The effect of cooperative hydrogen bonding on the OH stretching-band shift for water clusters studied by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory

Myofibrillar proteins' intermolecular interaction weakening and degradation: Are they mainly responsible for the tenderization of meat containing l-arginine, l-lysine, or/and NaCl?

This study explored the effects of l-arginine, l-lysine, and NaCl alone and in combination on the tenderness of porcine meat. Arg, Lys, and NaCl alone improved the tenderness, decreased the cooking loss, and increased the myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) of porcine meat; Both Arg and Lys cooperated with NaCl to better achieve this effect. Furthermore, Arg/Lys collaborated with NaCl to increase muscle fiber swelling and moisture content of the meat and promoted the extraction of main myofibrillar proteins. FT-IR revealed that Arg, Lys, or NaCl alone or in combination caused changes in protein-water interactions. Western blotting revealed varying degrees of meat protein degradation in all cases, but the results did not well coincide with those of shear force and the MFI. Therefore, the weakening of intermolecular forces between myofibrillar proteins was considered the main reason for meat tenderization under the present study conditions.

Trimethylamine-N-oxide depletes urea in a peptide solvation shell

Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and urea are metabolites that are used by some marine animals to maintain their cell volume in a saline environment. Urea is a well-known denaturant, and TMAO is a protective osmolyte that counteracts urea-induced protein denaturation. TMAO also has a general protein-protective effect, for example, it counters pressure-induced protein denaturation in deep-sea fish. These opposing effects on protein stability have been linked to the spatial relationship of TMAO, urea, and protein molecules. It is generally accepted that urea-induced denaturation proceeds through the accumulation of urea at the protein surface and their subsequent interaction. In contrast, it has been suggested that TMAO's protein-stabilizing effects stem from its exclusion from the protein surface, and its ability to deplete urea from protein surfaces; however, these spatial relationships are uncertain. We used neutron diffraction, coupled with structural refinement modeling, to study the spatial associations of TMAO and urea with the tripeptide derivative glycine-proline-glycinamide in aqueous urea, aqueous TMAO, and aqueous urea-TMAO (in the mole ratio 1:2 TMAO:urea). We found that TMAO depleted urea from the peptide's surface and that while TMAO was not excluded from the tripeptide's surface, strong atomic interactions between the peptide and TMAO were limited to hydrogen bond donating peptide groups. We found that the repartition of urea, by TMAO, was associated with preferential TMAO-urea bonding and enhanced urea-water hydrogen bonding, thereby anchoring urea in the bulk solution and depleting urea from the peptide surface.

The strength of the OH-bend/OH-stretch Fermi resonance in small water clusters

A novel Raman jet-spectrometer is used to study the Fermi resonance between the OH bending overtone and OH stretching fundamental in small cyclic water clusters (H2O)n with n = 3, 4, 5. The new setup features a recirculating vacuum system which reduces the gas consumption by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude and enables long-term measurements of very weak Raman signals. Raman spectra measured from highly diluted expansions with unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio are presented and cluster-specific intensity ratios and effective coupling constants are derived using Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo methods, yielding a high probability for an almost "perfect" resonance for the tetramer and pentamer, i.e. a close frequency match of bend overtone and stretch fundamental with intensity ratios close to 1, but a larger coupling constant for the trimer, with best estimates close to W5 ≲ 50 cm-1 < W4 ≲ 60 cm-1 < W3 ≈ 65 cm-1.

Tuning the Microenvironment of Water Confined in Ti3C2Tx MXene by Cation Intercalation

The local microenvironment has recently been found to play a major role in the electrocatalytic activity of nanomaterials. Modulating the microenvironment by adding alkali metal cations into the electrolyte can be used to either suppress hydrogen or oxygen evolution, thereby extending the electrochemical window of energy storage systems, or to tune the selectivity of electrocatalysts. MXenes are a large family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides that have shown potential for use in electrochemical energy storage applications. Due to their negatively charged surfaces, MXenes can accommodate cations and water molecules between the layers. Nevertheless, the nature of the aqueous microenvironment in the MXene interlayer space is poorly understood. Here, we apply Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to probe the hydrogen bonding of intercalated water in Ti3C2Tx as a function of intercalated cation and relative humidity. Substantial changes in the FTIR spectra after cation exchange demonstrate that the hydrogen bonding of water molecules confined between the MXene layers is strongly cation-dependent. Furthermore, the IR absorbance of the confined water correlates with resistivity estimated by 4-point probe measurements and interlayer distance calculated from XRD patterns. This work demonstrates that cation intercalation strongly modulates the confined microenvironment, which can be used to tune the activity or selectivity of electrochemical reactions in the interlayer space of MXenes in the future.

Pressure-Induced Aggregation of Associating Liquids as a Driving Force Enhancing Hydrogen Bond Cooperativity

The behavior of hydrogen bonds under extreme pressure is still not well understood. Until now, the shift of the stretching vibration band of the X-H group (X = the donor atom) in infrared spectra has been attributed to the variation in the length of the covalent X-H bond. Herein, we combined infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experimental studies of two H-bonded liquid hexane derivatives, i.e., 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and 2-ethyl-1-hexylamine, in diamond anvil cells at pressures up to the GPa level, with molecular dynamics simulations covering similar thermodynamic conditions. Our findings revealed that the observed changes in the X-H stretching vibration bands under compression are not primarily due to H-bond shortening resulting from increased density but mainly due to cooperative enhancement of H-bonds caused by intensified molecular clustering. This sheds new light on the nature of H-bond interactions and the structure of liquid molecular systems under compression.

Exploring the Origins of the Intensity of the OH Stretch-HOH Bend Combination Band in Water

While the intensity of the OH stretching fundamental transition is strongly correlated to hydrogen-bond strength, the intensity of the corresponding transition to the state with one quantum of excitation in both the OH stretching and HOH bending vibrations in the same water molecule shows a much weaker sensitivity to the hydrogen-bonding environment. The origins of this difference are explored through analyses of the contributions of terms in the expansion of the dipole moment to the calculated intensity. It is found that the leading contribution to the stretch-bend intensity involves the second derivative of the dipole moment with respect to the OH bond length and HOH angle. While this is not surprising, the insensitivity of this derivative to the hydrogen-bonding environment is unexpected. Possible contributions of mode mixing are also explored. While mode mixing leads to splittings of the energies of nearly degenerate excited states, it does not result in significant changes in the sum of the intensities of these transitions. Analysis of changes in the partial charges on the hydrogen atoms upon displacement of the HOH angles shows that these charges generally increase with increasing HOH angle. This effect is partially canceled by a decrease in the charge of the hydrogen atom when a hydrogen bond is broken. The extent of this cancellation increases with the hydrogen bond strength, which is reflected in the observed insensitivity of the intensity of the stretch-bend transition to hydrogen-bond strength.

Water Film-Driven Brucite Nanosheet Growth and Stacking

Thin water films that form by the adhesion and condensation of air moisture on minerals can initiate phase transformation reactions with broad implications in nature and technology. We here show important effects of water film coverages on reaction rates and products during the transformation of periclase (MgO) nanocubes to brucite [Mg(OH)2] nanosheets. Using vibrational spectroscopy, we found that the first minutes to hours of Mg(OH)2 growth followed first-order kinetics, with rates scaling with water loadings. Growth was tightly linked to periclase surface hydration and to the formation of a brucite precursor solid, akin to poorly stacked/dislocated nanosheets. These nanosheets were the predominant forms of Mg(OH)2 growth in the 2D-like hydration environments of sub-monolayer water films, which formed below ∼50% relative humidity (RH). From molecular simulations, we infer that reactions may have been facilitated near surface defects where sub-monolayer films preferentially accumulated. In contrast, the 3D-like hydration environment of multilayered water films promoted brucite nanoparticle formation by enhancing Mg(OH)2 nanosheet growth and stacking rates and yields. From the structural similarity of periclase and brucite to other metal (hydr)oxide minerals, this concept of contrasting nanosheet growth should even be applicable for explaining water film-driven mineralogical transformations on other related nanominerals.

Enhanced Hydrogen Bonds of the (H2O)n (n = 4-8) Clusters Confined in Uranyl Peroxide Cluster Na20(UO2)20(O2)30

Water is a basic resource and an essential component of living organisms. It often exhibits some novel properties under confinement. The water clusters (H₂O)_n (n = 4-8) confined in the cavity of uranyl peroxide cluster Na₂₀(UO₂)₂₀(O₂)₃₀ (U₂₀) have been computationally investigated by using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations in this study. The results show that the confined water clusters can form hydrogen bonds with the internal oxygen atoms (O_uranyl) of U₂₀, and their conformations changed significantly. The average lengths (2.553-2.645 Å) of hydrogen bonds in confined (H₂O)_n are shorter than those (2.731-2.841 Å) in the corresponding free water clusters. Moreover, these confined hydrogen bonds show better hydrogen bond patterns according to the quantified indices. The natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations determine that there is electron transferring from the U₂₀ to its interior (H₂O)_n. It is the main reason for enhancing hydrogen bond interactions among the confined water molecules because their oxygen atoms are more negatively charged and their hydrogen atoms are more positively charged. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and interacting quantum atoms (IQA) analyses indicate that the confined hydrogen bonds are more covalent, based on the significant electron density ρ(r) and local energy density H(r) at the bond critical points (BCPs), and the stronger energies of interatomic exchange interactions (V_xc). These findings may help to promote the communication of confined water clusters and enrich the understating of confined hydrogen bonds.

Water binding and hygroscopicity in π-conjugated polyelectrolytes

The presence of water strongly influences structure, dynamics and properties of ion-containing soft matter. Yet, the hydration of such matter is not well understood. Here, we show through a large study of monovalent π-conjugated polyelectrolytes that their reversible hydration, up to several water molecules per ion pair, occurs chiefly at the interface between the ion clusters and the hydrophobic matrix without disrupting ion packing. This establishes the appropriate model to be surface hydration, not the often-assumed internal hydration of the ion clusters. Through detailed analysis of desorption energies and O-H vibrational frequencies, together with OPLS4 and DFT calculations, we have elucidated key binding motifs of the sorbed water. Type-I water, which desorbs below 50 °C, corresponds to hydrogen-bonded water clusters constituting secondary hydration. Type-II water, which typically desorbs over 50-150 °C, corresponds to water bound to the anion under the influence of a proximal cation, or to a cation‒anion pair, at the cluster surface. This constitutes primary hydration. Type-III water, which irreversibly desorbs beyond 150 °C, corresponds to water kinetically trapped between ions. Its amount varies strongly with processing and heat treatment. As a consequence, hygroscopicity-which is the water sorption capacity per ion pair-depends not only on the ions, but also their cluster morphology.

On the Short-Range Nature of Cooperativity in Hydrogen-Bonded Large Molecular Clusters

The variation in the hydrogen bond (HB) strength has considerable consequences on the physicochemical properties of molecular clusters. Such a variation mainly arises due to the cooperative/anti-cooperative networking effect of neighboring molecules connected by HBs. In the present work, we systematically study the effect of neighboring molecules on the strength of an individual HB and the respective cooperativity contribution toward each of them in a variety of molecular clusters. For this purpose, we propose a use of a small model of a large molecular cluster called the spherical shell-1 (SS1) model. This SS1 model is constructed by placingg the spheres of an appropriate radius centered on X and Y atoms of the X-H···Y HB under consideration. The molecules falling within these spheres constitute the SS1 model. Utilizing this SS1 model, the individual HB energies are calculated within the molecular tailoring approach-based framework and the results are compared with their actual counterparts. It is found that the SS1 is a reasonably good model of large molecular clusters, providing 81-99% of the total HB energy estimated using the actual molecular clusters. This in turn suggests that the maximum cooperativity contribution toward a particular HB is due to the fewer number of molecules (in the SS1 model) directly interacting with two molecules involved in its formation. We further demonstrate that the remaining part of the energy or cooperativity (∼1 to 19%) is captured by the molecules falling in the second spherical shell (SS2) centered on the hetero-atom of the molecules in the SS1 model. The effect of increasing size of a cluster on the strength of a particular HB, calculated by the SS1 model, is also investigated. The calculated value of the HB energy remains unchanged with the increase in the size of a cluster, emphasizing the short-ranged nature of the HB cooperativity in neutral molecular clusters.

Self-Activation of Inorganic-Organic Hybrids Derived through Continuous Synthesis of Polyoxomolybdate and para-Phenylenediamine Enables Very High Lithium-Ion Storage Capacity

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials with redox-active components were prepared by an aqueous precipitation reaction of ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM) with para-phenylenediamine (PPD). A scalable and low-energy continuous wet chemical synthesis process, known as the microjet process, was used to prepare particles with large surface area in the submicrometer range with high purity and reproducibility on a large scale. Two different crystalline hybrid products were formed depending on the ratio of molybdate to organic ligand and pH. A ratio of para-phenylenediamine to ammonium heptamolybdate from 1 : 1 to 5 : 1 resulted in the compound [C₆ H₁₀ N₂ ]₂ [Mo₈ O₂₆ ] ⋅ 6 H₂ O, while higher PPD ratios from 9 : 1 to 30 : 1 yielded a composition of [C₆ H₉ N₂ ]₄ [NH₄ ]₂ [Mo₇ O₂₄ ] ⋅ 3 H₂ O. The electrochemical behavior of the two products was tested in a battery cell environment. Only the second of the two hybrid materials showed an exceptionally high capacity of 1084 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 after 150 cycles. The maximum capacity was reached after an induction phase, which can be explained by a combination of a conversion reaction with lithium to Li₂ MoO₄ and an additional in situ polymerization of PPD. The final hybrid material is a promising material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications.

Thermodynamic and optical properties of HCOOH(H2O)n and HCOOH(NH3)(H2O)(n-1) clusters at various temperatures and pressures: a computational study

Density functional theory has been used to compute the gas-phase geometries, binding energies, ZPE-corrected binding energies, BSSE-corrected binding energies, binding enthalpies, and binding free energies of HCOOH(H₂O)_n and HCOOH(NH₃)(H₂O)_(n-1) clusters with n = 1-8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. Enthalpies and free energies are calculated for a range of atmospherically relevant temperatures (T) and pressures (P) (from T = 298.15 K, P = 1013.25 hPa to T = 216.65 K, P = 226.32 hPa). The optical properties of those clusters have been studied at the CAM-B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory.

Manifestation of hydration of Na+ and Cl- ions in the IR spectra of NaCl aqueous solutions in the range of 2750-4000 cm-1

This work is aimed at the study at studying the influence of the interaction of solvate shells on the profiles of the IR spectra of sodium chloride solutions in the 2750-4000 cm^-1 range. The IR spectra of distilled water and sodium chloride solutions were obtained with the limit (0.356 g per 100 g of water) and 50 % of the limit (0.178 g per 100 g of water) concentrations at a temperature of 21˚. Theoretical methods based on the use of the DFT approach with the XLYP exchange-correlation potential are used to calculate the profiles of the IR spectra of clusters containing 9 water molecules per one NaCl molecule at the limit concentrations of the solution. In the case when the cluster contained a NaCl molecule, the spectra were calculated for interacting and non-interacting solvate shells in which the number of H₂O molecules varied from 3 to 6. The expansion of the experimental band profile on a basis containing the profiles of the theoretical bands made it possible to study the features of NaCl hydration with a change in the concentration of solutions. It was found that the IR spectrum band is formed mainly by interacting Na⁺ and Cl^- solvation shells, each containing 4 H₂O molecules, while the ninth H₂O molecule provides the bond between the solvated ions. As the salt concentration increases, the contribution of the solvation shells to the band profile increases too. The agreement reached in the positions and profiles of experimental and theoretical water bands at different solution concentrations substantiates the adequacy of the theoretical description of NaCl hydration. Theoretical studies explained the effect of a decrease in the band width, an increase in the peak intensity, and a shift of its maximum toward higher wavenumbers with increasing solution concentration.

Hydrogen-Bond Configurations of Hydration Water around Glycerol Investigated by HOH Bending and OH Stretching Analysis

Toward a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of glycerol as a moisturizer, studies on the hydrogen-bond (HB) structure of hydration water, which is known to be disordered by glycerol, are insufficient. To this aim, we evaluated the HB configurations based on the HOH bending and OH stretching spectra of the hydration water from those of glycerol/water mixtures by subtracting the contributions of bulk water and glycerol using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. Analysis of the HOH bending band showed that hydration water-donating HBs lose the intermolecular bending coupling with increasing glycerol by replacing the water-water HBs with water-glycerol HBs. The OH stretching band provided more detailed insight into the HB configuration, indicating that the double-donor double-acceptor and double-donor single-acceptor configurations in bulk water change to a predominantly double-donor single-acceptor configuration in hydration water around glycerol. The formation of more donor HBs than acceptor HBs may be due to the steric constrains by glycerol and/or differences in the partial charge on the oxygen atom between water and glycerol.

Character of the OH Bend-Stretch Combination Band in the Vibrational Spectra of the "Magic" Number H3O+(H2O)20 and D3O+(D2O)20 Cluster Ions

The fundamental transitions that contribute to the diffuse OH stretching spectrum of water are known to increase in width and intensity with increasing red shift from the free OH frequency. In contrast, the profile of the higher-energy combination band involving the OH stretching and the intramolecular HOH bending modes displays a qualitatively different spectral shape with a much faster falloff on the lower-energy side. We elucidate the molecular origin of this difference by analyzing the shapes of the combination bands in the IR spectra of cryogenically cooled H₃O⁺(H₂O)₂₀ and D₃O⁺(D₂O)₂₀ clusters. The difference in the shapes of the bands is traced to differences in the dependence of their transition dipole matrix elements on the hydrogen-bonding environment. The fact that individual transitions across the combination band envelope have similar intensities makes it a useful way to determine the participation of various sites in extended H-bonding networks.

Infrared Spectra and Hydrogen-Bond Configurations of Water Molecules at the Interface of Water-Insoluble Polymers under Humidified Conditions

Elucidating the state of interfacial water, especially the hydrogen-bond configurations, is considered to be key for a better understanding of the functions of polymers that are exhibited in the presence of water. Here, an analysis in this direction is conducted for two water-insoluble biocompatible polymers, poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) and cyclic(poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate)), and a non-biocompatible polymer, poly(n-butyl acrylate), by measuring their IR spectra under humidified conditions and by carrying out theoretical calculations on model complex systems. It is found that the OH stretching bands of water are decomposed into four components, and while the higher-frequency components (with peaks at ∼3610 and ∼3540 cm^-1) behave in parallel with the C═O and C-O-C stretching and CH deformation bands of the polymers, the lower-frequency components (with peaks at ∼3430 and ∼3260 cm^-1) become pronounced to a greater extent with increasing humidity. From the theoretical calculations, it is shown that the OH stretching frequency that is distributed from ∼3650 to ∼3200 cm^-1 is correlated to the hydrogen-bond configurations and is mainly controlled by the electric field that is sensed by the vibrating H atom. By combining these observed and calculated results, the configurations of water at the interface of the polymers are discussed.

Weakly Bound Complex Formation between HCN and CH3Cl: A Matrix-Isolation and Computational Study

The matrix-isolated infrared spectrum of a hydrogen cyanide-methyl chloride complex was investigated in a solid argon matrix. HCN and CH₃Cl were co-condensed onto a substrate held at 10 K with an excess of argon gas, and the infrared spectrum was measured using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Quantum chemical geometry optimization, harmonic frequency, and natural bonding orbital calculations indicate stabilized hydrogen- and halogen-bonded structures. The two resulting weakly bound complexes are both composed of one CH₃Cl molecule bound to a (HCN)₃ subunit, where the three HCN molecules are bound head-to-tail in a ring formation. Our study suggests that─in the presence of CH₃Cl─the formation of (HCN)₃ is promoted through complexation. Since HCN aggregates are an important precursor to prebiotic monomers (amino acids and nucleobases) and other life-bearing polymers, this study has astrophysical implications toward the search for life in space.

Vibrational mode analysis of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs): synchrotron infrared studies

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are a promising class of porous crystalline materials for gas sorption and gas separation technologies that can be constructed under mild synthetic conditions. In forming three-dimensional networks of flexible hydrogen bonds between donor/acceptor subunits, these materials have displayed high stability at elevated temperature and under vacuum. Although the structural properties of HOFs are commonly characterized by diffraction techniques, new complimentary methods to elucidate phase behaviour and host-guest interactions at the molecular level are sought, particularly those that can be applied under changing physical conditions or solvent environment. To this end, this study has applied synchrotron far-IR and mid-IR spectroscopy to probe the properties of two known and one new HOF system assembled from tetrahedral amidinium and carboxylate building blocks. All three frameworks produce feature-rich and resolved infrared profiles from 30 to 4000 cm^-1 that provide information on hydrogen-bonded water solvent networks and the HOF channel topography via lattice and torsional bands. Comparison of experimental peaks to frequencies and atomic displacements (eigenvectors) predicted by high-level periodic DFT calculations have allowed for the assignment of vibrational modes associated with the aforementioned physicochemical properties. Now compiled, the specific vibrational modes identified as common to charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding motifs, as well as low frequency lattice and torsional bands attributed to HOF pore morphology and water-of-hydration networks, can act as diagnostic features in future spectroscopic investigations of HOF properties, such as those toward the design and tuning of host-guest properties for targeted applications.

Vibrational Signatures of HNO3 Acidity When Complexed with Microhydrated Alkali Metal Ions, M+·(HNO3)(H2O)n=5 (M = Li, K, Na, Rb, Cs), at 20 K

The speciation of strong acids like HNO₃ under conditions of restricted hydration is an important factor in the rates of chemical reactions at the air-water interface. Here, we explore the trade-offs at play when HNO₃ is attached to alkali ions (Li⁺-Cs⁺) with four water molecules in their primary hydration shells. This is achieved by analyzing the vibrational spectra of the M⁺·(HNO₃)(H₂O)₅ clusters cooled to about 20 K in a cryogenic photofragmentation mass spectrometer. The local acidity of the acidic OH group is estimated by the extent of the red shift in its stretching frequency when attached to a single water molecule. The persistence of this local structural motif (HNO₃-H₂O) in all of these alkali metal clusters enables us to determine the competition between the effect of the direct complexation of the acid with the cation, which acts to enhance acidity, and the role of the water network in the first hydration shell around the ions, which acts to counter (screen) the intrinsic effect of the ion. Analysis of the vibrational features associated with the acid molecule, as well as those of the water network, reveals how cooperative interactions in the microhydration regime conspire to effectively offset the intrinsic enhancement of HNO₃ acidity afforded by attachment to the smaller cations.

Temperature-Induced Change of Water Structure in Aqueous Solutions of Some Kosmotropic and Chaotropic Salts

The hydrogen bond structure of water was examined by comparing the temperature dependent OH-stretching bands of water and aqueous NaClO₄, KClO₄, Na₂SO₄, and K₂SO₄ solutions. Results called attention to the role of cations on top of the importance of anions determining the emerging structure of a multi-layered system consisting single water rings or multi-ring water-clusters.

How Substitution Combines with Non-Covalent Interactions to Modulate 1,4-Naphthoquinone and Its Derivatives Molecular Features-Multifactor Studies

Substitution is well-known to modulate the physico-chemical properties of molecules. In this study, a combined, multifactor approach was employed to determine a plethora of substitution patterns using –Br and –O-H in 1,4-naphthoquinone and its derivatives. On the basis of classical Density Functional Theory (DFT), 25 models divided into three groups were developed. The first group contains 1,4-naphthoquinone and its derivatives substituted only by –Br. The second group consists of compounds substituted by –Br and one –O-H group. As a result of the substitution, an intramolecular hydrogen bond was formed. The third group also contains –Br as a substituent, but two –O-H groups were introduced and two intramolecular hydrogen bonds were established. The simulations were performed at the ωB97XD/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory. The presence of substituents influenced the electronic structure of the parent compound and its derivatives by inductive effects, but it also affected the geometry of the 2 and 3 groups, due to the intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the formation of a quasi-ring/rings. The static DFT models were applied to investigate the aromaticity changes in the fused rings based on the Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA). The OH stretching was detected for the compounds from groups 2 and 3 and further used to find correlations with energetic parameters. The evolution of the electronic structure was analyzed using Hirshfeld atomic charges and the Substituent Active Region (cSAR) parameter. The proton reaction path was investigated to provide information on the modulation of hydrogen bridge properties by diverse substitution positions on the donor and acceptor sides. Subsequently, Car–Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD) was carried out in the double-bridged systems (group 3) to assess the cooperative effects in double –O-H-substituted systems. It was determined that the –O-H influence on the core of the molecule is more significant than that of –Br, but the latter has a major impact on the bridge dynamics. The competitive or synergic effect of two –Br substituents was found to depend on the coupling between the intramolecular hydrogen bridges. Thus, the novel mechanism of a secondary (cooperative) substituent effect was established in the double-bridged systems via DFT and CPMD results comparison, consisting of a mediation of the bromine substitutions’ influence by the cooperative proton transfer events in the hydrogen bridges.

The explicit role of electron exchange in the hydrogen bonded molecular complexes

We applied a set of advanced bonding descriptors to establish the hidden electron density features and binding energy characteristics of intermolecular DH∙∙∙A hydrogen bonds (OH∙∙∙O, NH∙∙∙O and SH∙∙∙O) in 150 isolated and solvated molecular complexes. The exchange-correlation and Pauli potentials as well as corresponding local one-electron forces allowed us to explicitly ascertain how electron exchange defines the bonding picture in the proximity of the H-bond critical point. The electron density features of DH∙∙∙A interaction are governed by alterations in the electron localization in the H-bond region displaying itself in the exchange hole. At that, they do not depend on the variations in the exchange hole mobility. The electrostatic interaction mainly defines the energy of H-bonds of different types, whereas the strengthening/weakening of H-bonds in complexes with varying substituents depends on the barrier height of the exchange potential near the bond critical point. Energy variations between H-bonds in isolated and solvated systems are also caused the electron exchange peculiarities as follows from the corresponding potential and the interacting quantum atom analyses complemented by electron delocalization index calculations. Our approach is based on the bonding descriptors associated with the characteristics of the observable electron density and can be recommended for in-depth studies of non-covalent bonding.

Photoluminescent Coordination Polymers Based on Group 12 Metals and 1H-Indazole-6-Carboxylic Acid

Two new coordination polymers (CPs) based on Zn(II) and Cd(II) and 1H-indazole-6-carboxylic acid (H2L) of general formulae [Zn(L)(H2O)]n (1) and [Cd2(HL)4]n (2) have been synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analyses, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that compound 1 possesses double chains in its structure whereas 2 exhibits a 3D network. The intermolecular interactions, including hydrogen bonds, C–H···π and π···π stacking interactions, stabilize both crystal structures. Photoluminescence (PL) properties have shown that compounds 1 and 2 present similar emission spectra compared to the free-ligand. The emission spectra are also studied from the theoretical point of view by means of time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations to confirm that ligand-centred π-π* electronic transitions govern emission of compound 1 and 2. Finally, the PL properties are also studied in aqueous solution to explore the stability and emission capacity of the compounds.

Role of Intermolecular Charge Fluxes in the Hydrogen-Bond-Induced Frequency Shifts of the OH Stretching Mode of Water

The relation between the vibrational properties and the electrostatic situations of the vibrating functional group is useful to predict vibrational spectroscopic features based on, for example, classical molecular dynamics of liquids or biomolecular systems, but to pursue its generality or the extent of applicability, it is required to understand the mechanisms giving rise to it. Here such an analysis is carried out for the OH stretching mode of water. By examining the correlations among various (structural, vibrational, and electrostatic) properties and by analyzing the spatial characteristics of the behavior of electrons occurring upon the vibration, it is shown that the dependence of the vibrational frequency and the dipole derivative of the OH stretching mode on the electric field is not of purely electrostatic origin, and the delocalized electronic motions occurring with this mode, called intermolecular charge fluxes, related to both the dipole first and second derivatives play important roles.

Isolating the Contributions of Specific Network Sites to the Diffuse Vibrational Spectrum of Interfacial Water with Isotopomer-Selective Spectroscopy of Cold Clusters

Decoding the structural information contained in the interfacial vibrational spectrum of water requires understanding how the spectral signatures of individual water molecules respond to their local hydrogen bonding environments. In this study, we isolated the contributions for the five classes of sites that differ according to the number of donor (D) and acceptor (A) hydrogen bonds that characterize each site. These patterns were measured by exploiting the unique properties of the water cluster cage structures formed in the gas phase upon hydration of a series of cations M⁺·(H₂O)_n (M = Li, Na, Cs, NH₄, CH₃NH₃, H₃O, and n = 5, 20-22). This selection of ions was chosen to systematically express the A, AD, AAD, ADD, and AADD hydrogen bonding motifs. The spectral signatures of each site were measured using two-color, IR-IR isotopomer-selective photofragmentation vibrational spectroscopy of the cryogenically cooled, mass selected cluster ions in which a single intact H₂O is introduced without isotopic scrambling, an important advantage afforded by the cluster regime. The resulting patterns provide an unprecedented picture of the intrinsic line shapes and spectral complexities associated with excitation of the individual OH groups, as well as the correlation between the frequencies of the two OH groups on the same water molecule, as a function of network site. The properties of the surrounding water network that govern this frequency map are evaluated by dissecting electronic structure calculations that explore how changes in the nearby network structures, both within and beyond the first hydration shell, affect the local frequency of an OH oscillator. The qualitative trends are recovered with a simple model that correlates the OH frequency with the network-modulated local electron density in the center of the OH bond.

Unusually strong hydrogen bond cooperativity in particular (H2O)20 clusters

Drawing upon an intuitive charge-transfer-based picture of hydrogen bonding, we demonstrate that cooperativity effects acting in concert can lead to unusually strong hydrogen bonds in neutral water clusters. The structure, vibrational, and NMR properties of a (H2O)20 pentagonal dodecahedron cluster containing such a strong hydrogen bond were studied using second-order perturbation theory and density functional theory. The hydrogen bond length was found to be shorter than 2.50 Å. A large redshift of over 2000 cm-1 with respect to the isolated water molecule was predicted for the OH stretching frequency of the donor water molecule. A large downfield shift to 13.5 ppm of the isotropic part of the 1H magnetic shielding tensor together with an unusually large shielding anisotropy of 49.9 ppm was obtained. The hydrogen bond energy was calculated using symmetry-adapted perturbation theory and was found to be more than three times stronger than a typical hydrogen bond in liquid water.

Structural Assessment of Hydrogen Bonds on Methylpentynol-Azide Clusters To Achieve Regiochemical Outcome of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions Using Density Functional Theory

This study was focused on the geometries and properties of the structural isomers obtained from a random walk of methylpentynol-HN₃ clusters. The theoretical aspects of hydrogen bonding effects on the discussed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) reactions [between methylpentynol (a) as a dipolarophile and azide (b) as a 1,3-dipole] have shown regioselective output concepts. The dipolarophile methylpentynol (a) was applied for the treatment of insomnia. Both methylpentynol (a) and azide (b) can be H-bond acceptor and H-bond donor agents. Because of this trait of them, structures of H-bonding arrays (c-f) and methylpentynol-azide clusters (g-m) can be probable. In this work, regioselectivity of the 1,3-DC reaction [between methylpentynol (a) as a dipolarophile and azide (b) as a 1,3-dipole] was determined based on these structures (c-m) using density functional theory (DFT). The energy levels of the reactants (a and b) and the structures of H-bonding arrays (c-f), methylpentynol-azide clusters (g-m), transition states, and products (1 and 2) were studied, and also, the free energies of the reaction (Δ_r G and ΔG ^#, in kcal mol^-1) and rate constants were determined using Eyring's equation (k). Structural data were calculated and obtained by the DFT/B3LYP method. Seven different basis sets have been used to obtain the most appropriate results from comparison of data.

Temperature Dependence of Intramolecular Vibrational Bands in Small Water Clusters

Cyclic water clusters are pivotal for understanding atmospheric reactions as well as liquid water, yet the temperature (T) dependence of their dynamics and spectroscopy is poorly studied. The development of highly accurate water potentials, such as MB-pol, partly rectifies this. It remains to account for the quantum nuclear effects (NQE), because quantum nuclear dynamics become increasingly inaccurate at low temperatures. From a practical point of view, we find that NQE can be accounted for simply by subtracting a constant from the frequencies obtained from the velocity autocorrelation functions (VACF) of classical nuclear dynamics, resulting in unprecedented agreement with experiment, mostly within 5 cm^-1. We have performed classical simulations of (H₂O)_n clusters (n = 2-5) from 20 K and up to their melting temperature, calculating both all-atom and partial VACF, thus generating the temperature dependence of the vibrational frequencies (IR and Raman bands). Focusing on the hydrogen-bonded (HBed) OH stretch and HOH bend, we find opposing T dependencies. The HBed OH modes blue shift linearly with T, attributed to ring expansion rather than any specific conformational change. The lowest-frequency Raman concerted mode is predicted to show the largest such shift. In contrast, the HOH bend undergoes a red-shift, with the highest frequency concerted band undergoing the largest red-shift. These results can be explained by a coupled-oscillator model for n hydrogen atoms on a ring, constrained to move either tangentially (stretch) or perpendicularly (bend) to the ring. With increasing temperature and weakening of HBs, the intrinsic force constant increases (stretch) or remains constant (bend), while the nearest-neighbor coupling constant decreases, and this results in the interesting behavior revealed herein. T-dependent Raman studies are required for testing some of these predictions.

Modeling the mobility of glyphosate from two contrasting agricultural soils in laboratory column experiments

Glyphosate (GLP) currently is one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide. The persistence of GLP and its major metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in the environment has been described by other authors. This study was aimed at comparing the GLP and AMPA behavior in sandy and loamy sand soils after spiking with enhanced (445 µg g-1) concentrations of GLP in herbicide KLINIK® (Nufarm, Austria) and bioaugmentation followed by 40 days weathering and a consistent three-stage leaching in a laboratory column experiment. Soil samples were obtained from mineral topsoil (0-10 cm) within former agricultural lands where soil parent material was formed by glacigenic deposits. The total amount of GLP and AMPA collected during three leaching stages was significantly (p<.05) higher from columns with sandy soil, compared to loamy sand soil. Bioaugmentation resulted in considerably lower concentrations of AMPA in leachates, especially in the sets with sandy soil (p=.01). Leachates were tested using FTIR spectroscopy and Daphnia magna. Statistical analysis of the changes in Ntot, Ctot, K+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ca2+, Mn2+ and Fe3+ concentrations in soils after the leaching experiment revealed that the loamy sand soil was likely to be more sensitive to the addition of GLP and bioaugmentation than sandy soil.

Deconstructing water's diffuse OH stretching vibrational spectrum with cold clusters

The diffuse vibrational envelope displayed by water precludes direct observation of how different hydrogen-bond topologies dictate the spectral response of individual hydroxy group (OH) oscillators. Using cold, isotopically labeled cluster ions, we report the spectral signatures of a single, intact water (H₂O) molecule embedded at various sites in the clathrate-like cage structure adopted by the Cs⁺·(D₂O)₂₀ ion. These patterns reveal the site-dependent correlation between the frequencies of the two OH groups on the same water molecule and establish that the bound OH companion of the free OH group exclusively accounts for bands in the lower-energy region of the spectrum. The observed multiplet structures reveal the homogeneous linewidths of the fundamentals and quantify the anharmonic contributions arising from coupling to both the intramolecular bending and intermolecular soft modes.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of intramolecular cooperativity in cyclic benzene trimer motif

A series of new symmetrical tripodal molecules 1a–4b with a central benzene scaffold substituted with methyl/ethyl groups and three benzimidazolyl units having a bithiophene/biphenyl/5-alkylthiophene motif at the 2-position via a –CH₂– unit were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, HR-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectral data reveal that all molecules adopt a cyclic benzene trimer (CBT) using three benzimidazolyl units. Intramolecular cooperative edge-to-face C–H⋯π interactions stabilize the CBT motif in solution and are strong in ethyl substituted molecules (1b–4b) compared to methyl substituted (1a–4a) ones. However, the strength of the CBT unit in the tripodal molecule is independent of the length of the substituent at the 2-position of the benzimidazolyl unit. The relative ¹H NMR chemical shift calculated at the MPW1PW91/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory corroborates the experimental values, and the calculations predict the distribution of the structures into syn isomers. The relative change in the NMR chemical shift is justified by the relative change in the magnitude of the (3,+3) critical point (CP) in the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) topography. Also, a linear correlation of the intramolecular C–H⋯π interactions evaluated at M062X/6-311+G(d,p) with the relative NMR chemical shift suggest the latter as a measure of intramolecular cooperativity.

A family of biaryl/alkylthiophene (R–R) benzimidazolyl-based tripodal molecules with cyclic benzene trimer (CBT) motif was synthesized and studied by NMR spectroscopy and MPW1PW91/6-311+G(d,p) theory.

Negative infrared bands-A new phenomenon in the vibrational spectroscopy of water oligomers

Infrared spectra of small amounts of water on the "hydrophobic" polymers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), include many negative infrared bands that become positive with increasing temperature. The new species that the bands represent must arise through absorption of the incident radiation to form short-lived femtosecond states that disappear by (a) induced (Einstein) emission, thus leading to negative IR bands, or (b) fragmentation with loss of vibrational energy or (c) are replaced by an infrared excited state. In addition, we must note that polyethylene, polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene carry water! and many water oligomers (chair, boat, and prism hexamer) are easily observed.

Decoding the spectroscopic features and time scales of aqueous proton defects

Acid solutions exhibit a variety of complex structural and dynamical features arising from the presence of multiple interacting reactive proton defects and counterions. However, disentangling the transient structural motifs of proton defects in the water hydrogen bond network and the mechanisms for their interconversion remains a formidable challenge. Here, we use simulations treating the quantum nature of both the electrons and nuclei to show how the experimentally observed spectroscopic features and relaxation time scales can be elucidated using a physically transparent coordinate that encodes the overall asymmetry of the solvation environment of the proton defect. We demonstrate that this coordinate can be used both to discriminate the extremities of the features observed in the linear vibrational spectrum and to explain the molecular motions that give rise to the interconversion time scales observed in recent nonlinear experiments. This analysis provides a unified condensed-phase picture of the proton structure and dynamics that, at its extrema, encompasses proton sharing and spectroscopic features resembling the limiting Eigen [H₃O(H₂O)₃]⁺ and Zundel [H(H₂O)₂]⁺ gas-phase structures, while also describing the rich variety of interconverting environments in the liquid phase.