Intermolecular hydrogen bonds interactions in water clusters of ammonium sulfamate: FTIR, X-ray diffraction, AIM, DFT, RDG, ELF, NBO analysis

Designing Thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione Core-Based, A2-D-A1-D-A2-Type Acceptor Molecules for Promising Photovoltaic Parameters in Organic Photovoltaic Cells

Nonfullerene-based organic solar cells can be utilized as favorable photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices due to their enhanced life span and efficiency. In this research, seven new molecules were designed to improve the working efficiency of organic solar cells by utilizing a terminal acceptor modification approach. The perceived A2-D-A1-D-A2 configuration-based molecules possess a lower band gap ranging from 1.95 to 2.21 eV compared to the pre-existing reference molecule (RW), which has a band gap of 2.23 eV. The modified molecules also exhibit higher λmax values ranging from 672 to 768 nm in the gaseous and 715-839 nm in solvent phases, respectively, as compared to the (RW) molecule, which has λmax values at 673 and 719 nm in gas and chloroform medium, respectively. The ground state geometries, molecular planarity parameter, and span of deviation from the plane were analyzed to study the planarity of all of the molecules. The natural transition orbitals, the density of state, molecular electrostatic potential, noncovalent interactions, frontier molecular orbitals, and transition density matrix analysis of all studied molecules were executed to validate the optoelectronic properties of these molecules. Improved charge mobilities and dipole moments were observed, as newly designed molecules possessed lower internal reorganization energies. The open circuit voltage (Voc) of W4, W5, W6, and W7 among newly designed molecules was improved as compared to the reference molecule. These results elaborate on the superiority of these novel-designed molecules over the pre-existing (RW) molecule as potential blocks for better organic solar cell applications.

Charge equilibration model with shielded long-range Coulomb for reactive molecular dynamics simulations

Atomic description of electrochemical systems requires reactive interaction potential to explicitly describe the chemistry between atoms and molecules and the evolving charge distribution and polarization effects. Calculating Coulomb electrostatic interactions and polarization effects requires a better estimate of the partial charge distribution in molecular systems. However, models such as reactive force fields and charge equilibration (QEq) include Coulomb interactions up to a short-distance cutoff for better computational speeds. Ignoring long-distance electrostatic interaction affects the ability to describe electrochemistry in large systems. We studied the long-range Coulomb effects among charged particles and extended the QEq method to include long-range effects. By this extension, we anticipate a proper account of Coulomb interactions in reactive molecular dynamics simulations. We validate the approach by computing charges on a series of metal-organic frameworks and some simple systems. Results are compared to regular QEq and quantum mechanics calculations. The study shows slightly overestimated charge values in the regular QEq approach. Moreover, our method was combined with Ewald summation to compute forces and evaluate the long-range effects of simple capacitor configurations. There were noticeable differences between the calculated charges with/without long-range Coulomb interactions. The difference, which may have originated from the long-range influence on the capacitor ions, makes the Ewald method a better descriptor of Coulomb electrostatics for charged electrodes. The approach explored in this study enabled the atomic description of electrochemical systems with realistic electrolyte thickness while accounting for the electrostatic effects of charged electrodes throughout the dielectric layer in devices like batteries and emerging solid-state memory.

Exploration of intramolecular charge transfer in para-substituted nitrobenzofurazan: Experimental and theoretical analyses

The present work aims at exploring the high electrophilic character of 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) toward the morpholine group by an S_NAr reaction in acetonitrile or water (thereafter referred to as NBD-Morph). The electron-donating ability of the morpholine causes intra-molecular charge transfer (ICT). In this report, we present a comprehensive study on the optical characteristics using UV-Vis, photoluminescence (cw-PL) and its time-resolved (TR-PL) to determine the properties of the emissive intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the NBD-Morph donor-acceptor system. An exhaustive theoretical investigation utilizing the density functional theory (DFT) and its extension TD-DFT methods is an essential complement of experiments to rationalize and understand the molecular structure and related properties. The findings from QTAIM, ELF, and RDG analyses establish that the bonding between morpholine and NBD moieties is of the electrostatic or hydrogen bond type. In addition, the Hirshfeld surfaces have been established to explore the types of interactions. Further, the non-linear optical (NLO) responses of the compound have been examined. The structure-property relationships obtained through the combined experimental and theoretical offer valuable insights for designing efficient NLO material.

Activating One/Two-Photon Excited Red Fluorescence on Carbon Dots: Emerging n→π Photon Transition Induced by Amino Protonation

Due to the complicated nature of carbon dots (CDs), fluorescence mechanism of red fluorescent CDs is still unrevealed and features highly controversial. Reliable and effective strategies for manipulating the red fluorescence of CDs are urgently needed. Herein, CDs with one-photon excited (622 nm, QYs ≈ 17%) and two-photon (629 nm) excited red fluorescence are prepared by acidifying o-phenylenediamine-based reaction sediments. Systematic analysis reveals that the protonation of amino groups increases the particle surface potential, disperse the bulk sediments into nano-scale CDs. In the meanwhile, amino protonation of pyridinic nitrogen (-N=) structure inserts numerous n orbital energy levels between the π → π* transition, narrows the gap distance for photon transition, and induces red fluorescence emission on CDs. Present research reveals an effective pathway to activate CDs reaction sediments and trigger red emission, thus may open a new avenue for developing CDs with ideal optical properties and promising application prospects.

Molecular Structure, Electronic Properties, Reactivity (ELF, LOL, and Fukui), and NCI-RDG Studies of the Binary Mixture of Water and Essential Oil of Phlomis bruguieri

Essential oils are volatile oil-like liquids with a characteristic strong smell and taste. They are formed in plants and are then extracted. Essential oils have extremely strong physiological and pharmacological properties, which are used in the medicine, cosmetics, and food industries. In this study, the molecules caryophyllene oxide, β-pinene, 1,8-cineol, α-cubebene, and β-caryophyllene, which are the molecules with the highest contents in the essential oil of the plant mentioned in the title, were selected and theoretical calculations describing their interactions with water were performed. Because oil–water mixtures are very important in biology and industry and are ubiquitous in nature, quantum chemical calculations for binary mixtures of water with caryophyllene oxide, β-pinene, 1,8-cineol, α-cubebene, and β-caryophyllene were performed using the density functional theory (DFT)/B3LYP method with a basis of 6–31 G (d, p). Molecular structures, HOMO–LUMO energies, electronic properties, reactivity (ELF, LOL, and Fukui), and NCI-RDG and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) on surfaces of the main components of Phlomis bruguieri Desf. essential oil were calculated and described.

Structure-activity relationships and the underlying mechanism of α-amylase inhibition by hyperoside and quercetin: Multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking analyses

Inhibiting the activity of α-amylase has been considered an effective strategy to manage hyperglycemia. Hyperoside and quercetin are the main natural flavonoids in various plants, and the inhibition mechanism on α-amylase remains unclear. In this study, the structure-activity relationships between hyperoside/quercetin and α-amylase were evaluated by enzyme kinetic analysis, multi-spectroscopic techniques, and molecular docking analysis. Results showed that hyperoside and quercetin exhibited significant α-amylase inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values of 0.491 and 0.325 mg/mL, respectively. The α-amylase activity decreased in the presence of hyperoside and quercetin in a competitive and noncompetitive manner, respectively. UV-vis spectra suggested that the aromatic amino acid residues (Trp and Tyr) microenvironment of α-amylase changed in the presence of these two flavonoids. FTIR and CD spectra showed the vibrations of the amide bands and the secondary structure content changes. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of α-amylase by hyperoside and quercetin belonged to the static quenching type. Finally, molecular docking intuitively showed that hyperoside/quercetin formed hydrogen bonds with the key active site residues (Asp197, Glu233, and Asp300) in α-amylase. MD simulation indicated hyperoside/quercetin-α-amylase docked complexes had good stability. Taken together, this research provides new sights to developing potent drugs or functional foods with hyperoside and quercetin, offering new avenues for hyperglycemia treatment.

Comprehensive Study of the Ammonium Sulfamate-Urea Binary System

The physicochemical properties of binary systems are of great importance for the application of the latter. We report on the investigation of an ammonium sulfamate-urea binary system with different component ratios using a combination of experimental (FTIR, XRD, TGA/DSC, and melting point) and theoretical (DFT, QTAIM, ELF, RDG, ADMP, etc.) techniques. It is shown that, at a temperature of 100 °C, the system under study remains thermally and chemically stable for up to 30 min. It was established using X-ray diffraction analysis that the heating time barely affects the X-ray characteristics of the system. Data on the aggregate states in specified temperature ranges were obtained with thermal analysis and determination of the melting point. The structures of the ammonium sulfamate-urea system with different component ratios were optimized within the density functional theory. The atom-centered density matrix propagation calculation of the ammonium sulfamate-urea system with different component ratios was performed at temperatures of 100, 300, and 500 K. Regardless of the component ratio, a regular increase in the potential energy variation (curve amplitude) with an increase in temperature from 100 to 500 K was found.

Degradation mechanism of BPA under VUV irradiation: efficiency contribution and DFT calculations

Bisphenol A (BPA) is regarded as a hazardous pollutant that exists widely in aquatic environments, posing a severe threat to human health. In this study, a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lamp emitting a hybrid of 254 nm and 185 nm light was used to degrade BPA. Results indicated that photolysis via 254 nm wavelength accounted for 24.93% for BPA decay, while indirect oxidation was responsible for 52.27% of decay. Results confirmed that the degradation of BPA under VUV illumination mainly occurred via photo-excited degradation and ·OH electrophilic addition reactions based on average local ionization energy (ALIE) calculation and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Therefore, only light with a wavelength of 254 nm was able to induce the first three excited states of BPA, forming the electron transition type of n → π* from O atom to a single benzene ring and π → π* in the single benzene ring. Indirect oxidation by ·OH occurred as it preferentially attacked the C6 atom in BPA ring A. Moreover, the energy required for photo-excited degradation was about twofold than that of ·OH electrophilic addition reactions.

Computational studies of the CuAAC reaction mechanism with diimine and phosphorus ligands for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles

The Cu(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions with diimine and phosphorus ligands have been studied using DFT calculations in order to understand the effect of the nature of the ligands on the catalytic cycle for the formation of the 1,4-regioisomer.

Comparative antibacterial analysis of the anthraquinone compounds based on the AIM theory, molecular docking, and dynamics simulation analysis

BACKGROUND

Hydroxyanthraquinones and anthraquinone glucoside derivatives are always considered as the active antibacterial components.

METHODS

Comparison of structure characteristics and antibacterial effect of these compounds was performed by applying quantum chemical calculations, atoms in molecules theory, molecular docking, and dynamics simulation procedure. Density functional theory calculation with B3LYP using 6-31G (d, p) basis set has been used to determine ground state molecular geometries.

RESULTS

The molecular geometric stability, electrostatic potential, frontier orbital energies, and topological properties were analyzed at the active site. Once glucose ring is introduced into the hydroxyanthraquinone rings, almost all of the positive molecular potentials are distributed among the hydroxyl hydrogen atoms of the glucose rings. In addition, low electron density ρ (r) and positive Laplacian value of the O-H bond of the anthraquinone glucoside are the evidences of the highly polarized and covalently decreased bonding interactions. The anthraquinone glucoside compounds have generally higher intermolecular binding energies than the corresponding aglycones due to the strong interaction between the glucose rings and the surrounding amino acids. Molecular dynamics simulations further explored the stability and dynamic behavior of the anthraquinone compound and protein complexes through RMSD, RMSF, SASA, and Rg.

CONCLUSION

The type of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and hydroxymethyl groups on phenyl ring and the substituent glucose rings is important to the interactions with the topoisomerase type II enzyme DNA gyrase B.

B- and Al-Doped Porous 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks as Nanocarriers for Biguanides and Metformin Drugs

Nanostructures such as nanosheets, nanotubes, nanocages, and fullerenes have been extensively studied as potential candidates in various fields since the advancement of nanoscience. Herein, the interaction between biguanides (BGN) and metformin (MET) on the modified covalent organic framework (COF), COF-B, and COF-Al was investigated using density functional theory at the ωB97XD/6-311+G (d, p) level of computation to explore a new drug delivery system. The electronic properties evaluation reveals that the studied surfaces are suited for the delivery of both drug molecules. The calculated adsorption energies and basis set superposition errors (BSSE) ranged between -21.20 and -65.86 kJ/mol. The negative values obtained are an indication of excellent interaction between the drug molecules and the COF surfaces. Moreover, BGN is better adsorbed on COF-B with E_ads of -65.86 kJ/mol, while MET is better adsorbed on COF-Al with E_ads = -47.30 kJ/mol. The analysis of the quantum theory of atom in molecules (QTAIM) explained the nature and strength of intermolecular interaction existing between the drug molecules BGN and MET with the adsorbing surfaces. The analysis of noncovalent interaction (NCI) shows a weak hydrogen-bond interaction. Other properties such as quantum chemical descriptors and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis also agree with the potential of COF surfaces as drug delivery systems. The electron localization function (ELF) is discussed, and it confirms the transitions occurring in the NBO analysis of the complexes. In conclusion, COF-B and COF-Al are suitable candidates for the effective delivery of BGN and MET.

Theoretical Study on Spectrum and Luminescence Mechanism of Indocyanine Green Dye Based on Density Functional Theory (DFT)

Indocyanine green is a great near-infrared fluorescence with good luminescent properties and important medical applications. In this paper, the theoretical spectrum and orbital model of its molecular level are established. The two most probable conformations were studied, and their energies, vibrational spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra, frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO), and energy gaps were obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, respectively. This provides a theoretical and design basis for the development of novel dyes similar to indocyanine green dyes and a reference case for improved application methods and synthetic predesign of novel fluorescent dyes.

A Comprehensive Study of N-Butyl-1H-Benzimidazole

Imidazole derivatives have found wide application in organic and medicinal chemistry. In particular, benzimidazoles have proven biological activity as antiviral, antimicrobial, and antitumor agents. In this work, we experimentally and theoretically investigated N-Butyl-1H-benzimidazole. It has been shown that the presence of a butyl substituent in the N position does not significantly affect the conjugation and structural organization of benzimidazole. The optimized molecular parameters were performed by the DFT/B3LYP method with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. This level of theory shows excellent concurrence with the experimental data. The non-covalent interactions that existed within our compound N-Butyl-1H-benzimidazole were also analyzed by the AIM, RDG, ELF, and LOL topological methods. The color shades of the ELF and LOL maps confirm the presence of bonding and non-bonding electrons in N-Butyl-1H-benzimidazole. From DFT calculations, various methods such as molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), Fukui functions, Mulliken atomic charges, and frontier molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) were characterized. Furthermore, UV-Vis absorption and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis were calculated. It is shown that the experimental and theoretical spectra of N-Butyl-1H-benzimidazole have a peak at 248 nm; in addition, the experimental spectrum has a peak near 295 nm. The NBO method shows that the delocalization of the aσ-electron from σ (C1-C2) is distributed into antibonding σ* (C1-C6), σ* (C1-N26), and σ* (C6-H11), which leads to stabilization energies of 4.63, 0.86, and 2.42 KJ/mol, respectively. Spectroscopic investigations of N-Butyl-1H-benzimidazole were carried out experimentally and theoretically to find FTIR vibrational spectra.

An Experimental and Theoretical Study on Essential Oil of Aethionema sancakense: Characterization, Molecular Properties and RDG Analysis

This study aims to experimentally and theoretically examine the plant Aethionema sancakense, which was determined as a new species and whose essential oil and fatty acid compositions were characterized by GC/GC-MS technique. Linoleic acid (23.1%), α-humulene (19.8%), camphene (13.9%), and heptanal (9.7%) were found to be the major essential oil components of A. sancakense aerial part structures. The quantum chemical calculations of these four molecules that are very important to this plant were performed using the density functional method (DFT)/B3LYP with the 6-31 G (d, p) basis set in the ground state for the gas phase. The molecular structures, HOMO-LUMO energies, electronic properties, Fukui functions, and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surfaces of the major constituents of Aethionema sancakense essential oil were calculated and interpreted. Finally, the RDG-NCI analysis of these molecules was performed to determine the non-covalent interactions present within the molecules.

The Effect of Single Curing Agents on the Curing Reactions of the HTPB-based Binder System

As the hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)-based binder system is widely applied in many industries, the curing process plays an important role in the final properties of the resulting product containing such a binder system. This study used a viscometer to measure viscosity buildup in the curing process of the binder system with various curing agents under isothermal conditions. Key parameters such as rheological reaction rate constant (kƞ) and pot life of different were measured and calculated. The rheological reaction rate constants of the HTPB-based binder systems included 0.0423 min−1 (MDI), 0.0049 min−1 (HDI-trimer) and 0.0014 min−1 (HMDI). The pot lives of the HTPB-MDI, HTPB-TDI, and HTPB-HDI-trimer were 0.6 h, 3.6 h and 8.1 h, respectively. One interesting finding is that HTPB-HDI-trimer binder, which had the long pot life, exhibited an accelerated trend in the viscosity buildup in the late phase. This feature is of great significance to improving the final properties of the products generated in propellant manufacturing and other fields. The cause of this phenomenon and the curing process of HTPB-HDI-trimer binder system were analyzed and discussed in the present study.

Sulfation of Wheat Straw Soda Lignin with Sulfamic Acid over Solid Catalysts

Soda lignin is a by-product of the soda process for producing cellulose from grassy raw materials. Since a method for the industrial processing of lignin of this type is still lacking, several research teams have been working on solving this problem. We first propose a modification of soda lignin with sulfamic acid over solid catalysts. As solid catalysts for lignin sulfation, modified carbon catalysts (with acid sites) and titanium and aluminum oxides have been used. In the elemental analysis, it is shown that the maximum sulfur content (16.5 wt%) was obtained with the Sibunit-4® catalyst oxidized at 400 °C. The incorporation of a sulfate group has been proven by the elemental analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The molecular weight distribution has been examined by gel permeation chromatography. It has been demonstrated that the solid catalysts used in the sulfation process causes hydrolysis reactions and reduces the molecular weight and polydispersity index. It has been established by the thermal analysis that sulfated lignin is thermally stabile at temperatures of up to 200 °C. According to the atomic force microscopy data, the surface of the investigated film consists of particles with an average size of 50 nm. The characteristics of the initial and sulfated β-O-4 lignin model compounds have been calculated and recorded using the density functional theory.

Sulfation of Wheat Straw Soda Lignin with Sulfamic Acid over Solid Catalysts

Soda lignin is a by-product of the soda process for producing cellulose from grassy raw materials. Since a method for the industrial processing of lignin of this type is still lacking, several research teams have been working on solving this problem. We first propose a modification of soda lignin with sulfamic acid over solid catalysts. As solid catalysts for lignin sulfation, modified carbon catalysts (with acid sites) and titanium and aluminum oxides have been used. In the elemental analysis, it is shown that the maximum sulfur content (16.5 wt%) was obtained with the Sibunit-4^® catalyst oxidized at 400 °C. The incorporation of a sulfate group has been proven by the elemental analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The molecular weight distribution has been examined by gel permeation chromatography. It has been demonstrated that the solid catalysts used in the sulfation process causes hydrolysis reactions and reduces the molecular weight and polydispersity index. It has been established by the thermal analysis that sulfated lignin is thermally stabile at temperatures of up to 200 °C. According to the atomic force microscopy data, the surface of the investigated film consists of particles with an average size of 50 nm. The characteristics of the initial and sulfated β-O-4 lignin model compounds have been calculated and recorded using the density functional theory.

Synthesis, crystal structure and in silico studies of novel 2,4-dimethoxy-tetrahydropyrimido[4,5-b]quinolin-6(7H)-ones

Herein, acetic acid mediated multicomponent synthesis of novel 2,4-dimethoxy-tetrahydropyrimido[4,5-b]quinolin-6(7H)-one (2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs) was reported. Single-crystal XRD analysis of four newly developed crystals of 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs and their DFT study were also reported. The structure of all molecules was optimized using DFT B3LYP/6-31G(d) level and compared with the corresponding single-crystal XRD data. As a result, the theoretical and experimental geometrical parameters (bond lengths and bond angles) were found to be in good agreement. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) and molecule electrostatic potential (MEP) analyses were used to investigate the physicochemical properties and relative reactivity of 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs. The formation of strong C–H⋯O and N–H⋯O interaction was investigated by Hirshfeld analysis. Furthermore, electronic charge density concentration in 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs was analysed by the Mulliken atomic charges which helps to predict the ability of 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs to bind in the receptor. The molecular docking of the crystal structure of 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs in the main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2 suggested that all four 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs efficiently docked in M^pro. Furthermore, 2,4-dimethoxy-THPQs with a 3-chloro substitution in the phenyl ring have the highest binding affinity because of the additional formation of halogen bonds and highest dipole moment.

Single-crystal XRD analysis of 2,4-dimethoxy THPQs and their relative reactivity with properties were investigated using DFT calculation. Molecular docking studies show they effectively docked with main protease of SARS-CoV-2.

Catalytic Sulfation of Betulin with Sulfamic Acid: Experiment and DFT Calculation

Betulin is an important triterpenoid substance isolated from birch bark, which, together with its sulfates, exhibits important bioactive properties. We report on a newly developed method of betulin sulfation with sulfamic acid in pyridine in the presence of an Amberlyst®15 solid acid catalyst. It has been shown that this catalyst remains stable when being repeatedly (up to four cycles) used and ensures obtaining of sulfated betulin with a sulfur content of ~10%. The introduction of the sulfate group into the betulin molecule has been proven by Fourier-transform infrared, ultraviolet-visible, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra contain absorption bands at 1249 and 835–841 cm−1; in the UV spectra, the peak intensity decreases; and, in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, of betulin disulfate, carbons С3 and С28 are completely shifted to the weak-field region (to 88.21 and 67.32 ppm, respectively) with respect to betulin. Using the potentiometric titration method, the product of acidity constants K1 and K2 of a solution of the betulin disulfate H+ form has been found to be 3.86 × 10–6 ± 0.004. It has been demonstrated by the thermal analysis that betulin and the betulin disulfate sodium salt are stable at temperatures of up to 240 and 220 °C, respectively. The density functional theory method has been used to obtain data on the most stable conformations, molecular electrostatic potential, frontier molecular orbitals, and mulliken atomic charges of betulin and betulin disulfate and to calculate the spectral characteristics of initial and sulfated betulin, which agree well with the experimental data.

Catalytic Sulfation of Betulin with Sulfamic Acid: Experiment and DFT Calculation

Betulin is an important triterpenoid substance isolated from birch bark, which, together with its sulfates, exhibits important bioactive properties. We report on a newly developed method of betulin sulfation with sulfamic acid in pyridine in the presence of an Amberlyst^®15 solid acid catalyst. It has been shown that this catalyst remains stable when being repeatedly (up to four cycles) used and ensures obtaining of sulfated betulin with a sulfur content of ~10%. The introduction of the sulfate group into the betulin molecule has been proven by Fourier-transform infrared, ultraviolet-visible, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra contain absorption bands at 1249 and 835–841 cm⁻¹; in the UV spectra, the peak intensity decreases; and, in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, of betulin disulfate, carbons С3 and С28 are completely shifted to the weak-field region (to 88.21 and 67.32 ppm, respectively) with respect to betulin. Using the potentiometric titration method, the product of acidity constants K₁ and K₂ of a solution of the betulin disulfate H⁺ form has been found to be 3.86 × 10^–6 ± 0.004. It has been demonstrated by the thermal analysis that betulin and the betulin disulfate sodium salt are stable at temperatures of up to 240 and 220 °C, respectively. The density functional theory method has been used to obtain data on the most stable conformations, molecular electrostatic potential, frontier molecular orbitals, and mulliken atomic charges of betulin and betulin disulfate and to calculate the spectral characteristics of initial and sulfated betulin, which agree well with the experimental data.

Food Xanthan Polysaccharide Sulfation Process with Sulfamic Acid

Xanthan is an important polysaccharide with many beneficial properties. Sulfated xanthan derivatives have anticoagulant and antithrombotic activity. This work proposes a new method for the synthesis of xanthan sulfates using sulfamic acid. Various N-substituted ureas have been investigated as process activators. It was found that urea has the greatest activating ability. BBD of xanthan sulfation process with sulfamic acid in 1,4-dioxane has been carried out. It was shown that the optimal conditions for the sulfation of xanthan (13.1 wt% sulfur content) are: the amount of sulfating complex per 1 g of xanthan is 3.5 mmol, temperature 90 °C, duration 2.3 h. Sulfated xanthan with the maximum sulfur content was analyzed by physicochemical methods. Thus, in the FTIR spectrum of xanthan sulfate, in comparison with the initial xanthanum, absorption bands appear at 1247 cm-1, which corresponds to the vibrations of the sulfate group. It was shown by GPC chromatography that the starting xanthan gum has a bimodal molecular weight distribution of particles, including a high molecular weight fraction with Mw > 1000 kDa and an LMW fraction with Mw < 600 kDa. It was found that the Mw of sulfated xanthan gum has a lower value (~612 kDa) in comparison with the original xanthan gum, and a narrower molecular weight distribution and is characterized by lower PD values. It was shown by thermal analysis that the main decomposition of xanthan sulfate, in contrast to the initial xanthan, occurs in two stages. The DTG curve has two pronounced peaks, with maxima at 226 and 286 °C.