Terpenoids from the Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus sp. RR-YLW-12, Associated with the Red Alga Rhodomela confervoides.

Two new meroterpenoids, aspermeroterpenes D and E (1 and 2), two new ophiobolin-type sesterterpenoids, the C-18 epimers of 18,19-dihydro-18-methoxy-19-hydroxyophiobolin P (6 and 7), and two new drimane-type sesquiterpenoids, 3S-hydroxystrobilactone A (8) and 6-epi-strobilactone A (9), along with 11 known terpenoids (3-5 and 10-17) were isolated from the cultures of the algicolous fungus Aspergillus sp. RR-YLW-12, derived from the red alga Rhodomela confervoides. The structures and relative configurations of new compounds were established by detailed spectroscopic analysis of NMR and HRMS experiments, and the absolute configurations were assigned by X-ray diffraction experiments and comparison of their experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 features a rare 6/6/6/6/5 pentacyclic system with a meroterpenoid skeleton, and the structure of terretonin E (3) was revised in this study. Compound 4 showed significant inhibitory activities against three microalgae, Prorocentrum donghaiense, Heterosigma akashiwo, and Chattonella marina, with IC50 values of 10.5, 5.2, and 3.1 µg/mL, respectively.

Tf2O/DMSO-Promoted P-O and P-S Bond Formation: A Scalable Synthesis of Multifarious Organophosphinates and Thiophosphates.

A Tf2O/DMSO-based system for the dehydrogenative coupling of a wide range of alcohols, phenols, thiols, and thiophenols with diverse phosphorus reagents has been developed. This metal- and strong-oxidant-free strategy provides a facile approach to a great variety of organophosphinates and thiophosphates. The simple reaction system, good functional-group tolerance, and broad substrate scope enable the application of this method to the modification of natural products and the direct synthesis of bioactive molecules and flame retardants.

External electric field: a new catalytic strategy for the anti-Markovnikov hydrohydrazination of parent hydrazine.

The anti-Markovnikov hydroamination reaction is considered to be a particular challenge, and one of the reactants, parent hydrazine, is also regarded as a troubling reagent. In this study, we first studied the hydrohydrazination of parent hydrazine via an effective and green catalyst-external electric field (EEF). The calculation results demonstrated that the anti-Markovnikov and Markovnikov pathways are competitive when there was no catalyst. EEF oriented along the negative direction of the X axis (F x ) accelerated the anti-Markovnikov addition reaction. Moreover, it lowered the barrier height of the first step by 16.0 kcal mol-1 (from 27.8 to 11.8 kcal mol-1) when the field strength was 180 (×10-4) au. Under the same conditions, the Markovnikov reaction pathway was inhibited, which means that EEF achieved the specificity of hydrohydrazination. The solvents are favorable for the first step addition reaction, particularly the synergy between solvents and F x lowered the barrier heights by 8.3 (C6H6) and 10.7 (DMSO) kcal mol-1 for an F x = -60 (×10-4) au. Besides, the introduction of the electron-withdrawing substituent (trifluoromethyl) is also a good strategy to catalyze hydrohydrazination, while the electron-donating group (methoxy) is unfavorable.

Carbon Excess C3N: A Potential Candidate as Li-Ion Battery Material.

Xu et al.'s recent experimental work ( Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, 1702007) suggested that C3N is a potential candidate as Li-ion battery with unusual electrochemical characteristics. However, the obvious capacity loss (from 787.3 to 383.3 mA h·g-1) occurs after several cycles, which restricts its high performance. To understand and further solve this issue, in the present study, we have studied the intercalation processes of Li ions into C3N via first-principle simulations. The results reveal that the Li-ion theoretical capacity in pure C3N is only 133.94 mA h·g-1, the value is obviously lower than experimental one. After examining the experimental results in detail, it is found that the chemical component of the as-generated C xN structure is actually C2.67N with N excess. In this case, the calculated theoretical capacity is 837.06 mA h·g-1, while part of Li ions are irreversibly trapped in C2.67N, resulting in the capacity loss. This phenomenon is consistent with the experimental results. Accordingly, we suggest that N excess C3N, but not pure C3N, is the proposed Li-ion battery material in Xu et al.'s experiment. To solve the capacity loss issue and maintain the excellent performance of C3N-based anode material, the C3N with slightly excess C (C3.33N), which has been successfully fabricated in the experiment, is considered in view of its relatively low chemical activity as compared with N excess C3N. Our results reveal that the C excess C3N is a potential Li-ion battery material, which exhibits the low open circle voltage (0.12 V), high reversible capacity (840.35 mA h·g-1), fast charging/discharging rate, and good electronic conductivity.

Nonlinear optical properties of aluminum nitride nanotubes doped by excess electron: a first principle study.

Aluminum nitride nanotubes (AlNNTs) doped by the excess electron, e@AlNNT and M@N-AlNNT (M = Li, Na, K), have been designed and their geometrical, electronic, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties have been explored theoretically. The results showed that the excess electron narrows the energy gap between HOMO and LUMO values (EH-L) of the doped systems in the range of 3.42-5.37 eV, which is due to a new energy level HOMO formed for the doped excess electron, with higher energy than the original HOMO of AlNNT. Importantly, the doped excess electron considerably increases the first hyperpolarizability (ß0) from 130 a.u. of the undoped AlNNT to 646 a.u. for e@AlNNT, 2606 a.u. for Li@N-AlNNT, while 1.14 × 105 a.u. for Na@N-AlNNT, and 1.37 × 106 a.u. for K@N-AlNNT. The enormous ß0 values for Na@N-AlNNT and K@N-AlNNT are attributed to the low transition energy. These results demonstrate that AlNNTs are a promising material in high-performance NLO nanomaterials for electronic devices.

Theoretical study of the cooperative effects between the triel bond and the pnicogen bond in BF3···NCXH2···Y (X = P, As, Sb; Y = H2O, NH3) complexes.

The interplay between the triel bond and the pnicogen bond in BF3···NCXH2···Y (X = P, As, Sb; Y = H2O, NH3) complexes was studied theoretically. Both bonds exhibited cooperative effects, with shorter binding distances, larger interaction energies, and greater electron densities found for the ternary complexes than for the corresponding binary ones. The cooperative effects between the triel bond and the pnicogen bond were probed by analyzing molecular electrostatic potentials, charge transfer, and orbital interactions. The results showed that the enhancement of the triel bond can mainly be attributed to the electrostatic interaction, while the strengthening of the pnicogen bond can be ascribed chiefly to the electrostatic and orbital interactions. In addition, the origins of both the triel bond and the pnicogen bond were deduced via energy decomposition.

Monolayer Ti2CO2: A Promising Candidate for NH3 Sensor or Capturer with High Sensitivity and Selectivity.

Ti2C is one of the thinnest layers in MXene family with high potential for applications. In the present study, the adsorption of NH3, H2, CH4, CO, CO2, N2, NO2, and O2 on monolayer Ti2CO2 was investigated by using first-principles simulations to exploit its potential applications as gas sensor or capturer. Among all the gas molecules, only NH3 could be chemisorbed on Ti2CO2 with apparent charge transfer of 0.174 e. We further calculated the current-voltage (I-V) relation using the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method. The transport feature exhibits distinct responses with a dramatic change of I-V relation before and after NH3 adsorption on Ti2CO2. Thus, we predict that Ti2CO2 could be a promising candidate for the NH3 sensor with high selectivity and sensitivity. On the other hand, the adsorption of NH3 on Ti2CO2 could be further strengthened with the increase of applied strain on Ti2CO2, while the adsorption of other gases on Ti2CO2 is still weak under the same strain, indicating that the capture of NH3 on Ti2CO2 under the strain is highly preferred over other gas molecules. Moreover, the adsorbed NH3 on Ti2CO2 could be escapable by releasing the applied strain, which indicates the capture process is reversible. Our study widens the application of monolayer Ti2CO2 not only as the battery material, but also as the potential gas sensor or capturer of NH3 with high sensitivity and selectivity.

A new minor diketopiperazine from the sponge-derived fungus Simplicillium sp. YZ-11.

Chemical investigation of the cultures of a sponge-derived fungus Simplicillium sp. YZ-11 led to the isolation of a new minor diketopiperazine alkaloid cyclo-(2-hydroxy-Pro-Gly) (1) and a natural lactone (S)-dihydro-5-[(S)- hydroxyphenylmethyl]-2(3H)-furanone (2), together with five known ergostane-type sterols (3-7). Their structures were established based on extensive spectroscopic methods ((1)H and (13)C NMR, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC and HMBC) and optical rotation analysis.

Tetrel-hydride interaction between XH3F (X = C, Si, Ge, Sn) and HM (M = Li, Na, BeH, MgH).

A tetrel-hydride interaction was predicted and characterized in the complexes of XH3F···HM (X = C, Si, Ge, Sn; M = Li, Na, BeH, MgH) at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level, where XH3F and HM are treated as the Lewis acid and base, respectively. This new interaction was analyzed in terms of geometrical parameters, interaction energies, and spectroscopic characteristics of the complexes. The strength of the interaction is essentially related to the nature of X and M groups, with both the larger atomic number of X and the increased reactivity of M giving rise to a stronger tetrel-hydride interaction. The tetrel-hydride interaction exhibits similar substituent effects to that of dihydrogen bonds, where the electron-donating CH3 and Li groups in the metal hydride strengthen the binding interactions. NBO analyses demonstrate that both BD(H-M) → BD*(X-F) and BD(H-M) → BD*(X-H) orbital interactions play the stabilizing role in the formation of the complex XH3F···HM (X = C, Si, Ge, and Sn; M = Li, Na, BeH, and MgH). The major contribution to the total interaction energy is electrostatic energy for all of the complexes, even though the dispersion/polarization parts are nonnegligible for the weak/strong tetrel-hydride interaction, respectively.

Enhancement of iodine-hydride interaction by substitution and cooperative effects in NCX-NCI-HMY complexes.

The NCX-NCI-HMY (X=H, Cl, Br, I, Li; M=Be, Mg; Y=H, Li, Na) trimers are investigated to find ways to enhance the iodine-hydride interaction. The interaction energy in the NCI-HMH dimer is -2.87 and -5.87 kcal mol(-1) for M=Be and Mg, respectively. When the free H atom in the NCI-HMH dimer is replaced with an alkali atom, the interaction energy is enhanced greatly. When NCX is added into this dimer, the interaction energy of the iodine-hydride interaction is increased by 9-45 % and its increased percentage follows the order X=Cl

Structures, properties and nature of DMSO-XY (XY=ClF and BrF) complexes: redshift and blueshift of S=O stretch.

The DMSO-XY (XY=ClF and BrF) complexes have been investigated with quantum chemical calculations. In general, two minima complexes were found, one with an O···X halogen bond and the other one with a S···X halogen bond. The former is more stable than the latter. Additionally, one first order saddle point complex was also observed. The interaction energies in the S complexes suffer a prominent influence from the calculation methods. At the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ level, the interaction energies are calculated to be -9.19 and -12.73 kcal/mol for the Cl and Br global minima, respectively. Both complexes have also been evidenced to be stable at room temperature. The SO stretch vibration exhibits a red shift at the global minimum but a blue shift at the local minimum, whereas the CSC and CH stretch vibrations move to high frequency in both cases. The energy decomposition analyses indicate that the electrostatic interaction plays a dominant role in stabilizing these halogen-bonded complexes.

Substitution, cooperative, and solvent effects on π pnicogen bonds in the FH(2)P and FH(2)As complexes.

Ab initio calculations have been carried out to study the substitution effect on the π pnicogen bond in ZH(2)P-C(2)HM (Z = H, H(3)C, NC, F; M = H, CH(3), Li) dimer, cooperative effect of the π pnicogen bond and hydrogen bond in XH-FH(2)Y-C(2)H(4) (X = HO, NC, F; Y = P and As) trimer, and solvent effect on the π pnicogen bond in FH(2)P-C(2)H(2), FH(2)P-C(2)H(4), FH(2)As-C(2)H(2), and FH(2)As-C(2)H(4) dimers. The interaction energy of π pnicogen bond increases in magnitude from -1.51 kcal mol(-1) in H(3)P-C(2)H(2) dimer to -7.53 kcal mol(-1) in FH(2)P-C(2)HLi dimer at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. The π pnicogen bond is enhanced by 12-30 % due to the presence of hydrogen bond in the trimer. The π pnicogen bond is also enhanced in solvents. The natural bond orbital analysis and symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) were used to unveil the source of substitution, cooperative, and solvent effects.

Pnicogen-hydride interaction between FH2X (X = P and As) and HM (M = ZnH, BeH, MgH, Li, and Na).

A pnicogen-hydride interaction has been predicted and characterized in FH(2)P-HM and FH(2)As-HM (M = ZnH, BeH, MgH, Li, and Na) complexes at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. For the complexes analyzed here, P(As) and HM are treated as a Lewis acid and a Lewis base, respectively. This interaction is moderate or strong since, for the strongest interaction of the FH(2)As-HNa complex, the interaction energy amounts to -24.79 kcal/mol, and the binding distance is equal to about 1.7 Å, much less than the sum of the corresponding van der Waals radii. By comparison with some related systems, it is concluded that the pnicogen-hydride interactions are stronger than dihydrogen bonds and lithium-hydride interactions. This interaction has been analyzed with natural bond orbitals, atoms in molecules, electron localization function, and symmetry adapted perturbation theory methods.

Concerted interaction between pnicogen and halogen bonds in XCl-FH2P-NH3 (X=F, OH, CN, NC, and FCC).

We analyze the interplay between pnicogen-bonding and halogen-bonding interactions in the XCl-FH(2)P-NH(3) (X=F, OH, CN, NC, and FCC) complex at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. Synergetic effects are observed when pnicogen and halogen bonds coexist in the same complex. These effects are studied in terms of geometric and energetic features of the complexes. Natural bond orbital theory and Bader's theory of "atoms in molecules" are used to characterize the interactions and analyze their enhancement with varying electron density at critical points and orbital interactions. The physical nature of the interactions and the mechanism of the synergetic effects are studied using symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. By taking advantage of all the aforementioned computational methods, the present study examines how both interactions mutually influence each other.

Prediction and characterization of a chalcogen-hydride interaction with metal hybrids as an electron donor in F2CS-HM and F2CSe-HM (M = Li, Na, BeH, MgH, MgCH3) complexes.

A novel type of σ-hole bonding has been predicted and characterized in F(2)CS-HM and F(2)CSe-HM (M = Li, Na, BeH, MgH) complexes at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. This interaction, termed a chalcogen-hydride interaction, was analyzed in terms of geometric, energetic and spectroscopic features of the complexes. It exhibits similar properties to hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding. The methyl group in metal hydrides makes a positive contribution to the formation of chalcogen-hydride bonded complexes. In the F(2)CSe-HLi-OH(2) complex, the chalcogen-hydride bonding shows synergetic effects with lithium bonding. These complexes have been analyzed with the atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) method. The results show that the chalcogen-hydride bonding is dominated with an electrostatic interaction.

The structure, properties, and nature of HArF-HOX (X = F, Cl, Br) complex: an ab initio study and an unusual short hydrogen bond.

The structure and properties (geometric, energetic, electronic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic properties) of HArF-HOX (X = F, Cl, Br) complex have been investigated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level. Three types of complexes are formed through a hydrogen bond or a halogen bond. The HArF-HOX complex is the most stable, followed by the FArH-OHX complex, and the HArF-XOH complex is the most unstable. The binding distance in FArH-OHX complex is very short (1.1-1.7 Å) and is smaller than that in HArF-HOX complex. However, the interaction strength in the former is weaker than that in the latter. Thus, an unusual short hydrogen bond is present in FArH-OHX complex. The associated H-Ar bond exhibits a red shift, whereas the distant one gives a blue shift. A similar result is also found for the O-H and O-X bonds. The isotropic chemical shift is negative for the associated hydrogen atom but is positive for the associated halogen atom. However, a reverse result is found for the anisotropic chemical shift. The analyses of natural bond orbital and atoms in molecules have been performed for these complexes to understand the nature and properties of hydrogen and halogen bonds.

Relativistic multireference calculation of photodissociation of o-, m-, and p-bromofluorobenzene.

Quantum chemical calculations with relativistic effects were performed on the photodissociation of o-, m-, and p-bromofluorobenzene (o-, m-, and p-BrFPh) at 266 nm. The method of multistate second-order multiconfigurational perturbation theory in conjunction with spin-orbit interaction through complete active space state interaction was employed to calculate the potential energy curves for the ground and low-lying excited states of o-, m-, and p-BrFPh along their photodissociation reaction coordinates. The dissociation mechanisms with products of Br((2)P(3∕2)) and Br(∗)((2)P(1∕2)) states were clarified with the computed potential energy curves and the surface crossings. The current calculations augmented previous theoretical investigations by including relativistic effects and resolved some differences of experimental assignment regarding the dissociation channels of o-, m-, and p-BrFPh.

Some measures for making halogen bonds stronger than hydrogen bonds in H2CS-HOX (X = F, Cl, and Br) complexes.

The properties and applications of halogen bonds are dependent greatly on their strength. In this paper, we suggested some measures for enhancing the strength of the halogen bond relative to the hydrogen bond in the H(2)CS-HOX (X = F, Cl, and Br) system by means of quantum chemical calculations. It has been shown that with comparison to H(2)CO, the S electron donor in H(2)CS results in a smaller difference in strength for the Cl halogen bond and the corresponding hydrogen bond, and the Br halogen bond is even stronger than the hydrogen bond. The Li atom in LiHCS and methyl group in MeHCS cause an increase in the strength of halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding, but the former makes the halogen bond stronger and the latter makes the hydrogen bond stronger. In solvents, the halogen bond in the Br system is strong enough to compete with the hydrogen bond. The interaction nature and properties in these complexes have been analyzed with the natural bond orbital theory.

[Theoretical study of geometrical structures and properties of several replaced mercapto molecules].

The geometrical structures of several Raman probe molecules were optimized using density functional theory (DFT) of the hybrid density functional B3LYP method and 6-311+ + G** basis set. Their energy gap, nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS), polarizability and vibration spectrum were studied. The theoretical results showed that: 4-MPY, MBA and PATP had planar structures, the angle of BDT between S-H and benzene ring plane was 20. 2 degrees, and the 4-MBT was 39. 6 degrees; they all have a strong aroma and a large value of polarization. The order of the average of molecular hyperpolarizability tensor was BDT > 4-MBT > 4-MBA > 4-MPY > PATP, and the trends of polarizability anisotropy invariant were 4-MBA > 4-MBT > BDT > PATP > 4-MPY.

Theoretical study on HBO+ and HOB+ cations using multiconfiguration second-order perturbation theory.

The HBO(+) and HOB(+) cations have been reinvestigated using the CASSCF and CASPT2 methods in conjunction with the contracted atomic natural orbital (ANO) basis sets. The geometries of all stationary points in the potential energy surfaces were optimized at the CASSCF/ANO and CASPT2/ANO levels. The ground and the first excited states of HBO(+) are predicted to be X(2)Pi and A(2)Sigma(+) states, respectively. It was predicted that the ground state of HOB(+) is X(2)Sigma(+) state. The A(2)Pi state of HOB(+) has unique imaginary frequency. A bending local minimum M1 was found for the first time along the 1(2)A'' potential energy surface and the A(2)Pi state of HOB(+) should be the transition state of the isomerization reactions for M1<--> M1. The CASPT2/ANO potential energy curves (PECs) of isomerization reactions were calculated as functions of the HBO bond angle. Many of the CASSCF and CASPT2 calculated results were different from the previously published QCISD(T) results.