Infrared Spectrum and UV-Induced Photochemistry of Matrix-Isolated 5-Hydroxyquinoline

Infrared Spectra and Phototransformations of meta-Fluorophenol Isolated in Argon and Nitrogen Matrices

Monomers of meta-fluorophenol (mFP) were trapped from the gas phase into cryogenic argon and nitrogen matrices. The estimated relative energies of the two conformers are very close, and in the gas phase they have nearly equal populations. Due to the similarity of their structures (they only differ in the orientation of the OH group), the two conformers have also similar predicted vibrational signatures, which makes the vibrational characterization of the individual rotamers challenging. In the present work, it has been established that in an argon matrix only the most stable trans conformer of mFP exists (the OH group pointing away from the fluorine atom). On the other hand, the IR spectrum of mFP in a nitrogen matrix testifies to the simultaneous presence in this matrix of both the trans conformer and of the higher-energy cis conformer (the OH group pointing toward the fluorine atom), which is stabilized by interaction with the matrix gas host. We found that the exposition of the cryogenic N₂ matrix to the Globar source of the infrared spectrometer affects the conformational populations. By collecting experimental spectra, either in the full mid-infrared range or only in the range below 2200 cm^-1, we were able to reliably distinguish two sets of experimental bands originating from individual conformers. A comparison of the two sets of experimental bands with computed infrared spectra of the conformers allowed, for the first time, the unequivocal vibrational identification of each of them. The joint implementation of computational vibrational spectroscopy and matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy proved to be a very accurate method of structural analysis. Some mechanistic insights into conformational isomerism (the quantum tunneling of hydrogen atom and vibrationally-induced conformational transformations) have been addressed. Finally, we also subjected matrix-isolated mFP to irradiations with UV light, and the phototransformations observed in these experiments are also described.

UV-induced -OCH3 rotamerization in a matrix-isolated methoxy-substituted ortho-hydroxyaryl Schiff base

A new methoxy-substituted ortho-hydroxyaryl Schiff base, 4-(3-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzylidene-amino) phenol was synthesized from 4-aminophenol and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde in methanol solution and characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and infrared spectroscopies and elemental analysis. The compound was isolated in a cryogenic (10 K) argon matrix, and the analysis of the infrared spectrum of the matrix-isolated compound revealed that it corresponds to the E-enol-imine isomeric form, with 3 different conformers being present in the matrix. These conformers share as common structural features the conformation of the free hydroxyl group (trans relatively to the para-substituent of the ring) and the presence of an OH^…N intramolecular H-bond involving the methoxy-substituted phenol ring and the azomethine bridge, while they differ in the orientation of the methoxy-substituent group. The structures and relative energies of the conformers of the molecule, and relevant barriers for their interconversion were obtained through quantum chemical calculations, which were also used to calculate the infrared spectra of the different forms. Calculations were also carried out for the higher-energy Z-enol-imine and keto-amine forms of the compound. Upon UV (230 nm) irradiation, -OCH₃ rotamerization was observed, leading to conversion of the lowest energy conformer, where the methoxy group is aligned with the plane of the ring, into the other two conformers initially present in the matrix, in which the OCH₃ group is out-of-the-plane of the ring. As for other phenolic compounds previously studied, spontaneous quantum mechanical tunneling conversion of the cis-OH conformers present in the gas-phase into the three observed conformers was found to take place during matrix deposition.

Conformational Space, IR-Induced, and UV-Induced Chemistry of Carvacrol Isolated in a Low-Temperature Argon Matrix

In this work, monomers of carvacrol (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol), a natural monoterpene exhibiting wide range bioactivity, were trapped in a cryogenic argon matrix and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, while quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP and MP2 levels were employed to characterize the conformational landscape of the isolated molecule. Four conformers have been localized on the potential energy surface, and the factors accounting for their relative stability were analyzed. The two most stable conformers of carvacrol, differing in the relative orientation of the isopropyl group and both having the OH group pointing away from the vicinal methyl fragment, were identified in the cryomatrix for the first time. The individual spectral signatures of the two conformers were distinguished based on the change in their relative abundance induced by exposing the matrix to broadband infrared light. Matrix-isolated carvacrol was also irradiated with broadband UV light (λ > 200 nm), which resulted in the cleavage of the OH group. Recombination of the released H atom at the ortho- or para-position of the ring resulted in the formation of alkyl-substituted cyclohexadienones. These were found to undergo subsequent valence and open-ring isomerizations, leading, respectively, to the formation of a Dewar isomer and open-chain conjugated ketenes. Decarbonylation of the photoproducts was also observed for longer irradiation times. A mechanistic analysis of the observed photochemical transformations is presented.

Structural Relevance of Intramolecular H-Bonding in Ortho-Hydroxyaryl Schiff Bases: The Case of 3-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino) Phenol

A new Schiff base compound, 3-(5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenol (abbreviated as BHAP) was synthesized and characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C- nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies. DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations were undertaken in order to explore the conformational space of both the E- and Z- geometrical isomers of the enol-imine and keto-amine tautomers of the compound. Optimized geometries and relative energies were obtained, and it was shown that the most stable species is the E-enol-imine form, which may exist in four low-energy intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded forms (I, II, V, and VI) that are almost isoenergetic. These conformers were concluded to exist in the gas phase equilibrium with nearly equal populations. On the other hand, the infrared spectra of the compound isolated in a cryogenic argon matrix (10 K) are compatible with the presence in the matrix of only two of these conformers (conformers II and V), while conformers I and VI convert to these ones by quantum mechanical tunneling through the barrier associated with the rotation of the OH phenolic group around the C–O bond. The matrix isolation infrared spectrum was then assigned and interpreted with help of the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) calculated infrared spectra for conformers II and V. In addition, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was performed on the most stable conformer of the experimentally relevant isomeric form (E-enol-imino conformer V) to shed light on details of its electronic structure. This investigation stresses the fundamental structural relevance of the O–H···N intramolecular H-bond in o-hydroxyaryl Schiff base compounds.

Reduction of sludge by a biodrying process: Parameter optimization and mechanism

Sewage sludge generated from chemical fiber plants is a hazardous waste with high disposal costs, and it is important to reduce the amount of sludge produced. In this study, a biodrying technology was controlled by thermophilic microorganisms to reduce and detoxify hazardous waste sludge. Ten batches of experiments were conducted under optimal parameters (i.e., under the conditions of a one-time feeding with the equipment temperature controlled at 60 °C, where the dosage of the microbial agent accounted for 4% of the dry weight of sludge) to evaluate the performance of the biodrying system reducing and detoxifying hazardous waste sludge under a continuous reaction. The results showed that the degree and rate of dehydration during the continuous reaction were 65.97% and 2.51%, respectively. The degrees of reduction for dry matter and toxic substances were 22% and 9%, respectively. The calorific value of sludge after treatment increased from 1678.53 J (later abbreviated as J) to 12256.17 J. The reduction effect in the pilot-scale experiment was 65%. Spectral analysis and microbial sequencing of the freeze-dried sludge advance our understanding of biodrying mechanisms and provide a foundation for the application of key technologies for the reduction and detoxification of hazardous waste sludge.

UV-promoted radical formation, and near-IR-induced and spontaneous conformational isomerization in monomeric 9-methylguanine isolated in low-temperature Ar matrices

Three low-energy isomers of 9-methylguanine, the amino-oxo (AO) form and two amino-hydroxy (AH1 and AH2) conformers, were trapped from the gas phase into low-temperature argon matrices. The AH1 and AH2 isomers, differing in the orientation of the OH group, were found to transform into each other upon excitation with near-IR light. The population of the AO form of the compound was not changed upon any near-IR irradiation of the matrix samples. Using monochromatic near-IR light, generated by a frequency-tunable laser source, it was possible to selectively induce the AH1 → AH2 or AH2 → AH1 conversion. Photoreversibility of this conformational transformation was then demonstrated. Exposure of matrix-isolated monomers of 9-methylguanine to broadband near-IR light also led to conformational conversions within the amino-hydroxy tautomeric form; the final stage of this process was always the same photostationary state independent of the initial ratio of AH1 and AH2 populations. Spontaneous conformational conversion, transforming the higher-energy AH2 form into the lower-energy AH1 isomer, was observed for matrix-isolated monomers of 9-methylguanine kept in the dark. The mechanism of this process must rely on quantum tunneling of the light hydrogen atom. Irradiation of matrix-isolated 9-methylguanine with UV laser light at λ = 288 or 285 nm led to a substantial consumption of the two AH forms, while the amount of AO isomer remained unchanged. On the other hand, a decrease in the population of the AO isomer occurred upon excitations at shorter wavelengths, λ = 280 or 275 nm. The spectral changes observed after UV-irradiation suggest the generation (and stabilization in the matrix) of a radical species, resulting from the photocleavage of the O-H or N1-H bonds, in the AH or AO isomer, respectively.

Bioactivation of Quinolines in a Recombinant Estrogen Receptor Transactivation Assay Is Catalyzed by N-Methyltransferases

Hydroxylation of polyaromatic compounds through cytochromes P450 (CYPs) is known to result in potentially estrogenic transformation products. Recently, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of alternative pathways such as aldehyde oxidases (AOX) or N-methyltransferases (NMT) in bioactivation of small molecules, particularly N-heterocycles. Therefore, this study investigated the biotransformation and activity of methylated quinolines, a class of environmentally relevant N-heterocycles that are no native ligands of the estrogen receptor (ER), in the estrogen-responsive cell line ERα CALUX. We found that this widely used cell line overexpresses AOXs and NMTs while having low expression of CYP enzymes. Exposure of ERα CALUX cells to quinolines resulted in estrogenic effects, which could be mitigated using an inhibitor of AOX/NMTs. No such mitigation occurred after coexposure to a CYP1A inhibitor. A number of N-methylated but no hydroxylated transformation products were detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, which indicated that biotransformations to estrogenic metabolites were likely catalyzed by NMTs. Compared to the natural ER ligand 17β-estradiol, the products formed during the metabolization of quinolines were weak to moderate agonists of the human ERα. Our findings have potential implications for the risk assessment of these compounds and indicate that care must be taken when using in vitro estrogenicity assays, for example, ERα CALUX, for the characterization of N-heterocycles or environmental samples that may contain them.

Thermally and vibrationally induced conformational isomerizations, infrared spectra, and photochemistry of gallic acid in low-temperature matrices

Near-infrared (near-IR) narrowband selective vibrational excitation and annealing of gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) isolated in cryogenic matrices were used to induce interconversions between its most stable conformers. The isomerizations were probed by infrared spectroscopy. An extensive set of quantum chemical calculations, carried out at the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) level of approximation, was used to undertake a detailed analysis of the ground state potential energy surface of the molecule. This investigation of the molecule conformational space allowed extracting mechanistic insights into the observed annealing- or near-IR-induced isomerization processes. The infrared spectra of the two most stable conformers of gallic acid in N2, Xe, and Ar matrices were fully assigned. Finally, the UV-induced photochemistry of the matrix isolated compound was investigated.