Comparison of the FeO(2+) and FeS(2+) complexes in the cyanide and isocyanide ligand environment for methane hydroxylation.

A general comparison of fundamental distinctions between the FeO(2+) and FeS(2+) complexes in an identical cyanide or isocyanide ligand environment for methane hydroxylation has been probed computationally in this work in a series of hypothetical [Fe(IV)(X)(CN)5](3-), [Fe(IV)(X)(NC)5](3-), (X = O, S) complexes. We have detailed an analysis of the geometric and electronic structures using density functional theory calculations. In addition, their σ- and π-mechanisms in C-H bond activation process have been described with the aid of the schematic molecular orbital diagram. From our theoretical results, it is shown that (a) the iron(IV)-sulfido complex apparently is able to hydroxylate C-H bond of methane as good as the iron(IV)-oxo species, (b) the O-CN, S-CN complexes have an inherent preference for the low-spin state, while for the case of O-NC and S-NC in which S = 1 and S = 2 states are relatively close in energy, (c) each of the d block electron orbital plays an important role, which is not just spectator electron, and (d) in comparison to the cyanide and isocyanide ligand environment, we can see that the FeS(2+) species prefer the cyanide ligand environment, while the FeO(2+) species favor the isocyanide ligand environment. In addition, a remarkably good correlation of the σ-/π-mechanism for hydrogen abstraction from methane with the gap between the Fe-dz2 (α) and C-H (α) pair as well as the Fe-dxz/yz (ß) and C-H (ß) pair has been found.

Dual-level direct dynamics studies for the reactions of OH radical with bromine-substituted ethanes.

The dynamic properties of the multichannel hydrogen abstraction reactions of CH(3)CH(2)Br + OH --> products and CH(3)CHBr(2) + OH --> products are studied by dual-level direct dynamics method. For each reaction, three reaction channels, one for alpha-hydrogen abstraction and two for beta-hydrogen abstractions, have been identified. The minimum energy paths (MEPs) of both the reactions are calculated at the Becke's half-and-half (BH&H)-Lee-Yang-Parr (LYP)/6-311G(d, p) level and the energy profiles along the MEPs are further refined with interpolated single-point energies (ISPE) method at the G2M(RCC5)//BH&H-LYP level. There are complexes with energies less than those of the reactants or products located at the entrance or exit channels, which indicates that the reactions may proceed via an indirect mechanism. By canonical variational transition-state theory (CVT) the rate constants are calculated incorporating the small-curvature tunneling (SCT) correction in the temperature range of 220-2000 K. The agreement of the rate constants with available experimental values for two reactions is good in the measured temperature range. The calculated results show that alpha-hydrogen abstraction channel is the major reaction pathway in the lower temperature for two reactions, while the contribution of beta-hydrogen abstraction will increase with the increase in temperature.

Theoretical studies of the reactions of CF3CHCLOCHF2/CF3CHFOCHF2 with OH radical and Cl atom and their product radicals with OH.

The mechanisms and dynamics studies of the OH radical and Cl atom with CF(3)CHClOCHF(2) and CF(3)CHFOCHF(2) have been carried out theoretically. The geometries and frequencies of all the stationary points are optimized at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level, and the energy profiles are further refined by interpolated single-point energies (ISPE) method at the G3(MP2) level of theory. For each reaction, two H-abstraction channels are found and four products (CF(3)CHFOCF(2), CF(3)CFOCHF(2), and CF(3)CHClOCF(2), CF(3)CClOCHF(2)) are produced during the above processes. The rate constants for the CF(3)CHClOCHF(2)/CF(3)CHFOCHF(2) + OH/Cl reactions are calculated by canonical variational transition-state theory (CVT) within 200-2000 K, and the small-curvature tunneling is included. The total rate constants calculated from the sum of the individual rate constants and the branching ratios are in good agreement with the experimental data. The Arrhenius expressions for the reactions are obtained. Our calculation shows that the substitution of Cl by F decreases the reactivity of CF(3)CHClOCHF(2) toward OH and Cl. In addition, the mechanisms of subsequent reactions of product radicals and OH radical are further investigated at the G3(MP2)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level, and the main products are predicted in the this article.

[A simulated study on mapping QTL in a segregating sub-population].

For mapping QTLs, phenotypes of the traits in segregating population derived from the cross between two isogenic lines of the targeted QTL may reflect its genotype if the effect of the QTL is relatively large. In order to map the QTL, it is necessary to use a large sample under the high density of markers around the QTL. However, it increases experimental costs. In order to save the costs, it is possible to map the QTL using the sub-population that consists of plants with homogenous recessive. In this paper, the sub-population was used to estimate the recombination fraction between the marker and the QTL, and its standard error for F2, backcross (BC), double haploid (DH) and recombinant inbred lines (RIL) populations, respectively. The results from Monte Carlo simulation showed that the estimation of recombination fraction based on the sub-population is consistent with that obtained from the full population, and the precision of the former is same as that of the later under the same sample size.