DFT Study of 1,4-Diazonium-3,6-diolates: Monocyclic Representatives of Unexplored Semi-Conjugated Heterocyclic Mesomeric Betaines.

Compared to the well-known conjugated (1,3-dipolar) and cross-conjugated (1,4-dipolar) heterocyclic mesomeric betaines (HMBs), semi-conjugated HMBs are unexplored and almost unknown. The three discrete classes of HMB are defined by the connectivity between their ring 2π heteroatoms and the odd-conjugated fragments that complete the ring. A single example of a stable, fully-characterized semi-conjugate HMB has been reported. This study employs the density functional theory (DFT) methodology to investigate the properties of a series of six-membered semi-conjugated HMBs. The electronic character of ring substituents is found to significantly influence the structure and electronic properties of the ring. The aromaticity measured by HOMA and NICS(1)zz indices is increased by π-electron-donating substituents whereas π-electron-withdrawing substituents decrease the calculated aromatic character and ultimately lead to non-planar boat or chair structures. A notable property of all derivatives is the small energy gap between their frontier orbitals.

The influence of substituent field and resonance effects on the ease of N-heterocyclic carbene formation from imidazolium rings.

Using a set of twelve selected substituents, the influence of substituent properties on the ease of deprotonation of imidazolium cations and mesoionic imidazolium-4-olates measured by the CREF index has been investigated. Significant correlations between CREF values and the Swain and Lupton field (F) and resonance (R) substituent constants have been found. In all cases the field effect has the greatest influence but resonance effects are also significant.

A Quantitative Analysis of Factors Influencing Ease of Formation and σ-Bonding Strength of Oxa- and Thia-N-Heterocyclic Carbenes.

The index described previously (carbene relative energy of formation) has been extended to oxygen and sulfur heterocycles. This provides a quantitative overview of factors determining ease of formation of (i) neutral N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) by deprotonation of heterocyclic salts and (ii) anionic NHCs by deprotonation of heterocyclic mesomeric betaines. The influence of the nature and ring position of oxygen and sulfur is discussed for a range of known and unknown systems. Attention is directed to unexplored systems of potential interest.

Quantitative Index of the Relative Ease of Formation and σ-Bonding Strength of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes.

An energy-based index of the ease of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) formation either by deprotonation of precursor salts to give neutral NHCs or deprotonation of heterocyclic mesomeric betaines to give anionic NHCs is described. This index (CREF; Carbene Relative Energy of Formation), which is easily calculated using DFT methods, also gives a quantitative measure of the relative σ-donor strength of NHCs. CREF index values for a wide range of known and unknown NHC ring systems are reported and their significance discussed.

Substituent effects in 1-nitro-4-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives: inductive or field effects?

Interactions between the NO2 group and 13 different substituents (BF2, BH2, CF3, CH3, CHO, CN, F, NH2, NMe2, NO2, NO, OH, OMe) were investigated computationally for bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) and benzene substituted at 1,4 and 1,3 positions in the ring. Three methods were employed to estimate the character and strength of the substituent effect: substituent effect stabilization energy (SESE), sigma/pi electron donor acceptor index (sEDA/pEDA) and substituent active region (cSAR) parameter. For the first time the sEDA/pEDA parameters were calculated not for the ring but for the NO2 group. All calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. For 1,4 derivatives, a direct comparison of slopes of linear regressions between BCO and benzene reveals a much better transmission of the substituent effect in the latter. The ratio of slopes (benzene over BCO) is always larger than 4. It follows that the resonance effects, which are absent in the BCO, dominate in this case. For 1,3 derivatives, because of much lower correlation coefficients, estimated standard deviations (ESD) were used to calculate the ratio instead of the slopes. For these systems the ratio is much closer to the unity, which indicates that only the sigma/through space effects are present and they are of similar magnitude in benzene and BCO. It follows from natural population analysis (NPA) charges that the substituent effect in the studied systems is due mainly to through-space interactions.

Toward a physical interpretation of substituent effects: the case of fluorine and trifluoromethyl groups.

The application of ab initio and DFT computational methods at six different levels of theory (MP2/cc-pVDZ, MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ, B3LYP/cc-pVDZ, B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ, M06/cc-pVDZ, and M06/aug-cc-pVTZ) to meta- and para-substituted fluoro- and trifluoromethylbenzene derivatives and to 1-fluoro- and 1-trifluoromethyl-2-substituted trans-ethenes allowed the study of changes in the electronic and geometric properties of F- and CF3-substituted systems under the impact of other substituents (BeH, BF2, BH2, Br, CFO, CHO, Cl, CN, F, Li, NH2, NMe2, NO, NO2, OH, H, CF3, and CH3). Various parameters of these systems have been investigated, including homodesmotic reactions in terms of the substituent effect stabilization energy (SESE), the π and σ electron donor-acceptor indexes (pEDA and sEDA, respectively), the charge on the substituent active region (cSAR, known earlier as qSAR), and bond lengths, which have been regressed against Hammett constants, resulting mostly in an accurate correspondence except in the case of p-fluorobenzene derivatives. Moreover, changes in the characteristics of the ability of the substituent to attract or donate electrons under the impact of the kind of moiety to which the substituent is attached have been considered as the indirect substituent effect and investigated by means of the cSAR model. Regressions of cSAR(X) versus cSAR(Y) for any systems X and Y allow final results to be obtained on the same scale of magnitude.

Biological activity of Pd(II) complexes with mono- and disubstituted pyridines--experimental and theoretical studies.

Due to the similarity between Pd and Pt, the complexes of palladium(II) can be considered as potential anticancer agents. Activity of six PdCl2(X2Py)2 complexes (Py=pyridine, and X=CH3 or Cl) was measured by MTT test using MCF7, CCRF-SB, PC3 and human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines. We found that the effect of PdCl2(XnPy)2 was cell-specific and time-dependent. Obtained results were discussed and compared with the activation parameters calculated for the hydrolysis of PdCl2(XnPy)2, indicating a correlation between viability of MCF7 and CCRF-SB cells and rates of hydrolysis of the Pd(II) complexes.

Selectivity of bis-triazinyl bipyridine ligands for americium(III) in Am/Eu separation by solvent extraction. Part 1. Quantum mechanical study on the structures of BTBP complexes and on the energy of the separation.

Theoretical studies were carried out on two pairs of americium and europium complexes formed by tetra-N-dentate lipophilic BTBP ligands, neutral [ML(NO(3))(3)] and cationic [ML(2)](3+) where M = Am(III) or Eu(III), and L = 6,6'-bis-(5,6-diethyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine (C2-BTBP). Molecular structures of the complexes have been optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level and total energies of the complexes in various media were estimated using single point calculations performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and MP2/6-311G(d,p) levels of theory. In the calculations americium and europium ions were treated using pseudo-relativistic Stuttgart-Dresden effective core potentials and the accompanying basis sets. Selectivity in solvent extraction separation of two metal ions is a co-operative function of contributions from all extractable metal complexes, which depend on physico-chemical properties of each individual complex and on its relative amount in the system. Semi-quantitative analysis of BTBP selectivity in the Am/Eu separation process, based on the contributions from the two pairs of Am(III) and Eu(III) complexes, has been carried out. To calculate the energy of Am/Eu separation, a model of the extraction process was used, consisting of complex formation in water and transfer of the formed complex to the organic phase. Under the assumptions discussed in the paper, this simple two-step model results in reliable values of the calculated differences in the energy changes for each pair of the Am/Eu complexes in both steps of the process. The greater thermodynamic stability (in water) of the Am-BTBP complexes, as compared with the analogous Eu species, caused by greater covalency of the Am-N than Eu-N bonds, is most likely the main reason for BTBP selectivity in the separation of the two metal ions. The other potential reason, i.e. differences in lipophilic properties of the analogous complexes of Am and Eu, is less important with regard to this selectivity.

Aromatic character of heptafulvene and its complexes with halogen atoms.

Geometry optimization of heptafulvene-halogen complexes (halogens: F, Cl, Br, I, and At) carried out at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory allowed us to estimate the geometry-based aromaticity index HOMA, the magnetism-based indices NICS, NICS(1), and NICS(1)(ZZ), as well as the energy of complex formation. Application of the NBO method allowed us to estimate the pEDA characteristics of the π-electron distribution in complexes (i.e., the electron excess/deficiency of the π-electron system in the ring). All of the characteristics of the complexes were found to be mutually interrelated, exhibiting good or at least acceptable correlation coefficients. It was also noted that halogen atoms with greater radii yielded weaker complexes and lower aromaticities, as shown by the HOMA, NICS, and pEDA indices. The energy of complex formation was observed to be linearly correlated with the degree of aromatization of the heptafulvene ring, as expressed by these indices.

Crystal structure, electronic properties and cytotoxic activity of palladium chloride complexes with monosubstituted pyridines.

Palladium(II) complexes attract great attention due to their remarkable catalytic and biological activity. In the present study X-ray characterization, UV-Vis and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) calculations for six PdCl(2)(XPy)(2) complexes (where: Py = pyridine; X = H, CH(3) or Cl) were applied in order to investigate substituent effects on their crystal structures and electronic properties and to combine the results with their catalytic and cytotoxic activity. The structures of complexes PdCl(2)(3-MePy)(2), PdCl(2)(4-MePy)(2) and PdCl(2)(2-ClPy)(2), have been described for the first time and we compared our results with available data for the whole series of six complexes. All compounds exhibit a square planar coordination geometry in which the palladium ion coordinates two nitrogen atoms of pyridine ligands and two chlorine atoms in trans positions. For complexes with ortho substituted XPy ligands a cis disposition of substituents takes place, whereas for other ligands: 3-MePy and 3-ClPy--the substituents are in trans positions. For XPy the energies of π-π* and n-π* transitions depend on the position and nature of the X substituent in the XPy ring. After complex formation a hipsochromic shift (24-34 nm) of π-π* and a bathochromic shift of n-π* bands are observed. The UV-Vis spectra of PdCl(2)(XPy)(2) confirm that square planar coordination geometry of complexes I-VI and two dπ-π* transitions are expected. With the help of the TD-DFT calculations we proved that dπ-π* transitions in solutions of PdCl(2)(XPy)(2) complexes result from MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) with contribution from chlorine atoms to palladium. We also studied substituent effects on cytotoxic properties of Pd(II) complexes against the human breast cancer cell line MCF7, the human prostate cancer cell line PC3, and the human T-cell lymphoblast-like cell line CCRF. The studied complexes were the most active against the CCRF cell line and less or even no cytotoxic effect was observed for PC3 cells. Complexes with MePy ligands showed increased cytotoxic activity compared to unsubstituted pyridine ligands.

Sigma- and pi- electron structure of aza-azoles.

The reasons behind changes of aromaticity in 10 unsubstituted aza-azoles were analysed by employing the natural bond orbital (NBO) approach at the MP2/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. Sum of occupations of p(z) orbitals at atoms in the ring correlates well with the magnetism based aromaticity index NICS as well as with the number of nitrogen atoms in the ring. Changes of NICS depend strongly in a linear way on the number of NN bonds. Classification of azoles based on the number of pyridine-type nitrogen atoms vicinal to NH is supported by plotting the relative occupation of π orbitals (π(occ)) against the relative occupation of σ orbitals (σ(occ)) for all individual atoms in rings.

Natural bond orbital approach to the transmission of substituent effect through the fulvene and benzene ring systems.

Electronic structure of 22 monosubstituted derivatives of benzene and exocyclically substituted fulvene with substituents: B(OH)(2), BH(2), CCH, CF(3), CH(3), CHCH(2), CHO, Cl, CMe(3), CN, COCH(3), CONH(2), COOH, F, NH(2), NMe(2), NO, NO(2), OCH(3), OH, SiH(3), SiMe(3) were studied theoretically by means of Natural Bond Orbital analysis. It is shown, that sum of π-electron population of carbon atoms of the fulvene and benzene rings, pEDA(F) and pEDA(B), respectively correlate well with Hammett substituent constants [Formula in text] and aromaticity index NICS. The substituent effect acting on pi-electron occupation at carbon atoms of the fulvene ring is significantly stronger than in the case of benzene. Electron occupations of ring carbon atoms (except C1) in fulvene plotted against each other give linear regressions with high correlation coefficients. The same is true for ortho- and para-carbon atoms in benzene. Positive slopes of the regressions indicate similar for fulvene and benzene kind of substituent effect - mostly resonance in nature. Only the regressions of occupation at the carbon atom in meta- position of benzene against ortho- and para-positions gives negative slopes and low correlation coefficients.

Aromaticity of substituted fulvene derivatives: substituent-dependent ring currents.

Fulvene is a non-aromatic molecule, but variation of the electron-donating/withdrawing power of substituents exo to the five-membered ring can drive the system between the extremes of aromatic and antiaromatic, as judged by prediction of fully developed diatropic and paratropic ring currents through ab initio calculations made at the ipsocentric 6-31G**/CTOCD-DZ CHF level.