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The responses of the N-alkyl diamine groups to variations in pH affect their conformations and surface activities, making them relevant to applications relying on interfacial interactions, such as controlled emulsification and mineral flotation. An in-depth understanding of interfacial self-assembly is crucial. Herein, a molecular-level study was performed to investigate the adsorption and self-assembly of N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine (DPDA) at the air–water (A/W) interface using sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The SFG spectra of DPDA, acquired under three pH conditions, suggest that the protonation of the DPDA diamine group influences the alkyl chain arrangement at a varying degree at the A/W interface. Analysis of the di-cationic DPDA SFG spectrum at a low pH showed fewer gauche defects at low concentration, as indicated by the relatively higher intensity ratio (ICH3SS/ICH2SS) of 18.1 ± 0.6. The density profiles from MD simulations at different surface areas per molecule and pH conditions, showing varying degrees of packing, support the observation of gauche defects in SFG. With MD simulation, the radial distribution factor for di-cationic species has the highest probability of forming hydrogen bonds compared to mono-cationic and non-ionic species. These g(r) probability results conform with observations obtained from SFG spectroscopy, where we observed a strong hydrogen bond interaction at low pH conditions with di-cationic species, forming tetrahedrally arranged water molecules at the A/W interface. Overall, comprehensive insights will facilitate the visualization of alkyl diamines and their potential derivatives at the A/W interface, enabling a better understanding of their behavior across various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsolvation of the carbamate moiety delivers precise information on complexation effects on the N–C=O backbone and is of relevance to the peptide bond functionality. In this context, the mono-, di-, and trihydrated complexes of methyl carbamate have been studied in molecular expansion by high-resolution microwave spectroscopy, using chirped-pulse and Fabry–Perot resonator Fourier transform microwave instruments covering the frequency range from 2 to 18 GHz. From the rotational constants of the parent and the 18Ow substituted monoisotopologues, accurate values have been derived for the geometries of the hydrogen bond interactions. The nuclear quadrupole coupling constant χcc of the nitrogen nucleus provides a direct measure of complexation changes and decreases with the degree of hydration, whereas the hindered internal rotation barrier increases slightly with microsolvation. Both tendencies could have a common origin in the π-cooperative inductive effects as the microsolvation series progresses. All transitions are split by the internal rotation of the methyl top and the nuclear quadrupole coupling, and in the largest cluster, they are additionally split by an inversion motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past five years, over 20 types of cyclo-N5− energetic materials (EMs) have been successfully synthesized. Metallic cyclo-N5− EMs exhibit higher density and performance compared to non-metallic cyclo-N5− EMs. However, the mechanisms for such metallic cyclo-N5− EMs remain unexplored. Herein, we performed a thorough quantum chemistry study on the mechanistic pathway for the cyclo-N5− trapped by metal cations in four cyclo-N5− EMs: [Na(H2O) (N5)] · 2H2O, [M(H2O)4(N5)2] · 4H2O (M = Mn, Fe, and Co), by density functional theory methods and transition state theory. During the synthesis process, the cyclo-N5− in the precursor hybrid aromatic compound is susceptible to electrophilic attack by metal cations. This attack disrupts the hydrogen bond interaction surrounding the cyclo-N5−, ultimately leading to the formation of either an ionic bond or a coordination bond between the metal cation and the cyclo-N5−, resulting in an electrophilic substitution reaction. In addition, solvent effects reduce the energy of the ionic bond, thereby promoting the reaction. Our findings will provide valuable insights for future route design and contribute to enhancing the synthesis yield of cyclo-N5− EMs in both theoretical and experimental aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutectic systems design requires an in-depth understanding of their solid–liquid equilibria (SLE). Modeling SLE in eutectic systems has as prerequisites, the melting properties and activity coefficients of components in the liquid phase. Thus, due to the unavailable melting properties of thermally unstable substances, it is impossible to estimate their activity coefficients from experimental SLE data and model the SLE phase diagram of their eutectic systems. Here, we evaluate the activity coefficients of thermally unstable constituents in the liquid phase, which were calculated independent of their melting properties by correlating the SLE data of their cocrystals. Differential scanning calorimetry and powder x-ray diffraction were employed to obtain the SLE phase diagram of three eutectic systems, i.e., tetramethylammonium chloride/catechol, tetraethylammonium chloride/catechol, and betaine/catechol systems, and identify the formation of nine cocrystals. The non-random, two-liquid equation was used to calculate the activity coefficients of the components in the liquid phase. The substantial negative deviation from ideality in the three studied systems indicated strong hydrogen bonding interactions in the liquid solution. Furthermore, modeling ion–ion interactions in eutectic systems containing ionic constituents is of utmost importance for understanding their nonideality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemically active lead dioxide (β-PbO2) contains the hydrogen (H) species inside the bulk and on the surface. The loss of the surface H species is proposed to be one of the factors in lead-acid battery failure. In this study, water adsorption on β-PbO2 has been investigated using theoretical approaches to reveal the chemical forms of the surface H species and identify a probable cause of H loss mechanisms. For the single water–β-PbO2, density functional theory (DFT) calculations present intact water molecular adsorption on β-PbO2 (100) and dissociative water adsorption on β-PbO2 (110), (101), and (001) surfaces. The geometric distances and the number of hydrogen bonds contribute to the adsorption energy reduction of single water adsorption. For the liquid water–β-PbO2 slab models, DFT-based molecular dynamics simulations observe that the surface lead sites are fully occupied by a hydroxyl group or intact water molecule, and some of the surface oxygens are protonated at 300 K. On the β-PbO2 (110) termination, dissociative water adsorption and intact molecular water adsorption occur competitively, leading to about 50% dissociation of adsorbed water molecules. On the β-PbO2 (100), (101), and (001) terminations, the water molecules adsorb preferably in the dissociative form. The surface dependence of water dissociation is explored in terms of hydrogen bonding interactions relevant to adsorbed aqueous species. It is indicated through the Wulff crystal shape that the increase in the β-PbO2 crystallite size may be one of the H loss mechanisms associated with the electrochemically inactive β-PbO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two isomers of a complex formed between thiazole and two water molecules, thi⋯(H2O)2, have been identified through Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy between 7.0 and 18.5 GHz. The complex was generated by the co-expansion of a gas sample containing trace amounts of thiazole and water in an inert buffer gas. For each isomer, rotational constants, A0, B0, and C0; centrifugal distortion constants, DJ, DJK, d1, and d2; and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, χaa(N) and [χbb(N) − χcc(N)], have been determined through fitting of a rotational Hamiltonian to the frequencies of observed transitions. The molecular geometry, energy, and components of the dipole moment of each isomer have been calculated using Density Functional Theory (DFT). The experimental results for four isotopologues of isomer I allow for accurate determinations of atomic coordinates of oxygen atoms by r0 and rs methods. Isomer II has been assigned as the carrier of an observed spectrum on the basis of very good agreement between DFT-calculated results and a set of spectroscopic parameters (including A0, B0, and C0 rotational constants) determined by fitting to measured transition frequencies. Non-covalent interaction and natural bond orbital analyses reveal that two strong hydrogen bonding interactions are present within each of the identified isomers of thi⋯(H2O)2. The first of these binds H2O to the nitrogen of thiazole (OH⋯N), and the second binds the two water molecules (OH⋯O). A third, weaker interaction binds the H2O sub-unit to the hydrogen atom that is attached to C2 (for isomer I) or C4 (for isomer II) of the thiazole ring (CH⋯O). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An insightful understanding of the interaction between the electrolyte and reaction intermediate and how promotion reaction occurs of electrolyte is challenging in the electrocatalysis reaction. Herein, theoretical calculations are used to investigate the reaction mechanism of CO2 reduction reaction to CO with different electrolytes at the Cu(111) surface. By analyzing the charge distribution of the chemisorbed CO2 ( CO 2 δ − ) formation process, we find that the charge transfer is from metal electrode transfer to CO2 and the hydrogen bond interaction between electrolytes and CO 2 δ − not only plays a key role in the stabilization of CO 2 δ − structure but also reduces the formation energy of *COOH. In addition, the characteristic vibration frequency of intermediates in different electrolyte solutions shows that H2O is a component of HCO3−, promoting CO2 adsorption and reduction. Our results provide essential insights into the role of electrolyte solutions in interface electrochemistry reactions and help understand the catalysis process at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials exhibiting caloric effects can serve as green alternatives in place of the gas refrigerants used in traditional vapor refrigeration systems, which are facing rising energy usage and environmental issues. This study investigates the barocaloric effect of fatty acids, which are typical phase-change materials. Fatty acids exhibit a reversible isothermal entropy change of about 600 J kg−1 K−1 and an adiabatic temperature change of about 10 K at a pressure less than 60 MPa, resulting from the pressure-driven liquid–solid phase transition. In the solid state, the adiabatic temperature change of fatty acids is larger than that of the n-alkanes with similar transition temperatures. Raman analysis indicates that the population of the distorted molecular chains in fatty acids is remarkably decreased when they are transformed from liquid to solid state, leading to the colossal entropy change. For solid fatty acids, the intermolecular interactions characterized by the hydrogen bonds are significantly strengthened under pressure, which explains their large adiabatic temperature change. This study suggests fatty acids are promising refrigerants for eco-friendly barocaloric cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intramolecular O−H ... π hydrogen bond has garnered significant research interest in recent decades. In this work, we utilized the infrared (IR)-vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) nonresonant ionization detected IR spectroscopy (NRID-IR) method to study the molecular structure of neutral and cationic 2-methylallyl alcohol (MAA, CH2=C(CH3)−CH2−OH). Density functional theory calculations revealed five stable neutral and three stable cationic MAA conformers, respectively. Two neutral MAA conformers are expected to have an O−H ... π intramolecular hydrogen bond interaction, based on the structural characterization that the OH group is directed toward the C=C double bond. The IR spectra of both neutral (2700−3700 cm−1) and cationic MAA (2500−7200 cm−1) were measured, and the anharmonic IR spectra were calculated at the B3LYP-D3(BJ)/def2-TZVPP level. The OH stretching vibration frequency of neutral MAA was observed at 3656 cm−1, slightly lower than those of methanol and ethanol. In contrast, the OH stretching vibration of cationic MAA was red-shifted by about 140 cm−1 compared to neutral MAA. The interaction region indicator and natural bond orbital analysis suggest that the O−H ... π interaction in neutral MAA is weak, and may not play a major role in stabilizing the neutral MAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrum of 2′-aminoacetophenone, an aromatic chemical species with odorant properties, has been recorded in the 2–8 GHz frequency range and analyzed, obtaining precise information on the structure of the monomer and its neon and water complexes. The conformation of the monomer is determined by the formation of a resonance-assisted hydrogen bond (RAHB) between the carbonyl and amino groups, which leads to the formation of a bicyclic-like aromatic structure. Accordingly, the cycle formed by the non-covalent bond is preferred to the phenyl ring as the interaction site for neon. In the 1:1 complex, water lies in the molecular plane and forms a strong hydrogen bond with the carbonyl group coupled to an ancillary interaction with the methyl group, leaving the intramolecular RAHB unchanged. The experimental findings are supported by atoms in molecules and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, which allowed for determining the hydrogen bond and intermolecular interaction energies, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge-displacement (CD) analysis has recently proven to be a simple and powerful scheme for quantitatively analyzing the profile the charge redistribution occurring upon intermolecular interactions along a given interaction axis. However, when two molecular fragments bind through complex interactions involving multiple concurrent charge flows, ordinary CD analysis is capable of providing only an averaged picture of the related charge-flow profiles and no detailed information on each of them. In this article, we combine CD analysis with a Hirshfeld partitioning of the molecular charge redistribution for a local analysis on focused portions of the molecule, allowing for a detailed characterization of one charge flow at a time. The resulting scheme—the local charge-displacement (LCD) analysis—is tested on the intriguing case of the dimethyl sulfide–sulfur dioxide complex, characterized by concurrent charge flows relating to a sulfur–sulfur homochalcogen interaction and a pair of hydrogen bonds. The LCD scheme is then applied to the analysis of multiple hydrogen bonding in the acetic acid dimer, of base-pairing interactions in DNA, and of ambifunctional hydrogen bonding in the ammonia–pyridine complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomistic-level understanding of the interfacial behavior of ionic liquids (ILs) confined in slit-like nanopores is of both fundamental and practical interest. Molecular dynamics (MD) is an efficient and robust approach to characterize the properties of confined systems in contrast with some limitations in direct experimental measurements at low-dimensions. In this research, MD simulations are used to study the biocompatible IL cholinium glycinate, [Cho][Gly], confined between two parallel plates of rutile or graphite, with the separation distance of 24 Å along the z-direction. As expected, both the microscopic local structure and dynamical behavior of the confined IL are very heterogeneous and depend effectively on the position of the ions to the pore walls. The ion z-density profile is used for segmentation of the inter-wall space into a central region and two outer layers. The behavior of ions in the central region is very similar to the bulk IL, while the behavior of the arranged ionic layers adjacent to the pore walls shows the clear deviation from the bulk IL due to confinement. In general, the confined IL shows a "solid-like" dynamics at T = 353 K, especially in the outer layers near the walls as well as in the z-direction. The presence of the "IL-rutile wall" electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) causes a significant difference in the local structure and very sluggish dynamics of the IL adjacent to the rutile walls vs the graphite walls. Simulation reveals a significant decrease in the average number of key cation–anion H-bonds at the outer layers relative to the central regions of both confined systems. The recognized [Cho]+⋯[Gly]−⋯[Cho]+ bridge structure at the central region is lost in the vicinity of the rutile walls due to inaccessibility of the hydroxyl hydrogen atom, which forms a stable H-bond with the rutile oxygen site. However, another unprecedented [Gly]− bridge is confirmed and preserved near the graphite walls, and [Cho]+ cations prefer to stay parallel to the wall surface to form the van der Waals dispersion interactions with the uncharged graphite walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissociative adsorption of H2 on Cu19 and defective graphene-supported Cu19 clusters (Cu19G) are investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics. The molecular-level trajectories show that, on Cu19, the preferred adsorption site is the bridge-hollow site, where the two H atoms are adsorbed at the bridge and hollow sites beside a Cu atom, with an adsorption energy of −0.74 eV. In contrast, on the defective graphene-supported Cu19 cluster, the favorite adsorption site is located where the two H atoms are adsorbed at hollow-hollow sites with an adsorption energy of −1.27 eV. In general, the average adsorption energy on the defective graphene-supported Cu19 cluster is −1.07 eV, which is about 84% larger than that of −0.58 eV on the Cu19 cluster. This indicates that the adsorption capacity is greatly enhanced for the dissociative adsorption of H2 on the defective graphene-supported Cu19 cluster. The d-band center shifts to the Fermi level, illustrating the enhanced adsorption capacity on the defective graphene-supported Cu19 cluster. The integrated crystal orbital Hamilton population analysis reveals that stronger bond interactions between hydrogen atoms with their bonded Cu atoms lead to much larger adsorption energies on the defective graphene-supported Cu19 cluster compared to the Cu19 cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) have gained immense popularity because of their promising applications in extraction processes. Herein, we employ atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to unveil the dynamics of DL-menthol (DLM) based HDESs with hexanoic (C6), octanoic (C8), and decanoic (C10) acids as hydrogen bond donors. The particular focus is on understanding the nature of dynamics with changing acid tail length. For all three HDESs, two modes of hydrogen bond relaxations are observed. We observe longer hydrogen bond lifetimes of the inter-molecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the carbonyl oxygen of the acid and hydroxyl oxygen of menthol with hydroxyl hydrogen of both acids and menthol. We infer strong hydrogen bonding between them compared to that between hydroxyl oxygen of acids and hydroxyl hydrogens of menthol and acids, marked by a faster decay rate and shorter hydrogen bond lifetime. The translational dynamics of the species in the HDES becomes slower with increasing tail length of the organic acid. Slightly enhanced caging is also observed for the HDES with a longer tail length of the acids. The evidence of dynamic heterogeneity in the displacements of the component molecules is observed in all the HDESs. From the values of the α-relaxation time scale, we observe that the molecular displacements become random in a shorter time scale for DLM-C6. The analysis of the self-van Hove function reveals that the overall distance covered by DLM and acid molecules in the respective HDES is more than what is expected from ideal diffusion. As marked by the shorter time scale associated with hole filling, the diffusion of the oxygen atom of menthol and the carbonyl oxygen of acid from one site to the other is fastest for hexanoic acid containing HDES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have earned applicability in numerous fields as non-flammable, non-volatile, and greener alternatives to conventional organic solvents. In a first of its kind, a hydrophobic DES composed of a 1:1 mixture of oleic acid and lidocaine was recently reported, possessing a lower critical solution temperature in water. The thermoreversible phase property of this DES–water system was utilized to sequester out dye molecules from their aqueous solutions. In this article, we explore the phase separation phenomena for this particular DES in its aqueous solution using an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. A 50 wt. % solution of the DES in water was studied at three different temperatures (253, 293, and 313 K) to understand the various molecular interactions that dictate the phase segregation property of these systems. In this work, we have elaborated on the importance of hydrogen bonding interactions and the non-bonding interactions between the components and the competition between the two that leads to phase separation. Overall, we observe that the increase in unfavorable interaction between the DES components and water with increasing temperature determines the phase separation behavior. We have also studied the modification in the dynamical properties of water molecules close to the phase boundary. Such molecular insights would be beneficial for designing novel solvent systems that can be used as extraction-based media in industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A path integral ground state (PIGS) approach for the simulation of asymmetric top rotors is presented. The method is based on Monte Carlo sampling of angular degrees of freedom. A symmetry-adapted rotational density matrix is used to account for nuclear spin statistics. To illustrate the method, ground-state properties of collections of para-water molecules confined to a one-dimensional lattice are computed. Those include energetic and structural observables. An advantage of the PIGS method is that expectation values can be obtained directly since the square of the wavefunction is sampled during a simulation. To benchmark the method, ground state energies and orientational distributions are computed using exact diagonalization for a single para-water molecule in an external field using a finite basis of symmetric top eigenfunctions. Benchmark results are also provided for N = 2 para-water molecules pinned to lattice sites at various distances to sample the crossover from hydrogen bonding to the dipole–dipole interaction regime. Excellent agreement between the PIGS results and the finite basis set calculations is observed. A thorough analysis of the convergence in terms of the imaginary time propagation length and systematic Trotter error is performed. The PIGS approach is then applied to a chain of N = 11 water molecules, and an equation of state is constructed in terms of the intermolecular separation. Ordering effects are also studied, and a transition between hydrogen bonding to dipole–dipole alignment is observed. The method is scalable and can also be applied in higher dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ab initio electron propagator methods are employed to predict the vertical electron attachment energies (VEAEs) of OH3+(H2O)n clusters. The VEAEs decrease with increasing n, and the corresponding Dyson orbitals are diffused over exterior, non-hydrogen bonded protons. Clusters formed from OH3− double Rydberg anions (DRAs) and stabilized by hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions between ions and polar molecules are studied through calculations on OH3−(H2O)n complexes and are compared with more stable H−(H2O)n+1 isomers. Remarkable changes in the geometry of the anionic hydronium–water clusters with respect to their cationic counterparts occur. Rydberg electrons in the uncharged and anionic clusters are held near the exterior protons of the water network. For all values of n, the anion–water complex H−(H2O)n+1 is always the most stable, with large vertical electron detachment energies (VEDEs). OH3−(H2O)n DRA isomers have well separated VEDEs and may be visible in anion photoelectron spectra. Corresponding Dyson orbitals occupy regions beyond the peripheral O–H bonds and differ significantly from those obtained for the VEAEs of the cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural, magnetic, and computational data on two new Mn(III) complex cations in lattices with five different counterions and varying levels of solvation are compared to investigate the influence of the position of the electron-withdrawing ligand nitro-substituent on the thermal spin crossover profile. The [MnL1]+ (a) and [MnL2]+ (b) complex cations were prepared by complexation of Mn(III) to the Schiff base chelates formed from condensation of 3-nitrosalicylaldehyde or 5-nitrosalicylaldehyde, respectively, with 1,2-bis(3-aminopropylamino)ethane and were crystallized with NO 3 − , (1a/b), ClO 4 − , (2a/b), PF 6 − , (3a/b), C F 3 SO 3 − (4a/b), and BPh 4 − (5a/b) counterions. Magnetostructural analysis reveals a minor trend in the spin state preference depending on the position of the nitro substituent where the orientation is dependent on crystal packing. Compounds using the 3-NO2-sal2-323 ligand, H2L1, where the nitro group is bent out-of-plane to the benzene ring of the Schiff base, tend to stabilize the triplet state, S = 1, while those with the 5-NO2-sal2-323 Schiff base, H2L2, where the nitro group is almost perfectly aligned in-plane with the benzene ring, mostly stabilize the spin-quintet form, S = 2. Density functional theory calculations correctly describe the energetics of intermediate spin/high spin transitions in the complexes. The intrinsic molecular magnetic properties are only marginally dependent on the position of the nitro groups; the out-of-plane orientation for the 3-NO2 is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction between the nitro group and the equatorial sal ligand. This demonstrates that the control of magnetic behavior in the solid state is mainly a cooperative effect from the size and distribution of counterions, crystal packing, and intermolecular interactions. Three potential structural phase transitions were identified, in complexes 3a, 4a, and 5a · 2MeCN including one which is not coupled to a spin state change. Finally, a break in the pattern of Jahn-Teller distortion typical for [Mn(R-Sal2-323)]+ complexes was observed in two of the complexes with the 5-NO2 ligand, where elongation of the Mn–O bond lengths on warming replaced the usual pattern of elongation of only Mn–N distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscosity of organic liquids is an important physical property in applications of printing, pharmaceuticals, oil extracting, engineering, and chemical processes. Experimental measurement is a direct but time-consuming process. Accurately predicting the viscosity with a broad range of chemical diversity is still a great challenge. In this work, a protocol named Variable Force Field (VaFF) was implemented to efficiently vary the force field parameters, especially λvdW, for the van der Waals term for the shear viscosity prediction of 75 organic liquid molecules with viscosity ranging from −9 to 0 in their nature logarithm and containing diverse chemical functional groups, such as alcoholic hydroxyl, carbonyl, and halogenated groups. Feature learning was applied for the viscosity prediction, and the selected features indicated that the hydrogen bonding interactions and the number of atoms and rings play important roles in the property of viscosity. The shear viscosity prediction of alcohols is very difficult owing to the existence of relative strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction as reflected by density functional theory binding energies. From radial and spatial distribution functions of methanol, we found that the van der Waals related parameters λvdW are more crucial to the viscosity prediction than the rotation related parameters, λtor. With the variable λvdW-based all-atom optimized potentials for liquid simulations force field, a great improvement was observed in the viscosity prediction for alcohols. The simplicity and uniformity of VaFF make it an efficient tool for the prediction of viscosity and other related properties in the rational design of materials with the specific properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search for future good adsorbents for CO2 capture, a nitrogen-rich triazole-type Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) is proposed based on the rational design and theoretical molecular simulations. The structure of the proposed MOF, named Zinc Triazolate based Framework (ZTF), is obtained by replacing the amine-organic linker of MAF-66 by a triazole, and its structural parameters are deduced. We used grand-canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations based on generic classical force fields to correctly predict the adsorption isotherms of CO2 and H2O. For water adsorption in MAF-66 and ZTF, simulations revealed that the strong hydrogen bonding interactions of water with the N atoms of triazole rings of the frameworks are the main driving forces for the high adsorption uptake of water. We also show that the proposed ZTF porous material exhibits exceptional high CO2 uptake capacity at low pressure, better than MAF-66. Moreover, the nature of the interactions between CO2 and the MAF-66 and ZTF surface cavities was examined at the microscopic level. Computations show that the interactions occur at two different sites, consisting of Lewis acid–Lewis base interactions and hydrogen bonding, together with obvious electrostatic interactions. In addition, we investigated the influence of the presence of H2O molecules on the CO2 adsorption on the ZTF MOF. GCMC simulations reveal that the addition of H2O molecules leads to an enhancement of the CO2 adsorption at very low pressures but a reduction of this CO2 adsorption at higher pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrated calcium ion clusters have received considerable attention due to their essential role in biological processes such as bone development, hormone regulation, blood coagulation, and neuronal signaling. To better understand the biological role of the cation, the interactions between the Ca2+ ions and water molecules have been frequently investigated. However, a quantitative measure for the intrinsic Ca—O (ion–solvent) and intermolecular hydrogen bond (solvent–solvent) interactions has been missing so far. Here, we report a topological electron density analysis and a natural population analysis to analyze the nature of these interactions for a set of 14 hydrated calcium clusters via local mode stretching force constants obtained at the ωB97X-D/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The results revealed that the strength of inner Ca—O interactions for Ca ( H 2 O) n 2 + (n = 1–8) clusters correlates with the electron density. The application of a second hydration shell to Ca ( H 2 O) n 2 + (n = 6–8) clusters resulted in stronger Ca—O interactions where a larger electron charge transfer between lp(O) of the first hydration shell and the lower valence of Ca prevailed. The strength of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds, formed between the first and second hydration shells, became stronger when the charge transfers between hydrogen bond (HB) donors and HB acceptors were enhanced. From the local mode stretching force constants of implicitly and explicitly solvated Ca2+, we found the six-coordinated cluster to possess the strongest stabilizations, and these results prove that the intrinsic bond strength measures for Ca—O and hydrogen bond interactions form new effective tools to predict the coordination number for the hydrated calcium ion clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monoprotonated compound N,N′,N′′-tris(p-tolyl)azacalix[3](2,6)pyridine (TAPH) contains an intramolecular hydrogen bond that is formed from three N atoms in its cavity. Constrained by the macrocyclic molecular structure, the separations between the N atoms in this bifurcated hydrogen bond are about 2.6 Å, considerably shorter than those typically observed for hydrogen bonded systems in the condensed phases. As such, TAPH exhibits significantly elongated N–H lengths in its hydrogen bond and a downfield 1H NMR chemical shift of 22.1 ppm. In this work, we carry out ab initio molecular dynamics and ab initio path integral molecular dynamics simulations of TAPH in the acetonitrile solution to reveal the geometry and proton sharing conditions of the bifurcated short hydrogen bond and uncover how the interplay of electronic and nuclear quantum effects gives rise to its far downfield 1H chemical shift. Taking a linear short hydrogen bond as a reference, we demonstrate the distinct features of competing quantum effects and electronic shielding effects in the bifurcated hydrogen bond of TAPH. We further use the degree of deshielding on the proton as a measure of the hydrogen bonding interactions and evaluate the strength of the bifurcated short hydrogen bond as compared to its linear counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents for the first time ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for the OH⋆-(H2O)n cluster with n = 0–5 and the OH radical in the bulk phase, using B3LYP as a functional. Furthermore, for OH⋆-w31, simulations with PBE0 and HSE03 are also investigated. In all systems, the OH radical is a stronger hydrogen bond donor than acceptor; a stronger hydrogen bond donor than water and a weaker hydrogen bond acceptor than water. Radial distribution functions (RDFs) reveal that for all systems, neither a hemibond between radical and water nor hydrogen abstraction is present. Comparisons with past simulations indicate that BLYP leads to artifacts, such as overstructuring of water in OH⋆-w31 and the hemibonded structure. In order to have strong hydrogen bonds with an extensive hydrogen bond network, at least four water molecules are necessary. RDFs as well as continuous dimer existence autocorrelation functions show that the OH radical is not disrupting the hydrogen bond network of water. In the bulk phase, the acceptor interaction is a very low probable interaction, whereas in the gas phase, it has a higher probability. The orientation of the water molecule around the OH radical is in the bulk liquid phase much less and in the gas phase enhanced, especially for the OH radical acting as a hydrogen bond donor toward one water molecule. PBE0 results for OH⋆-w31 in a strong hydrogen bond donor interaction compared to HSE03 and B3LYP, which has the weakest interaction. HSE03 leads to strong O–H interactions in OH⋆-w31, followed by PBE0 and B3LYP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bulk liquid water density data (ρ) are studied in a very large temperature pressure range including also the glass phases. A thorough analysis of their isobars, together with the suggestions of recent thermodynamical studies, gives evidence of two crossovers at T* and P* above which the hydrogen bond interaction is unable to arrange the tetrahedral network that is at the basis of the liquid polymorphism giving rise to the low density liquid (LDL). The curvatures of these isobars, as a function of T, are completely different: concave below P* (where maxima are) and convex above. In both the cases, a continuity between liquid and glass is observed with P* as the border of the density evolution toward the two different polymorphic glasses (low and high density amorphous). The experimental data of the densities of these two glasses also show a markedly different pressure dependence. Here, on the basis of these observations in bulk water and by considering a recent study on the growth of the LDL phase, by decreasing temperature, we discuss the water liquid-liquid transition and evaluate the isothermal compressibility inside the deep supercooled regime. Such a quantity shows an additional maximum that is pressure dependent that under ambient conditions agrees with a recent X-ray experiment. In particular, the present analysis suggests the presence of a liquid-liquid critical point located at about 180 MPa and 197 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamorphic transition in water is expected to occur at low temperatures and high pressures. Recently, the polyamorphic transitions of polyol aqueous solutions were examined under pressure at low temperatures, and the location of their liquid-liquid critical points was estimated experimentally. The addition of polyol solute in water induces the shift of polyamorphic transition pressure toward the lower pressure side. Here, by comparing the polyamorphic transition of various polyol aqueous solutions, especially by comparing those of dilute 1,2-propanediol and dilute 1,3-propanediol aqueous solutions, it is clarified that the OH-groups in the polyol molecule efficiently affect the polyamorphic behavior of solvent water. This suggests that the hydrogen bonding interaction between solvent water and polyol solute relates closely to the polyamorphic behavior of solvent water such as the stabilization of high-density-amorph-like solvent water induced by the presence of polyol solute. In addition, the effect of CH3 groups in the 1,2-propanediol molecule seems to be opposite to the effect of OH groups. These results have important implications for the understandings of low-temperature phenomena of aqueous solutions, for example, hydration, segregation, phase separation, folding/unfolding of macromolecules, glass forming, and nucleation of crystalline ice Ih. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and dynamics of water in aqueous alcohol solutions were explored using two-dimensional Raman correlation spectroscopy (2D Raman-COS) combined with the density functional theory (DFT). The spectral changes in the H–O–H bending and O:H stretching modes demonstrated that ethanol and n-propanol induced an enhancement of the water structure compared to methanol. The extent of this effect was related to the length of the alkyl chain. Comparative studies with aqueous ethylene glycol solution revealed that an enhanced water structure stemmed mainly from hydrophobic effects rather than hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) interactions. Alcohol-induced water-specific structural transitions were further analyzed using 2D Raman-COS, which showed that the free OH and strong H-bond structure of water respond preferentially to changes in alcohol content, inducing a transition in the weak H-bond structure of water. In addition, the 2D Raman-COS results indicated that the CH3 stretching mode of alcohol responds preferentially to variations in water content compared to other C–H vibrational modes. Finally, the details of the alcohol-induced water structural transitions were calculated using DFT. The 2D Raman-COS combined with DFT calculations provided insight into alcohol-induced water structural transitions and can be easily extended to other studies of water-organic chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reorientational dynamics of the constituent ions in a room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]), are explored via molecular dynamics simulations, and several features of orientation dynamics are summarized. The anion, [PF6]−, not only exhibits a higher propensity to orientation jumps than the cation, [BMIM]+ but also accesses a wider jump angle distribution and larger peak-angle. Jump and waiting time distributions for both the ions depict power-law dependences, suggesting temporally heterogeneous dynamics for the medium. This heterogeneity feature is further highlighted by the finding that the simulated first rank (ℓ = 1) and second rank (ℓ = 2) average reorientational correlation times reflect a severe break-down of Debye’s ℓ(ℓ + 1) law for orientational diffusion in an isotropic homogeneous medium. Simulated average H-bond lifetime resides between the mean orientation jump and waiting times, while the structural H-bond relaxation suggests, as in normal liquids, a pronounced presence of translational motion of the partnering ions. Average simulated jump trajectories reveal a strong rotation-translation coupling and indicate relatively larger changes in spatial and angular arrangements for the anion during an orientation jump. In fact, a closer inspection of all these results points toward more heterogeneous dynamics for [PF6]− than [BMIM]+. This is a new observation and may simply be linked to the ion-size. However, such a generalization warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein-based underwater adhesives of marine organisms exhibit extraordinary binding strength in high salinity based on utilizing a variety of molecular interaction mechanisms. These include acid-base interactions, bidentate bindings or complex hydrogen bonding interactions, and electrochemical manipulation of interfacial bonding. In this Perspective, we briefly review recent progress in the field, and we discuss how interfacial electrochemistry can vary interfacial forces by concerted tuning of surface charging, hydration forces, and tuning of the interfacial ion concentration. We further discuss open questions, controversial findings, and new paths into understanding and utilizing redox-proteins and derived polymers for enhancing underwater adhesion in a complex salt environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a theoretical characterization of the interaction of Cl2 and Br2 in the 512 and 51262 clathrate cages, respectively, based on energy partitioning analysis and a study of the electronic shifts associated with transitions to the main valence bands. Our analysis clearly shows that while Br2@51262 does not show halogen bonding interactions in its equilibrium geometry, Cl2@512 presents all the characteristics expected for halogen bonding. This is accomplished by the interaction of the usual sigma-hole with the lone pair of the closest oxygen atom involved in hydrogen bonding within the cage framework, though breaking of the hydrogen bond is not required. This possibility, which had not been considered in previous analyses, opens up a new way of looking at the interactions of dihalogens with the nearest water molecules in the cage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the observation of structural changes in an axially chiral molecule, biphenyl-2- carboxaldehyde, due to aggregation with water. Using high-resolution broadband rotational spectroscopy we find that two water molecules link opposite sides of the molecule, resembling a water wire. We show that this effect can be explained by a cooperative rearrangement of both molecule and a water dimer. Hydrogen bonding interactions are shown to change the original structure upon aggregation of water. This phenomenon is insightful on the role of microsolvation in assisting structural morphing of stereo-selective chiral molecular systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The translational dynamics of water and cyclohexane in supercritical binary mixtures were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The effects of the local composition were examined through a decomposition scheme of the conditional time-correlation functions based on the solvation numbers for water and cyclohexane. The self-diffusion of water was found to be largely controlled by the continuous and collective attractive interactions with surrounding water molecules, while interactions with cyclohexane have minimal impact on water diffusion. On the other hand, the self-diffusion of cyclohexane is dominantly determined by uncorrelated collisional interactions with neighboring cyclohexane molecules. The results demonstrate the dynamic aspect of microscopic inhomogeneity and highlight the significance of interactions between molecules of the same species. An examination of the dependence of self-diffusion on the lifetime of the solvation shell indicated that the self-diffusion of water is confined within the solvation shell. This is attributed to the hydrogen bond interactions with neighboring water molecules, which create an energy barrier to the water molecules diffusing out of the hydration cage. In contrast, diffusing cyclohexane molecules migrate beyond the solvation shell, particularly at large water contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the structural properties of liquid water at near ambient conditions using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations based on a semilocal density functional augmented with nonlocal van der Waals interactions. The adopted scheme offers the advantage of simulating liquid water at essentially the same computational cost of standard semilocal functionals. Applied to the water dimer and to ice Ih, we find that the hydrogen-bond energy is only slightly enhanced compared to a standard semilocal functional. We simulate liquid water through molecular dynamics in the NpH statistical ensemble allowing for fluctuations of the system density. The structure of the liquid departs from that found with a semilocal functional leading to more compact structural arrangements. This indicates that the directionality of the hydrogen-bond interaction has a diminished role as compared to the overall attractions, as expected when dispersion interactions are accounted for. This is substantiated through a detailed analysis comprising the study of the partial radial distribution functions, various local order indices, the hydrogen-bond network, and the selfdiffusion coefficient. The explicit treatment of the van der Waals interactions leads to an overall improved description of liquid water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen interaction kinetics of the GePb1 defect, previously identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) as an interfacial Ge dangling bond (DB) defect occurring in densities ~7×1012 cm-2 at the SiGe/SiO2 interfaces of condensation grown (100)Si/a-SiO2/Ge0.75Si0.25/ a-SiO2 structures, has been studied as function of temperature. This has been carried out, both in the isothermal and isochronal mode, through defect monitoring by capacitance-voltage measurements in conjunction with ESR probing, where it has previously been demonstrated the defects to operate as negative charge traps. The work entails a full interaction cycle study, comprised of analysis of both defect passivation (pictured as GePb1-H formation) in molecular hydrogen (~1 atm) and reactivation (GePb1-H dissociation) in vacuum. It is found that both processes can be suitably described separately by the generalized simple thermal (GST) model, embodying a first order interaction kinetics description based on the basic chemical reactions GePb1+H2→GePb1H+H and GePb1H→GePb1+H, which are found to be characterized by the average activation energies Ef=1.44±0.04 eV and Ed=2.23±0.04 eV, and attendant, assumedly Gaussian, spreads σEf=0.20±0.02 eV andσEf=0.15±0.02 eV, respectively. The substantial spreads refer to enhanced interfacial disorder. Combination of the separately inferred kinetic parameters for passivation and dissociation results in the unified realistic GST description that incorporates the simultaneous competing action of passivation and dissociation, and which is found to excellently account for the full cycle data. For process times ta ~35 min, it is found that even for the optimum treatment temperature ~380°C, only ~60% of the GePb1 system can be electrically silenced, still far remote from device grade level. This ineffectiveness is concluded, for the major part, to be a direct consequence of the excessive spreads in the activation energies, ~2-3 times larger than for the Si DB Pb defects at the standard thermal (111)Si/SiO2 interface which may be easily passivated to device grade levels, strengthened by the reduced difference between the average Ef and Ed values. Exploring the guidelines of the GST model indicates that passivation can be improved by decreasing Tan and attendant enlarging of ta, however, at best still leaving ~2% defects unpassivated even for unrealistically extended anneal times. The average dissociation energy Ed~2.23 eV, concluded as representing the GePb1-H bond strength, is found to be smaller than the SiPb-H one, characterized by Ed~2.83 eV. An energy deficiency is encountered regarding the energy sum rule inherent to the GST-model, the origin of which is substantiated to lie with a more complex nature of the forward passivation process than basically depicted in the GST model. The results are discussed within the context of theoretical considerations on the passivation of interfacial Ge DBs by hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the detachment mechanism of alkane molecules from one hybrid hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid surface was studied by molecular dynamics simulation. First, some alkyl chains were linked through C-O bonds with silica surface to get one half-hydrophobic one, and the other half-hydrophilic area was still same as silica surface, thus one modified hybrid hydrophobic and hydrophilic silica surface was constructed. Second, some alkane molecules were adsorbed on the hybrid surface to get one whole hydrophobic oil layer, and the detachment mechanism of alkane molecules on the surface was discussed in aqueous solution using molecular dynamics. The simulated results showed that the key to the detachment of alkane molecules is the formation of water channel in oil layer between water phase and solid surface. In the detachment process, water molecules can penetrate oil layer to the silica surface through the strong H-bonding interaction among water molecules in water channel, and soon these molecules can form a gel layer along the silica surface by fast diffusion under the H-bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction between water molecules and silica surface. At last, the half-hydrophilic area on hybrid surface becomes hydrophilic again after the oil layer's detachment, and alkane molecules aggregate on the modified surface linked the alkyl chains. For the hybrid surface, some of alkane molecules insert into the interstice among the alkyl chains, and thus the oil drop cannot be dispatched thoroughly from the surface linked alkyl chains in aqueous solution. Our results showed that the detachment mechanism of oil from hybrid surface is different, compared with the whole pure hydrophilic surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the parameter sensitivity of hetero-polymeric DNA within the purview of DNA breathing dynamics. The degree of correlation between the mean bubble size and the model parameters is estimated for this purpose for three different DNA sequences. The analysis leads us to a better understanding of the sequence dependent nature of the breathing dynamics of hetero-polymeric DNA. Out of the 14 model parameters for DNA stability in the statistical Poland-Scheraga approach, the hydrogen bond interaction ∈hb(AT) for an AT base pair and the ring factor ξ turn out to be the most sensitive parameters. In addition, the stacking interaction ∈st (TA-TA) for an TA-TA nearest neighbor pair of base-pairs is found to be the most sensitive one among all stacking interactions. Moreover, we also establish that the nature of stacking interaction has a deciding effect on the DNA breathing dynamics, not the number of times a particular stacking interaction appears in a sequence. We show that the sensitivity analysis can be used as an effective measure to guide a stochastic optimization technique to find the kinetic rate constants related to the dynamics as opposed to the case where the rate constants are measured using the conventional unbiased way of optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic examination of the computational expense and accuracy of Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) for the prediction of non-covalent interaction energies is provided with respect to both method [SAPT0, DFT-SAPT, SAPT2, SAPT2+, SAPT2+(3), and SAPT2+3; with and without CCD dispersion for the last three] and basis set [Dunning cc-pVDZ through aug-cc-pV5Z wherever computationally tractable, including truncations of diffuse basis functions]. To improve accuracy for hydrogen-bonded systems, we also include two corrections based on exchange-scaling (sSAPT0) and the supermolecular MP2 interaction energy (δMP2). When considering the best error performance relative to computational effort, we recommend as the gold, silver, and bronze standard of SAPT: SAPT2+(3)δMP2/aug-cc-pVTZ, SAPT2+/aug-cc-pVDZ, and sSAPT0/jun-ccpVDZ. Their respective mean absolute errors in interaction energy across the S22, HBC6, NBC10, and HSG databases are 0.15 (62.9), 0.30 (4.4), and 0.49 kcal mol-1 (0.03 h for adenine · thymine complex). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant episteric ('around a solid') distortion of the hydrogen-bond structure of water is promoted by solutes with nanoscale surface detail and physico-chemical complexity, such as soluble natural proteins. These structural distortions defy analysis because the discrete nature of the solvent at the interface is not upheld by the continuous laws of electrostatics. This work derives and validates an electrostatic equation that governs the episteric distortions of the hydrogen-bond matrix. The equation correlates distortions from bulk-like structural patterns with anomalous polarization components that do not align with the electrostatic field of the solute. The result implies that the interfacial energy stored in the orthogonal polarization correlates with the distortion of the water hydrogen-bond network. The result is validated vis-à-vis experimental data on protein interfacial thermodynamics and is interpreted in terms of the interaction energy between the electrostatic field of the solute and the dipole moment induced by the anomalous polarization of interfacial water. Finally, we consider solutes capable of changing their interface through conformational transitions and introduce a principle of minimal episteric distortion (MED) of the water matrix. We assess the importance of the MED principle in the context of protein folding, concluding that the native fold may be identified topologically with the conformation that minimizes the interfacial tension or disruption of the water matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-methyl-3-heptanol, a monohydroxy alcohol with a relatively small dielectric Debye process, is studied in wide ranges of temperature (143 K < T < 308 K) and pressure (0.1 MPa < p < 864 MPa). When monitored under isochronous conditions, i.e., focusing on constant relaxation times, as well as under isothermal conditions, the Debye process gains significant intensity upon pressure application. This behavior contrasts with that of the previously studied octanol 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, which features a large Debye process. These experimentally observed, clearly distinguishable pressure evolutions are discussed to reflect differences in the formation of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three functional materials were coated on tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) sensors, and through the analysis of the characteristics of TBFG sensors' amplitudes in the core and cladding modes, their abilities to sense humidity were compared. The mechanisms by which physical moisture absorption sensing was achieved through the three materials were investigated. The degree of sensitivity in terms of resonance wavelength in the cladding mode for the three coating materials was PAHP4 > PEDOT:PSS > GO. The sensitivity in the cladding modes of the tested sensor showed that the best resonance wavelength was as high as 0.0112 nm/% RH and was achieved for the TFBG coated with PAHP4 due to the hydrophilic groups around the material, which are good at forming hydrogen bond interactions with H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]