Computational chemistry-assisted design of hydrazine-based fluorescent molecular rotor for viscosity sensors

Deep understanding of the fluorescence quenching mechanisms of probes plays a crucial role in developing their practical applications.The fluorescence quenching mechanism of hydrazine-based fluorescence probes needs to be clarified up to the present.Herein,we designed and synthesized a new hydrazine-based fluorescence probe(HA-Na)based on the naphthalimide skeleton.We clarified the molecular origin of the non-fluorescence of this probe with the aid of computational chemistry and spectroscopic analysis.We showed that the significant rotation of the hydrazine group in the excited state potential energy surface,which caused the complete charge separation,was responsible for the fluorescence quenching of the probe in an organic solvent.Once the rotation was prevented in an aggregative state or high-viscosity solution,the fluorescence of the probe recovered.In other words,the fluorescence quenching mechanism of hydrazine-based fluorescence probes was attributed to the formation of a twisted intramolecular charge transfer(TICT)state.More importantly,we demonstrated that this fluorescence molecular rotor could be used to monitor the autophagy process in living cells by detecting lysosomal viscosity changes during starvation.Altogether,this work provides an essential theoretical basis for the developing potential hydrazine-based fluorescence molecular rotors.

Effect of solvent on the initiation mechanism of living anionic polymerization of styrene:A computational study

For living anionic polymerization(LAP),solvent has a great influence on both reaction mechanism and kinetics.In this work,by using the classical butyl lithium-styrene polymerization as a model system,the effect of solvent on the mechanism and kinetics of LAP was revealed through a strategy combining density functional theory(DFT)calculations and kinetic modeling.In terms of mechanism,it is found that the stronger the solvent polarity,the more electrons transfer from initiator to solvent through detailed energy decomposition analysis of electrostatic interactions between initiator and solvent molecules.Furthermore,we also found that the stronger the solvent polarity,the higher the monomer initiation energy barrier and the smaller the initiation rate coefficient.Counterintuitively,initiation is more favorable at lower temperatures based on the calculated results ofΔG_(TS).Finally,the kinetic characteristics in different solvents were further examined by kinetic modeling.It is found that in benzene and n-pentane,the polymerization rate exhibits first-order kinetics.While,slow initiation and fast propagation were observed in tetrahydrofuran(THF)due to the slow free ion formation rate,leading to a deviation from first-order kinetics.

Quantum Chemistry Based Computational Study on the Conformational Population of a Neodymium Neodecanoate Complex

The title complex is widely used as an efficient key component of Ziegler-Natta catalyst for stereospecific polymerization of dienes to produce synthetic rubbers. However, the quantitative structure-activity relationship（QSAR） of this kind of complexes is still not clear mainly due to the difficulties to obtain their geometric molecular structures through laboratory experiments. An alternative solution is the quantum chemistry calculation in which the comformational population shall be determined. In this study, ten conformers of the title complex were obtained with the function of molecular dynamics conformational search in Gabedit 2.4.8, and their geometry optimization and thermodynamics calculation were made with a Sparkle/PM7 approach in MOPAC 2012. Their Gibbs free energies at 1 atm. and 298.15 K were calculated. Population of the conformers was further calculated out according to the theory of Boltzmann distribution, indicating that one of the ten conformers has a dominant population of 77.13%.

Bifunctional functionalized two-dimensional transition metal borides for fast reaction redox kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries are regarded as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical specific energy density and low cost.However,serious shuttle effect and sluggish lithium polysulfides(LiPSs)redox kinetics severely impede the practical application of Li-S batteries.Employing polar sulfur hosts is an effective strategy to alleviate the above problems.Herein,the potential of two-dimensional(2D)Ti_(2)B-based sulfur hosts for Li-S batteries was comprehensively explored using first-principles calculations.The results show that functional groups of Ti_(2)B can significantly modulate its structural properties,thus affecting its interaction with sulfurcontaining species.Among S,Se,F,Cl,and Br elements,Ti_(2)B terminated with S and Se atoms possess stronger adsorption capability towards soluble Li_(2)S_(8),Li_(2)S_(6),and Li_(2)S_(4),obviously stronger than organic electrolytes,which indicates that they can completely suppress the shuttle effect.Besides,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)can powerfully expedite the electrochemical conversion of LiPSs.Moreover,the decomposition energy barrier of Li_(2)S and diffusion energy barrier of single Li ion on them are also fairly low,manifesting their excellent catalytic performance towards the oxidation of Li_(2)S.Finally,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)always keep metallic conductivity during the whole charge/discharge process.Taking all this into account,Ti_(2)BS_(2)and Ti_(2)BSe_(2)are proposed as promising bifunctional sulfur hosts for Li-S batteries.Our results suggest that increasing the proportion of S and Se groups during the synthesis of Ti_(2)B monolayers is greatly helpful for obtaining high-performance Li-S batteries.Besides,our work not only reveals the huge potential of 2D transition metal borides in Li-S batteries,but also provides insightful guidance for the design and screening of new efficient sulfur cathodes.

Accelerating the practical application of MOFs for hydrogen storage-from performance-driven to application-oriented

Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)are highly promising porous materials known for their exceptional porosity,extensive surface area,and customizable pore structures,making them an ideal solution for hydrogen storage.However,most MOFs research remains confined to the laboratory,lacking practical applications.To address this,the author proposes a shift towards practical applications,the creation of a comprehensive MOFs database,alignment of synthesis with practical considerations,and diversification of MOFs applications.These steps are crucial for harnessing the full potential of MOFs in real-world energy challenges.

Large and nonlinear electric field response in a two-dimensional ferroelectric Rashba material

The achievement of electrical spin control is highly desirable.One promising strategy involves electrically mod-ulating the Rashba spin orbital coupling effect in materials.A semiconductor with high sensitivity in its Rashba constant to external electric fields holds great potential for short channel lengths in spin field-effect transistors,which is crucial for preserving spin coherence and enhancing integration density.Hence,two-dimensional(2D)Rashba semiconductors with large Rashba constants and significant electric field responses are highly desirable.Herein,by employing first-principles calculations,we design a thermodynamically stable 2D Rashba semiconductor,YSbTe_(3),which possesses an indirect band gap of 1.04 eV,a large Rashba constant of 1.54 eV·Åand a strong electric field response of up to 4.80 e·Å^(2).In particular,the Rashba constant dependence on the electric field shows an unusual nonlinear relationship.At the same time,YSbTe_(3)has been identified as a 2D ferroelectric material with a moderate polarization switching energy barrier(~0.33 eV per formula).By changing the electric polarization direction,the Rashba spin texture of YSbTe_(3)can be reversed.These out-standing properties make the ferroelectric Rashba semiconductor YSbTe_(3)quite promising for spintronic applications.

Unraveling the coordination behavior and transformation mechanism of Cr^(3+) in Fe–Cr redox flow battery electrolytes

Currently,the iron chromium redox flow battery(ICRFB)has become a research hotspot in the energy storage field owing to its low cost and easily-scaled-up.However,the activity of electrolyte is still ambiguous due to its complicated solution environment.Herein,we performed a pioneering investigation on the coordination behavior and transformation mechanism of Cr^(3+)in electrolyte and prediction of impurity ions impact through quantum chemistry computations.Based on the structure and symmetry of electrostatic potential distribution,the activity of different Cr^(3+)complex ions is confirmed as[Cr(H2O)5Cl]^(2+)>[Cr(H2O)4Cl2]+>[Cr(H2O)6]^(3+).The transformation mechanism between[Cr(H2O)6]^(3+)and[Cr(H2O)5Cl]^(2+)is revealed.We find the metal impurity ions(especially Mg^(2+))can exacerbate the electrolyte deactivation by reducing the transformation energy barrier from[Cr(H2O)5Cl]^(2+)(24.38 kcal mol^(−1))to[Cr(H2O)6]^(3+)(16.23 kcal mol^(−1)).The solvent radial distribution and mean square displacement in different solvent environments are discussed and we conclude that the coordination configuration limits the diffusivity of Cr^(3+).This work provides new insights into the activity of electrolyte,laying a fundamental sense for the electrolyte in ICRFB.

Mechanism of dibenzofuran hydrodeoxygenation on the Ni(1 1 1)surface

The low-temperature coal tar contains a considerable number of oxygen-containing compounds,which results in poor quality.The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of oxygen-containing compound to an added-value chemical compound is one of the most efficient methods to upgrade coal tar.In this study,density functional theory calculations are employed to assess and analyze in detail the hydrodeoxygenation of dibenzofuran,as a model compound of coal tar,on the Ni(111)surface.The obtained results indicate that dibenzofuran can be firstly hydrogenated to tetra hy d rod i be nzofura n and hexahydfodibenzofufan.The five-membered-ring opening reaction of tetrahydrodibenzofuran is more straightforward than that of hexahydrodibenzofuran(Ea=0.71 eV vs.1.66 eV).Then,both pathways generate an intermediate 2-cyclohexylphenoxy compound.One part of 2-cyclohexylphenoxy is hydrogenated to 2-cyclohexylphenol and consecutively hydrogenated to cyclohexylcyclohexanol,and another part is directly hydrogenated to cyclohexylcyclohexanone.The hydrogenated intermediates of2-cyclohexylphenol have higher deoxygenation barriers than 2-cyclohexylphenol and cyclohexylcy clohexanol.During the hydrogenation process of cyclohexylcyclohexanone to cyclohexylcyclohexanol,the intermediate 26,formed by adding H to O atom of cyclohexylcyclohexanone,exhibits the lowest deoxygenation barrier of 1.08 eV.High hydrogen coverage may promote the hydrogenation of tetrahydrodibenzofuran,hexahydrodibenzofuran,and intermediate 26 to generate dodecahydrodibenzofuran and cyclohexylcyclohexanol.This dibenzofuran hydrodeoxygenation reaction mechanism corroborates well with previous experimental results and provides a theoretical basis for further optimization of the design of nickel-based catalysts.

High-efficiency separation and extraction of naphthenic acid from high acid oils using imidazolium carbonate ionic liquids

N-alkyl imidazolium carbonate ionic liquids were employed to separate and recover naphthenic acid from model oils.The effects of the cationic and anionic structures of ionic liquids and operating conditions on the deacidification performance were investigated.The deacidification performance of traditional organic solvents was also investigated for comparison.The results indicated that the naphthenic acid could be completely removed from the model oil with a small mass ratio of ionic liquid to oil.The extracted naphthenic acid was regenerated with a recovery of up to 92%.In addition,imidazolium carbonate ionic liquids could be successfully regenerated and recycled.The mechanism of interaction between imidazole ionic liquids and the naphthenic acid molecules were explained by Gauss calculation.

Theoretical Investigations of La_2C_2 Cluster

Possible structures of La 2C 2 were studied and proposed by use of density functional theory. All proposed isomers are planar. The results indicate that the structure with the lowest symmetry ( C 1) is the most stable. Linear isomers are not favored .

Delocalizedπ_(3)^(6) Bond in OX_(2) (X=Halogen) Molecules

OX_(2)(X=halogen)molecules was studied theoretically.Calculation results show that delocalizedπ_(3)^(6) bonds exist in their electronic structures and O atoms adopt the sp^(2) type of hybridization,which violates the prediction of the valence shell electron pair repulsion theory of sp^(3) type.Delocalization stabilization energy is proposed to measure the contribution of delocalizedπ_(3)^(6) bond to energy decrease and proves to bring extra-stability to the molecule.These phenomena can be summarized as a kind of coordinating effect.

Theoretical Studies on Two Possible Conformers of TNDAIW at Hartree-Fock Level

Tetranitrodiazidoacetylhexaazaisowurtzitane (TNDAIW) is a novel polyazapolycyclic caged polyazidonitramine explosive first synthesized in our laboratory. Two possible conformers of TNDAIW with C_s symmetry were fully optimized using the HF/6-31G(d) level of theory. TNDAIW with the optimized geometries probably exists, and is predicted to be more stable than epsilon-hexanitrohexaazoisowurtzitane (epsilon-CL-20) based on the lengths of N-N, C-C and C-N bonds. The impact and shock sensitivities are lower for the possible conformers of TNDAIW than those for epsilon-CL-20. TNDAIW with the optimized possible conformers is estimated to be a promising novel high energy density explosive.

Stability and Electronic Properties of Metal-N4 and Metal-N2 Complexes

Nitrogen molecules Nx have been the subject of much recent research because of their potential as high-energy materials. Many nitrogen molecules dissociate with very low barriers, including molecules such as acyclic N4 that are essentially unbound. A number of studies have reported the ability of heteroatoms to stabilize complex nitrogen molecules. In the present study, the energetic and electronic properties of scandium（Ⅰ） and titanium（Ⅱ） complexes with N2 and N4 are calculated and discussed. Dissociation energies and singlet-triplet energies are determined by theoretical calculations using second-order perturbation theory （MP2） in conjunction with the Dunning basis sets.

Chiral Recognition of Dansyl Derivatives with an Amino Acid-Based Molecular Micelle: A Molecular Dynamics Investigation

In this study, the chiral separation mechanisms of Dansyl amino acids, including Dansyl-Leucine (Dans-Leu), Dansyl-Norleucine (Dans-Nor), Dansyl-Tryptophan (Dans-Trp) and Dansyl-Phenylalanine (Dans-Phe) binding to poly-sodium N-undecanoyl-(L)-Leucylvalinate, poly (SULV), were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) has previously shown that when separating the enantiomers of these aforementioned Dansyl amino acids, the L-enantiomers bind stronger to poly (SULV) than the D-enantiomers. This study aims to investigate the molecular interactions that govern chiral recognition in these systems using computational methods. This study reveals that the computationally-calculated binding free energy values for Dansyl enantiomers binding to poly (SULV) are in agreement with the enantiomeric order produced in experimental MEKC studies. The L-enantiomers of Dans-Leu, Dans-Nor, Dans-Trp, and Dans-Phe binding to their preferred binding pockets in poly (SULV) yielded binding free energy values of -21.8938, -22.1763, -21.3329 and -13.3349 kJ·mol-1, respectively. The D-enantiomers of Dans-Leu, Dans-Nor, Dans-Trp, and Dans-Phe binding to their preferred binding pockets in poly (SULV) yielded binding free energy values of -14.5811, -15.9457, -13.6408, and -12.0959 kJ·mol-1, respectively. Furthermore, hydrogen bonding analyses were used to investigate and elucidate the molecular interactions that govern chiral recognition in these molecular systems.

DFT Studies on Molecular Structure, Thermodynamics Parameters, HOMO-LUMO and Spectral Analysis of Pharmaceuticals Compound Quinoline (Benzo[b]Pyridine)

Advances in computational chemistry have greatly increased its effectiveness and attractiveness as an emerging adjunct to experimental chemistry but also as an independent research field. This work studied some basic bonding Parameters, geometry, Uv-Visible spectra, HOMO-LUMO and harmonic vibrational frequencies of Quinoline were investigated by using density functional theory (DFT/6-31+ (d, p)) methods. The calculated wave numbers (B3LYP) agree properly with the determined wave numbers. The results obtained are then as compared with experimental statistics in which available. The structural parameters;thermochemistry, rotational constants, IR spectra and frequencies, bond distances, angles and dipole moment were obtained from the optimized stable geometries of the compound. The computed optimized geometric bond lengths and bond angles show good agreement with experimental data of the title compound. The calculated HOMO and LUMO energies indicate that charge transfer occurs within the molecule.

Molecular Ferroelastic Induced by Mono-/Double-Protonation Strategy

Molecular ferroelastics with the natural features of mechanical flexibility and switchable spontaneous strain have attracted widespread attention in the scientific community due to their potential applications in tunable gratings,flexible memorizers,strain sensors,and intelligent actuators.However,most designs of molecular ferroelastics remain in the stage of blind exploration,posing a challenge to achieve a functional ferroelastic more effectively.Herein,we have successfully obtained a molecular ferroelastic,[Me_(2)NH(CH_(2))_(2)NH_(3)](ReO_(4))_(2)(Me_(2)NH(CH_(2))_(2)NH_(3)=N,N-dimethylethylenediammonium),under the guidance of the mono-/double-protonation strategy.The_double-protonated[Me_(2)NH(CH_(2))_(2)NH_(3)](ReO_(4))_(2) undergoes a paraelastic-ferroelastic phase transition with the Aizu notation of 2/mFi at 322 K.Meanwhile,the theoretical calculation and experimental measurement simultaneously show that[Me_(2)NH(CH_(2))_(2)NH_(3)](ReO_(4))_(2) possesses good mechanical flexibility,because its elastic modulus(E)of 8.26 GPa and hardness(H)of 0.45 GPa are smaller than the average values of organic crystals(E of 12.05 GPa and H of 0.5 GPa),which makes it promising to apply in wearable pressure sensors,implantable medical sensors,high-precision tuners,etc.This work further enriches the molecular ferroelastic family and demonstrates that mono-/double-protonation is one of the effective molecular modification strategies for designing ferroelastics.

Quantum Fibrations:Quantum Computation on an Arbitrary Topological Space

Using operator algebras,we extend the theory of quantum computation on a graph to a theory of computation on an arbitrary topological space.Quantum computation is usually implemented on finite discrete sets,and the purpose of this study is to extend this to theories on arbitrary sets.The conventional theory of quantum computers can be viewed as a simplified algebraic geometry theory in which the action of SU(2)is defined on each point of a discrete set.In this study,we extend this in general as a theory of quantum fibrations in which the action of the von Neumann algebra is defined on an arbitrary topological space.The quantum channel is then naturally extended as a net of von Neumann algebras.This allows for a more mathematically rigorous discussion of general theories,including physics and chemistry,which are defined on sets that are not necessarily discrete,from the perspective of quantum computer science.

Toward the Uniform of Chemical Theory,Simulation,and Experiments in Metaverse Technology

In recent years,with the continuous development of artificial intelligence(AI)technology,the digital process in chemistry has also changed with each passing day.However,the current digitalization of chemistry mainly uses AI technology to assist some scientific research related to computational chemistry,such as molecular design,catalyst design,reaction route design,etc.There is still no clear digital route to connect with experimental chemistry;digitization in experimental and theoretical chemistry is still in its infancy.This work sorts out some of the main references and logic of the digitalization of experimental chemistry.It puts forward a central point:in a truly digital world,there is no boundary between chemical experiments,theory,and calculation.The Mateverse platform based on Metaverse technology makes all of this possible,primarily through a digital process assisted by human researchers,which will significantly change the research paradigm of chemistry.Metaverse is a technology that should not be ignored for the future development of chemistry,which is impelled by the merged data from experiments,simulations,and theory.

Machine learning of organic solvents reveals an extraordinary axis in Hansen space as indicator of spherical precipitation of polymers

Machine learning is an emerging tool in the field of materials chemistry for uncovering a principle from large datasets.Here,we focus on the spherical precipitation behavior of polymers and computationally extract a hidden trend that is orthogonal to the availability bias in the chemical space.For constructing a dataset,four polymers were precipitated from 416 solvent/nonsolvent combinations,and the morphology of the resulting precipitates were collected.The dataset was subjected to computational investigations consisting of principal component analysis and machine learning based on random forest model and support vector machine.Thereby,we eliminated the effect of the availability bias and found a linear combination of Hansen parameters to be the most suitable variable for predicting precipitation behavior.The predicted appropriate solvents are those with low hydrogen bonding capability,low polarity,and small molecular volume.Furthermore,we found that the capability for spherical precipitation is orthogonal to the availability bias and forms an extraordinary axis in Hansen space,which is the origin of the conventional difficulty in identifying the trend.The extraordinary axis points toward a void region,indicating the potential value of synthesizing novel solvents located therein.

Intra-Ring Bridging:A Strategy for Molecular Design of Highly Energetic Nitramines

Main observation and conclusion Important progress has been made in the development of energetic molecules with high performance by computer-aided molecular design in recent years,but structural novelty of organic scaffolds is insufficient.In this work,we propose an intra-ring bridging strategy inspired by the known energetic nitramines to design novel polycyclic and cage energetic molecules.More than 100 energetic structures were designed by introducing the C—C bridges and increasing the ring size.The synthesis difficulty is considered besides the two most concerned properties of EMs,energy and safety.After a comprehensive estimation,a symmetric cage molecule labeled as 8U-30 was finally selected because of its relatively high detonation performance,and comparable impact sensitivity as well as synthetic accessibility with CL-20.Hopefully,the proposed strategy could be utilized in further molecular design to gain various scaffolds,especially cage structures,for different demands.