Molecular dynamics simulations to aid the rational design of organic friction modifiers

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed under conditions of constant volume and temperature and of constant pressure and temperature to elucidate the structure activity relationships of a series of non-ionic surfactant molecules derived from vegetable fat and employed as friction modifiers in commercial engine oils. The simulations show the extent to which intermolecular hydrogen bonding is important in determining the stability of the monolayer formed by the surfactant molecules and show that mono-alkanoyl glyceride molecules are able to pack more efficiently, forming significantly more intermolecular hydrogen bonds and occupying approximately half the volume needed by di-alkanoyl glyceride molecules. Density profiles are presented which show significant mixing of the hydrophobic tail groups and a non-polar solvent. The distribution of torsion angles in the tail groups shows that the conformation is consistent with a liquid at finite temperature rather than a crystal structure. The measured friction coefficients of equimolar solutions of the glycerides show that the efficacy as friction modifiers varies in the order mono-, di- and the tri-oleyl glyceride, which is consistent with the efficacy of film formation predicted by the molecular dynamics calculations.

Spontaneous generation of stable pnictinyl radicals from "jack-in-the-box" dipnictines: a solid-state, gas-phase, and theoretical investigation of the origins of steric stabilization

The molecular structures of the stable phosphinyl and arsinyl radicals, .PnR(2) [Pn = P (2); As (4); R = CH(SiMe(3))(2)], have been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) in conjunction with ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The X-ray crystal structures of the corresponding dipnictines, the "dimers", R(2)PnPnR(2) [Pn = P (1), As (3)], and the chloro derivatives R(2)PnCl [Pn = P (5), As (6)] have also been determined. Collectively, these structural investigations demonstrate that large distortions of the ligands attached to Pn occur when the pnictinyl radicals unite to form the corresponding dipnictine dimers. Principally, it is the shape and flexibility of the CH(SiMe(3))(2) ligands that permit the formation of the P-P and As-As bonds in 1and 3, respectively. However, theoretical studies indicate that in the process of pnictinyl radical dimerization to form 1 and 3, both molecules accumulate substantial amounts of potential energy and are thus primed to spring apart upon release from the solid state by melting, dissolution, or evaporation. The insights gleaned from these unusual systems have permitted a deeper understanding of the functioning of sterically demanding substituents.

Planar 1,3lambda4delta2,2,4-benzodithiadiazine and its nonplanar 5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro derivative: gas-phase structures studied by electron diffraction and ab initio calculations

The gas-phase molecular structures of 1,3lambda4delta2,2,4-benzodithiadiazine and 5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,3lambda4delta2,2,4-benzodithiadiazine have been investigated by ab initio calculations and electron diffraction using the SARACEN method of structural analysis. Important structural parameters (r(h1) structure) for the parent compound were found to be: <r(S=N) > 1.546(3), r(S-N) 1.697(5), r(C-S) 1.784(5), and r(C-N) 1.393(6) A. For the tetrafluoro derivative, these are (r(h1) structure): <r(S=N) > 1.552(3), r(S-N) 1.723(8), r(C-S) 1.812(9), and r(C-N) 1.396(7) A. Furthermore, the GED experiment (Gas Electron Diffraction) quite convincingly demonstrates the nonplanarity of the former and the planarity of the latter in agreement with DFT calculations; but the results contradict calculations at the MP2 level. The effect of the fluorine atoms on the conformations of the molecules is discussed.

Synthesis, decomposition, and structural studies in the gas phase and solid state of N,N-dimethylaminoxygermane

N,N-Dimethylaminoxygermane, H3GeONMe2, was prepared by the reaction of H3GeBr with LiONMe2 in dimethyl ether at -96 degrees C. The identity of H3GeONMe2 was proven by gas-phase IR and solution NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 15N, 17O). It is an unstable volatile liquid compound. It decomposes by cleavage of a Ge-O and a Ge-H bond giving HONMe2 and an insoluble germanium hydride polymer (GeH2)n. This decomposition reaction has been modeled at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) level of theory by the homodesmotic reaction H3GeONMe2 + Ge2H6-->Ge3H8 + HONMe2, which is predicted slightly exothermic by 14 kJ mol-1. The molecular structure of H3GeONMe2 was determined by gas-phase electron diffraction supported by an ab initio geometry [MP2/6-311G(d,p)] and a force field [MP2/6-31G(d)]. The structure of the compound in the crystal lattice was determined by low-temperature crystallography using a single crystal of H3GeONMe2 grown in situ [C2H9NOGe, orthorhombic, Pnma, Z = 4, a = 8.1280(12) A, b = 9.7037(15) A, c = 7.0722(12) A]. Important bond lengths and angles (gas phase/solid state, A/deg) are Ge-O 1.785(2)/1.815(1), O-N 1.462(7)/1.460(2), N-C 1.460(4)/1.453(2), Ge-O-N 105.2(5)/104.6(1), O-N-C 105.8(5)/105.8(1), C-N-C 110.8(9)/111.2(2), Ge...N 2.587(6)/2.601(1). In the solid state the compound forms infinite chains by intermolecular Ge...O contacts of 2.808 A. The question of the attraction between Ge and N atoms is discussed with respect to reference Ge/O and N/O compounds, which have wider angles at oxygen than H3GeONMe2. For comparison the structures of the compounds H3CONMe2, H3SiONMe2, and H3SnONMe2 were also calculated to reflect the influence of the group 14 atom on the structure and to discuss the occurrence of weak E...N interactions in the compounds H3EONMe2.