Topological Characterization of Three-Electron-Bonded Radical Anions

A new mechanism for methane production from methyl-coenzyme M reductase as derived from density functional calculations

We propose a new DFT-based mechanism for methane production using the full F430 cofactor of MCR (methyl-coenzyme M reductase) along with a coordinated O=CH2CH2C(H)NH2C(H)O (surrogate for glutamine) as a model of the active site for conversion of CH3SCoM(-) (CH3SCH2CH2SO3(-)) + HSCoB to methane plus the corresponding heterodisulfide. The cycle begins with the protonation of F430, either on Ni or on the C-ring nitrogen of the tetrapyrrole ring, both of which are nearly equally favorable. The C-ring protonated form is predicted to oxidatively add CH3SCoM(-) to give a 4-coordinate Ni center where the Ni moves out of the plane of the four ring nitrogens. The movement of Ni (and the attached CH3 and SCH2CH2SO3(2-) ligands) toward the SCoB(-) (deprotonated HSCoB) cofactor allows a 2c-3e interaction to form between the two sulfur atoms. The release of the heterodisulfide yields a Ni(III) center with a methyl group attached. The concerted elimination of methane, where the methyl group coordinated to Ni abstracts the proton from the C-ring nitrogen, has a very small calculated activation barrier (5.4 kcal/mol). The NPA charge on Ni for the various reaction steps indicates that the oxidation state changes occur largely on the attached ligands.

Dissociation Mechanism of a Stable Intermediate: Perfluorohydroxylamine

The mechanism of dissociation of F2NOF has been studied using density-functional (B3LYP, BB1K, and MPWB1K) and wave function methods (CCSD). Variational transition state theory was used to calculate the rate constants for cis-F2NOF --> FNO + F2 (concerted), cis-F2NOF --> F2NO + F, and cis-F2NOF --> trans-F2NOF --> F3NO. Rate constants were also calculated for the dissociation of F2NOF by using transition state theory. The enthalpies of the transitions states (CCSD(T)/cc-pVQZ//B3LYP/6-311+G(d)) were very close to the enthalpy of separated F2NO + F radicals which implies temperature-dependent competition between concerted rearrangement and fragmentation-recombination. The picture is further complicated by the fact that F2NO undergoes fragmentation into FNO + F with a very low barrier. Thus, formation of F3NO, the global minimum on the potential energy surface, can only occur by a concerted process (not from F2NO + F). The data were fit to a temperature-dependent rate in the range 200-1000 K in the form k2 = 8.14 x 10(13) exp(-7860/T) s(-1), k(1) = 6.37 x 10(13) exp(-7855/T) s(-1), and k(10) = 1.42 x 10(12) exp(-7420/T) for cis-F2NOF --> FNO + F2 (concerted), cis-F2NOF --> F2NO + F, and cis-F2NOF --> F3NO, respectively. The calculated lifetime of cis-F2NOF at 298K is 2.5 x 10(-3) s via k1.

Bonding in Methylalkalimetals (CH3M)n (M = Li, Na, K; n = 1, 4). Agreement and Divergences between AIM and ELF Analyses

The chemical bonding in methylalkalimetals (CH(3)M)(n)() (M = Li-K; n = 1, 4) has been investigated by making use of topological analyses grounded in the theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) and in the electron localization function (ELF). Both analyses describe the C-M bond as an ionic interaction. However, while AIM diagnoses a decrease of ionicity with tetramerization, ELF considers tetramers more ionic. Divergences emerge also when dealing with the bonding topology given by each technique. For the methylalkalimetal tetramers, the ELF analysis shows that each methyl carbon atom interacts through a bond pair with each of the three hydrogen atoms belonging to the same methyl group and through an ionic bond with the triangular face of the tetrahedral metal cluster in front of which the methyl group is located. On the other hand, the AIM topological description escapes from the traditional bonding schemes, presenting hypervalent carbon and alkalimetal atoms. Our results illustrate that fundamental concepts, such as that of the chemical bond, have a different, even colliding meaning in AIM and ELF theories.

Comparative Study of the Bonding in the First Series of Transition Metal 1:1 Complexes M−L (M = Sc, ..., Cu; L = CO, N2, C2H2, CN-, NH3, H2O, and F-)

The nature of the chemical bonding in the 1:1 complexes formed by the fourth period transition metals (Sc, ..., Cu) with 14 electrons (N(2), CN(-), C(2)H(2)) and 10 electrons (NH(3), H(2)O, F(-)) ligands has been investigated at the ROB3LYP/6-311+G(2d) level by the ELF topological approach. The bonding is ruled by the nature of the ligand. The 10 electrons and anionic ligands are very poor electron acceptors and therefore the interaction with the metal is mostly electrostatic and for all metal except Cr the multiplicity is given by the [Ar]c(n)() configuration of the metallic core (n = Z - 20). The electron acceptor ligands which have at least a lone pair form linear or bent complexes involving a dative bond with the metal and the rules proposed previously for monocarbonyls hold. In the case of ethyne, it is not possible to form a linear complex and the cyclic C(2)(v)() structure imposed by symmetry possesses two covalent M-C bonds, therefore the multiplicity is given by the local core configuration [Ar]c(n)() for all metals except Mn and Ni.

Rates and Mechanisms for the Reactions of Chlorine Atoms with Iodoethane and 2-Iodopropane

The reaction of Cl atoms with iodoethane has been studied via a combination of laser flash photolysis/resonance fluorescence (LFP-RF), environmental chamber/Fourier transform (FT)IR, and quantum chemical techniques. Above 330 K, the flash photolysis data indicate that the reaction proceeds predominantly via hydrogen abstraction. The following Arrhenius expressions (in units of cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1)) apply over the temperature range 334-434 K for reaction of Cl with CH3CH2I (k4(H)) and CD3CD2I (k4(D)): k4(H) = (6.53 +/- 3.40) x 10(-11) exp[-(428 +/- 206)/T] and k4(D) = (2.21 +/- 0.44) x 10(-11) exp[-(317 +/- 76)/T]. At room temperature and below, the reaction proceeds both via hydrogen abstraction and via reversible formation of an iodoethane/Cl adduct. Analysis of the LFP-RF data yields a binding enthalpy (0 K) for CD3CD2I x Cl of 57 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1). Calculations using density functional theory show that the adduct is characterized by a C-I-Cl bond angle of 84.5 degrees; theoretical binding enthalpies of 38.2 kJ/mol, G2'[ECP(S)], and 59.0 kJ mol(-1), B3LYP/ECP, are reasonably consistent with the experimentally derived result. Product studies conducted in the environmental chamber show that hydrogen abstraction from both the -CH2I and -CH3 groups occur to a significant extent and also provide evidence for a reaction of the CH3CH2I x Cl adduct with CH3CH2I, leading to CH3CH2Cl formation. Complementary environmental chamber studies of the reaction of Cl atoms with 2-iodopropane, CH3CHICH3, are also presented. As determined by relative rate methods, the reaction proceeds with an effective rate coefficient, k6, of (5.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) at 298 K. Product studies indicate that this reaction also occurs via two abstraction channels (from the CH3 groups and from the -CHI- group) and via reversible adduct formation.

Perturbational relativistic theory of electron spin resonance g-tensor

We carry out a complete treatment of the leading-order relativistic one-electron contributions, arising from the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian, to the g-tensor of electron spin resonance spectroscopy. We classify the different terms and discuss their interpretation as well as give numerical ab initio estimates for the F2(-), Cl2(-), Br2(-), and I2(-) series, using analytical response theory calculations with a multiconfigurational self-consistent field reference state. The results are compared to available experimental data. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics

Stability, Metastability, and Unstability of Three-Electron-Bonded Radical Anions. A Model ab Initio Theoretical Study

The stability of O therefore O, N therefore N, S therefore S, P therefore P, and Si therefore Si three-electron bonds in anionic radicals isoelectronic to dihalogen radical anions is studied by means of ab initio calculations on model systems. The difficulty of generating the dissociation energy profiles of such anions and their rearrangement to neutral species is solved by a practical method which consists of calculating the neutral and anionic energy profiles separately and shifting the curves with respect to each other to match the experimental energy gap between the asymptotes. Here the neutral and anionic reaction profiles are calculated at the CASPT2 and MP2 levels, respectively. The calculations predict that the O therefore O bond is likely to be observed in anions of the type [RO therefore OR](*-), where R is any alkyl substituent or carbon chain. The anion Si(2)H(6)(*-) is found to be a metastable species, with a fair barrier to electron detachment. The barrier is much smaller for N(2)H(4)(*-) and P(2)H(4)(*-), thus precluding experimental observation. However, these species can be stabilized by electron-attractor substituents, the effect of which can be quantitatively estimated by means of the parent anion's diagrams and some fast complementary calculations. An example is given with the [CF(3)HN therefore NHCF(3)](*-) anionic complex.