Modified Corrections for London Forces in Solid-State Density Functional Theory Calculations of Structure and Lattice Dynamics of Molecular Crystals

Dual spectroscopic detection of THz energy modes of critical chemical compounds

Precise identification and sensing of organic and inorganic molecular systems are key factors in several applications in present industrial and scientific domains. While high energy modes, due to electronic interactions, are mostly impervious to the initial thermodynamic or chemical conditions, the low energy modes are sensitive to such alterations which makes them suitable for quality control purpose with sensitive spectral identification methods. Here we report for the first time, several low frequency peaks of specific nitrogen-based compounds and their derivatives, using the dual spectroscopic approach of Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and THz Raman Spectroscopy (THz-RS). Two different isomeric molecular systems have also been investigated to assess both the selectivity and specificity of low energy modes in their identification and spectral correlation in terms of molecular interactions. This information of low frequency modes can be utilized readily by pharmaceutical and agri-food industries, chemical engineering and crystal growth communities in identification, detection, quality control and industrial waste management.

Density functional theory predictions of the mechanical properties of crystalline materials

The DFT-predicted mechanical properties of crystalline materials are crucial knowledge for their screening, design, and exploitation.

Characterizing hydrogen bonds in crystalline form of guanidinium salicylate in the terahertz range

For pharmaceutical compounds with poor solubility, there is an effective method to address this dilemma without tampering their intrinsic chemical properties by forming weak hydrogen bonds. Guanidinium salicylate, which is a typical pharmaceutical salt with a complex crystal structure, was systematically investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy combined with density functional theory in order to obtain the complete information of weak hydrogen bonds. As a result of the influence of weak hydrogen bonds, there are substantial differences between guanidinium salicylate and its parent molecule (salicylic acid) in the experimental fingerprint spectra in the range of 0.2-2.5 THz, such as the number, amplitude and frequency positions of absorption peaks. With the help of isolated molecule density functional theory calculations, the possible sites of weak hydrogen bonds were determined by natural bond orbital analysis. It can be concluded that there is an intricate hydrogen bond network due to the polar distribution of molecular electrostatic potential. Furthermore, all THz absorption peaks were assigned to their corresponding vibrational modes and the complete information of the related hydrogen bonds (including type, role, angle, and bond length) was determined by using dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The results laid a good foundation for further study on the enhancement of solubility of pharmaceutical salts by forming weak hydrogen bonds.

Supervised walking exercise therapy improves gait biomechanics in patients with peripheral artery disease

OBJECTIVE

In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), supervised exercise therapy is a first line of treatment because it increases maximum walking distances comparable with surgical revascularization therapy. Little is known regarding gait biomechanics after supervised exercise therapy. This study characterized the effects of supervised exercise therapy on gait biomechanics and walking distances in claudicating patients with PAD.

METHODS

Forty-seven claudicating patients with PAD underwent gait analysis before and immediately after 6 months of supervised exercise therapy. Exercise sessions consisted of a 5-minute warmup of mild walking and stretching of upper and lower leg muscles, 50 minutes of intermittent treadmill walking, and 5 minutes of cooldown (similar to warmup) three times per week. Measurements included self-perceived ambulatory limitations measured by questionnaire, the ankle-brachial index (ABI), walking distance measures, maximal plantar flexor strength measured by isometric dynamometry, and overground gait biomechanics trials performed before and after the onset of claudication pain. Paired t-tests were used to test for differences in quality of life, walking distances, ABI, and maximal strength. A two-factor repeated measures analysis of variance determined differences for intervention and condition for gait biomechanics dependent variables.

RESULTS

After supervised exercise therapy, quality of life, walking distances, and maximal plantar flexor strength improved, although the ABI did not significantly change. Several gait biomechanics parameters improved after the intervention, including torque and power generation at the ankle and hip. Similar to previous studies, the onset of claudication pain led to a worsening gait or a gait that was less like healthy individuals with a pain-free gait.

CONCLUSIONS

Six months of supervised exercise therapy produced increases in walking distances and quality of life that are consistent with concurrent improvements in muscle strength and gait biomechanics. These improvements occurred even though the ABI did not improve. Future work should examine the benefits of supervised exercise therapy used in combination with other available treatments for PAD.

DFT Computed Dielectric Response and THz Spectra of Organic Co-Crystals and Their Constituent Components

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy has been put forth as a non-contact, analytical probe to characterize the intermolecular interactions of biologically active molecules, specifically as a way to understand, better develop, and use active pharmaceutical ingredients. An obstacle towards fully utilizing this technique as a probe is the need to couple features in the THz regions to specific vibrational modes and interactions. One solution is to use density functional theory (DFT) methods to assign specific vibrational modes to signals in the THz region, coupling atomistic insights to spectral features. Here, we use open source planewave DFT packages that employ ultrasoft pseudopotentials to assess the infrared (IR) response of organic compounds and complex co-crystal formulations in the solid state, with and without dispersion corrections. We compare our DFT computed lattice parameters and vibrational modes to experiment and comment on how to improve the agreement between theory and modeling to allow for THz spectroscopy to be used as an analytical probe in complex biologically relevant systems.

Intermolecular hydrogen bond stretching vibrations observed in terahertz spectra of crystalline vitamins

Intermolecular hydrogen bond stretching vibrations in the crystal of vitamins has several specific properties in the THz spectrum.

Modeling Polymorphic Molecular Crystals with Electronic Structure Theory

Interest in molecular crystals has grown thanks to their relevance to pharmaceuticals, organic semiconductor materials, foods, and many other applications. Electronic structure methods have become an increasingly important tool for modeling molecular crystals and polymorphism. This article reviews electronic structure techniques used to model molecular crystals, including periodic density functional theory, periodic second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory, fragment-based electronic structure methods, and diffusion Monte Carlo. It also discusses the use of these models for predicting a variety of crystal properties that are relevant to the study of polymorphism, including lattice energies, structures, crystal structure prediction, polymorphism, phase diagrams, vibrational spectroscopies, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Finally, tools for analyzing crystal structures and intermolecular interactions are briefly discussed.

Terahertz time-domain and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy of organic materials

With the ongoing proliferation of terahertz time-domain instrumentation from semiconductor physics into applied spectroscopy over the past decade, measurements at terahertz frequencies (1 THz ≡ 10(12) Hz ≡ 33 cm(-1)) have attracted a sustained growing interest, in particular the investigation of hydrogen-bonding interactions in organic materials. More recently, the availability of Raman spectrometers that are readily able to measure in the equivalent spectral region very close to the elastic scattering background has also grown significantly. This development has led to renewed efforts in performing spectroscopy at the interface between dielectric relaxation phenomena and vibrational spectroscopy. In this review, we briefly outline the underlying technology, the physical phenomena governing the light-matter interaction at terahertz frequencies, recent examples of spectroscopic studies, and the current state of the art in assigning spectral features to vibrational modes based on computational techniques.