1
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Mendolicchio M, Barone V. Unbiased Comparison between Theoretical and Experimental Molecular Structures and Properties: Toward an Accurate Reduced-Cost Evaluation of Vibrational Contributions. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2842-2857. [PMID: 38556752 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The tremendous development of hardware and software is constantly increasing the role of quantum chemical (QC) computations in the assignment and interpretation of experimental results. However, an unbiased comparison between theory and experiment requires the proper account of vibrational averaging effects. In particular, high-resolution spectra in the gas phase are now available for molecules containing up to about 50 atoms, which are too large for a brute-force approach with the available QC methods of sufficient accuracy. In the present paper, we introduce hybrid approaches, which allow the accurate evaluation of vibrational averaging effects for molecules of this size beyond the harmonic approximation, with special attention being devoted to rotational constants. After the validation of new tools for relatively small molecules, the β-estradiol hormone and a prototypical molecular motor have been considered to witness the feasibility of accurate computations for large molecules.
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2
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Uribe L, Di Grande S, Crisci L, Lazzari F, Mendolicchio M, Barone V. Accurate Structures and Rotational Constants of Steroid Hormones at DFT Cost: Androsterone, Testosterone, Estrone, β-Estradiol, and Estriol. J Phys Chem A 2024; 128:2629-2642. [PMID: 38530336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.4c00573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
A comprehensive analysis of the structural, conformational, and spectroscopic properties in the gas phase has been performed for five prototypical steroid hormones, namely, androsterone, testosterone, estrone, β-estradiol, and estriol. The revDSD-PBEP86 double-hybrid functional in conjunction with the D3BJ empirical dispersion and a suitable triple-ζ basis set provides accurate conformational energies and equilibrium molecular structures, with the latter being further improved by proper account of core-valence correlation. Average deviations within 0.1% between computed and experimental ground state rotational constants are reached when adding to those equilibrium values vibrational corrections obtained at the cost of standard harmonic frequencies thanks to the use of a new computational tool. Together with the intrinsic interest of the studied hormones, the accuracy of the results obtained at DFT cost for molecules containing about 50 atoms paves the way toward the accurate investigations of other flexible bricks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Uribe
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Crisci
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Mendolicchio
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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3
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Salta Z, Ventura ON, Rais N, Tasinato N, Barone V. A new chapter in the never ending story of cycloadditions: The puzzling case of SO 2 and acetylene. J Comput Chem 2024. [PMID: 38517313 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
A comprehensive study of the different classes of cycloaddition reactions ([3+2], [2+2], and [2+1]) of SO2 to acetylene and ethylene has been performed using density functional theory (DFT) and composite wavefunction methods. The [3+2] cycloaddition reaction, that was previously explored in the context of the cycloaddition of thioformaldehyde S-methylide (TSM) to ethylene and acetylene, proceeds in a concerted way to the formation of stable heterocycles. In this paper, we extend our study to the [2+2] and [2+1] cycloadditions of SO2 to acetylene, which would produce 1,1-oxathiete-2-oxide and thiirene-1,1-dioxide, respectively. One of the main conclusions is that cyclic 1,1-oxathiete-2-oxide can open through a relatively easy breaking of the SO single bond and rearrange toward sulfinyl acetaldehyde (SA). The SA molecule can easily undergo several internal rearrangements, which eventually lead to sulfenic acid and sulfoxide derivatives of ethenone, 1,2,3-dioxathiole, and CO plus sulfinylmethane. The most probable path, however, produces 2-thioxoacetic acid, whose derivatives (or those of the corresponding acetate) are usually obtained by Willgerodt-Kindler-type sulfuration of acetates. This product can in turn decompose, leading to the final products CO2 and H2CS. Comparison of this decomposition path with that of 2-amino-2-thioxoacetic acid shows that the process occurs through different H-transfer processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoi Salta
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
| | - Oscar N Ventura
- Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, CCBG, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nadjib Rais
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- IUSS Scuola Universitaria Superiore, Pavia, Italy
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4
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Romano E, Barone V, Budzelaar PHM, De Rosa C, Talarico G. Revisiting Stereoselective Propene Polymerization Mechanisms: Insights through the Activation Strain Model. Chem Asian J 2024:e202400155. [PMID: 38494455 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202400155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The stereoelectronic factors responsible for stereoselectivity in propene polymerization with several metallocene and post-metallocene transition metal catalysts have been revisited using a combined approach of DFT calculations, the Activation Strain Model, Natural Energy Decomposition Analysis and a molecular descriptor (%VBur). There are in most cases two different paths leading to the formation of stereoerrors (SE), and the classical model does not suffice to fully understand stereoregulation. Improving stereoselectivity requires raising the energies of both SE insertion transition states. Our analyses show that the degrees of deformation of the active site (catalyst+chain) and the prochiral monomer differ for these two paths, and between different catalyst classes. Based on such analyses we discuss: a) the subtle differences in SE formation between stereoselective catalysts with different ligand frameworks; b) the reason for exceptional stereoselectivity reported for a special ansa-metallocene catalyst; c) the (double) stereocontrol origin for isoselective catalysts; d) the electronic contribution for isoselective catalysts generating SE by a modification of the ligand wrapping mode during the polymerization. Although this study will not immediately suggest new catalyst structures, we believe that understanding stereoregulation in great detail will increase our chances of success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Romano
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138, Napoli, Italy
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di, Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Peter H M Budzelaar
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di, Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Claudio De Rosa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di, Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Talarico
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di, Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126, Napoli, Italy
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5
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D'Anania O, Romano E, Barone V, Talarico G. Predicting the propene stereoselectivity on transition metal catalysts: A daunting task for density functional theory. J Comput Chem 2024. [PMID: 38470153 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Thanks to recent developments in hardware and software, quantum chemical methods are increasingly used for interpreting the complex mechanisms underlying polymerization reaction by homogeneous catalysis. Unfortunately, the dimensions of even the smallest realistic models are too large to permit the use of state-of-the-art composite wave function methods. Under these circumstances, density functional theory still offers the best compromise between cost and accuracy. However, comprehensive benchmarks of different functionals are not yet available for this important research field. The main aim of the present paper is to fill this gap by performing an unbiased comparison of several density functionals and continuum solvent models for the stereo-control in the propylene polymerization on prototypical catalysts inducing different reaction mechanisms. While it was not possible to define a unique computational protocol providing the best results in all the situations, the B3PW91 functional in conjunction with D3 empirical dispersions and the solvent model density solvent model performs remarkably well for three out of the four investigated catalysts. Under such circumstances, it is recommended to compare the results delivered by different models when approaching additional classes of catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga D'Anania
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli, Italy
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Eugenio Romano
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli, Italy
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Talarico
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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6
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Lazzari F, Mendolicchio M, Barone V. Accurate Geometries of Large Molecules by Integration of the Pisa Composite Scheme and the Templating Synthon Approach. J Phys Chem A 2024; 128:1385-1395. [PMID: 38347709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c08382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
An effective yet reliable computational workflow is proposed, which permits the computation of accurate geometrical structures for large flexible molecules at an affordable cost thanks to the integration of machine learning tools and DFT models together with reduced scaling computations of vibrational averaging effects. After validation of the different components of the overall strategy, a panel of molecules of biological interest have been analyzed. The results confirm that very accurate geometrical parameters can be obtained at reasonable cost for molecules including up to about 50 atoms, which are the largest ones for which comparison with high-resolution rotational spectra is possible. Since the whole computational workflow can be followed employing standard electronic structure codes, accurate results for large-sized molecules can be obtained at DFT cost also by nonspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Lazzari
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Mendolicchio
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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7
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Barone V. Quantum chemistry meets high-resolution spectroscopy for characterizing the molecular bricks of life in the gas-phase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:5802-5821. [PMID: 38099409 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05169b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Computation of accurate geometrical structures and spectroscopic properties of large flexible molecules in the gas-phase is tackled at an affordable cost using a general exploration/exploitation strategy. The most distinctive feature of the approach is the careful selection of different quantum chemical models for energies, geometries and vibrational frequencies with the aim of maximizing the accuracy of the overall description while retaining a reasonable cost for all the steps. In particular, a composite wave-function method is used for energies, whereas a double-hybrid functional (with the addition of core-valence correlation) is employed for geometries and harmonic frequencies and a cheaper hybrid functional for anharmonic contributions. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of prototypical molecular bricks of life shows that the proposed strategy is close to the accuracy of state-of-the-art composite wave-function methods, and is applicable to much larger systems. A freely available web-utility post-processes the geometries optimized by standard electronic structure codes paving the way toward the accurate yet not prohibitively expensive study of medium- to large-sized molecules by experimentally-oriented researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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8
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Barone V, Lazzari F. Hunting for Complex Organic Molecules in the Interstellar Medium: The Role of Accurate Low-Cost Theoretical Geometries and Rotational Constants. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:10517-10527. [PMID: 38033327 PMCID: PMC10726368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c06649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
A new approach to computation at affordable cost of accurate geometrical structures and rotational constants for medium-sized molecules in the gas phase is further improved and applied to a large panel of interstellar complex organic molecules. The most distinctive feature of the new model is the effective inclusion of core-valence correlation and vibrational averaging effects in the framework of density functional theory (DFT). In particular, a double-hybrid functional in conjunction with a quadruple-ζ valence/triple-ζ polarization basis set is employed for geometry optimizations, whereas a cheaper hybrid functional in conjunction with a split-valence basis set is used for the evaluation of vibrational corrections. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of prototypical systems shows that the new scheme approaches the accuracy of state-of-the-art wave function methods with the computational cost of the standard methods (DFT or MP2) routinely employed in the interpretation of microwave spectra. Since the whole computational workflow involves the postprocessing of the output of standard electronic structure codes by a new freely available web utility, the way is paved for the accurate yet not prohibitively expensive study of medium- to large-sized molecules also by nonspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56125, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola Normale Superiore, di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56125, Italy
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9
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Barone V, Gaeta GL, Ghinoi S, Silvestri F. LEADER local action groups and inner areas. An Italian case study. Eval Program Plann 2023; 101:102357. [PMID: 37647823 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study we investigate marginality in European rural areas to understand how EU policies for local development can stimulate novel approaches to social innovation and economic growth. The method applied is a Social Network Analysis (SNA) on the call tenders of an Italian Local Action Group managing the LEADER programme in the Piacentino and Parmense Apennine (Emilia-Romagna). The implementation of the Inner Area Strategy in a part of the LEADER territory (11 out of the 59 municipalities of the LEADER area) allows to verify complementarities, interrelations and overlays between the two development policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta
- University of Naples L'Orientale, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Italy
| | - Stefano Ghinoi
- University of Greenwich, School of Business, Operations and Strategy, University of Helsinki, Department of Economics and Management, Trieste Laboratory on Quantitative Sustainability, Italy
| | - Francesco Silvestri
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Communication and Economics, CiMET, Trieste Laboratory on Quantitative Sustainability, Italy.
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Melosso M, Alessandrini S, Spada L, Melli A, Wang X, Zheng Y, Duan C, Li J, Du W, Gou Q, Bizzocchi L, Dore L, Barone V, Puzzarini C. Rotational spectra and semi-experimental structures of furonitrile and its water cluster. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:31281-31291. [PMID: 37955344 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03984f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Rotational spectroscopy represents an invaluable tool for several applications: from the identification of new molecules in interstellar objects to the characterization of van der Waals complexes, but also for the determination of very accurate molecular structures and for conformational analyses. In this work, we used high-resolution rotational spectroscopic techniques in combination with high-level quantum-chemical calculations to address all these aspects for two isomers of cyanofuran, namely 2-furonitrile and 3-furonitrile. In particular, we have recorded and analyzed the rotational spectra of both of them from 6 to 320 GHz; rotational transitions belonging to several singly-substituted isotopologues have been identified as well. The rotational constants derived in this way have been used in conjunction with computed rotation-vibration interaction constants in order to derive a semi-experimental equilibrium structure for both isomers. Moreover, we observed the rotational spectra of four different intermolecular adducts formed by furonitrile and water, whose identification has been supported by a conformational analysis and a theoretical spectroscopic characterization. A semi-experimental determination of the intermolecular parameters has been achieved for all of them and the results have been compared with those obtained for the analogous system formed by benzonitrile and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Melosso
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Spada
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Melli
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Xiujuan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Yang Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Chunguo Duan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Jiayi Li
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Weiping Du
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Qian Gou
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Daxuecheng South Rd. 55, 401331, Chongqing, China.
| | - Luca Bizzocchi
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Luca Dore
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
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Crisci L, Di Grande S, Cavallotti C, Barone V. Toward an Accurate Black-Box Tool for the Kinetics of Gas-Phase Reactions Involving Barrier-less Elementary Steps. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:7626-7639. [PMID: 37880932 PMCID: PMC10653117 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
An enhanced computational protocol has been devised for the accurate characterization of gas-phase barrier-less reactions in the framework of the reaction-path (RP) and variable reaction coordinate variational transition-state theory. In particular, the synergistic combination of density functional theory and Monte Carlo sampling to optimize reactive fluxes led to a reliable yet effective computational workflow. A black-box strategy has been developed for selecting the most suited density functional with reference to a high-level one-dimensional reference potential. At the same time, different descriptions of hindered rotations are automatically selected, depending on the corresponding harmonic frequencies along the RP. The performance of the new tool is investigated by means of two prototypical reactions involving different degrees of static and dynamic correlation, namely, H2S + Cl and CH3 + CH3. The remarkable agreement of the computed kinetic parameters with the available experimental data confirms the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach. Together with their intrinsic interest, these results also pave the way toward systematic investigations of gas-phase reactions involving barrier-less elementary steps by a reliable, user-friendly tool, which can be confidently used also by nonspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Crisci
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli
Federico II, Complesso Universitario di M.S. Angelo, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola
Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, I-80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavallotti
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, I-20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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12
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Barone V, Crisci L, Di Grande S. Accurate Thermochemical and Kinetic Parameters at Affordable Cost by Means of the Pisa Composite Scheme (PCS). J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:7273-7286. [PMID: 37774410 PMCID: PMC10601482 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
A new strategy for the computation at an affordable cost of geometrical structures, thermochemical parameters, and rate constants for medium-sized molecules in the gas phase is proposed. The most distinctive features of the new model are the systematic use of cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets, the addition of MP2 core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by a double-hybrid functional, the separate extrapolation of MP2 and post-MP2 contributions, and the inclusion of anharmonic contributions in zero-point energies and thermodynamic functions. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of prototypical systems shows that the new scheme outperforms the most well-known model chemistries without the need for any empirical parameter. Additional tests show that the computed zero-point energies and thermal contributions can be confidently used for obtaining accurate thermochemical and kinetic parameters. Since the whole computational workflow is translated in a black-box procedure, which can be followed with standard electronic structure codes, the way is paved for the accurate yet not prohibitively expensive study of medium- to large-sized molecules also by nonspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luigi Crisci
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola
Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
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13
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Di Grande S, Kállay M, Barone V. Accurate thermochemistry at affordable cost by means of an improved version of the JunChS-F12 model chemistry. J Comput Chem 2023; 44:2149-2157. [PMID: 37432050 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The junChS-F12 composite method has been improved by means of the latest implementation of the CCSD(F12*)(T+) ansatz and validated for the thermochemistry of molecules containing atoms of the first three rows of the periodic table. A thorough benchmark showed that this model, in conjunction with cost-effective revDSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ) reference geometries, offers an optimal compromise between accuracy and computational cost. If improved geometries are sought, the most effective option is to add MP2-F12 core-valence correlation corrections to CCSD(T)-F12b/jun-cc-pVTZ geometries without the need of performing any extrapolation to the complete basis set limit. In the same vein, CCSD(T)-F12b/jun-cc-pVTZ harmonic frequencies are remarkably accurate without any additional contribution. Pilot applications to noncovalent intermolecular interactions, conformational landscapes, and tautomeric equilibria confirm the effectiveness and reliability of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Di Grande
- Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli, Italy
| | - M Kállay
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-BME Quantum Chemistry Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-BME Lendület Quantum Chemistry Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - V Barone
- Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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14
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Barone V, Uribe Grajales LM, Di Grande S, Lazzari F, Mendolicchio M. DFT Meets Wave-Function Methods for Accurate Structures and Rotational Constants of Histidine, Tryptophan, and Proline. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:7534-7543. [PMID: 37665117 PMCID: PMC10510395 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c04227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
A new computational strategy has been applied to the conformational and spectroscopic properties in the gas phase of amino acids with very distinctive features, ranging from different tautomeric forms (histidine) to ring puckering (proline), and heteroaromatic structures with non-equivalent rings (tryptophan). The integration of modern double-hybrid functionals and wave-function composite methods has allowed us to obtain accurate results for a large panel of conformers with reasonable computer times. The remarkable agreement between computations and microwave experiments allows an unbiased interpretation of the latter in terms of stereoelectronic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lina Marcela Uribe Grajales
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola
Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola
Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Mendolicchio
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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15
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Barone V. Accurate structures and spectroscopic parameters of α,α-dialkylated α-amino acids in the gas-phase: a joint venture of DFT and wave-function composite methods. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:22768-22774. [PMID: 37591810 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02503a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Accurate computations of structural, conformational and spectroscopic properties in the gas phase have been performed for two α,α-dialkylated α-amino acids, namely aminoisobutyric acid and cyclopropylglycine. Thanks to the integration of modern double hybrid functionals and wave-function methods, several low-energy structures of the title molecules could be analyzed employing standard computer resources. The computed features of all the most stable conformers of the target amino acids closely match the corresponding spectroscopic parameters issued from microwave spectroscopic studies in the gas-phase. Together with their intrinsic interest, the accuracy of the results obtained with reasonable computer times paves the way for accurate investigations of other flexible bricks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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16
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Ballotta B, Martínez-Núñez E, Rampino S, Barone V. New prebiotic molecules in the interstellar medium from the reaction between vinyl alcohol and CN radicals: unsupervised reaction mechanism discovery, accurate electronic structure calculations and kinetic simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:22840-22850. [PMID: 37584420 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02571c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Vinyl alcohol (VyA) and cyanide (CN) radicals are relatively abundant in the interstellar medium (ISM). VyA is the enolic tautomer of acetaldehyde and has two low-lying conformers, characterized by the syn or anti placement of hydroxyl hydrogen with respect to the double bond. In this paper, we present a gas-phase model of the barrierless reactions of both VyA's conformers with CN employing accurate quantum chemical computations in the framework of a master equation approach based on the transition state theory. Our results indicate that both VyA conformers feature a similar reactivity with CN, starting with a barrierless addition to the double bond and followed by different isomerization, dissociation, and/or hydrogen elimination steps. The rate constants computed for temperatures up to 600 K show that several reaction channels are open even under the harsh conditions of the ISM, with the favoured one providing the first feasible formation route of a prebiotic molecule not yet detected in the ISM, namely cyanoacetaldehyde. This finding suggests looking for cyanoacetaldehyde in regions where both VyA and CN have already been detected, like, e.g., Sagittarius B2N or G+0.693-0.027.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Ballotta
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Emilio Martínez-Núñez
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultade de Química, Campus Vida, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sergio Rampino
- Università degli Studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
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17
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Barone V. PCS/Bonds and PCS0: Pick your molecule and get its accurate structure and ground state rotational constants at DFT cost. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:081102. [PMID: 37606326 DOI: 10.1063/5.0167296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
An unsupervised computational protocol is proposed with the aim of obtaining accurate structures of large molecules in the gas phase at the cost of standard density functional theory (DFT) computations. The whole workflow is fully automated and provides optimized equilibrium geometries and ground state rotational constants to be directly compared with experiments. The results for a panel of molecules of biological or medicinal interest show that the accuracy of the results delivered by the new tool at the cost of a single DFT geometry optimization is close to that delivered by state-of-the-art composite wavefunction methods for small semi-rigid molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa, Italy
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18
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Barone V, Di Grande S, Lazzari F, Mendolicchio M. Accurate Structures and Spectroscopic Parameters of Guanine Tautomers in the Gas Phase by the Pisa Conventional and Explicitly Correlated Composite Schemes (PCS and PCS-F12). J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:6771-6778. [PMID: 37535450 PMCID: PMC10440789 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c03999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
A general strategy for the accurate computation of structural and spectroscopic properties of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase is proposed and validated for tautomeric equilibria. The main features of the new model are the inclusion of core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by a double hybrid functional and the systematic use of wave-function composite methods in conjunction with cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets with separate extrapolation of MP2 and post-MP2 contributions. The resulting Pisa composite scheme employing conventional (PCS) or explicitly correlated (PCS-F12) approaches is applied to the challenging problem of guanine tautomers in the gas phase. The results are in remarkable agreement with the experimental structures, relative stabilities, and spectroscopic signatures of different tautomers. The accuracy of the results obtained at reasonable cost by means of black-box parameter-free approaches paves the way toward systematic investigations of other molecular bricks of life also by non-specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56126, Italy
- Scuola
Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, Napoli 80138, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 56126, Italy
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19
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Barone V. DFT Meets Wave-Function Composite Methods for Characterizing Cytosine Tautomers in the Gas Phase. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:4970-4981. [PMID: 37479680 PMCID: PMC10413851 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
A general strategy for the accurate computation of structural and spectroscopic properties of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase has been further improved and validated with a special reference to tautomeric equilibria. The main improvements concern the use of the cc-pVTZ-F12 basis set in both DFT and CCSD(T)-F12 computations, the inclusion of core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by double hybrid functionals, and the use of the cc-pVQZ-F12 basis set for complete basis set extrapolation at the MP2-F12 level. The resulting model chemistry is applied to the challenging problem of cytosine tautomers in the gas phase. The results are in remarkable agreement with experiment concerning both rotational and vibrational spectroscopic parameters and permit their unbiased interpretation in terms of structural and thermochemical features. Together with the intrinsic interest of the studied molecule, the accuracy of the results obtained at reasonable cost without any empirical parameter suggests that the proposed composite method can be profitably employed for accurate investigations of other molecular bricks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore
di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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20
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Barone V. Accuracy Meets Feasibility for the Structures and Rotational Constants of the Molecular Bricks of Life: A Joint Venture of DFT and Wave-Function Methods. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:5883-5890. [PMID: 37342967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
A fully unsupervised computational protocol is proposed with the aim of obtaining reliable structural properties for molecular bricks of life in the gas phase. The results of the new composite scheme approach spectroscopic accuracy at a moderate cost without any empirical parameter in addition to those of the underlying electronic structure method. The whole workflow is fully automated and provides optimized geometries and equilibrium rotational constants. Direct comparison with experimental ground state rotational constants can be performed thanks to the effective computation of vibrational corrections in the framework of second-order vibrational perturbation theory. The results for all the nucleic acid bases and several flexible molecules of biological or medicinal interest show that the accuracy of the new tool is close to that delivered by state-of-the-art composite wave function methods for small semirigid molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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21
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Barone V, Ceselin G, Lazzari F, Tasinato N. Toward Spectroscopic Accuracy for the Structures of Large Molecules at DFT Cost: Refinement and Extension of the Nano-LEGO Approach. J Phys Chem A 2023. [PMID: 37285168 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c01617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The SE100 database collecting accurate equilibrium geometries of medium size molecules obtained by the semiexperimental (SE) approach has been extended to species containing Br and I atoms. This has allowed the determination of accurate linear regressions between DFT and SE values for all the main bonds and angles involving H, B, C, N, O, F, P, S, Cl, Br, and I atoms. An improved Nano-LEGO tool has been developed, which is based on suitable hybrid and double hybrid functionals and combines in a fully coherent way the templating molecule and linear regression approaches. A number of case studies show that the new Nano LEGO tool provides geometrical parameters on par with state-of-the-art composite wave function methods, but can be routinely applied to medium- to large-size molecules. The accuracy reached for structural parameters is mirrored on rotational constants that can be predicted with an average error within 0.2%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giorgia Ceselin
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Tasinato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
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22
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Barone V, Lupi J, Salta Z, Tasinato N. Reliable Gas Phase Reaction Rates at Affordable Cost by Means of the Parameter-Free JunChS-F12 Model Chemistry. J Chem Theory Comput 2023. [PMID: 37255278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A recently developed strategy for the computation at affordable cost of reliable barrier heights ruling reactions in the gas phase (junChS, [Barone, V.; J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2021, 17, 4913-4928]) has been extended to the employment of explicitly correlated (F12) methods. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of prototypical reactions shows that the new model (referred to as junChS-F12), which employs cost-effective revDSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ) reference geometries, has an improved performance with respect to its conventional counterpart and outperforms the most well-known model chemistries without the need of any empirical parameter and at an affordable computational cost. Several benchmarks show that revDSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ) structures and force fields provide zero point energies and thermal contributions, which can be confidently used, together with junChS-F12 electronic energies, for obtaining accurate reaction rates in the framework of the master equation approach based on the ab initio transition-state theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lupi
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Zoi Salta
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Tasinato
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy
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23
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Barone V, Puzzarini C. Gas-Phase Computational Spectroscopy: The Challenge of the Molecular Bricks of Life. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2023; 74:29-52. [PMID: 36413540 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-082720-103845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gas-phase molecular spectroscopy is a natural playground for accurate quantum-chemical computations. However, the molecular bricks of life (e.g., DNA bases or amino acids) are challenging systems because of the unfavorable scaling of quantum-chemical models with the molecular size (active electrons) and/or the presence of large-amplitude internal motions. From the theoretical point of view, both aspects prevent the brute force use of very accurate but very expensive state-of-the-art quantum-chemical methodologies. From the experimental point of view, both features lead to congested gas-phase spectra, whose assignment and interpretation are not at all straightforward. Based on these premises, this review focuses on the current status and perspectives of the fully a priori prediction of the spectral signatures of medium-sized molecules (containing up to two dozen atoms) in the gas phase with special reference to rotational and vibrational spectroscopy of some representative molecular bricks of life. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Volume 74 is April 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician,” Universitá di Bologna, Bologna, Italy;
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24
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Barone V, Fusè M. Accurate Structures and Spectroscopic Parameters of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine in the Gas Phase: A Joint Venture of DFT and Composite Wave-Function Methods. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:3648-3657. [PMID: 37052318 PMCID: PMC10150396 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c01174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
A general strategy for the accurate computation of conformational and spectroscopic properties of flexible molecules in the gas phase is applied to two representative proteinogenic amino acids with aromatic side chains, namely, phenylalanine and tyrosine. The main features of all the most stable conformers predicted by this computational strategy closely match those of the species detected in microwave and infrared experiments. Together with their intrinsic interest, the accuracy of the results obtained with reasonable computer times paves the route for accurate investigations of other flexible bricks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Fusè
- DMMT-sede Europa, Università di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
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25
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Barone V, Fusè M, Aguado R, Potenti S, León I, Alonso ER, Mata S, Lazzari F, Mancini G, Spada L, Gualandi A, Cozzi PG, Puzzarini C, Alonso JL. Bringing Machine-Learning Enhanced Quantum Chemistry and Microwave Spectroscopy to Conformational Landscape Exploration: the Paradigmatic Case of 4-Fluoro-Threonine. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202203990. [PMID: 36734519 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A combined experimental and theoretical study has been carried out on 4-fluoro-threonine, the only naturally occurring fluorinated amino acid. Fluorination of the methyl group significantly increases the conformational complexity with respect to the parent amino acid threonine. The conformational landscape has been characterized in great detail, with special attention given to the inter-conversion pathways between different conformers. This led to the identification of 13 stable low-energy minima. The equilibrium population of so many conformers produces a very complicated and congested rotational spectrum that could be assigned through a strategy that combines several levels of quantum chemical calculations with the principles of machine learning. Twelve conformers out of 13 could be experimentally characterized. The results obtained from the analysis of the intra-molecular interactions can be exploited to accurately model fluorine-substitution effects in biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Barone
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Fusè
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Aguado
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia Parque Cientifico UVa, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S Potenti
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di "Chimica Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via F. Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - I León
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia Parque Cientifico UVa, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005, Valladolid, Spain
| | - E R Alonso
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia Parque Cientifico UVa, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S Mata
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia Parque Cientifico UVa, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005, Valladolid, Spain
| | - F Lazzari
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Mancini
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Spada
- SMART Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Gualandi
- Dipartimento di "Chimica Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via F. Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - P G Cozzi
- Dipartimento di "Chimica Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via F. Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - C Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di "Chimica Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via F. Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - J L Alonso
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia Parque Cientifico UVa, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005, Valladolid, Spain
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26
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Barone V, Fusè M, Lazzari F, Mancini G. Benchmark Structures and Conformational Landscapes of Amino Acids in the Gas Phase: A Joint Venture of Machine Learning, Quantum Chemistry, and Rotational Spectroscopy. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:1243-1260. [PMID: 36731119 PMCID: PMC9979611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c01143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The accurate characterization of prototypical bricks of life can strongly benefit from the integration of high resolution spectroscopy and quantum mechanical computations. We have selected a number of representative amino acids (glycine, alanine, serine, cysteine, threonine, aspartic acid and asparagine) to validate a new computational setup rooted in quantum-chemical computations of increasing accuracy guided by machine learning tools. Together with low-lying energy minima, the barriers ruling their interconversion are evaluated in order to unravel possible fast relaxation paths. Vibrational and thermal effects are also included in order to estimate relative free energies at the temperature of interest in the experiment. The spectroscopic parameters of all the most stable conformers predicted by this computational strategy, which do not have low-energy relaxation paths available, closely match those of the species detected in microwave experiments. Together with their intrinsic interest, these accurate results represent ideal benchmarks for more approximate methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy,
| | - Marco Fusè
- DMMT-sede
Europa, Universitá di Brescia, viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giordano Mancini
- Scuola
Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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27
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Barone V, Di Grande S, Puzzarini C. Toward Accurate yet Effective Computations of Rotational Spectroscopy Parameters for Biomolecule Building Blocks. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28020913. [PMID: 36677970 PMCID: PMC9863398 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of high-resolution rotational spectroscopy and quantum-chemical computations plays an invaluable role in the investigation of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase. However, quantum-chemical methods suffer from unfavorable scaling with the dimension of the system under consideration. While a complete characterization of flexible systems requires an elaborate multi-step strategy, in this work, we demonstrate that the accuracy obtained by quantum-chemical composite approaches in the prediction of rotational spectroscopy parameters can be approached by a model based on density functional theory. Glycine and serine are employed to demonstrate that, despite its limited cost, such a model is able to predict rotational constants with an accuracy of 0.3% or better, thus paving the way toward the accurate characterization of larger flexible building blocks of biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-50126 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: (V.B.); (C.P.)
| | - Silvia Di Grande
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-50126 Pisa, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, I-80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Rotational and Computational Spectroscopy Lab, Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
- Correspondence: (V.B.); (C.P.)
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28
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Barone V. Autobiography of Vincenzo Barone. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:9143-9146. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c07842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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29
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Cicolella A, Romano E, Barone V, De Rosa C, Talarico G. Metallocenes and Beyond for Propene Polymerization: Energy Decomposition of Density Functional Computations Unravels the Different Interplay of Stereoelectronic Effects. Organometallics 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.2c00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Cicolella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Eugenio Romano
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio De Rosa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giovanni Talarico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Napoli, Italy
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30
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Mendolicchio M, Bloino J, Barone V. Perturb-Then-Diagonalize Vibrational Engine Exploiting Curvilinear Internal Coordinates. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:7603-7619. [PMID: 36322968 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The present paper is devoted to the implementation and validation of a second-order perturbative approach to anharmonic vibrations, followed by variational treatment of strong couplings (GVPT2) based on curvilinear internal coordinates. The main difference with respect to the customary Cartesian-based formulation is that the kinetic energy operator is no longer diagonal, and has to be expanded as well, leading to additional terms which have to be taken into proper account. It is, however, possible to recast all the equations as well-defined generalizations of the corresponding Cartesian-based counterparts, thus achieving a remarkable simplification of the new implementation. Particular attention is paid to the treatment of Fermi resonances with significant number of test cases analyzed fully, validating the new implementation. The results obtained in this work confirm that curvilinear coordinates strongly reduce the strength of inter-mode couplings compared to their Cartesian counterparts. This increases the reliability of low-order perturbative treatments for semi-rigid molecules and paves the way toward the reliable representation of more flexible molecules where small- and large-amplitude motions can be safely decoupled and treated at different levels of theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Mendolicchio
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Largo S. Marcellino 10, Napoli I-80138, Italy
| | - Julien Bloino
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa I-56126, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa I-56126, Italy
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31
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Teale AM, Helgaker T, Savin A, Adamo C, Aradi B, Arbuznikov AV, Ayers PW, Baerends EJ, Barone V, Calaminici P, Cancès E, Carter EA, Chattaraj PK, Chermette H, Ciofini I, Crawford TD, De Proft F, Dobson JF, Draxl C, Frauenheim T, Fromager E, Fuentealba P, Gagliardi L, Galli G, Gao J, Geerlings P, Gidopoulos N, Gill PMW, Gori-Giorgi P, Görling A, Gould T, Grimme S, Gritsenko O, Jensen HJA, Johnson ER, Jones RO, Kaupp M, Köster AM, Kronik L, Krylov AI, Kvaal S, Laestadius A, Levy M, Lewin M, Liu S, Loos PF, Maitra NT, Neese F, Perdew JP, Pernal K, Pernot P, Piecuch P, Rebolini E, Reining L, Romaniello P, Ruzsinszky A, Salahub DR, Scheffler M, Schwerdtfeger P, Staroverov VN, Sun J, Tellgren E, Tozer DJ, Trickey SB, Ullrich CA, Vela A, Vignale G, Wesolowski TA, Xu X, Yang W. DFT exchange: sharing perspectives on the workhorse of quantum chemistry and materials science. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:28700-28781. [PMID: 36269074 PMCID: PMC9728646 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02827a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, the history, present status, and future of density-functional theory (DFT) is informally reviewed and discussed by 70 workers in the field, including molecular scientists, materials scientists, method developers and practitioners. The format of the paper is that of a roundtable discussion, in which the participants express and exchange views on DFT in the form of 302 individual contributions, formulated as responses to a preset list of 26 questions. Supported by a bibliography of 777 entries, the paper represents a broad snapshot of DFT, anno 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Teale
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University ParkNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Trygve Helgaker
- Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Andreas Savin
- Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, CNRS and Sorbonne University, 4 Place Jussieu, CEDEX 05, 75252 Paris, France.
| | - Carlo Adamo
- PSL University, CNRS, ChimieParisTech-PSL, Institute of Chemistry for Health and Life Sciences, i-CLeHS, 11 rue P. et M. Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Bálint Aradi
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, D-28334 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Alexei V. Arbuznikov
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Theoretische Chemie/Quantenchemie, Sekr. C7Straße des 17. Juni 13510623Berlin
| | | | - Evert Jan Baerends
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56125 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Patrizia Calaminici
- Departamento de Química, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), CDMX, 07360, Mexico.
| | - Eric Cancès
- CERMICS, Ecole des Ponts and Inria Paris, 6 Avenue Blaise Pascal, 77455 Marne-la-Vallée, France.
| | - Emily A. Carter
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton UniversityPrincetonNJ 08544-5263USA
| | | | - Henry Chermette
- Institut Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5280, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Ilaria Ciofini
- PSL University, CNRS, ChimieParisTech-PSL, Institute of Chemistry for Health and Life Sciences, i-CLeHS, 11 rue P. et M. Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - T. Daniel Crawford
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia TechBlacksburgVA 24061USA,Molecular Sciences Software InstituteBlacksburgVA 24060USA
| | - Frank De Proft
- Research Group of General Chemistry (ALGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | | | - Claudia Draxl
- Institut für Physik and IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489 Berlin, Germany. .,Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Frauenheim
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, D-28334 Bremen, Germany. .,Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC), 100193 Beijing, China.,Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, 518110 Shenzhen, China
| | - Emmanuel Fromager
- Laboratoire de Chimie Quantique, Institut de Chimie, CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Patricio Fuentealba
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Laura Gagliardi
- Department of Chemistry, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The James Franck Institute, and Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
| | - Giulia Galli
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Jiali Gao
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul Geerlings
- Research Group of General Chemistry (ALGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Nikitas Gidopoulos
- Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Peter M. W. Gill
- School of Chemistry, University of SydneyCamperdown NSW 2006Australia
| | - Paola Gori-Giorgi
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Andreas Görling
- Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Egerlandstrasse 3, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Tim Gould
- Qld Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld 4222, Australia.
| | - Stefan Grimme
- Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Beringstrasse 4, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Oleg Gritsenko
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Hans Jørgen Aagaard Jensen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark.
| | - Erin R. Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaB3H 4R2Canada
| | - Robert O. Jones
- Peter Grünberg Institut PGI-1, Forschungszentrum Jülich52425 JülichGermany
| | - Martin Kaupp
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Theoretische Chemie/Quantenchemie, Sekr. C7, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin.
| | - Andreas M. Köster
- Departamento de Química, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav)CDMX07360Mexico
| | - Leeor Kronik
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovoth, 76100, Israel.
| | - Anna I. Krylov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia 90089USA
| | - Simen Kvaal
- Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Andre Laestadius
- Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Mel Levy
- Department of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118, USA.
| | - Mathieu Lewin
- CNRS & CEREMADE, Université Paris-Dauphine, PSL Research University, Place de Lattre de Tassigny, 75016 Paris, France.
| | - Shubin Liu
- Research Computing Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3420, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA
| | - Pierre-François Loos
- Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantiques (UMR 5626), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France.
| | - Neepa T. Maitra
- Department of Physics, Rutgers University at Newark101 Warren StreetNewarkNJ 07102USA
| | - Frank Neese
- Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser Wilhelm Platz 1, D-45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
| | - John P. Perdew
- Departments of Physics and Chemistry, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaPA 19122USA
| | - Katarzyna Pernal
- Institute of Physics, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Wolczanska 219, 90-924 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Pascal Pernot
- Institut de Chimie Physique, UMR8000, CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay, Bât. 349, Campus d'Orsay, 91405 Orsay, France.
| | - Piotr Piecuch
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. .,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Elisa Rebolini
- Institut Laue Langevin, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Lucia Reining
- Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, CNRS, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, F-91120 Palaiseau, France. .,European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility
| | - Pina Romaniello
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique (UMR 5152), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France.
| | - Adrienn Ruzsinszky
- Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA.
| | - Dennis R. Salahub
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics and Astronomy, CMS – Centre for Molecular Simulation, IQST – Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, Quantum Alberta, University of Calgary2500 University Drive NWCalgaryAlbertaT2N 1N4Canada
| | - Matthias Scheffler
- The NOMAD Laboratory at the FHI of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft and IRIS-Adlershof of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195, Germany.
| | - Peter Schwerdtfeger
- Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics, The New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study, Massey University Auckland, 0632 Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Viktor N. Staroverov
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western OntarioLondonOntario N6A 5B7Canada
| | - Jianwei Sun
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
| | - Erik Tellgren
- Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
| | - David J. Tozer
- Department of Chemistry, Durham UniversitySouth RoadDurhamDH1 3LEUK
| | - Samuel B. Trickey
- Quantum Theory Project, Deptartment of Physics, University of FloridaGainesvilleFL 32611USA
| | - Carsten A. Ullrich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of MissouriColumbiaMO 65211USA
| | - Alberto Vela
- Departamento de Química, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), CDMX, 07360, Mexico.
| | - Giovanni Vignale
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65203, USA.
| | - Tomasz A. Wesolowski
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Université de Genève30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet1211 GenèveSwitzerland
| | - Xin Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovation Materials, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemistry for Energy Materials, MOE Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Weitao Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27516, USA.
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Recio P, Alessandrini S, Vanuzzo G, Pannacci G, Baggioli A, Marchione D, Caracciolo A, Murray VJ, Casavecchia P, Balucani N, Cavallotti C, Puzzarini C, Barone V. Intersystem crossing in the entrance channel of the reaction of O( 3P) with pyridine. Nat Chem 2022; 14:1405-1412. [PMID: 36175514 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Two quantum effects can enable reactions to take place at energies below the barrier separating reactants from products: tunnelling and intersystem crossing between coupled potential energy surfaces. Here we show that intersystem crossing in the region between the pre-reactive complex and the reaction barrier can control the rate of bimolecular reactions for weakly coupled potential energy surfaces, even in the absence of heavy atoms. For O(3P) plus pyridine, a reaction relevant to combustion, astrochemistry and biochemistry, crossed-beam experiments indicate that the dominant products are pyrrole and CO, obtained through a spin-forbidden ring-contraction mechanism. The experimental findings are interpreted-by high-level quantum-chemical calculations and statistical non-adiabatic computations of branching fractions-in terms of an efficient intersystem crossing occurring before the high entrance barrier for O-atom addition to the N-atom lone pair. At low to moderate temperatures, the computed reaction rates prove to be dominated by intersystem crossing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Recio
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica 'Giacomo Ciamician', University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Vanuzzo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pannacci
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alberto Baggioli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Demian Marchione
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Adriana Caracciolo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Vanessa J Murray
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Piergiorgio Casavecchia
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Nadia Balucani
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Carlo Cavallotti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'Giulio Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica 'Giacomo Ciamician', University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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33
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Falbo E, Fusè M, Lazzari F, Mancini G, Barone V. Integration of Quantum Chemistry, Statistical Mechanics, and Artificial Intelligence for Computational Spectroscopy: The UV-Vis Spectrum of TEMPO Radical in Different Solvents. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:6203-6216. [PMID: 36166322 PMCID: PMC9558374 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ongoing integration of quantum chemistry, statistical
mechanics,
and artificial intelligence is paving the route toward more effective
and accurate strategies for the investigation of the spectroscopic
properties of medium-to-large size chromophores in condensed phases.
In this context we are developing a novel workflow aimed at improving
the generality, reliability, and ease of use of the available computational
tools. In this paper we report our latest developments with specific
reference to unsupervised atomistic simulations employing non periodic
boundary conditions (NPBC) followed by clustering of the trajectories
employing optimized feature spaces. Next accurate variational computations
are performed for a representative point of each cluster, whereas
intracluster fluctuations are taken into account by a cheap yet reliable
perturbative approach. A number of methodological improvements have
been introduced including, e.g., more realistic reaction field effects
at the outer boundary of the simulation sphere, automatic definition
of the feature space by continuous perception of solute–solvent
interactions, full account of polarization and charge transfer in
the first solvation shell, and inclusion of vibronic contributions.
After its validation, this new approach has been applied to the challenging
case of solvatochromic effects on the UV–vis spectra of a prototypical
nitroxide radical (TEMPO) in different solvents. The reliability,
effectiveness, and robustness of the new platform is demonstrated
by the remarkable agreement with experiment of the results obtained
through an unsupervised approach characterized by a strongly reduced
computational cost as compared to that of conventional quantum mechanics
and molecular mechanics models without any accuracy reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Falbo
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Fusè
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale, Università di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Federico Lazzari
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giordano Mancini
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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34
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León I, Fusè M, Alonso ER, Mata S, Mancini G, Puzzarini C, Alonso JL, Barone V. Unbiased disentanglement of conformational baths with the help of microwave spectroscopy, quantum chemistry and artificial intelligence: the puzzling case of homocysteine. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:074107. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0102841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An integrated experimental-computational strategy for the accurate characterization of the conformational landscape of flexible biomolecule building blocks is proposed. This is based on the combination of rotational spectroscopy with quantum-chemical computations guided by artificial intelligence tools. The first step of the strategy is the conformer search and relative stability evaluation performed by means of an evolutionary algorithm. In this step, last generation semiempirical methods are exploited together with hybrid and double-hybrid density functionals. Next, the barriers ruling the interconversion between the low-lying conformers are evaluated in order to unravel possible fast relaxation paths. The relative stabilities and spectroscopic parameters of the ``surviving' conformers are then refined using state-of-the-art composite schemes. The reliability of the computational procedure is further improved by the inclusion of vibrational and thermal effects. The final step of the strategy is the comparison between experiment and theory without any ad hoc adjustment, which allows an unbiased assignment of the spectroscopic features in terms of different conformers and their spectroscopic parameters. The proposed approach has been tested and validated for homocysteine, a highly flexible non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid. The synergism of the integrated strategy allowed the characterization of five conformers stabilized by bifurcated N-H-O=C hydrogen bonds, together with an additional conformer involving a more conventional HNH-O hydrogen bond. The stability order estimated from the experimental intensities as well as the number and type of conformers observed in the gas phase are in full agreement with the theoretical predictions. Analogously, a good match has been found for the spectroscopic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iker León
- Universidad de Valladolid - Campus Miguel Delibes, Spain
| | | | - Elena R. Alonso
- Química Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
| | - Santiago Mata
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM). Edificio Quifima. Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia. Unidad Asociada CSIC, Parque Científico Uva, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
| | | | | | - Jose L. Alonso
- Grupo de Espectroscopia Molecular (GEM). Edificio Quifima. Laboratorios de Espectroscopia y Bioespectroscopia, Universidad de Valladolid Departamento Química Física y Química Inorgánica, Spain
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35
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Salta Z, Vega-Teijido M, Katz A, Tasinato N, Barone V, Ventura ON. Dipolar 1,3-cycloaddition of thioformaldehyde S-methylide (CH 2 SCH 2 ) to ethylene and acetylene. A comparison with (valence) isoelectronic O 3 , SO 2 , CH 2 OO and CH 2 SO. J Comput Chem 2022; 43:1420-1433. [PMID: 35662073 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Methods rooted in the density functional theory and in the coupled cluster ansatz were employed to investigate the cycloaddition reactions to ethylene and acetylene of 1,3-dipolar species including ozone and the derivatives issued from replacement of the central oxygen atom by the valence-isoelectronic sulfur atom, and/or of one or both terminal oxygen atoms by the isoelectronic CH2 group. This gives rise to five different 1,3-dipolar compounds, namely ozone itself (O3 ), sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2 OO), sulfine (CH2 SO), and thioformaldehyde S-methylide (CH2 SCH2 , TSM). The experimental and accurate theoretical data available for some of those molecules were employed to assess the accuracy of two last-generation composite methods employing conventional or explicitly correlated post-Hartree-Fock contributions (jun-Cheap and SVECV-f12, respectively), which were then applied to investigate the reactivity of TSM. The energy barriers provided by both composite methods are very close (the average values for the two composite methods are 7.1 and 8.3 kcal mol-1 for the addition to ethylene and acetylene, respectively) and comparable to those ruling the corresponding additions of ozone (4.0 and 7.7 kcal mol-1 , respectively). These and other evidences strongly suggest that, at least in the case of cycloadditions, the reactivity of TSM is similar to that of O3 and very different from that of SO2 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoi Salta
- SMART Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauricio Vega-Teijido
- Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, CCBG, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Aline Katz
- Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, CCBG, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | | | - Oscar N Ventura
- Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, CCBG, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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36
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Melli A, Melosso M, Lengsfeld KG, Bizzocchi L, Rivilla VM, Dore L, Barone V, Grabow JU, Puzzarini C. Spectroscopic Characterization of 3-Aminoisoxazole, a Prebiotic Precursor of Ribonucleotides. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27103278. [PMID: 35630755 PMCID: PMC9147597 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The processes and reactions that led to the formation of the first biomolecules on Earth play a key role in the highly debated theme of the origin of life. Whether the first chemical building blocks were generated on Earth (endogenous synthesis) or brought from space (exogenous delivery) is still unanswered. The detection of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium provides valuable support to the latter hypothesis. To gather more insight, here we provide the astronomers with accurate rotational frequencies to guide the interstellar search of 3-aminoisoxazole, which has been recently envisaged as a key reactive species in the scenario of the so-called RNA-world hypothesis. Relying on an accurate computational characterization, we were able to register and analyze the rotational spectrum of 3-aminoisoxazole in the 6–24 GHz and 80–320 GHz frequency ranges for the first time, exploiting a Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer and a frequency-modulated millimeter/sub-millimeter spectrometer, respectively. Due to the inversion motion of the −NH2 group, two states arise, and both of them were characterized, with more than 1300 lines being assigned. Although the fit statistics were affected by an evident Coriolis interaction, we were able to produce accurate line catalogs for astronomical observations of 3-aminoisoxazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Melli
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.)
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (L.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Mattia Melosso
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.P.)
| | - Kevin G. Lengsfeld
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstraße 3A, 30167 Hannover, Germany; (K.G.L.); (J.-U.G.)
| | - Luca Bizzocchi
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (L.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Víctor M. Rivilla
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. de Ajalvir Km. 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Luca Dore
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (L.B.); (L.D.)
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.)
| | - Jens-Uwe Grabow
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstraße 3A, 30167 Hannover, Germany; (K.G.L.); (J.-U.G.)
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (L.B.); (L.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.P.)
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37
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Baiano C, Lupi J, Barone V, Tasinato N. Gliding on Ice in Search of Accurate and Cost-Effective Computational Methods for Astrochemistry on Grains: The Puzzling Case of the HCN Isomerization. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:3111-3121. [PMID: 35446575 PMCID: PMC9097295 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The isomerization of hydrogen cyanide to hydrogen isocyanide on icy grain surfaces is investigated by an accurate composite method (jun-Cheap) rooted in the coupled cluster ansatz and by density functional approaches. After benchmarking density functional predictions of both geometries and reaction energies against jun-Cheap results for the relatively small model system HCN···(H2O)2, the best performing DFT methods are selected. A large cluster containing 20 water molecules is then employed within a QM/QM' approach to include a realistic environment mimicking the surface of icy grains. Our results indicate that four water molecules are directly involved in a proton relay mechanism, which strongly reduces the activation energy with respect to the direct hydrogen transfer occurring in the isolated molecule. Further extension of the size of the cluster up to 192 water molecules in the framework of a three-layer QM/QM'/MM model has a negligible effect on the energy barrier ruling the isomerization. Computation of reaction rates by the transition state theory indicates that on icy surfaces, the isomerization of HNC to HCN could occur quite easily even at low temperatures thanks to the reduced activation energy that can be effectively overcome by tunneling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Baiano
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lupi
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Tasinato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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38
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Sallustio F, Curci C, Teresa Cimmarusti M, Picerno A, Giannuzzi F, De Palma G, Sivo C, Annese F, Fonto G, Tafuri S, Cara I, Barone V, Stasi A, Pesce F, DI Leo V, Gesualdo L. FC073: An Epigenetically Driven Mechanism Triggered by Viral and Bacterial RNA Regulates the IL-6 Levels in IGA Nephropathy. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2022. [PMCID: PMC9383845 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfac113.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Several models have been proposed to describe the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and, among them, the multihit model where the gut-microbiota may play an important role. These models explain the pathogenesis of IgAN caused by the production of aberrant IgA, but it is believed that further predisposing factors are present, including immunological, genetic, environmental or nutritional factors. Recently, the role of IL-6 in IgAN pathogenesis is becoming increasingly important. It is essential for the deposition of glomerular immunoglobulin A and the development of renal disease in Cd37-deficient mice, although the pathogenetic mechanisms that determine its increase are not well known. A possible hypothesis emerges from our recent work on genome-wide DNA methylation screening in patients with IgAN, which identified, among other findings, a hypermethylated region comprising Vault 2–1 RNA (VTRNA2-1), a non-RNA coding also known as a precursor of miR-886 (pre-mi-RNA). Consistently, VTRNA2-1 expression was found downregulated in IgAN patients. Here we studied the involvement of the VTRNA2-1/PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway in IgAN. METHOD Total RNA were isolated from PBMCs of IgAN patients, transplanted IgAN patients (TP-IgAN), non-IgAN transplanted patients (TP) and healthy subjects (HS). VTRNA2-1, CREB and PKR transcripts were evaluated by RT-PCR. Total and phosphorylated PKR, CREB and Il-6 proteins were evaluated by ELISA. Poly (I: C), a synthetic analogue of dsRNA and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 COMIRNATY vaccine were used to transfect patient PBMCs. PKR inhibitor imoxin (C16) 1 µM was used to stimulate patient PBMCs. RESULTS Here we confirm that VTRNA2-1 transcript was down-regulated in native and transplanted IgAN subjects compared to HS and non IgAN transplanted patients, with a decrease of 30- and 100-folds, respectively (P < 0.05, and P < 0.0001). IgAN patients with downregulated VTRNA2-1 showed a PKR overactivation (fold increase of phosphorilation of 2.6- in IgAN and 2-folds in TP-IgAN patients; P < 0.05), coherently with the role played by VTRNA2-1 that binds to PKR and inhibits its phosphorylation. Then, we found that PKR causes the activation of CREB, a classical cAMP-inducible CRE-binding factor (fold increase of phosphorilation of 3- in IgAN and 2.67-folds in TP-IgAN patients; P < 0.01). CREB, interacting with a region of the IL-6 promoter, led to IL-6 production. Indeed, in IgAN patients we showed a IL-6 mean increase to 120 pg/mL compared to the respective controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, the IL-6 levels correlated with CREB and PKR phosphorylation (r = 0.97; P = 0.0006 and r = 0.89; P = 0.0064, respectively, for IgAN and TP-IgAN patients). Since PKR is normally activated by bacterial and viral RNA, we hypothesized that these microorganisms can further activate the PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway leading to an excess of IL-6 production. This may explain both the high levels of IL-6, and infection involvement in the disease, and cases of IgAN associated with COVID-19 infection or with COVID-19 RNA-vaccination, and recent data showing microbiota involvement in IgAN. Effectively, we found that IgAN PMBCs stimulated with RNA poly(I: C) or the COVID-19 RNA-vaccine showed a significant increase in IL-6 levels compared to not-stimulated PBMCs (P < 0.05), supporting the pathogentic role played by viral RNA in IgAN pathogenesis and explaining the cases of IgAN patients developing episodes of macrohematuria after a COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Finally, we showed that the IL-6 secretion can be reduced by the PKR inhibitor imoxin (fold decrease of 5-folds in IgAN and TP-IgAN patients; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION In conclusion, the discovery of the upregulated VTRNA2-1/PKR/CREB/IL-6 pathway in IgAN patients may provide a new pathogenic mechanism in IgAN and may be useful for the development of novel therapeutic approaches, likely by modulating the VTRNA2-1 methylation level in IgAN patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Sallustio
- Interdisciplinary Medicine, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DIM, Bari, Italy
| | - Claudia Curci
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Cimmarusti
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Angela Picerno
- Interdisciplinary Medicine, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DIM, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Giannuzzi
- Interdisciplinary Medicine, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DIM, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Palma
- IRCCS- Istituto Tumori Bari Giovanni Paolo II, Institutional Biobank, Experimental Oncology and Biobank Management Unit, Bari, Italy
| | - Carmen Sivo
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Francesca Annese
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Giulia Fonto
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Silvio Tafuri
- Hygiene and Preventive Medicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, Bari, Italy
| | - Iris Cara
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Alessandra Stasi
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Francesco Pesce
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Vincenzo DI Leo
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
| | - Loreto Gesualdo
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University ‘Aldo Moro’ Bari, Italy, DETO, Italy
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39
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Ceselin G, Salta Z, Bloino J, Tasinato N, Barone V. Accurate Quantum Chemical Spectroscopic Characterization of Glycolic Acid: A Route Toward its Astrophysical Detection. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:2373-2387. [PMID: 35384666 PMCID: PMC9036519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The first step to
shed light on the abiotic synthesis of biochemical
building blocks, and their further evolution toward biological systems,
is the detection of the relevant species in astronomical environments,
including earthlike planets. To this end, the species of interest
need to be accurately characterized from structural, energetic, and
spectroscopic viewpoints. This task is particularly challenging when
dealing with flexible systems, whose spectroscopic signature is ruled
by the interplay of small- and large-amplitude motions (SAMs and LAMs,
respectively) and is further tuned by the conformational equilibrium.
In such instances, quantum chemical (QC) calculations represent an
invaluable tool for assisting the interpretation of laboratory measurements
or even observations. In the present work, the role of QC results
is illustrated with reference to glycolic acid (CH2OHCOOH),
a molecule involved in photosynthesis and plant respiration and a
precursor of oxalate in humans, which has been detected in the Murchison
meteorite but not yet in the interstellar medium or in planetary atmospheres.
In particular, the equilibrium structure of the lowest-energy conformer
is derived by employing the so-called semiexperimental approach. Then,
accurate yet cost-effective QC calculations relying on composite post-Hartree–Fock
schemes and hybrid coupled-cluster/density functional theory approaches
are used to predict the structural and ro-vibrational spectroscopic
properties of the different conformers within the framework of the
second-order vibrational perturbation theory. A purposely tailored
discrete variable representation anharmonic approach is used to treat
the LAMs related to internal rotations. The computed spectroscopic
data, particularly those in the infrared region, complement the available
experimental investigations, thus enhancing the possibility of an
astronomical detection of this molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Ceselin
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Zoi Salta
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Julien Bloino
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Tasinato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
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40
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Barone V, Carnimeo I, Mancini G, Pagliai M. Development, Validation, and Pilot Application of a Generalized Fluctuating Charge Model for Computational Spectroscopy in Solution. ACS Omega 2022; 7:13382-13394. [PMID: 35474835 PMCID: PMC9026056 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A general approach enforcing nonperiodic boundary conditions for the computation of spectroscopic properties in solution has been improved including an effective description of charge-transfer contributions and coordination number adjustment for explicit solvent molecules. Both contributions are obtained from a continuous description of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which has been employed also for an effective clustering of molecular dynamics trajectories. Fine tuning of the model has been performed for several water clusters, and then its efficiency and reliability have been demonstrated by computing the absorption spectra of different creatinine tautomers in aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ivan Carnimeo
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giordano Mancini
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Pagliai
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Ugo Schiff”, Università
degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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41
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Mancini G, Fusè M, Lipparini F, Nottoli M, Scalmani G, Barone V. Molecular Dynamics Simulations Enforcing Nonperiodic Boundary Conditions: New Developments and Application to the Solvent Shifts of Nitroxide Magnetic Parameters. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:2479-2493. [PMID: 35257572 PMCID: PMC9009096 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Multiscale methods
combining quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics
(QM/MM) have become the most suitable and effective strategies for
the investigation of the spectroscopic properties of medium-to-large
size chromophores in condensed phases. In this context, we are developing
a novel workflow aimed at improving the generality, reliability, and
ease of use of the available computational tools. In this paper, we
report our latest developments with specific reference to a general
protocol based on atomistic simulations, carried out under nonperiodic
boundary conditions (NPBC). In particular, we add to our in house
MD engine a new efficient treatment of mean field electrostatic contributions
to energy and forces, together with the capability of performing the
simulations either in the canonical (NVT) or in the
isothermal–isobaric (NPT) ensemble. Next,
we provide convincing evidence that the NBPC approach enhanced by
specific tweaks for rigid body propagation, allows for the simulation
of solute–solvent systems with a minimum number of degrees
of freedom and large integration time step. After its validation,
this new approach is applied to the challenging case of solvatochromic
effects on the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of a
prototypical nitroxide radical. To this end, we propose and validate
also an automated protocol to extract and weight simulation snapshots,
making use of a continuous description of the strength of solute–solvent
hydrogen bridges. While further developments are being worked on,
the effectiveness of our approach, even in its present form, is demonstrated
by the accuracy of the results obtained through an unsupervised approach
characterized by a strongly reduced computational cost as compared
to that of conventional QM/MM models, without any appreciable deterioration
of accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Mancini
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Fusè
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Universitaá di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michele Nottoli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Universitaá di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scalmani
- Gaussian, Inc., 340 Quinnipiac Street, Building 40, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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42
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Melosso M, Bizzocchi L, Gazzeh H, Tonolo F, Guillemin JC, Alessandrini S, Rivilla VM, Dore L, Barone V, Puzzarini C. Gas-phase identification of ( Z)-1,2-ethenediol, a key prebiotic intermediate in the formose reaction. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:2750-2753. [PMID: 35119446 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc06919e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Prebiotic sugars are thought to be formed on primitive Earth by the formose reaction. However, their formation is not fully understood and it is plausible that key intermediates could have formed in extraterrestrial environments and subsequently delivered on early Earth by cometary bodies. 1,2-Ethenediol, the enol form of glycolaldehyde, represents a highly reactive intermediate of the formose reaction and is likely detectable in the interstellar medium. Here, we report the identification and first characterization of (Z)-1,2-ethenediol by means of rotational spectroscopy. The title compound has been produced in the gas phase by flash vacuum pyrolysis of bis-exo-5-norbornene-2,3-diol at 750 °C, through a retro-Diels-Alder reaction. The spectral analysis was guided by high-level quantum-chemical calculations, which predicted spectroscopic parameters in very good agreement with the experiment. Our study provides accurate spectral data to be used for searches of (Z)-1,2-ethenediol in the interstellar space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Melosso
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Bizzocchi
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Houda Gazzeh
- Univ Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR - UMR6226, F-35000 Rennes, France.,Université de Monastir, Avenue Taher Hadded B. P 56, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
| | - Francesca Tonolo
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jean-Claude Guillemin
- Univ Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR - UMR6226, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Víctor M Rivilla
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. de Ajalvir Km. 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain.,INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Luca Dore
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
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43
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Del Frate G, Macchiagodena M, Akhunzada MJ, D'Autilia F, Catte A, Bhattacharjee N, Barone V, Cardarelli F, Brancato G. Probing Liquid-Ordered and Disordered Phases in Lipid Model Membranes: A Combined Theoretical and Spectroscopic Study of a Fluorescent Molecular Rotor. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:480-491. [PMID: 35001625 PMCID: PMC8785181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
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An integrated theoretical/experimental
strategy has been applied
to the study of environmental effects on the spectroscopic parameters
of 4-(diphenylamino)phtalonitrile (DPAP), a fluorescent molecular
rotor. The computational part starts from the development of an effective
force field for the first excited electronic state of DPAP and proceeds
through molecular dynamics simulations in solvents of different polarities
toward the evaluation of Stokes shifts by quantum mechanics/molecular
mechanics (QM/MM) approaches. The trends of the computed results closely
parallel the available experimental results thus giving confidence
to the interpretation of new experimental studies of the photophysics
of DPAP in lipid bilayers. In this context, results show unambiguously
that both flexible dihedral angles and global rotations are significantly
retarded in a cholesterol/DPPC lipid matrix with respect to the DOPC
matrix, thus confirming the sensitivity of DPAP to probe different
environments and, therefore, its applicability as a probe for detecting
different structures and levels of plasma membrane organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francesca D'Autilia
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST (CNI@NEST), Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Catte
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare(INFN), Largo Pontecorvo 3, I-56 127 Pisa, Italy.,Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (CSGI), Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50 019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Brancato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare(INFN), Largo Pontecorvo 3, I-56 127 Pisa, Italy.,Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (CSGI), Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50 019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
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44
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Li X, Spada L, Alessandrini S, Zheng Y, Lengsfeld KG, Grabow J, Feng G, Puzzarini C, Barone V. Gestapelt, nicht geklebt: Enthüllung der π→π*‐Wechselwirkung mithilfe des Benzofuran‐Formaldehyd‐Komplexes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202113737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chongqing University Daxuecheng South Rd. 55 Chongqing 401331 China
| | - Lorenzo Spada
- Scuola Normale Superiore Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 56126 Pisa Italien
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Scuola Normale Superiore Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 56126 Pisa Italien
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician” Università di Bologna Via F. Selmi 2 40126 Bologna Italien
| | - Yang Zheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chongqing University Daxuecheng South Rd. 55 Chongqing 401331 China
| | - Kevin Gregor Lengsfeld
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover Callinstraße 3A 30167 Hannover Deutschland
| | - Jens‐Uwe Grabow
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie und Elektrochemie Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover Callinstraße 3A 30167 Hannover Deutschland
| | - Gang Feng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chongqing University Daxuecheng South Rd. 55 Chongqing 401331 China
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician” Università di Bologna Via F. Selmi 2 40126 Bologna Italien
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 56126 Pisa Italien
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45
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Tonolo F, Bizzocchi L, Melosso M, Lique F, Dore L, Barone V, Puzzarini C. An improved study of HCO + and He system: Interaction potential, collisional relaxation, and pressure broadening. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:234306. [PMID: 34937352 DOI: 10.1063/5.0075929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of its ubiquitous presence in the interstellar gas, the chemistry and reactivity of the HCO+ ion requires special attention. The availability of up-to-date collisional data between this ion and the most abundant perturbing species in the interstellar medium is a critical resource in order to derive reliable values of its molecular abundance from astronomical observations. This work intends to provide improved scattering parameters for the HCO+ and He collisional system. We have tested the accuracy of explicitly correlated coupled-cluster methods for mapping the short- and long-range multi-dimensional potential energy surface of atom-ion systems. A validation of the methodology employed for the calculation of the potential well has been obtained from the comparison with experimentally derived bound-state spectroscopic parameters. Finally, by solving the close-coupling scattering equations, we have derived the pressure broadening and shift coefficients for the first six rotational transitions of HCO+ as well as inelastic state-to-state transition rates up to j = 5 in the 5-100 K temperature interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Tonolo
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - L Bizzocchi
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - M Melosso
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - F Lique
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, IPR (Institut de Physique de Rennes)-UMR 6251, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - L Dore
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - V Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - C Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
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46
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Biswas AD, Catte A, Mancini G, Barone V. Analysis of L-DOPA and droxidopa binding to human β 2-adrenergic receptor. Biophys J 2021; 120:5631-5643. [PMID: 34767786 PMCID: PMC8715240 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, an increasing number of studies has been devoted to a deeper understanding of the molecular process involved in the binding of various agonists and antagonists to active and inactive conformations of β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). The 3.2 Å x-ray crystal structure of human β2AR active state in combination with the endogenous low affinity agonist adrenaline offers an ideal starting structure for studying the binding of various catecholamines to adrenergic receptors. We show that molecular docking of levodopa (L-DOPA) and droxidopa into rigid and flexible β2AR models leads for both ligands to binding anchor sites comparable to those experimentally reported for adrenaline, namely D113/N312 and S203/S204/S207 side chains. Both ligands have a hydrogen bond network that is extremely similar to those of noradrenaline and dopamine. Interestingly, redocking neutral and protonated versions of adrenaline to rigid and flexible β2AR models results in binding poses that are more energetically stable and distinct from the x-ray crystal structure. Similarly, lowest energy conformations of noradrenaline and dopamine generated by docking into flexible β2AR models had binding free energies lower than those of best poses in rigid receptor models. Furthermore, our findings show that L-DOPA and droxidopa molecules have binding affinities comparable to those predicted for adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, which are consistent with previous experimental and computational findings and supported by the molecular dynamics simulations of β2AR-ligand complexes performed here.
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47
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Barbosa N, Pagliai M, Sinha S, Barone V, Alfè D, Brancato G. Enhancing the Accuracy of Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics by Fine Tuning of Effective Two-Body Interactions: Acetonitrile as a Test Case. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:10475-10484. [PMID: 34843249 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c07576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Grimme's dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) methods have emerged among the most practical approaches to perform accurate quantum mechanical calculations on molecular systems ranging from small clusters to microscopic and mesoscopic samples, i.e., including hundreds or thousands of molecules. Moreover, DFT-D functionals can be easily integrated into popular ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) software packages to carry out first-principles condensed-phase simulations at an affordable computational cost. Here, starting from the well-established D3 version of the dispersion-correction term, we present a simple protocol to improve the accurate description of the intermolecular interactions of molecular clusters of growing size, considering acetonitrile as a test case. Optimization of the interaction energy was performed with reference to diffusion quantum Monte Carlo calculations, successfully reaching the same inherent accuracy of the latter (statistical error of ∼0.1 kcal/mol per molecule). The refined DFT-D3 model was then used to perform ab initio MD simulations of liquid acetonitrile, again showing significant improvements toward available experimental data with respect to the default correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Barbosa
- Scuola Normale Superiore and CSGI, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Pagliai
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Ugo Schiff", Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Sourab Sinha
- Scuola Normale Superiore and CSGI, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore and CSGI, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Dario Alfè
- Department of Earth Sciences, Thomas Young Center, University College London, 5 Gower Place, WC1E 6BS London, United Kingdom.,London Centre for Nanotechnology, Thomas Young Centre, University College London, 17-19 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH London, United Kingdom.,Dipartimento di Fisica Ettore Pancini, Università di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Brancato
- Scuola Normale Superiore and CSGI, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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48
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Barone V, Fusè M, Pinto SMV, Tasinato N. A Computational Journey across Nitroxide Radicals: From Structure to Spectroscopic Properties and Beyond. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237404. [PMID: 34885980 PMCID: PMC8659111 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitroxide radicals are characterized by a long-lived open-shell electronic ground state and are strongly sensitive to the chemical environment, thus representing ideal spin probes and spin labels for paramagnetic biomolecules and materials. However, the interpretation of spectroscopic parameters in structural and dynamic terms requires the aid of accurate quantum chemical computations. In this paper we validate a computational model rooted into double-hybrid functionals and second order vibrational perturbation theory. Then, we provide reference quantum chemical results for the structures, vibrational frequencies and other spectroscopic features of a large panel of nitroxides of current biological and/or technological interest.
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49
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Melli A, Tonolo F, Barone V, Puzzarini C. Extending the Applicability of the Semi-experimental Approach by Means of "Template Molecule" and "Linear Regression" Models on Top of DFT Computations. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:9904-9916. [PMID: 34752702 PMCID: PMC8607424 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c07828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The accurate determination of equilibrium structures for isolated molecules plays a central role in the evaluation and interpretation of stereoelectronic, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic properties. For small semi-rigid systems, state-of-the-art quantum-chemical computations can rival the most sophisticated experimental results. For larger molecules, cheaper yet accurate approaches need to be defined. The double-hybrid rev-DSD-PBEP86 functional already delivers remarkable results that can be further improved by means of a "Lego brick" model. This is based on the idea that a molecular system can be seen as formed by different fragments (the "Lego bricks"), whose accurate semi-experimental (SE) equilibrium geometries are available. The template molecule (TM) approach can be used to account for the modifications occurring when going from the isolated fragment to the molecular system under investigation, with the linear regression (LR) model employed to correct the linkage between the different fragments. The resulting TM-SE_LR approach has been tested with respect to available SE equilibrium structures and rotational constants. Indeed, the latter parameters straightforwardly depend on the equilibrium geometry of the system under consideration. The main outcome of our study is the reliability, robustness, and accuracy of this novel approach. The molecular systems considered for benchmarking the TM-SE_LR scheme are those formally issued from addition/elimination reactions of nucleophilic unsaturated radicals (e.g., CN, C2H, and phenyl) to alkenes, imines, and aldehydes, whose rotational spectra have been investigated, but accurate structural determinations are not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Melli
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Tonolo
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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50
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Lupi J, Alessandrini S, Puzzarini C, Barone V. junChS and junChS-F12 Models: Parameter-free Efficient yet Accurate Composite Schemes for Energies and Structures of Noncovalent Complexes. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:6974-6992. [PMID: 34677974 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A recently developed model chemistry (denoted as junChS [Alessandrini, S.; et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2020, 16, 988-1006]) has been extended to the employment of explicitly correlated (F12) methods. This led us to propose a family of effective, reliable, and parameter-free schemes for the computation of accurate interaction energies of molecular complexes ruled by noncovalent interactions. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of interactions showed that the so-called junChS-F12 model, which employs cost-effective revDSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ) reference geometries, has an improved performance with respect to its conventional counterpart and outperforms well-known model chemistries. Without employing any empirical parameter and at an affordable computational cost, junChS-F12 reaches subchemical accuracy. Accurate characterizations of molecular complexes are usually limited to energetics. To take a step forward, the conventional and F12 composite schemes developed for interaction energies have been extended to structural determinations. A benchmark study demonstrated that the most effective option is to add MP2-F12 core-valence correlation corrections to fc-CCSD(T)-F12/jun-cc-pVTZ geometries without the need of recovering the basis set superposition error and the extrapolation to the complete basis set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Lupi
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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