Pore selectivity and electron transfers in HZSM-5 single crystals: a Raman microspectroscopy mapping and confocal fluorescence imaging combined study.

After mixing HZSM-5 single crystals and solid t-stilbene, micro Raman mapping and micro fluorescence emission imaging provide evidence of the adsorption, spontaneous ionization and diffusion of the guest into the pores of zeolite. The experiments provide evidence of both radical cation and subsequent charge transfer complexes (CTC). Using a set of excitation wavelengths, Raman spectra of different charge separated states (CSS) were identified by taking advantage of the resonance effect; the correct assignment of the species stabilized in the single crystal is confirmed by analysis of the reference CSS stabilized in powder samples. This assignment is also supported by the correlation of fluorescence emission images obtained for single crystals at different excitation wavelengths and the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) plots obtained for the powder reference samples. Thanks to complementary fluorescence and Raman imaging techniques, the spatial distribution of the CSS was found to be mainly located at the tips and in the intergrowth after long times of contact which are correlated with high loading rates. Unusual Al zoning at the crystal extremities and higher polarity in the sinusoidal pores might be put forward to explain these features.

Sorption of 3-hydroxyflavone within channel type zeolites: the effect of confinement on copper(ii) complexation.

The confinement effect on the complexation process of Cu(ii) by 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) was investigated by studying 3HF incorporation in channel-type copper-containing ZSM-5 and mordenite (MOR) zeolites characterized by different pore diameters. Complementary electronic and vibrational spectroscopy techniques point out two distinct behaviors upon 3HF sorption and subsequent complexation depending on the channel diameter in CuZSM-5 and CuMOR. To determine the influence of the internal environment on the interaction between the copper cation and the guest molecule, and to predict the structure of the complexes formed within the narrow-pore ZSM-5 and in the larger pore mordenite, the vibrational spectra of the complexes were calculated using quantum chemical calculations at the DFT level. From the calculations, it is derived that the Cu(3HF)+ chelate is formed in CuMOR indicating a weak interaction with the pore walls. In contrast, due to high confinement in CuZSM-5, interactions between copper cations and the narrower pore walls are assumed to take place in addition to 3HF metal complexation. To emphasize the fact that zeolites act as a solid solvent, 3HF complexation was also investigated in methanol solution. In such liquid media, a stable complex Cu(3HF)2 of 1 : 2 stoichiometry resulting in a double chelation with the metal cation was found to coexist with a minor species [Cu(3HF)(MeOH)2]+ of 1 : 1 stoichiometry. These two complexes show striking analogy with those observed in CuZSM-5 and CuMOR, respectively. Thus, it appears clearly that zeolites can constitute an ideal tool to control and orientate molecular reactivity for the guest in the isolated state.

Spectroscopic evidence of 3-hydroxyflavone sorption within MFI type zeolites: ESIPT and metal complexation.

Due to its chemical and photochemical properties and potential applications in numerous domains as a molecular probe, 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) is a molecule of high interest. In particular, the processes of intramolecular proton transfer in the excited state and metallic complexation are known to be dependent on the chemical environment. In this context, the particular properties of zeolites make these microporous materials an environment adapted to study the reactivity of isolated molecules adsorbed in their porous void space. Thus, this report investigates the incorporation without any solvent of 3HF into the internal volume of various channel-type MFI zeolites. Using complementary techniques (diffuse reflectance UV-vis absorption, Raman scattering, FTIR, fluorescence emission and molecular modelling), very different spectral behaviours are observed in totally dealuminated silicalite-1 and in Al rich MZSM-5 (M = H(+), Na(+), Zn(2+)). In silicalite-1, the non-polar and non-protic internal micro-environment does not induce any valuable interaction between 3HF and the channel walls. Therefore, the molecule shows easy tautomer formation upon excitation. Within HZSM-5, 3HF is adsorbed in close proximity of the acid proton of the zeolite which inhibits the intramolecular proton transfer and then, only the normal form is observed at the excited state. For NaZSM-5, the spectral data show an intermediary behaviour due to the aprotic but polar environment, in agreement with 3HF sorption in close proximity of the Na(+) extra framework cation. After mixing 3HF and ZnZSM-5, the spectral features clearly indicate metallic complexation of the guest molecule. The zeolite dependent reactivity reported here demonstrates the adsorption of the guest within the internal volume because the charge balancing cations which clearly control the reaction are principally located in the zeolite channels. The 3HF incorporation into the internal volume is proved by the decrease of the microporous volume observed by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements. The experimental data are confirmed by Monte Carlo molecular modelling which also predicts 3HF sorption in the zeolite channels in the proximity of charge compensating cations. Consequently, as the molecule dimensions are assumed to be slightly larger than the channel size, the flexibility of the molecule and the lattice deformation have to be considered to allow 3HF penetration into the zeolite void space.

Experimental FTIR, FT-IR (gas phase), FT-Raman and NMR spectra, hyperpolarizability studies and DFT calculations of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole.

In the present study, structural properties of 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (3,5-DMP) have been studied extensively utilizing density functional theory (DFT) employing B3LYP exchange correlation. The Fourier transform infrared (solid phase and gas phase) and Fourier transform Raman spectra of 3,5-DMP were recorded. The Vibrational frequencies of 3,5-DMP in the ground state have been calculated by using density functional method (B3LYP) with 6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p) and 6-311++G(d,p) as basis sets. Comparison of the observed fundamental vibrational frequencies of 3,5-DMP with calculated results show that 6-311++G(d,p) superior to other basis sets for molecular vibrational problems. Non linear optical NLO behavior of the examined molecule was investigated by the determination of the electric dipole moment mu, the polarizability alpha and the hyperpolarizability beta using the B3LYP/cc-pvdz method. The isotropic chemical shifts computed by (13)C and (1)H NMR analysis also show good agreement with experimental observations. The theoretically predicted FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of the title molecule have been constructed.

The spectroscopic (FTIR, FT-IR gas phase and FT-Raman), first order hyperpolarizabilities, NMR analysis of 2,4-dichloroaniline by ab initio HF and density functional methods.

In this work, the experimental and theoretical study on molecular structure and vibrational spectra of 2,4-dichloroaniline (2,4-DCA) were studied. The Fourier transform infrared (gas phase) and Fourier transform Raman spectra of 2,4-DCA were recorded. The molecular geometry and vibrational frequencies of 2,4-DCA in the ground state were calculated by using the Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional (DF) methods (BLYP, B3LYP and SVWN) with 6-31G(d,p) as basis set. Comparison of the observed fundamental vibrational frequencies of 2,4-DCA with calculated results by HF and density functional methods indicates that BLYP is superior to other methods for molecular vibrational problems. The difference between the observed and scaled wave number values of most of the fundamentals is very small. The electric dipole moment (micro) and the first hyperpolarizability (beta) values of the investigated molecule were computed using ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. The calculated results also show that the 2,4-DCA molecule might have microscopic nonlinear optical (NLO) behavior with non-zero values. Natural atomic charges of 2,4-DCA and 4-chloroaniline was calculated and compared. The isotropic chemical shift computed by (13)C NMR analyses also shows good agreement with experimental observations. The theoretically predicted FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of the title molecule have been constructed.

Vibrational spectra and quantum chemical calculations of 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid.

The Fourier Transform Raman and Fourier Transform infrared spectra of 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (3,4-DABA) were recorded in the solid phase. Geometry optimizations were done without any constraint and harmonic-vibrational wave numbers and several thermodynamic parameters were calculated for the minimum energy conformer at ab initio and DFT levels invoking 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. The results were compared with the experimental values with the help of specific scaling procedures, the observed vibrational wavenumbers in FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra were analyzed and assigned to different normal modes of the molecule. Most of the modes have wavenumbers in the expected range, the error obtained was in general very low. The appropriate theoretical spectrograms for the IR and Raman spectra of the title molecule were also constructed.

FT-IR, FT-Raman spectra and quantum chemical calculations of 3,4-dimethoxyaniline.

In this work, we will report a combined experimental and theoretical study on molecular and vibrational structure of 3,4-dimethoxyaniline (3,4-DMA). The Fourier transform infrared and Fourier transform Raman spectra of 3,4-DMA was recorded in the solid phase. The optimized geometry was calculated by HF and B3LYP methods using 6-31G(d,p) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets. The harmonic vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman scattering activities and the thermodynamic functions of the title compound were performed at and HF/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theories. The scaled theoretical wavenumber showed very good agreement with the experimental values. A detailed interpretation of the infrared and Raman spectra of 3,4-DMA was reported. The theoretical spectrograms for IR and Raman spectra of the title molecule have been constructed.

Determination of the chelating site preferentially involved in the complex of lead(II) with caffeic acid: a spectroscopic and structural study.

The complexation of lead(II) with mono-deprotonated caffeic acid in aqueous solution (pH = 6.50) has been investigated by UV-visible, fluorescence, and vibrational spectroscopies combined with quantum chemical calculations (DFT). The caffeate ion presents two chelating sites in competition: the carboxylate and the catechol functions. Electronic spectroscopies highlighted two different complexed forms with, respectively, 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometry. The 1:1 complex predominates for low lead concentrations, even if the second complexed form appears before the first chelating site is fully occupied. Both spectroscopic data and calculations reveal that Pb(II) preferentially coordinates with the carboxylate function, in opposition with previous results found for the Al(III) complexation, where the catechol group presents the greater complexing power. The structural and vibrational modifications between the mono-deprotonated ligand and 1:1 complex engendered by the chelation are discussed. Water molecules have been added on the Pb ion to modify its coordination, and structures of Pb(H(2)CA)(H(2)O)(n)(+) with n = 0-4 were optimized. Calculations of theoretical frequencies have permitted us to propose a tentative assignment of infrared and Raman spectra of complexed species.

Time dependent density functional theory study of electronic absorption properties of lead(II) complexes with a series of hydroxyflavones.

The structural changes occurring with the chelation of lead(II) to 3-hydroxyflavone, 5-hydroxyflavone, and 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone have been investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) method with the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The two effective core potentials Lanl2dz (Los Alamos) and MWB78 (Stuttgart/Dresden) were used for the Pb ion. Only the 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone ligand shows minor geometrical modifications upon chelation, whereas the two other ligands present important changes of their chromone moiety. The time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) has been employed to calculate the electronic absorption spectra of the 1:1 complexes of lead(II) with the three hydroxyflavones, as well in a vacuum as in methanol. The solvent effect is modeled using the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method with the polarized continuum model (PCM). Comparison with experimental data allows a precise assessment of the performances of the method, which appears competitive and suitable to reproduce the spectral measurements when the solvent effect is taken into account. These calculations and the molecular orbital analysis have allowed an explanation of the different behaviors of the three ligands toward Pb(II) and particularly the fact that no bathochromic shift is observed with the addition of lead(II) to a 5-hydroxyflavone solution. A complete assignment of the electronic absorption spectra of both free and complexed ligands has been carried out.

Computational and spectroscopic characterization of the molecular and electronic structure of the Pb(II)-quercetin complex.

The interactions of lead(II) ion with a polyhydroxylated flavonoid, the quercetin molecule, were investigated in methanol solution. The quercetin/metal stoichiometries and equilibrium stability constants for metal binding to quercetin have been determined by UV-vis spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods. The 2:1, 1:2, and predominant 1:1 species are formed in solution. Among the three potential sites of chelation present in the quercetin structure, the catechol function presents the highest complexation power toward Pb(II), in opposition with previous results found for Al(III) complexation. This result has been confirmed by the good agreement of the experimental and theoretical features for both the electronic and vibrational spectra of the 1:1 complex. DT-DFT calculations show that the bathochromic shift of the long-wavelength band of the UV-vis spectra, that occurs upon complexation, is due to a ligand-to-metal charge transfer. The molecular structure of the ligand is not much modified by the coordination of lead at the level of the catecholate.

Spectroscopic and structural study of complexes of quercetin with Al(III).

Complex formation between aluminium and quercetin (Q) in methanol was studied by the combined use of spectroscopic measurements and quantum chemical calculations. Quercetin presents in its structure three possible chelating sites in competition. UV-visible spectroscopy has showed the successive formation of two complexes of stoichiometry Al(III):Q of 1:2 and 2:1, respectively. The first site involved in the complex formation process is the 3-hydroxychromone and the second one is the ortho-dihydroxyl group. Semiempirical treatment, using the AM1 hamiltonian, permitted calculation of the structural modifications engendered by the ligand through chelation of one then two aluminium ions. The electronic and vibrational spectra have been calculated with the same method in order to compare them to the experimental spectra and so confirm the involved chelating sites. The simulated electronic spectra obtained from the complex models are in good agreement with the experimental UV-visible absorption spectra. In the same way the vibrational spectra of the complexes validate the proposed complex formation mechanism. The pH influence on the complexes stoichiometry and on the preferentially occupied chelating sites has been also investigated.

Complexes of Al(III) with 3'4'-dihydroxy-flavone: characterization, theoretical and spectroscopic study.

Complex formation between aluminium chloride and 3'4'-dihydroxyflavone (3'4'diOHF) in methanol has been studied by UV-visible and Raman spectroscopies combined with quantum chemical calculations. Job's method of continuous variation and the molar ratio method were applied to ascertain the stoichiometry composition of the chelate in pure methanol. A 1:1 complex was indicated by both the methods. Geometry optimizations of free and complexed molecules by AMI and DFT methods show that structural modifications of the ligand, induced by complexation, are minor, and are localized on the chelating site. The good agreement between experimental and theoretical electronic spectra of both 3'4'diOHF and complex confirm the structural models. The great similarities between Raman spectra of the free and complexed form constitute an another proof of the absence of pronounced electronic and geometric changes, and notably demonstrate that the quinoidal form induced by the deprotonation of the two hydroxyl groups does not participate in the 3'4'diOHF complex structure. Whereas no complexation occurs in acidic medium, complexes of high stoichiometry are formed in alkaline medium. (Al(3'4'diOHF)2)- and (Al(3'4'diOHF)3)3- species are observed in methanol in the presence of sodium acetate or sodium methanoate.

Conformational and spectroscopic investigation of 3-hydroxyflavone-aluminium chelates.

3-Hydroxyflavone (3HF), which is the simplest molecule of the flavonol class, possesses chelating properties towards Al(III). Spectrophotometric methods have shown that the 3HF molecule forms an Al(3HF)2 complex in pure methanol. The structure of this complex, obtained by quantum semi-empirical AM1 method, indicated that complexed 3HF adopts a pyronium form. Structural and electronic modifications induced by chelation are illustrated by the important frequency shifts observed between free and complexed 3HF FT-Raman spectra and by the chemical shifts variations in the 13C NMR spectra of the two species. Complexes with the same stoichiometry were formed when AcO- or MeO- are present in the medium. However, in acidic medium the chelate composition is Al2(3HF).

Resonance raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical modeling studies of protein-astaxanthin interactions in alpha-crustacyanin (major blue carotenoprotein complex in carapace of lobster, Homarus gammarus).

Resonance Raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations were used to investigate the molecular origin of the large redshift assumed by the electronic absorption spectrum of astaxanthin in alpha-crustacyanin, the major blue carotenoprotein from the carapace of the lobster, Homarus gammarus. Resonance Raman spectra of alpha-crustacyanin reconstituted with specifically 13C-labeled astaxanthins at the positions 15, 15,15', 14,14', 13,13', 12,12', or 20,20' were recorded. This approach enabled us to obtain information about the effect of the ligand-protein interactions on the geometry of the astaxanthin chromophore in the ground electronic state. The magnitude of the downshifts of the C==C stretching modes for each labeled compound indicate that the main perturbation on the central part of the polyene chain is not homogeneous. In addition, changes in the 1250-1400 cm(-1) spectral range indicate that the geometry of the astaxanthin polyene chain is moderately changed upon binding to the protein. Semiempirical quantum chemical modeling studies (Austin method 1) show that the geometry change cannot be solely responsible for the bathochromic shift from 480 to 632 nm of protein-bound astaxanthin. The calculations are consistent with a polarization mechanism that involves the protonation or another interaction with a positive ionic species of comparable magnitude with both ketofunctionalities of the astaxanthin-chromophore and support the changes observed in the resonance Raman and visible absorption spectra. The results are in good agreement with the conclusions that were drawn on the basis of a study of the charge densities in the chromophore in alpha-crustacyanin by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. From the results the dramatic bathochromic shift can be explained not only from a change in the ground electronic state conformation but also from an interaction in the excited electronic state that significantly decreases the energy of the pi-antibonding C==O orbitals and the HOMO-LUMO gap.

Semiempirical and Raman spectroscopic studies of carotenoids.

Semiempirical AM1 calculations have been carried out for beta-carotene and the three xanthophylls (zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, and astaxanthin) containing oxygen functions (hydroxy/keto groups) found in the majority of natural pigment. The fully optimized geometries correspond well with the X-ray structures of beta-carotene and canthaxanthin and indicate that substitutions on the terminal rings have a minimal effect on the conformation of the chromophore. Twisting along the polyenic chain results from steric interaction involving methyl substituents, and a Ci point group can be proposed for the four investigated carotenoids. AM1 calculated excitation energies for the strongly allowed excited states can be compared to with the experimental absorption band in the visible region, considering solvent effect. Resonance Raman (RR) and Fourier transform (FT) Raman spectra of natural astaxanthin as well as astaxanthins specifically 13C labeled at the positions 12,12'; 13,13'; 14,14'; 15,15'; 15, and 20,20' were recorded. Furthermore the RR and FT Raman spectra of the asymmetric carotenoid 20-norastaxanthin are presented. The data reveal a substantial amount of information about the coupling between the different vibrations, and enabled an extensive experimental verification of the theoretical normal-coordinate analysis previously performed on polyenic molecules [J Raman Spectrosc 1983, 14, 310-321; Advances in Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy, Vol. 12, 1985, pp. 115-178; Spectrochim Acta 1996, 53, 381-392; Biochim Biophys Acta 1994, 1185, 188-196]. The results make up a very interesting dataset which allowed the interpretation and/or observation of several, hitherto never observed or not well understood, effects in the Raman spectra of the differently labeled astaxanthins.