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Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was carried out with a ruthenium catalyst by using H2/D2 switching and competitive methods. The results showed that there is an inverse isotope effect during ruthenium-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch reactions with the hydrocarbon production rate increasing when syngas was switched to D2/CO. When the ruthenium-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was conducted using a mixture of H2/D2/CO (1:1:1) as the syngas, the H/D ratios in hydrocarbons produced by the reaction are less than 1, indicating that the deuterium was enriched in these hydrocarbons. Also, the deuterium enrichment is a function of carbon number with more deuterium enriched in larger hydrocarbons. These results are similar to the results of cobalt and iron catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch reactions we have reported earlier. To explain these results and other experimental facts accumulated over the years about Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, we proposed the alkylidene mechanism for this important reaction, in which MCH is the monomer of this polymerization-like reaction and M=CHR is the growing chain. Based on this mechanism, we developed mathematic equations for each step of propagations to calculate the deuterium enrichment. The theoretic deuterium enrichment results calculated based on the Alkylidene mechanism are very close to the experimental results of deuterium enrichment of ruthenium-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch reactions.

The triple-oxygen isotope (17O/16O, 18O/16O) measurement of oxygen-bearing species represents one of the most robust tools to directly trace oxygen cycling in the environment. One particularly consequential application of this isotope system is the analysis of dissolved oxygen (O2) in aquatic environments to determine gross oxygen production. This approach assumes that photosynthesis, microbial respiration, and gas exchange are the main drivers of dissolved O2 isotope compositions, and that each process is described by predictable, consistent triple-oxygen isotope effects. However, there currently exists large disagreement in the literature on the triple-oxygen isotope effect of respiration, which carries major implications for global primary productivity estimates. Recent work has additionally highlighted the ubiquitous production of extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O2.-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by microorganisms; this flux may be responsible for as much as 20% of net oxygen utilization in the ocean. To examine the influence of ROS-mediated O2 recycling on the oxygen utilization isotope effect, we measured the triple-oxygen isotope fractionations and mass laws of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and iron-mediated H2O2 degradation. We incorporate these constraints into an oxygen isotope flux model to explore the influence of ROS-mediated oxygen cycling on “respiration” isotope effects in previous studies. We find that ROS-mediated oxygen cycling can reconcile the previously reported range of triple-oxygen isotope fractionation factors and that typical marine isotope effects are broadly consistent with independent estimates of superoxide-mediated oxygen loss. Lastly, we determine that O2.- production likely follows non-canonical triple-oxygen isotope mass laws (⩽0.510), indicating that this process may exert significant leverage on dissolved O2 isotope compositions and thus primary productivity estimates. We conclude that ROS cycling should be considered when using dissolved O2 triple-oxygen isotopes to determine marine primary productivity. ISSN:0016-7037 ISSN:1872-9533

We report pressure-driven liquid-phase isotope separation (dead-end filtration) to enrich D and 18O in natural water using graphene oxide (G-O) and UV-reduced graphene oxide (UV-rG-O) membranes. The isotope diffusivity (molecular diffusion and adsorption separation) was found to be responsible for isotope separation. Adsorption separation is the dominant mechanism for improvements in D and 18O enrichment via increased G-O loading that leads to the increased number of adsorption sites (epoxy and hydroxyl groups on G-O), and higher degrees of reduction of G-O that result in the narrowing of the nanochannels which decreases the portion of water molecules experiencing molecular diffusion. The best performing membrane was “UV-rG-O” made by exposing a G-O membrane to 24 h UV irradiation from one side, showing enrichment of D of 0.5% for D/H and 18O of 0.08% for 18O/16O in a single-stage experiment, without contribution from the vapor pressure isotope effect. This work improves the understanding of the mechanisms for graphene-based membrane separation of D and 18O enriched water.

The development of non-precious metal catalysts that facilitate the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is important for the widespread application of hydrogen production by water splitting. Various perovskite oxides have been employed as active OER catalysts, however, the underlying mechanism that occurs at the catalyst-electrolyte interface is still not well understood, prohibiting the design and preparation of advanced OER catalysts. Here, we report a systematic investigation into the effect of proton dynamics on the catalyst-electrolyte interfaces of four perovskite catalysts: La0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ (LSCO), LaCoO3, LaFeO3, and LaNiO3. The pH-dependent OER activities, H/D kinetic isotope effect, and surface functionalization with phosphate anion groups were investigated to elucidate the role of proton dynamics in the rate-limiting steps of the OER. For oxides with small charge-transfer energies, such as LSCO and LaNiO3, non-concerted proton-coupled electron transfer steps are involved in the OER, and the activity is strongly controlled by the proton dynamics on the catalyst surface. The results demonstrate the important role of interfacial proton transfer in the OER mechanism, and suggest that proton dynamics at the interface should carefully be considered in the design of future high-performance catalysts.

Oxidations of C–H bonds with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) catalyzed by transition metal complexes are known to proceed through a number of routes, from the non-selective free radical to selective concerted and metal-mediated ones. However, there is a lack of understanding of the m-CPBA oxidative behavior, reaction mechanisms and factors that trigger its activity. An experimental and theoretical investigation of sp3 C–H bond oxidation with m-CPBA in the presence of the heterometallic pre-catalyst [CoIII4FeIII2O(Sae)8]·4DMF·H2O (1) (H2Sae = salicylidene-2-ethanolamine) and HNO3 promoter has been performed herein. The catalytic system 1/HNO3/m-CPBA allows mild hydroxylation of tertiary C–H bonds with 99% retention of stereoconfiguration of model alkane substrates, supported by high TOFs up to 2 s−1 (for cis-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane) and TONs up to 1.4 × 104 (at 50 °C). The catalytic effect of 1 is seen at the ppm level, while 1000 ppm (0.1 mol%) loading allows 1000-fold increase of the initial reaction rate up to 9 × 10−5 M s−1. The reaction mechanism was investigated by means of combined kinetic studies (including isotope effects), isotopic labeling (18O2, H218O, D2O), ESI-MS spectroscopy and DFT theoretical studies. The results suggest that the main oxidation pathway proceeds through a concerted mechanism involving a cobalt-peroxo C–H attacking species or via a cobalt–oxyl species (rebound process), rather than a free-radical pathway. Remarkably, the Co(III) catalyst does not change its oxidation state during the most energetically favored pathway, consistent with a metal–ligand cooperativity. The chlorobenzene radical is responsible for H abstraction in the non-selective side route, which is efficiently suppressed by the acidic promoter. Finally, signs for slow direct oxygen exchange between m-CPBA and water in the presence of a proton or a metal complex are found, suggesting that the results of 18O-tests should be treated cautiously when m-CPBA is used as the oxidant.

The mechanism and the reactive species involved in the oxidation of alkenes, and alcohols with H2O2, catalysed by an in situ prepared mixture of a MnII salt, pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and a ketone is elucidated using substrate competition experiments, kinetic isotope effect (KIE) measurements, and atom tracking with 18O labelling. The data indicate that a single reactive species engages in the oxidation of both alkenes and alcohols. The primary KIE in the oxidation of benzyl alcohols is ca. 3.5 and shows the reactive species to be selective despite a zero order dependence on substrate concentration, and the high turnover frequencies (up to 30 s−1) observed. Selective 18O labelling identifies the origin of the oxygen atoms transferred to the substrate during oxidation, and is consistent with a highly reactive, e. g., [MnV(O)(OH)] or [MnV(O)2], species rather than an alkylperoxy or hydroperoxy species.

This thesis describes applications of spectroscopy and mass spectrometry towards applications of in situ sensing, chemical kinetics, and photodissociation processes of hydrocarbon species. Both mass spectrometry and cavity ring-down spectroscopy are used in this work. Irradiation of protonated coronene was used to study photodissociation process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with the power, irradiation time, and fragmentation studied to elucidate a photofragmentation mechanism. Biomolecules were ionized via Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) to explore the feasibility and sensitivity of the ionization technique for different chemical species for in situ measurement in simulated extraterrestrial conditions. Photofragmentation and DART ionization were combined to quantify mixtures of isobaric PAHs, providing a tunable and complimentary technique for in situ analysis of mixtures. Finally, frequency-stabilized cavity ring-down spectroscopy was used to analyze precise ¹³CH₄, CH₃D, and CH₂D₂ to CH₄ isotologue ratios using optically-switched dual-wavelengths, allowing for sensitive measurement of the kinetic isotope effect of methane oxidation with O(¹D).

“Degree of rate control” (DRC) analysis provides a quantitative approach for analysing the kinetics of multi-step reaction mechanisms that has been widely applied to both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis research, as well as electrocatalysis. The DRC of any given transition state or intermediate is defined as a partial derivative such that it approximately equals the fractional increase in net rate to the product of interest per differential decrease in its standard-state free energy for that species (÷RT), holding constant the standard-state free energies of all other transition states and intermediates. Even very complex mechanisms usually have only a few species with non-zero DRCs and are thus the species whose interactions with the catalyst most strongly affect the net rate. These key DRC values thus offer a simple and intuitive route to optimize catalyst materials, especially with the assistance of computational methods like density functional theory (DFT). These high-DRC species are also the species whose energetics must be most accurately measured or calculated to achieve an accurate kinetic model for any reaction mechanism. In simple cases with a single “rate-determining step”, the DRC for its transition state (TS) is + 1. Catalyst-bound intermediates, on the other hand, often have negative DRCs equal to a small integer times their fractional occupancy of catalyst sites. The apparent activation energy equals a weighted average of the standard-state enthalpies (relative to reactants) of all the species (intermediates, transition states and products) in the reaction mechanism, each weighted by its DRC (+RT). It has been shown that the apparent transfer coefficient in electrocatalysis, an inverted form of the Tafel slope, is a weighted average of the number of electrons transferred to generate each intermediate or product species in the mechanism, weighted again by the DRC. Quantitative analysis of kinetic isotope effects (KIEs, or the ratio of net rates for different reactant isotopes) in complex mechanisms has shown that the logarithm of the KIE equals the weighted average over all species in the mechanism of the difference between the two isotopes in their standard-state free energies (÷RT), again weighted by the DRC. The reaction orders with respect to fluid-phase concentrations of reactants, products and intermediates have also been proven to be directly related to DRCs. Thus, there are numerous experimental observables which equate to short linear combinations of DRCs, so that combinations of experimental measurements might provide access to DRC values. Since its invention for transition states in 1994 and its generalization to include intermediates in 2009, the DRC has thus far mainly been calculated for microkinetic models based either entirely on DFT or on DFT with the key energies (i.e., those for high-DRC species) being fine-tuned to match experiments. The relationships summarized above provide new opportunities for using experiments earlier in the development and optimization of microkinetic models that require input from computational catalysis.

The Breslow intermediate is key to several NHC-organocatalyzed reactions. However, accessing the Breslow intermediate via a direct intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) is unlikely and can on...

The nitrogen deficiency in steels measured by atom probe tomography (APT) is considered to arise from the obscurement of singly charged dimer nitrogen ions (N2+) by the iron-dominant peak (56Fe2+) at 28 Da. To verify this by quantifying the amount of N2+ ions, γ′-Fe4N consisting of the 15N isotope was prepared on iron substrates by plasma nitriding using a nitrogen isotopic gas (15N2). Although considerable amounts of 15N2+ were observed at 30 Da without overlap with any iron peak, the observed nitrogen concentrations of γ′-Fe4N were clearly lower than the stoichiometric composition (19–20 at%), using both pulsed voltage and pulsed laser atom probes. The origin of the missing nitrogen, excluding nitrogen obscured by other ion species, was predicted to be the occurrence of neutral nitrogen or nitrogen gas molecules in field evaporation. The generation rate of iron nitride ions (FeN2+) for 15N was significantly lower than that for 14N in γ′-Fe4N, which affected the amount of the missing nitrogen. The isotope effect suggests that the isotopic ratio cannot always be determined from only one ion species among the multiple species observed in the APT analysis. We discuss the mechanism of the isotope effect in FeN2+ formation by field evaporation.

A facile method is disclosed for the synthesis of α-thio/selenocyanato ketones through regioselective C-H thio/selenocyanation of ketones. The advantages include the use of easily available starting materials, high efficiency, simple operation, and easy scale-up. Control experiments provide evidence that the reaction proceeded via a radical way, while kinetic isotope effect experiments reveal that the cleavage of the C-H bond serves as the rate-limiting step.

Here we reported the deuteration of the metal-binding equatorial water molecules in a reported HoIII single-molecule magnet (SMM) with pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry, from [Ho(CyPh2 PO)2 (H2 O)5 ]3+ to [Ho(CyPh2 PO)2 (D2 O)5 ]3+ . The hyperfine structures originating from the nuclear spin of 165 HoIII can be clearly observed. Moreover, the resulting magnetization dynamics revealed the switch of the relative relaxation rates for the two isotope-isomorphic complexes-respectively faster/slower at low/high temperature. The noticeable isotope effect arises from not only the paramagnetic metal center but also the diamagnetic ligands, which can be explained by the ab initio calculated tunnel splitting and the involvement of the super-hyperfine interaction related to the difference in the nuclear spin number of protium (1 H, I=1 /2 ) and deuterium (2 H, I=1).

In this communication, we report muon spin rotation/resonance (μSR) studies for understanding radical reactivity of 10-mesityl-1,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)-9-phosphaanthracene. Transverse-field muon spin rotation (TF-μSR) and muon avoided level-crossing resonance (μLCR) measurements successfully visualized a paramagnetic species produced by regioselective addition of muonium (Mu) to the skeletal phosphorus atom. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the P-muoniation product suggested two possible isomers. Whereas the most stable isomer including the envelope-type phosphorus heterocycle shows considerably different hyperfine coupling constants (hfcs) from those of the TF-μSR and μLCR, the metastable structure accompanying the almost planar tricyclic π-conjugated skeleton could simulate the experimentally determined hfcs. The metastable planar π-conjugated paramagnetic tricyclic-fused skeleton is promoted by the larger zero-point energy due to the light muon (μ+ ), one ninth of the proton mass.

Oxygen stable isotopes in uranium oxides processed through the nuclear fuel cycle may have the potential to provide information about a material's origin and processing history. However, a more thorough understanding of the fractionating processes governing the formation of signatures in real-world samples is still needed. In this study, laboratory synthesis of uranium oxides modeled after industrial nuclear fuel fabrication was performed to follow the isotope fractionation during thermal decomposition and reduction of ammonium diuranate (ADU). Synthesis of ADU occurred using a gaseous NH3 route, followed by thermal decomposition in a dry nitrogen atmosphere at 400, 600, and 800 °C. The kinetic impact of heating ramp rates on isotope effects was explored by ramping to each decomposition temperature at 2, 20, and 200 °C min-1. In addition, ADU was reduced using direct (ramped to 600 °C in a hydrogen atmosphere) and indirect (thermally decomposed to U3O8 at 600 °C, then exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere) routes. The bulk oxygen isotope composition of ADU (δ18O = -16 ± 1‰) was very closely related to precipitation water (δ18O = -15.6‰). The solid products of thermal decomposition using ramp rates of 2 and 20 °C min-1 had statistically indistinguishable oxygen isotope compositions at each decomposition temperature, with increasing δ18O values in the transition from ADU to UO3 at 400 °C (δ18OUO3 - δ18OADU = 12.3‰) and the transition from UO3 to U3O8 at 600 °C (δ18OU3O8 - δ18OUO3 = 2.8‰). An enrichment of 18O attributable to water volatilization was observed in the low temperature (400 °C) product of thermal decomposition using a 200 °C min-1 ramp rate (δ18OUO3 - δ18OADU = 9.2‰). Above 400 °C, no additional fractionation was observed as UO3 decomposed to U3O8 with the rapid heating rate. Indirect reduction of ADU produced UO2 with a δ18O value 19.1‰ greater than the precipitate and 4.0‰ greater than the intermediate U3O8. Direct reduction of ADU at 600 °C in a hydrogen atmosphere resulted in the production of U4O9 with a δ18O value 17.1‰ greater than the precipitate. Except when a 200 °C min-1 ramp rate is employed, the results of both thermal decomposition and reduction show a consistent preferential enrichment of 18O as oxygen is removed from the original precipitate. Hence, the calcination and reduction reactions leading to the production of UO2 will yield unique oxygen isotope fractionations based on process parameters including heating rate and decomposition temperature.

Cellular hypoxia plays a crucial role in tissue development and adaptation to pO2. Central to cellular oxygen sensing is factor-inhibiting HIF-1α (FIH), an α-ketoglutarate (αKG)/non-heme iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase that hydroxylates a specific asparagine residue of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). The high KM(O2) and rate-limiting decarboxylation step upon O2 activation are key features of the enzyme that classify it as an oxygen sensor and set it apart from other αKG/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases. Although the chemical intermediates following decarboxylation are presumed to follow the consensus mechanism of other αKG/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases, experiments have not previously demonstrated these canonical steps in FIH. In this work, a deuterated peptide substrate was used as a mechanistic probe for the canonical hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). Our data show a large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) in steady-state kinetics (Dkcat = 10 ± 1), revealing that the HAT occurs and is partially rate limiting on kcat. Kinetic studies showed that the deuterated peptide led FIH to uncouple O2 activation and provided the opportunity to spectroscopically observe the ferryl intermediate. This enzyme uncoupling was used as an internal competition with respect to the fate of the ferryl intermediate, demonstrating a large observed KIE on the uncoupling (Dk5 = 1.147 ± 0.005) and an intrinsic KIE on the HAT step (Dk > 15). The close energy barrier between αKG decarboxylation and HAT distinguishes FIH as an O2-sensing enzyme and is crucial for ensuring substrate specificity in the regulation of cellular O2 homeostasis.

The direct replacement of sp3 C-H bonds with simple amine units (-NH2 ) remains synthetically challenging, although primary aliphatic amines are ubiquitous in medicinal chemistry and natural product synthesis. We report a mild and selective protocol for preparing primary and secondary aliphatic amines in a single pot, based on intermolecular sp3 C-H imination. The first C-H imination of diverse alkanes, this method shows useful site-selectivity within substrates bearing multiple sp3 C-H bonds. Furthermore, this reaction tolerates polar functional groups relevant for complex molecule synthesis, highlighted in the synthesis of amine pharmaceuticals and amination of natural products. We characterize a unique C-H imination mechanism based on radical rebound to an iminyl radical, supported by kinetic isotope effects, stereoablation, resubmission, and computational modeling. This work constitutes a selective method for complex amine synthesis and a new mechanistic platform for C-H amination.

The concerted transfer of protons and electrons enables the activation of small-molecule substrates by bypassing energetically costly intermediates. Here, we present the synthesis and characterization of several hydrogenated forms of an organofunctionalized vanadium oxide assembly, [V6O13(TRIOLNO2)2]2-, and their ability to facilitate the concerted transfer of protons and electrons to O2. Electrochemical analysis reveals that the fully reduced cluster is capable of mediating 2e-/2H+ transfer reactions from surface hydroxide ligands, with an average bond dissociation free energy (BDFE) of 61.6 kcal/mol. Complementary stoichiometric experiments with hydrogen-atom-accepting reagents of established bond strengths confirm that the electrochemically established BDFE predicts the 2H+/2e- transfer reactivity of the assembly. Finally, the reactivity of the reduced polyoxovanadate toward O2 reduction is summarized; our results indicate a stepwise reduction of the substrate, proceeding through H2O2 en route to the formation of H2O. Kinetic isotope effect experiments confirm the participation of hydrogen transfer in the rate-determining step of both the reduction of O2 and H2O2. This work constitutes the first example of hydrogen atom transfer for small-molecule activation with reduced polyoxometalates, where both electron and proton originate from the cluster.

Yttrocene derivatives [Cp*2Y(MMe4)] (Cp* = C5Me5; M = Al, Ga) and Cp*2Y[Me3Al{B(NDippCH)2}] (Dipp = C6H3iPr2-2,6) deprotonate benzene at elevated temperatures via the release of methane. The formation of [Cp*2Y(Me2MPh2)] (M = Al, Ga), Cp*2Y(MPh4) (M = Al, Ga), Cp*2Y[Me2AlPh{B(NDippCH)2}], and Cp*2Y[AlPh3{B(NDippCH)2}] can be controlled via the temperature applied. The activation temperature and formation of the coordinatively unsaturated "reactive" [Cp*2YMe] strongly depend on the coordination strength of the displaceable Lewis acids [AlMe3]2, GaMe3, and [Me2Al{B(NDippCH)2}]2. Hence, [Cp*2Y(AlMe4)] requires temperatures above 100 °C to metalate benzene, while Cp*2Y[AlMe3{B(NDippCH)2}] undergoes C-H-bond activation even at ambient temperatures. A kinetic deuterium isotope effect was observed for the reactions in C6D6 solutions. Distinct differences in the stabilities of the bulky Group 13 anions ([Me2MPh2]-, [MPh4]-, [Me3Al{B(NDippCH)2}]-, [Me2AlPh{B(NDippCH)2}]-, and [AlPh3{B(NDippCH)2}]-) are assessed by detailed studies of the coordination chemistry with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and by variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. Thus, increased steric bulk or a reduced Lewis acidity of the Group 13 metal center promote temperature-sensitive dissociation of trivalent Group 13 alkyl entities. Consequently, compound Cp*2Y[AlPh3{B(NDippCH)2}] was found to engage in a dissociation equilibrium with [Cp*2YPh] and AlPh2{B(NDippCH)2} in a C6D6 solution at ambient temperature. The reaction of Cp*2Y[AlPh3{B(NDippCH)2}] with THF results in the concomitant formation of monometallic Cp*2YPh(THF) and the solvent-separated ion pair [Cp*2Y(THF)2][AlPh3{B(NDippCH)2}].

Acid/base catalysis is an important catalytic strategy used by ribonucleases and ribozymes; however, understanding the number and identity of functional groups involved in proton transfer remains challenging. The proton inventory (PI) technique analyzes the dependence of the enzyme reaction rate on the ratio of D(2)O to H(2)O and can provide information about the number of exchangeable sites that produce isotope effects and their magnitude. The Gross–Butler (GB) equation is used to evaluate H/D fractionation factors from PI data typically collected under conditions (i.e., a “plateau” in the pH–rate profile) assuming minimal change in active site residue ionization. However, restricting PI analysis to these conditions is problematic for many ribonucleases, ribozymes, and their variants due to ambiguity in the roles of active site residues, the lack of a plateau within the accessible pL range, or cooperative interactions between active site functional groups undergoing ionization. Here, we extend the integration of species distributions for alternative enzyme states in noncooperative models of acid/base catalysis into the GB equation, first used by Bevilacqua and colleagues for the HDV ribozyme, to develop a general population-weighted GB equation that allows simulation and global fitting of the three-dimensional relationship of the D(2)O ratio (n) versus pL versus k(n)/k(0). Simulations using the GPW-GB equation of PI results for RNase A, HDVrz, and VSrz illustrate that data obtained at multiple selected pL values across the pL–rate profile can assist in the planning and interpreting of solvent isotope effect experiments to distinguish alternative mechanistic models.

Structure determination of proteins and enzymes by X-ray crystallography remains the most widely used approach to complement functional and mechanistic studies. Capturing the structures of intact redox states in metalloenzymes is critical for assigning the chemistry carried out by the metal in the catalytic cycle. Unfortunately, X-rays interact with protein crystals to generate solvated photoelectrons that can reduce redox active metals and hence change the coordination geometry and the coupled protein structure. Approaches to mitigate such site-specific radiation damage continue to be developed, but nevertheless application of such approaches to metalloenzymes in combination with mechanistic studies are often overlooked. In this review, we summarize our recent structural and kinetic studies on a set of three heme peroxidases found in the bacterium Streptomyces lividans that each belong to the dye decolourizing peroxidase (DyP) superfamily. Kinetically, each of these DyPs has a distinct reactivity with hydrogen peroxide. Through a combination of low dose synchrotron X-ray crystallography and zero dose serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), high-resolution structures with unambiguous redox state assignment of the ferric and ferryl (FeIV = O) heme species have been obtained. Experiments using stopped-flow kinetics, solvent-isotope exchange and site-directed mutagenesis with this set of redox state validated DyP structures have provided the first comprehensive kinetic and structural framework for how DyPs can modulate their distal heme pocket Asp/Arg dyad to use either the Asp or the Arg to facilitate proton transfer and rate enhancement of peroxide heterolysis. Graphic abstract

The fast F reaction with NH3 poses a big challenge to experimental studies because of secondary chemical and collisional reactions. The quasi-classical trajectory method is utilized to investigate the mode specificity, product energy disposal, and temperature dependence of the thermal rate coefficient of F + ND3 → DF + ND2 on a recently developed potential energy surface. The effect of isotopic substitution is explored by comparing the F + ND3 reaction with the F + NH3 reaction. The computed results permit a better understanding of the F + ammonia reaction. The DF vibrational state has a Λ-type distribution, in accordance with the experimental measurement by the fast flow reactor technique. The product ND2 is dominantly populated in the ground state, and a considerable amount of ND2 is produced in the fundamental states of the bending mode. The similar vibrational state distributions of HF and NH2 in the F + NH3 reaction indicate a weak isotopic substitution effect on the product energy disposal. Exciting the umbrella mode of ND3 suppresses the reaction at low energies below 5 kcal mol-1, in sharp contrast to the observation in the F + NH3 reaction. These dynamical behaviors can be partially explained by the sudden vector projection model. In addition, the thermal rate coefficient of F + ND3 shows no temperature dependence in the range between 150 and 2000 K. There exists an inverse kinetic isotope effect at temperatures from 150 to 1500 K.

An impurity, designated MS204, was isolated from a scale-up production of an intermediate toward the synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Structural elucidation of this chloro-containing impurity was performed based on the analysis of the MS and NMR data. Band-selective 2D 1 H-15 N CLIP-HSQMBC experiment was developed to unequivocally identify the ionic N-Cl moiety in the molecule by discovering the two isotope-shifted nitrogen peaks as 3 to 1 ratio separated by about 1 Δ15 N(37/35 Cl) = 19.6 ppb (1.19 Hz) due to the Cl isotope effect. 1D 15 N and 2D 1 H-15 N CLIP-HSQMBC experiments were applied to commercially available compounds to further confirm the techniques by detecting the isotope shift of nitrogen peaks for the N-Cl moiety in molecules.

Hydrogen isotope ratios (D/H) measured on geological samples are used to trace the pathways of water in magmatic and hydrothermal systems. Interpreting respective isotope data relies thereby on the theoretical and empirical constraints on hydrogen isotope fractionation. This study revisits a recently discovered hydrogen isotope fractionation effect between alkali-rich and alkali-poor regions within hydrous alkali silicate melts (Wang et al., 2015). In a series of experiments conducted at variable P-T-XH2O, D2O conditions, we studied this intramolecular isotope effect by 1H and 2H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on quenched hydrous sodium tetrasilicate melts (Na2O⋅4SiO2 with 1:1 H2O and D2O). The results indicate a marked difference in the reactivity of the protonated and deuterated hydrous species. It is observed that c. 70% of deuterium concentrates as deuterated silanols (Si-OD) in proximity to the sodium cations in the silicate melt structure, while the remaining 30% occupy the Na-poor regions in the silicate melt in the form of Si-OD and presumably molecular water (HDOm). This distribution remains nearly constant under all experimental conditions. In contrast, the concentration of protonated hydrous species (Si-OH, H2Om) in the Na-rich and -poor regions of the silicate melt varies as a response to changing experimental P-T-XH2O and cooling rate, which is linked to common water speciation reactions taking place within the melt (Si-O-Si + H2Om = 2Si-OH). Previously considered insignificant, 1H NMR indicates that the speciation equilibrium is sensitive to pressure and correlates positively with Si-OH concentration. The significantly different reactivity of the isotope substituted hydrous species results in large molecular variations in the D/H ratio inside the sodium silicate melt. Measured intramolecular hydrogen isotope fractionation yields a 2- to 9-fold (in average 3-fold) enrichment of deuterium in Na-rich depolymerized regions in the silicate network, which translates to intramolecular fractionations of 1000ln(α) = 400 to 2200. Generally, intramolecular fractionation tends to increase when the melt evolves towards fluid-saturated conditions. The pre-concentration of deuterium in the depolymerized Na-rich regions of the silicate melt results in a higher local D/H ratio that may carry over when these regions disintegrate into a silicate saturated aqueous fluid. In this way, intramolecular isotope fractionation poses a potent way of enriching silicate saturated aqueous fluids in deuterium, potentially explaining previous experimental in-situ observations of large hydrogen isotope fractionations in the hydrous-melt – silicate-saturated fluid system. The observed affinity of deuterium to combine with alkali-associated silanols could comprise an important molecular sieving mechanism for deuterium that enhances the D/H fractionation between silicate-rich fluids (and hydrous melts) and the surrounding host rock. Consequently, intramolecular hydrogen isotope fractionation in hydrous silicate melts and silicate-rich aqueous fluids may be a very effective deuterium filter acting in the deep geological water cycle.

Controlling spin behavior via external stimuli is a key route to develop molecular spintronics devices. Photons, temperature, pressure, chemicals, and electric field are the possible stimuli. Herei...

We report a mild and operationally simple trifluoroacylation strategy of olefines, that utilizes trifluoroacetic anhydride as a low‐cost and readily available reagent. This light‐mediated process is fundamentally different from conventional methodologies and occurs through a trifluoroacyl radical mechanism promoted by a photocatalyst, which triggers a C−O bond fragmentation. Mechanistic studies (kinetic isotope effects, spectroelectrochemistry, optical spectroscopy, theoretical investigations) highlight the evidence of a fleeting CF3CO radical under photoredox conditions. The trifluoroacyl radical can be stabilized under CO atmosphere, delivering the trifluoroacetylation product with higher chemical efficiency. Furthermore, the method can be turned into a trifluoromethylation protocol by simply changing the reaction parameters. Beyond simple alkenes, this method allows for chemo‐ and regioselective functionalization of small‐molecule drugs and common pharmacophores., The trifluoroacyl radical is generated by C−O bond fragmentation of trifluoroacetic anhydride under photoredox conditions and undergoes olefinic C−H bond trifluoroacetylation in a mechanistically unique fashion. The protocol is operationally simple, scalable, and enables the late‐stage diversification of complex biorelevant molecules delivering the corresponding α,β‐unsaturated trifluoromethyl ketones in one step.

Magnetic isotope effects have been recently discovered in living nature. They were observed for the first time in experiments on cells enriched with various magnesium isotopes, magnetic 25Mg or non-magnetic ones. A catalytic effect of the magnetic isotope of magnesium was discovered in experiments with myosin, the most important biomolecular motor utilizing the energy of ATP to perform mechanical work. The rate of ATP hydrolysis with the magnetic 25Mg isotope is 2.0–2.5 times higher than that obtained with nonmagnetic 24Mg or 26Mg. A similar effect of the nuclear spin catalysis was experimentally observed for zinc isotopes. The rate of ATP hydrolysis in the case of magnetic 67Zn increased by 40–50% as compared to that observed experimentally for nonmagnetic isotopes (64Zn or 68Zn). Catalytic effects of the magnetic isotope of magnesium were also experimentally found for H+-ATPase isolated from yeast mitochondria and ATPase of the plasma membrane of the myometrium. The magnetic isotope effect indicates unambiguously that the chemomechanical processes involve a limiting step catalyzed by biomolecular motors, which depends on the electronic spin state, and that this step is accelerated in the presence of nuclear spin of the magnetic isotope.

Oxygenations of aromatic soil and water contaminants with molecular O2catalyzed by Rieske dioxygenases are frequent initial steps of biodegradation in natural and engineered environments. Many of these non-heme ferrous iron enzymes are known to be involved in contaminant metabolism, but the understanding of enzyme-substrate interactions that lead to successful biodegradation is still elusive. Here, we studied the mechanisms of O2activation and substrate hydroxylation of two nitroarene dioxygenases to evaluate enzyme- and substrate-specific factors that determine the efficiency of oxygenated product formation. Experiments in enzyme assays of 2-nitrotoluene dioxygenase (2NTDO) and nitrobenzene dioxygenase (NBDO) with methyl-, fluoro-, chloro-, and hydroxy-substituted nitroaromatic substrates reveal that typically 20-100% of the enzyme's activity involves unproductive paths of O2activation with generation of reactive oxygen species through so-called O2uncoupling. The 18O and 13C kinetic isotope effects of O2activation and nitroaromatic substrate hydroxylation, respectively, suggest that O2uncoupling occurs after generation of FeIII-(hydro)peroxo species in the catalytic cycle. While 2NTDO hydroxylates ortho-substituted nitroaromatic substrates more efficiently, NBDO favors meta-substituted, presumably due to distinct active site residues of the two enzymes. Our data implies, however, that the O2uncoupling and hydroxylation activity cannot be assessed from simple structure-reactivity relationships. By quantifying O2uncoupling by Rieske dioxygenases, our work provides a mechanistic link between contaminant biodegradation, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and possible adaptation strategies of microorganisms to the exposure of new contaminants., ACS Environmental Au, 2 (5)

Magistrsko delo opisuje sintezo 5-devteropirimidin-4-karboksilne kisline. Devterij smo uvedli na mesto 5 v obroču, kar bi lahko omogočilo preučevanje sekundarnega kinetičnega izotopskega efekta pri delovanju encima orotidin 5′-monofosfat dekarboksilaze (OMPDC), ki katalizira reakcijo dekarboksilacije pri pretvorbi orotidin 5′-monofosfata (OMP) v uridin 5′-monofosfat (UMP). Ta reakcija predstavlja zadnjo stopnjo v biosintezi nukleotidov pri parazitu Plasmodium falciparum, odgovornemu za večino smrtnih primerov malarije pri človeku. Sintezo smo izvedli v treh korakih, kjer smo najprej karboksilno skupino pretvorili v orto usmerjajočo amidno skupino. V naslednjem koraku smo z organolitijevim reagentom deprotonirali molekulo na mestu 5 in s sledečo elektrofilno substitucijo s težko vodo v molekulo uvedli devterij. V zadnjem koraku smo z bazično hidrolizo amidno skupino pretvorili nazaj v karboksilno funkcionalno skupino in s tem izolirali končno, 5-devteropirimidin-4-karboksilno kislino. V procesu sinteze smo kot usmerjajočo skupino preizkusili tudi estrsko funkcionalno skupino, a pri tem devteriranje ni poteklo. Nastala je nova, v literaturi še neopisana spojina, N,N-diizopropil-5-(pirimidin-4-karbonil)pirimidin-4-karboksamid. Obe sintetizirani spojini smo okarakterizirali z NMR tehnikami, IR spektroskopijo, meritvijo tališča in masno spektrometrijo visoke ločljivosti. Sintetizirana 5-devteropirimidin-4-karboksilna kislina je bila poslana partnerjem na projektu na Queen's University v Kingstonu (Ontario, Kanada), ki bodo izvedli študije reakcijske kinetike in sekundarnega kinetičnega izotopskega efekta. This thesis describes the synthesis of 5-deuteropyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid. Deuterium was introduced at the site 5 in the ring, which could allow the study of a secondary kinetic isotope effect in the action of the enzyme orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC), which catalyses the decarboxylation reaction in the conversion of orotidine 5′-monophosphate (OMP) to uridine 5′-monophosphate (UMP). This reaction represents the final step in nucleotide biosynthesis in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which is responsible for most of the fatal cases of malaria in humans. The synthesis was carried out in three steps, first converting the carboxyl group to an ortho-directing amide group. In the next step, the molecule was deprotonated at the site 5 using an organolithium reagent and deuterium was introduced into the molecule by subsequent electrophilic substitution with heavy water. In the final step, the amide group was converted back to the carboxyl functional group by basic hydrolysis and the final 5-deuteropyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid was isolated. The ester functional group was also tried as a directing group in the synthesis process, but no deuteration took place. A new compound, N,N-diisopropyl-5-(pyrimidin-4-carbonyl)pyrimidin-4-carboxamide, not yet described in the literature, was obtained. Both synthesised compounds were characterised by NMR techniques, IR spectroscopy, melting point measurement and high resolution mass spectrometry. The synthesised 5-deuteropyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid was sent to the project partners at Queen's University in Kingston (Ontario, Canada) to carry out studies on reaction kinetics and the secondary kinetic isotope effect.

Deuteration of hydrogen-bonded phase transition crystals can increase the transition temperatures due to the isotope effect. But rare examples show the opposite trend that originates from the structural changes of the hydrogen bond, known as the geometric H/D isotope effect. Herein, we report an organic crystal, diethylammonium hydrogen 1,4-terephthalate, exhibits a reversible structural phase transition and dielectric switching. Structural study shows the cations reside in channels formed by one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded anionic chains and undergo an order-disorder transition at around 206 K. The deuterated counterpart shows an elongation of the O···O hydrogen bond by about 0.005 A. This geometric isotope effect releases the internal pressure of the anionic host on the cation guests and results in a downward shift of the phase transition temperature by 10 K.

We present herein for the first time the use of the [Cu(Xantphos)(neoc)]BF4 as a photocatalyst for the selective C-H allylic oxygenation of cycloalkenes into the corresponding allylic hydroperoxides or alcohols in the presence of molecular oxygen. The proposed methodology affords the products at good yields and has also been applied successfully to several bioactive terpenoids, such as geraniol, linalool, β-citronellol, and phytol. A mechanistic study involving also kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) supports the proposed singlet oxygen-mediated reaction. On the basis of the high chemoselectivity and yields and the fast and clean reaction processes observed, the present catalytic system, [Cu(Xantphos)(neoc)]BF4, has also been applied to the synthesis, at a laboratory scale, of the cis-Rose oxide, a well-known perfumery ingredient used in rose and geranium perfumes.

The objective of this work is to propose a more effective way to prepare an in-house CO2 with known triple oxygen isotope compositions. The major experimental steps include: (1) the O2 is combusted to CO2 on a graphite rod at 750 °C with Pt-catalyst for 3-4 min; and (2) converted CO2 is subsequently purified by two cryogenic traps. The results show high reproducibility of δ13C and δ18O values of the converted CO2 within 0.010-0.020 ‰ and 0.006-0.010 ‰ (1σ, SD), and the identical δ18O value within error with that of the original O2. Additionally, we have measured the triple oxygen isotope compositions of converted CO2 using an O2-CO2 Pt-catalyzed oxygen-isotope equilibration method. The measured δ17O values of CO2 show high reproducibility within 0.006 ‰ (1σ, SD), and are identical within error with the original O2 as well. Notably, our experiments also found that the O2 with heavier oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O > 40 ‰, VSMOW) might have a lesser conversion efficiency, and this effect, combined with the lighter isotope preferential fractionations during the reaction processes of O2 to CO and CO to CO2, may explain the observed lower 17O/16O and 18O/16O ratios of the converted CO2 relative to the original O2.

The thermal unimolecular decomposition of a methoxy radical (CH3O), a key intermediate in the combustion of methane, methanol, and other hydrocarbons, was studied using high-level coupled-cluster calculations, followed by E,J-resolved master equation analyses. The experimental results available for a wide range of temperature and pressure are in striking agreement with the calculations. In line with a previous theoretical study that used a one-dimensional master equation, the tunneling correction is found to exhibit a marked pressure dependence, being the largest at low pressure. This curious effect on the tunneling enhancement also affects the calculated kinetic isotope effect, which falls initially with pressure but is predicted to rise again at high pressures. These findings serve to reconcile a set of conflicting results regarding the importance of tunneling in this prototype unimolecular reaction and also motivate further experimental investigation. This study also exemplifies how changes in the energy redistribution due to collisions manifest in the tunneling rates.

The ring-polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) was used to calculate the thermal rate coefficients and kinetic isotope effects of the heavy-light-heavy abstract reaction Cl+XCl \begin{document}$ \rightarrow $\end{document} XCl+Cl (X = H, D, Mu). For the Cl+HCl reaction, the excellent agreement between the RPMD and experimental values provides a strong proof for the accuracy of the RPMD theory. And the RPMD results are also consistent with results from other theoretical methods including improved-canonical-variational-theory and quantum dynamics. The most novel finding is that there is a double peak in Cl+MuCl reaction near the transition state, leaving a free energy well. It comes from the mode softening of the reaction system at the peak of the potential energy surface. Such an explicit free energy well suggests strongly there is an observable resonance. And for the Cl+DCl reaction, the RPMD rate coefficient again gives very accurate results compared with experimental values. The only exception is at the temperature of 312.5 K, results from RPMD and all other theoretical methods are close to each other but slightly lower than the experimental value, which indicates experimental or potential energy surface deficiency.

Mandelic acids represent a key structural motif present in many drug molecules. Herein, we report the controlled meta-selective mono- and diolefination of mandelic acids by the careful design of the substrate and oxidant. Furthermore, free meta-functionalized mandelic acid was generated by selectively removing the template under mild basic conditions. The synthesis of functionalized homatropine and cyclandelate drug derivatives was demonstrated. Kinetic isotope effects revealed C-H activation as the rate-limiting step.

Deuterium isotope effects in the keto-enol tautomerism of β-dicarbonyl compounds (malonaldehyde, acetylacetone, dibenzoylmethane, and avobenzone) have been studied using a B3LYP+D functional level ...

Quantification of the isotope altitude effect from precipitation allows the identification of recharge altitudes in high-relief areas. However, steep terrains frequently limit the use of this preci...

Present paper is devoted to the non - accelerator manifestation of the strong nuclear interaction - the heart of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) which is part of the Standard Model (SM). The observation of isotopic shift (0.103 eV) of the zero - phonon emission line in photoluminescence spectra of LiD crystals (possessing a strict interaction in the deuterium nucleus) comparison with LiH (in the hydrogen nucleus of which there is no strong interaction) is a first direct proof of the strong nuclear long - range character. The non - accelerating measurement of the strong interaction constant from the distance between nucleons made it possible to find the maximum possible value of αs = 2.4680. The isotopic acquisition of mass by massless fermions is briefly discussed

The ballistic regime of vibrational energy transport in oligomeric molecular chains occurs with a constant, often high, transport speed and high efficiency. Such a transport regime can be initiated by exciting a chain end group with a mid-infrared (IR) photon. To better understand the wavepacket formation process, two chemically identical end groups, azido groups with normal, 14N3-, and isotopically substituted, 15N3-, nitrogen atoms, were tested for wavepacket initiation in compounds with alkyl chains of n = 5, 10, and 15 methylene units terminated with a carboxylic acid (-a) group, denoted as 14N3Cn-a and 15N3Cn-a. The transport was initiated by exciting the azido moiety stretching mode, the νN≡N tag, at 2100 cm–1 (14N3Cn-a) or 2031 cm–1 (15N3Cn-a). Opposite to the expectation, the ballistic transport speed was found to decrease upon 14N3 → 15N3 isotope editing. Three mechanisms of the transport initiation of a vibrational wavepacket are described and analyzed. The first mechanism involves the direct formation of a wavepacket via excitation with IR photons of several strong Fermi resonances of the tag mode with the νN=N + νN–C combination state while each of the combination state components is mixed with delocalized chain states. The second mechanism relies on the vibrational relaxation of an end-group-localized tag into a mostly localized end-group state that is strongly coupled to multiple delocalized states of a chain band. Harmonic mixing of νN=N of the azido group with CH2 wagging states of the chain permits a wavepacket formation within a portion of the wagging band, suggesting a fast transport speed. The third mechanism involves the vibrational relaxation of an end-group-localized mode into chain states. Two such pathways were found for the νN≡N initiation: The νN=N mode relaxes efficiently into the twisting band states and low-frequency acoustic modes, and the νN–C mode relaxes into the rocking band states and low-frequency acoustic modes. The contributions of the three initiation mechanisms in the ballistic energy transport initiated by νN≡N tag are quantitatively evaluated and related to the experiment. We conclude that the third mechanism dominates the transport in alkane chains of 5–15 methylene units initiated with the νN≡N tag and the wavepacket generated predominantly at the CH2 twisting band. The isotope effect of the transport speed is attributed to a larger contribution of the faster wavepackets for 14N3Cn-a or to the different breadth of the wavepacket within the twisting band. The study offers a systematic description of different transport initiation mechanisms and discusses the requirements and features of each mechanism. Such analysis will be useful for designing novel materials for energy management.

Photosynthetic water oxidation is performed through a light-driven cycle of five intermediates (S0-S4 states) in photosystem II (PSII). The S2 → S3 transition, which involves concerted water and proton transfer, is a key process for understanding the water oxidation mechanism. Here, to identify the water and proton transfer pathways during the S2 → S3 transition, we examined the effects of D1-N298A mutation and NO3- substitution for Cl-, which perturbed the O1 and Cl channels, respectively, on the S2 → S3 kinetics using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The S2 → S3 transition was retarded both upon NO3- substitution and upon D1-N298A mutation, whereas it was unaffected by further NO3- substitution in N298A PSII. The H/D kinetic isotope effect in N298A PSII was relatively small, revealing that water transfer is a rate-limiting step in this mutant. From these results, it was suggested that during the S2 → S3 transition, water delivery and proton release occur through the O1 and Cl channels, respectively.

Δ1-Dehydrogenation of 3-ketosteroids catalyzed by flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent 3-ketosteroid dehydrogenases (Δ1-KSTD) is a crucial step in steroid degradation and synthesis of several steroid drugs. The catalytic mechanism assumes the formation of a double bond in two steps, proton abstraction by tyrosyl ion, and a rate-limiting hydride transfer to FAD. This hypothesis was never verified by quantum-mechanical studies despite contradictory results from the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) reported in 1960 by Jerussi and Ringold [Biochemistry1965, 4 (10)]. In this paper, we present results that reconcile the mechanistic hypothesis with experimental evidence. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics simulations show that the proposed mechanism is indeed the most probable, but barriers associated with substrate activation (13.4–16.3 kcal·mol–1) and hydride transfer (15.5–18.0 kcal·mol–1) are very close (1.7–2.1 kcal·mol–1), which explains normal KIE values for steroids labeled either at C1 or C2 atoms. We confirm that tyrosyl ion acting as the catalytic base is indeed necessary for efficient activation of the steroid. We explain the lower value of the observed KIE (1.5–3.5) by the nature of the free energy surface, the presence of diffusion limitation, and to a smaller extent, conformational changes of the enzyme upon substrate binding. Finally, we confirm the Ping-Pong bi–bi kinetics of the whole Δ1-dehydrogenation and demonstrate that substrate binding, steroid dehydrogenation, and enzyme reoxidation proceed at comparable rates. The authors acknowledge partial financial support from the National Science Centre Poland under the OPUS grant number UMO-2016/21/B/ST4/03798. M.G and P.W. acknowledge the fellowship with project no. POWR. 03.02.00-00-I013/16. This research was supported in part by PLGrid (CYFRONET) Infrastructure, by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant PGC2018-094852-B-C21 and PID2019-107098RJ-I00), the Generalitat Valenciana (grant AICO/2019/195 and SEJI/2020/007) and Universitat Jaume I (grant UJI·B2020-031 and UJI-A2019-04). We acknowledge the joint consortium “Interdisciplinary Centre of Physical, Chemical and Biological Sciences” of ICSC PAS and INP PAS for providing access to the Agilent 1290 Infinity System with an automatic autosampler and an M.S. Agilent 6460 Triple Quad Detector.

Artemisinin is the plant natural product used to treat malaria. The endoperoxide bridge of artemisinin confers its antiparasitic properties. Dihydroartemisinic acid is the biosynthetic precursor of artemisinin that was previously shown to nonenzymatically undergo endoperoxide formation to yield artemisinin. This report discloses the synthesis of [15,15,15-2H3]-dihydroartemisinic acid and its use to determine the mechanism of endoperoxide formation. Several new observations were made: (i) Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation initially accelerates artemisinin formation and subsequently promotes homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond and rearrangement of artemisinin to a different product, and (ii) dideuterated and trideuterated dihydroartemisinic acid isotopologues at C3 and C15 converted to artemisinin at a slower rate compared to nondeuterated dihydroartemisinic acid, revealing a kinetic isotope effect in the initial ene reaction toward endoperoxide formation (kH/kD ∼ 2-3). (iii) The rate of conversion from dihydroartemisinic acid to artemisinin increased with the amount of dihydroartemisinic acid, suggesting an intermolecular interaction to promote endoperoxide formation, and (iv) 18O2-labeling showed incorporation of three and four oxygen atoms from molecular oxygen into the endoperoxide bridge of artemisinin. These results reveal new insights toward understanding the mechanism of endoperoxide formation in artemisinin biosynthesis.

The impact of interfacial electric fields on electrochemical reaction kinetics is assessed in the context of hydrogen electrocatalysis. Recent efforts have proposed that interfacial electric field strength, as described by the electrode’s potential of zero free charge (pzfc), contributes to the slow kinetics of the alkaline hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions (HER/HOR) by hindering solvent reorganization. In this work, we examine through single-crystal voltammetry the importance of the interfacial electric field strength on hydrogen reaction kinetics using three complementary approaches: (1) correlating the pzfc with reaction kinetics using caffeinated Pt as a model surface; (2) varying the electrolyte ionic strength at constant pH; and (3) probing solvent dynamics via caffeinated kinetic isotope effects (KIEs). Our results show that pzfc seems to correlate with HER/HOR kinetics, but also suggest that the effect more likely originates from activation barriers to the reaction elementary steps than from electric field effects on solvent dynamics. Although the importance of interfacial phenomena such as the electrode’s pzfc and water reorganization energy are well established, the pzfc may not be a mechanistic descriptor of the alkaline hydrogen reaction kinetics. Surface additives such as caffeine may help elucidate the origin behind the slow alkaline HER/HOR kinetics and ways to manipulate it.

Fenolni spojevi se sve više istražuju radi mnogobrojnih bioloških učinaka među kojima se ističe antioksidativni učinak. Za praćenje antioksidativnog učinka često se koristi metoda s DPPH• radikalom. U ovom diplomskom radu određene su konstante brzine reakcija fenolnih kiselina: p-kumarinske kiseline, ferulične kiseline, vanilinske kiseline, vanilina i flavonoida kvercetina s DPPH• u dioksanu te smjesi otapala dioksan-voda (0,99:0,01 v/v i 0,95:0,05 v/v). Određeni su kinetički izotopni efekti reakcija navedenih fenolnih spojeva i DPPH• u smjesi otapala dioksan-voda (0,99:0,01 v/v i 0,95:0,05 v/v). Dobiveni kinetički izotopni efekti, za sve spojeve osim vanilina, upućuje na reakcijski mehanizam HAT (hydrogen atom transfer) ili PCET (proton-coupled electron transfer), što podrazumijeva da u stupnju koji određuje brzinu reakcije dolazi i do prijelaza protona i do prijelaza elektrona. U slučaju vanilina dobiven je inverzni KIE koji upućuje na drugačiji i složeniji mehanizam reakcije. U literaturi nisu pronađeni podatci o kinetičkim izotopnim efektima navedenih reakcija. Dobiveni rezultati doprinose razumijevanju kinetike i mehanizma reakcija fenolnih spojeva i radikala, s čime je povezan jedan dio antioksidativne aktivnosti ovih spojeva. Phenolic compounds are increasingly being researched for their numerous biological effects, among which the antioxidant effect stands out. To monitor the antioxidant potential, the DPPH• free radical scavenging method is often used. In this thesis, the reaction rate constants of phenolic acids: p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin and the flavonoid quercetin with DPPH• in dioxane and solvent mixture dioxane-water (0,99:0,01 v/v and 0,95:0,05 v/v) were examined. The kinetic isotopic effects for the mentioned phenolic compounds and DPPH• reaction in the solvent mixture dioxane-water (0,99:0,01 v/v and 0,95:0,05 v/v) were determined. The obtained kinetic isotope effects, for all compounds except vanillin, refer to the reaction mechanism HAT (hydrogen atom transfer) or PCET (proton-coupled electron transfer), which implies that in the rate-determining step of the reaction, both proton and electron transitions occur. In the case of vanillin, an inverse KIE was obtained, which points to a different and more complex reaction mechanism. No data on the kinetic isotope effects for the mentioned reactions were found in the literature. The obtained results contribute to the understanding of the kinetics and mechanism of reactions of phenolic compounds with radicals, with which a part of the antioxidant activity of these compounds is associated.

Palladium-catalyzed chemoselective C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H acetoxylation of synthetically useful tertiary amides is reported under relatively mild reaction conditions. This protocol proceeds through the assistance of a weakly coordinated directing group (C═O) and requires low catalyst (1.0 mol %) loading. Diverse functionalities, such as C(sp2)-Cl, C(sp3)-Cl, -CF3, -COOEt, and -NO2 groups, including morpholinyl, piperazinyl, and pyrrolidinyl heterocycles, are compatible under the reaction conditions. Further functionalization of this protocol is demonstrated by hydrolysis to alcohols, alcohol-acids, as well as reduction to tertiary amines. A preliminary kinetic isotope effect study supported the rate-limiting C-H bond activation process.