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The formation of two-component molecular cocrystals can lead to the tunable excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process and emission, as first confirmed by both experimental and computational studies.

Interfacial electron transfer (ET) constitutes the key step in conversion of solar energy into electricity and fuels. Required for fast and efficient charge separation, strong donor-acceptor interaction is typically achieved through covalent chemical bonding and leads to fast, adiabatic ET. Focusing on interfaces of pyrene, coronene, and a graphene quantum dot (GQD) with TiO 2 , we demonstrate the opposite situation: covalent bonding leads to weak coupling and nonadiabatic (NA) ET, while through-space π-electron interaction produces adiabatic ET. Using real-time time-dependent density functional theory combined with NA molecular dynamics, we simulate photoinduced ET into TiO 2 from flat and vertically placed molecules and GQD containing commonly used carboxylic acid linkers. Both arrangements can be achieved experimentally with GQDs and other two-dimensional materials, such as MoS 2 . The weak through-bond donor-acceptor coupling is attributed to the π-electron withdrawing properties of the carboxylic acid group. The calculated ET time scales are in excellent agreement with pump-probe optical experiments. The simulations show that the ET proceeds faster than energy relaxation. The electron couples to a broad spectrum of vibrational modes, ranging from 100 cm -1 large-scale motions to 1600 cm -1 C-C stretches. Compared to graphene/TiO 2 heterojunctions, the molecule/TiO 2 and GQD/TiO 2 systems exhibit energy gaps, allowing for longer-lived excited states and hot electron injection, facilitating charge separation and higher voltage. The reported state-of-the-art simulations generate a detailed time-domain, atomistic description of the interfacial charge and energy transfer and relaxation processes, and demonstrate that the fundamental principles leading to efficient charge separation in nanoscale materials depend strongly and often unexpectedly on the type of donor-acceptor interaction. Understanding these principles is critical to the development of highly efficient photovoltaic and photocatalytic cells.

We report a density functional study on the mechanism of the [2+2] photocyclization of atropisomeric maleimides. Experimentally, the reaction is known to proceed through the triplet state. We have located all relevant S0 and T1 minima and transition states, as well as the T1/S0 crossing points, and mapped eight stepwise photocyclization pathways for four different conformers in the T1 state that lead to distinct regioisomers. In the preferred four pathways (one for each conformer) the initially formed C-C bond involves the terminal carbon atom of the alkene moiety. This regioselectivity originates from electrostatic preferences (arising from the charge distribution in the polarized C[double bond, length as m-dash]C double bonds) and from the different thermodynamic stability of the resulting triplet diradical intermediates (caused by electron donation effects that stabilize the radical centers). The formation of the second C-C bond is blocked in the T1 state by prohibitively high barriers and thus occurs after intersystem crossing to the ground state. Furthermore, we rationalize substitution effects on enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity and identify their origin.

The structural and optical properties of five ruthenium complexes, recently synthesized for their photooxidative and photophysical properties, have been studied by means of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). The structures of [Ru(bpy)2(BiimH2)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; BiimH2 = 2,2'-biimidazole) 1, [Ru(bpy)2(TMBiimH2)](2+) (TM BiimH2 = 4,5,4',5'-tetramethyl-2,2'-biimidazole) 5, [Ru(bpy)2(L1H2)](2+) (L1H2 = 4,5-dimethyl-2(N,N-diacetyl)(carboximidamide-1H-imidazole)) 6, [Ru(bpy)2(L2H2)](2+) (L2H2 = N(1),N(1),N(2),N(2)-tetrakis(acetyl)ethanediimidamide) 7 and [Ru(phen)2(TMBiimH2)](2+) (phen = 1,10'-phenanthroline) 8 have been fully optimized in the electronic ground state as well as in the lowest triplet T1 excited state. The theoretical absorption spectra of the five complexes that compare rather well with the experimental spectra have been analyzed on the basis of TD-DFT calculations without and with spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The deprotonated form [Ru(bpy)2(L2H)](+)7d contributes mostly to the experimental absorption spectrum of complex 7. The spectra of all molecules are characterized by the presence of low-lying metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states between 500 and 400 nm, ligand-centered (LC) excited states on the biimidazole-like ligands between 350 and 300 nm and on the bpy ligands between 300 and 250 nm. The theoretical emission wavelengths deduced from the lowest triplet T1 properties calculated at 661 nm (1), 690 nm (5) and 660 nm (8) reproduce the experimental emission spectra of these molecules characterized by a maximum at 638 nm (1), 646 nm (5) and 652 nm (8). In contrast the low theoretical emission wavelengths (>1000 nm) obtained for complexes 6, 7 and 7d favorable to non-radiative decays explain the low intensity of the experimental emission spectra of these two complexes. The SOC is of little effect in this class of molecules where metal-centered (MC) excited states do not perturb the lowest part of the absorption spectra leading to negligible splitting of low-lying triplet states.

The asymmetric catalysis of the intramolecular enone [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction relies on a complicated regulation mechanism to control its reactivity and selectivity as well as quantum yield. The multiconfiguration perturbation theory associated with energy-consistent relativistic pseudopotentials offers a mechanistic comparison between representative coumarin and enone substrates. A pair of bright ππ* states govern the unselective background reaction of the free coumarin through the direct cycloaddition in the singlet hypersurface and the elimination of the reaction channel in the triplet manifold due to the existence of anti El Sayed type singlet-triplet crossing. The opening of a reaction channel in the triplet state is repeatedly verified to depend on the presence of relativistic effects, i.e., spin-orbit coupling due to heavy atoms in the chiral Lewis acid catalyst.

In this work, the combined electronic structure calculations and non-adiabatic dynamics simulations were performed for understanding mechanistic photodissociation of cyclobutanone at ∼248 nm. Besides the stationary and intersection structures reported before, two new conical intersections between the ground (S0) and the first excited singlet (S1) states were determined in the present study, which were confirmed to be the new S1 → S0 funnels by the ab initio multiple spawning dynamic simulation, giving rise to products in the S0 state selectively. The time evolution of the S1 electronic population was fitted with the pure exponential formulae, from which the S1 lifetime was estimated to be 484.0 fs. The time constant for the S1 α-cleavage is calculated to be 176.6 fs, which is based on the present dynamics simulation. As a result of the ultrafast S1 processes, the statistical distribution of the excess energies is prevented in the S1 state. The S1 dynamic effect (the nonergodic behavior) was predicted to be an important factor that is responsible for the wavelength dependence of the branching ratio of photodissociation products, which will be discussed in detail.

In this work, the recently introduced quantum trajectory mean-field (QTMF) approach is implemented and employed to explore photodissociation dynamics of diazirinone (N2CO), which are based on the high-level ab initio calculation. For comparison, the photodissociation process has been simulated as well with the fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) and the ab initio multiple spawning (AIMS) methods. Overall, the dynamical behavior predicted by the three methods is consistent. The N2CO photodissociation at λ > 335 nm is an ultrafast process and the two C-N bonds are broken in a stepwise way, giving birth to CO and N2 as the final products in the ground state. Meanwhile, some noticeable differences were found in the QTMF, FSSH, and AIMS simulated time constants for fission of the C-N bonds, excited-state lifetime, and nonadiabatic transition ratios in different intersection regions. These have been discussed in detail. The present study provides a clear evidence that direct ab initio QTMF approach is one of the reliable tools for simulating nonadiabatic dynamics processes.

Ultrahigh quantum yields of intersystem crossing to the lowest triplet state T1 are observed for 2-thiouracils (2TU), which is in contrast to the natural uracils that predominantly exhibit ultrafast internal conversion to the ground state upon excitation to the singlet excited state. The intersystem crossing mechanism of 2TU has recently been investigated using second-order perturbation methods with a high-level complete-active space self-consistent field. Three competitive nonadiabatic pathways to the lowest triplet state T1 from the initially populated singlet excited state S2 were proposed. We investigate the initial decay dynamics of 2TU from the light absorbing excited states using resonance Raman spectroscopy, time-dependent wave-packet theory in the simple model, and complete-active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) and time dependent-Becke's three-parameter exchange and correlation functional with the Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional (TD-B3LYP) calculations. The obtained short-time structural dynamics in easy-to-visualize internal coordinates were compared with the CASSCF(16,11) predicted key nonadiabatic decay routes. Our results indicate that the predominant decay pathway initiated at the Franck-Condon region is toward the S2/S1 conical intersection point and S2T3 intersystem crossing point, but not toward the S2T2 intersystem crossing point.

An efficient catalytic one-step conversion of benzene to phenol was achieved recently by selective photooxidation under mild conditions with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) as the photocatalyst. Herein, high-level electronic structure calculations in the gas phase and in acetonitrile solution are reported to explore the underlying mechanism. The initially populated (1)ππ* state of DDQ can relax efficiently through a nearby dark (1)nπ* doorway state to the (3)ππ* state of DDQ, which is found to be the precursor state involved in the initial intermolecular electron transfer from benzene to DDQ. The subsequent triplet-state reaction between DDQ radical anions, benzene radical cations, and water is computed to be facile. The formed DDQH and benzene-OH radicals can undergo T1→S0 intersystem crossing and concomitant proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) to generate the products DDQH2 and phenol. Two of the four considered nonadiabatic pathways involve an orientation-dependent triplet PCET process, followed by intersystem crossing to the ground state (S0). The other two first undergo a nonadiabatic T1→S0 transition to produce a zwitterionic S0 complex, followed by a barrierless proton transfer. The present theoretical study identifies novel types of nonadiabatic PCET processes and provides detailed mechanistic insight into DDQ-catalyzed photooxidation., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A photoactive protein usually contains a unique chromophore that is responsible for the initial photoresponse and functions of the photoactive protein are determined by the interaction between the chromophore and its protein surroundings. The combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach is demonstrated to be a very useful tool for exploring structures and functions of a photoactive protein with the chromophore and its protein surroundings treated by the QM and MM methods, respectively. In this review, we summarize the basic formulas of the QM/MM approach and emphasize its applications to excited states and photoreactions of chromophores in rhodopsin protein, photoactive yellow protein, and green fluorescent protein., (© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The photophysics of two α,β-carboxylic methyl esters after excitation to the light absorbing S2(ππ(*)) state were studied by using the resonance Raman spectroscopy and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method calculations. The vibrational spectra were assigned on the basis of the experimental measurements and the B3LYP/6-31G(d) computations, as well as the normal mode analysis. The A-band resonance Raman spectra of methyl 2,4-pentadienoate (M24PDA) and methyl trans cronoate (MTCA) were measured to probe the structural dynamics in Franck-Condon region. CASSCF calculations were done to obtain the minimal excitation energies and geometric structures of the lower-lying singlet and triplet excited states, and the curve-crossing points. It was revealed that the short-time structural dynamics of M24PDA was dominated by the Cα=Cβ-C4=C5 stretch coordinate, while that of MTCA was mostly along the Cα=Cβ and the C=O stretch motion. Comparison of the structural dynamics of M24PDA and MTCA with that of 3-methyl-3-pentene-2-one (3M3P2O) indicated that the structural dynamics of MTCA is similar to that of 3M3P2O but different than that of M24PDA in that the variation of the Raman intensity ratios for ν7/ν8, (ν7+ν8)/2ν8, (ν7+2ν8)/3ν8, (ν7+3ν8)/4ν8 of MTCA is similar to that of 3M3P2O but different from that of M24PDA. It is found that the substitution of methyl group in the α(')-position of α,β-enones by methoxyl group does not substantially affect the short-time structural dynamics, while the substitution of vinyl group in the β-position changes significantly the short-time structural dynamics and the subsequent decay processes. A detailed decay mechanism is proposed. Two sub-processes which consider the reconjugation and the subsequent charge-transfer reaction of O=C-Cα=Cβ chromophore were postulated to describe the variation of short-time structural dynamics with the different substitution.

The excited state structural dynamics of phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) after excitation to the light absorbing S2(A'), S6(A'), and S7(A') excited states were studied by using the resonance Raman spectroscopy and complete active space self-consistent field method calculations. The UV absorption bands of PITC were assigned. The vibrational assignments were done on the basis of the Fourier transform (FT)-Raman and FT-infrared measurements, the density-functional theory computations, and the normal mode analysis. The A-, B-, and C-bands resonance Raman spectra in cyclohexane, acetonitrile, and methanol solvents were, respectively, obtained at 299.1, 282.4, 266.0, 252.7, 228.7, 217.8, and 208.8 nm excitation wavelengths to probe the corresponding structural dynamics of PITC. The results indicated that the structural dynamics in the S2(A'), S6(A'), and S7(A') excited states were very different. The conical intersection point CI(S2/S1) were predicted to play important role in the low-lying excited state decay dynamics. Two major decay channels were predicted for PITC upon excitation to the S2(A') state: the radiative S(2,min) → S0 transition and the nonradiative S2 → S1 internal conversion via CI(S2/S1). The differences in the decay dynamics between methyl isothiocyanate and PITC in the first light absorbing excited state were discussed. The role of the intersystem crossing point ISC(S1/T1) in the excited state decay dynamics of PITC is evaluated.

We present a systematic theoretical investigation on the overall ground state and excited-state isomerization reaction mechanism of ortho-green fluorescent protein chromophore (o-HBDI) using the density functional theory and the multireference methods. The calculated results and subsequent analysis suggest the possible isomerization mechanism for o-HBDI. By comparison with experimental observation and detailed analysis, it is concluded that as initiated by the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer reaction, the conical intersection between the ground state and the excited state along the C4-C5 single-bond rotational coordinate is responsible for the rapid deactivation of o-HBDI.

The peroxide decomposition that generates the excited-state carbonyl compound is the key step in most organic chemiluminescence, and chemically initiated electron exchange luminescence (CIEEL) has been widely accepted for decades as the general mechanism for this decomposition. The firefly dioxetanone, which is a peroxide, is the intermediate in firefly bioluminescence, and its decomposition is the most important step leading to the emission of visible light by a firefly. However, the firefly dioxetanone decomposition mechanism has never been explored at a reliable theoretical level, because the decomposition process includes biradical, charge-transfer (CT) and several nearly degenerate states. Herein, we have investigated the thermolysis of firefly dioxetanone in its neutral (FDOH) and anionic (FDO(-)) forms using second-order multiconfigurational perturbation theories in combination with the ground-state intrinsic reaction coordinate calculated via the combined hybrid functional with Coulomb attenuated exchange-correlation, and considered the solvent effect on the ground-state reaction path using the combined hybrid functional with Coulomb attenuated exchange-correlation. The calculated results indicate that the chemiluminescent decomposition of FDOH or FDO(-) does not take place via the CIEEL mechanism. An entropic trap was found to lead to an excited-state carbonyl compound for FDOH, and a gradually reversible CT initiated luminescence (GRCTIL) was proposed as a new mechanism for the decomposition of FDO(-).

In the present work, photoinduced O(2) evolution from the [Cp(2)Os-OH](+) complex in aqueous solution has been studied by the DFT, CASSCF, and CASPT2 methods. The CASPT2//CASSCF calculations predict that the S(3) state is initially populated and the subsequent deprotonation of [Cp(2)Os-OH](+) proceeds very easily along the T(1) pathway as a result of the efficient S(3) → T(1) intersystem crossing. It is found that the O-O bond is formed via the acid-base mechanism, which is different from the direct oxo-oxo coupling mechanism suggested in the experimental study. Formation of the O-O bond is the rate-determining step and has an activation energy and activation free energy of 81.3 and 90.4 kcal/mol, respectively. This is consistent with the low quantum yield observed for generating molecular oxygen upon irradiation at 350 nm (~ 82 kcal/mol). The O(2) release from an intermediate complex has to overcome a small barrier on the triplet pathway first and then pass through the triplet-singlet intersection, generating the O(2) molecules in either the lowest singlet or triplet state. The formed (3)O(2) molecule can be converted into the (1)O(2) molecule by the heavy atom effect in the Os complexes, which is probably the reason only the (1)O(2) molecule was detected experimentally.

The pH- and wavelength-dependent pathways for the photodecarboxylation of ketoprofen (KP) were mapped by CASSCF/CASPT2 computations. The decarboxylation of the basic form (KP(-)) was found to start from a long-distance charge transfer (CT) excited state when populated by photoexcitation at 330 nm. A short-distance CT excited state populated with photoexcitation at λ < 260 nm appears to be responsible for the decarboxylation of the acidic form (KP). The H(2)O molecules function as a bridge to assist proton transfer in the reactions examined here., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

In the present work, Norrish type reactions of aqueous valerophenone and the reactivity of the triplet 1,4-biradical formed by the 1,5-H shift have been studied with the free energy perturbation (FEP) method that is based on the combined scheme of quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM). The fluctuation and diffusion of the solvent molecules were found to have an important influence on Norrish type reactions of valerophenone. The α C-C bond cleavages were predicted to be not in competition with the 1,5-H shift, which is consistent with the experimental findings that Norrish type II quantum yield is close to unity. The triplet lifetime of aqueous valerophenone was experimentally inferred to be 52 ns, which is nearly reproduced by the QM/MM-FEP calculated rate constant of 2.33 × 10(7) s(-1). The calculated results show that branch ratios of the subsequent reactions from the triplet 1,4-biradical are mainly controlled by the equilibrium populations of its stable conformations. The ratio of cleavage to cyclization measured experimentally is well reproduced by the present QM/MM-FEP calculations. However, the absolute quantum yields of cleavage and cyclization reactions are underestimated theoretically and the reason for this is discussed.

This work uses the photodissociation of acetyl chloride to assess the utility of a recently proposed impulsive model when the dissociation occurs on an excited electronic state that is not repulsive in the Franck-Condon region. The impulsive model explicitly includes an average over the vibrational quantum states of acetyl chloride when it calculates an impact parameter for fission of the C-Cl bond, as well as the distribution of thermal energy in the photolytic precursor. The experimentally determined stability of the resulting acetyl radical to subsequent dissociation is the key observable that allows us to test the model's ability to predict the partitioning of energy between rotation and vibration of the radical. We compare the model's predictions for three different assumed geometries at which the impulsive force might act, generating the relative kinetic energy and the concomitant rotational energy in the acetyl radical. Assuming that the impulsive force acts at the transition state for C-Cl fission on the S(1) excited state gives a poor prediction; the model predicts far more energy in rotation of the acetyl radical than is consistent with the measured velocity map imaging spectrum of the stable radicals. The best prediction results from using a geometry derived from the classical trajectory calculations on the excited state potential energy surface. We discuss the insight gained into the excited state dissociation dynamics of acetyl chloride and, more generally, the utility of using the impulsive model in conjunction with excited state trajectory calculations to predict the partitioning of internal energy between rotation and vibration for radicals produced from the photolysis of halogenated precursors.

A downhill ladder reaction pathway for the bichromophoric phototrigger 3',5'-dimethoxybenzoin acetate was mapped using ab initio multiconfigurational methods. These computational results explicitly describe a case of fast photocyclization that overcomes two small barriers (<5.0 kcal/mol) and undergoes three internal conversions (ICs) via efficient nonadiabatic relay of conical intersections among long and short distance charge transfer excited states as well as the nπ* excited and ground states. This novel reaction pathway is a consequence of the interaction of the two chromophores.

The (6-4) photoproduct ((6-4) PP) is one of the main lesions in UV-induced DNA damage. The (6-4) PP and its valence isomer Dewar photoproduct (Dewar PP) can have a great threat of mutation and cancer but gained much less attention to date. In this study, with density functional theory (DFT) and the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) methods, the photoisomerization processes between the (6-4) PP and the Dewar PP in the gas phase, the aqueous solution, and the photolyase have been carefully examined. Noticeably, the solvent effect is treated with the CASPT2//CASSCF/Amber (QM/MM) method. Our calculations show that the conical intersection (CI) points play a crucial role in the photoisomerization reaction between the (6-4) PP and the Dewar PP in the gas and the aqueous solution. The ultrafast internal conversion between the S(2) ((1)ππ*) and the S(0) states via a distorted intersection point is found to be responsible for the formation of the Dewar PP lesion at 313 nm, as observed experimentally. For the reversed isomeric process, two channels involving the "dark" excited states have been identified. In addition to the above passages, in the photolyase, a new electron-injection isomerization process as an efficient way for the photorepair of the Dewar PP is revealed.

The density functional theory (DFT) method was used to explore the light-induced O(2) formation from H(2)O promoted by Ru(II) PNN complex in the present work. The elimination of H(2)O(2) was found to be highly endothermic, which is not in competition with the H(2)O elimination and hydrogen transfer. The calculated results reported here do not support the mechanism proposed in a recent experiment, where H(2)O(2) was suggested as an important intermediate for formation of O(2). We proposed a new mechanism for formation of the triplet O(2) molecule, which contains the two steps of the concerted hydrogen transfer and dehydration. The light-induced O(2) evolution from water promoted by the Ru(II) complex was found to be a nonadiabatic process. The O-O bond is formed along the T(1) pathway as a result of the efficient S(1) → T(1) intersystem crossing. All experimental findings on the light-induced O(2) evolution can be explained by the mechanism proposed in the present work.

2-Aminopyridine dimer has frequently been used as a model system for studying photochemistry of DNA base pairs. We examine here the relevance of 2-aminopyridine dimer for a Watson-Crick adenine-thymine base pair by studying UV-light induced photodynamics along two main hydrogen bridges after the excitation to the localized (1)pi pi(*) excited-state. The respective two-dimensional potential-energy surfaces have been determined by time-dependent density functional theory with Coulomb-attenuated hybrid exchange-correlation functional (CAM-B3LYP). Different mechanistic aspects of the deactivation pathway have been analyzed and compared in detail for both systems, while the related reaction rates have also be obtained from Monte Carlo kinetic simulations. The limitations of the 2-aminopyridine dimer as a model system for the adenine-thymine base pair are discussed.

Heme is a key cofactor of hemoproteins in which porphyrin is often found to be preferentially metalated by the iron cation. In our previous work [Feng, X. T.; Yu, J. G.; Lei, M.; Fang, W. H.; Liu, S. B. J. Phys. Chem. B 2009, 113, 13381], conceptual density functional theory (CDFT) descriptors have been applied to understand the metal-binding specificity of porphyrin. We found that the iron-porphyrin complex significantly differs in many aspects from porphyrin complexes with other metal cations except Ru, for which similar behaviors for the reactivity descriptors were discovered. In this study, we employ the spin-polarized version of CDFT to investigate the reactivity for a series of (pyridine)(n)-M(ll)-porphyrin complexes-where M = Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ru, and Cd, and n = 0, 1, and 2-to further appreciate the metal-binding specificity of porphyrin. Both global and local descriptors were examined within this framework. We found that, within the spin resolution, not only chemical reactivity descriptors from CDFT of the iron complex are markedly different from that of other metal complexes, but we also discovered substantial differences in reactivity descriptors between Fe and Ru complexes. These results confirm that spin properties play a highly important role in physiological functions of hemoproteins. Quantitative reactivity relationships have been revealed between global and local spin-polarized reactivity descriptors. These results contribute to our better understanding of the metal binding specificity and reactivity for heme-containing enzymes and other metalloproteins alike.

This is the first report on a multiconfigurational reference second-order perturbation theory-molecular mechanics study of the color modulation of the observed bioluminescence of the oxyluciferin-luciferase complex of the Japanese genji-botaru firefly using structures according to recent X-ray data. Our theoretical results do not support the experimentally deduced conclusion that the color modulation of the emitted light primarily depends on the size of the compact luciferase protein cavity embedding the excited oxyluciferin molecule. Rather, we find, in agreement with recent experimental observations, that the wavelength of the emitted light depends on the polarity of the microenvironment at the phenol/phenolate terminal of the benzothiazole fragment in oxyluciferin.

Density functional methods have been applied to investigate the irreversible transamination between glyoxylic acid and pyridoxamine analog and the catalytic mechanism for the critical [1,3] proton transfer step in aspartate aminotransferase (AATase). The results indicate that the catalytic effect of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) may be attributed to its ability to stabilize related transition states through structural resonance. Additionally, the PLP hydroxyl group and the carboxylic group of the amino acid can shuttle proton, thereby lowering the barrier. The rate-limiting step is the tautomeric conversion of the aldimine to ketimine by [1,3] proton transfer, with a barrier of 36.3 kcal/mol in water solvent. A quantum chemical model consisting 142 atoms was constructed based on the crystal structure of the native AATase complex with the product L-glutamate. The electron-withdrawing stabilization by various residues, involving Arg386, Tyr225, Asp222, Asn194, and peptide backbone, enhances the carbon acidity of 4'-C of PLP and Calpha of amino acid. The calculations support the proposed proton transfer mechanism in which Lys258 acts as a base to shuttle a proton from the 4'-C of PLP to Calpha of amino acid. The first step (proton transfer from 4'-C to lysine) is shown to be the rate-limiting step. Furthermore, we provided an explanation for the reversibility and specificity of the transamination in AATase., ((c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The M-superfamily of conotoxins has a typical Cys framework (-CC-C-C-CC-), and is one of the eight major superfamilies found in the venom of the cone snail. Depending on the number of residues located in the last Cys loop (between Cys4 and Cys5), the M-superfamily family can be divided into four branches, namely M-1, -2, -3 and -4. Recently, two M-1 branch conotoxins (mr3e and tx3a) have been reported to possess a new disulfide bond arrangement between Cys1 and Cys5, Cys2 and Cys4, and Cys3 and Cys6, which is different from those seen in the M-2 and M-4 branches. Here we report the 3D structure of mr3e determined by 2D (1)H NMR in aqueous solution. Twenty converged structures of this peptide were obtained on the basis of 190 distance constraints obtained from NOE connectivities, as well as six varphi dihedral angle, three hydrogen bond, and three disulfide bond constraints. The rmsd values about the averaged coordinates of the backbone atoms were 0.43 +/- 0.19 A. Although mr3e has the same Cys arrangement as M-2 and M-4 conotoxins, it adopts a distinctive backbone conformation with the overall molecule resembling a 'flying bird'. Thus, different disulfide linkages may be employed by conotoxins with the same Cys framework to result in a more diversified backbone scaffold.

The selectivity of the alpha C-Cl and beta C-Br bond fissions upon n-->pi(*) excitation of bromoacetyl chloride has been investigated with combined nonadiabatic Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations, which are based on the potential energy profiles calculated with the complete active space self-consistent field and multireference configuration interaction methods. The Zhu-Nakamura [J. Chem. Phys. 101, 10630 (1994); 102, 7448 (1995)] theory is chosen to calculate the nonadiabatic hopping probability. It is found that nonadiabatic effect plays an important role in determining selective dissociations of the C-Cl and C-Br bonds. The calculated rate constants are close to those from experimentally inferred values, but the branching ratio of the alpha C-Cl and beta C-Br bond fissions is different from the experimental findings. The direct molecular dynamics calculations predict that fission of the C-Cl bond occurs on a time scale of picoseconds and cleavage of the beta C-Br bond proceeds with less probability within the same period. This reveals that the initial relaxation dynamics is probably another important factor that influences the selectivity of the C-Cl and C-Br bond fissions in photodissociation of BrCH(2)COCl at 248 nm.

The potential energy surfaces of isomerization, dissociation, and elimination reactions for CH3CH2COCl in the S0 and S1 states have been mapped with the different ab initio calculations. Mechanistic photodissociation of CH3CH2COCl at 266 nm has been characterized through the computed potential energy surfaces, the optimized surface crossing structure, intrinsic reaction coordinate, and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Photoexcitation at 266 nm leads to the CH3CH2COCl molecules in the S1 state. From this state, the C-Cl bond cleavage proceeds in a time scale of picosecond in the gas phase. The barrier to the C-Cl bond cleavage on the S1 surface is significantly increased by effects of the matrix and the internal conversion to the ground state prevails in the condensed phase. The HCl eliminations as a result of internal conversion to the ground state become the dominant channel upon photodissociation of CH3CH2COCl in the argon matrix at 10 K.

The potential energy profiles for proton-transfer reactions of 2-hydroxypyridine and its complexes with water were determined by MP2, CASSCF and MR-CI calculations with the 6-31G** basis set. The tautomerization reaction between 2-hydroxypyridine (2HP) and 2-pyridone (2PY) does not take place at room temperature because of a barrier of approximately 35 kcal/mol for the ground-state pathway. The water-catalyzed enol-keto tautomerization reactions in the ground state proceed easily through the concerted proton transfer, especially for the two-water complex. The S1 tautomerization between the 2HP and 2PY monomers has a barrier of 18.4 kcal/mol, which is reduced to 5.6 kcal/mol for the one-water complex and 6.4 kcal/mol for the two-water complex. The results reported here predict that the photoinduced tautomerization reaction between the enol and keto forms involves a cyclic transition state having one or two water molecules as a bridge.

The potential energy surfaces for Cl(2)CS dissociation into ClCS + Cl in the five lowest electronic states have been determined with the combined complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) and MR-CI method. The wavelength-dependent photodissociation dynamics of Cl(2)CS have been characterized through computed potential energy surfaces, surface crossing points, and CASSCF molecular dynamics calculations. Irradiation of the Cl(2)CS molecules at 360-450 nm does not provide sufficient internal energy to overcome the barrier on S(1) dissociation, and the S(1)/T(2) intersection region is energetically inaccessible at this wavelength region; therefore, S(1) --> T(1) intersystem crossing is the dominant process, which is the main reason S(1)-S(0) fluorescence breaks off at excess energies of 3484-9284 cm(-1). Also, the S(1) --> T(2) intersystem crossing process can take place via the S(1)-T(2) vibronic interaction in this range of excess energies, which is mainly responsible for the quantum beats observed in the S(1) emission. Both S(2) direct dissociation and S(2) --> S(3) internal conversion are responsible for the abrupt breakoff of S(2)-S(0) fluorescence at higher excess energies. S(2) direct dissociation leads to the formation of the fragments of Cl(X(2)P) + ClCS(A(2)A' ') in excited electronic states, while S(2) --> S(3) internal conversion followed by direct internal conversion to the ground electronic state results in the fragments produced in the ground state.

In the present study, the five lowest electronic states that control the UV photodissociation of formanilide and benzamide have been characterized using the complete active space self-consistent field theory. The mechanisms for the initial relaxation and subsequent dissociation processes have been determined on the basis of the calculated potential energy surfaces and their intersections. It was found that the S(1)/T(1)/T(2) three-surface intersection plays an important role in the photodissociation processes of benzamide. However, the dissociation behavior of formanilide and benzamide was found to be quite different from that for aliphatic amides. The present study provides several insights into the photodissociation dynamics of formanilide and benzamide.

We report time-resolved resonance Raman spectra for 2-fluorenylnitrene and its dehydroazepine products acquired after photolysis of 2-fluorenylnitrene in acetonitrile. The experimental Raman band frequencies exhibit good agreement with the calculated vibrational frequencies from UBPW91/cc-PVDZ density functional calculations for the singlet and triplet states of the 2-fluorenylnitrene as well as BPW91/cc-PVDZ calculations for the two dehydroazepine ring-expansion product species. The decay of the 2-fluorenylnitrene Raman signal and the appearance of the dehydroazepine products suggest the presence of an intermediate species (probably an azirine) that does not absorb very much at the 416 nm probe wavelength used in the time-resolved resonance Raman experiments. Comparison of the singlet 2-fluorenylnitrene species with the singlet 2-fluorenylnitrenium ion species indicates that protonation of the nitrene to give the nitrenium ion leads to a significant enhancement of the cyclohexadienyl character of the phenyl rings without much change of the C-N bond length.

The insertion reaction of zinc into the C-I bond of CH(2)I(2) and subsequent cyclopropanation reactions with CH(2)CH(2) have been investigated using B3LYP level density functional theory calculations. The Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation reaction of olefins does not proceed easily due to the relatively large barriers on the insertion and cyclopropanation pathways. The computed results indicate that the IZnCH(2)I molecule is the active reagent in the Simmons-Smith reaction. This is consistent with the IZnCH(2)I reactive species being generated from diiodomethane and a Zn-Cu couple as proposed by several other research groups. The Simmons-Smith IZnCH(2)I carbenoid and CH(2)I-I carbenoid cyclopropanation reactions with olefins are compared. The reactions of olefins with the radicals from the decomposition of the IZnCH(2)I and CH(2)I-I species were also compared. We found that the chemical reactivity of the carbenoid species is dependent on its electrophilic behavior, steric effects, the leaving group character and the mechanism of the cyclopropanation reactions.