)O have been studied spectrophotometrically. Monophasic kinetics were observed in both directions. The reverse steps, of urea dissociation, were monitored using an analytical technique which permits direct determination of the concentration of liberated urea and does not require knowledge of extinction coefficients of intermediate species. Results imply that consecutive steps occur with rate constants in close to the statistical ratios of k(1):k(2):k(3) = 3:2:1 and k(-)(1):k(-)(2):k(-)(3) = 1:2:3. Rates indicate strong labilization of urea, compared to the case of mononuclear complex [Cr(urea)(6)](3+).