Synthesis, characterization, and thermal and computational investigations of the L-histidine bis(fluoride) crystal.

Nonlinear optical materials have been investigated recently due to their potential technological applications in information storage and communications. In this context, semi-organic crystals can effectively combine the desired nonlinear optical properties of amino acids with the promising mechanical and thermal properties of inorganic materials. In this work, we have synthesized and characterized a semi-organic crystal of the amino acid L-histidine and hydrofluoric acid and investigated the chemical interactions between the organic and inorganic moieties. The crystal of L-histidine bis(fluoride) has been produced by slow solvent evaporation and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) crystallography and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses. The XRD conducted using the Rietveld method shows that the unit cell is orthorhombic with the P21212 space group and contains four L-histidine bis(fluoride) units. Both differential thermal analysis and temperature-dependent XRD show that the crystals are thermally stable up to 191°C and do not undergo phase transition. The computational Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure reveals the main intermolecular interactions. Density functional theory has been employed to calculate the ionic interaction energy and electrostatic potential maps and confirm the spontaneity of ionic association at 191°C. The combined experimental and computational results show that the thermal stability of the semi-organic L-histidine bis(fluoride) crystal makes it suitable for nonlinear optical applications in optical sensing and communication systems.

Semisynthetic Phenol Derivatives Obtained from Natural Phenols: Antimicrobial Activity and Molecular Properties.

Semisynthetic phenol derivatives were obtained from the natural phenols: thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, and guaiacol through catalytic oxychlorination, Williamson synthesis, and aromatic Claisen rearrangement. The compounds characterization was carried out by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry. The natural phenols and their semisynthetic derivatives were tested for their antimicrobial activity against the bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica, and Bacillus cereus. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined using concentrations from 220 to 3.44 µg mL-1. Most of the tested compounds presented MIC values ≤220 µg mL-1 for all the bacteria used in the assays. The molecular properties of the compounds were computed with the PM6 method. Through principle components analysis, the natural phenols and their semisynthetic derivatives with higher antimicrobial potential were grouped.