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A green, nature-friendly synthesis of polyaniline colloidal particles based on enzyme-assisted oxidation of aniline with horseradish peroxidase and chitosan or poly(vinyl alcohol) as steric stabilizers was successfully employed. Physicochemical characterization revealed formation of particles containing the polyaniline emeraldine salt and demonstrated only a minor effect of polymer stabilizers on particle morphology. All tested colloidal particles showed

Properties and applications of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) depend on their characteristics which are intrinsically connected to the reducing and capping agents used in their synthesis. Although polysaccharides are commonly used for Au salt reduction, the control over the result is often limited. Here, the selectively dicarboxylated cellulose (DCC) and hyaluronate (DCH) with adjustable composition and molecular weight are used for the first time as reducing and capping agents for AuNPs preparation in an environmental friendly one-step synthesis. Mechanism of reduction and structure-function relationships between the composition of oxidized polysaccharides and properties of formed AuNPs are elucidated and the variances in the macromolecular architecture of dicarboxypolysaccharides are applied to guide the growth of AuNPs. While the homogenous structure and high density of carboxyl groups of fully-oxidized DCC induced isotropic growth of small and uniform AuNPs with good catalytic performance (d = ~20 nm, TOF = 7.3 min

The simulation of X-ray absorption spectra requires both scalar and spin-orbit (SO) relativistic effects to be taken into account, particularly near L- and M-edges where the SO splitting of core p and d orbitals dominates. Four-component Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian-based linear damped response time-dependent density functional theory (4c-DR-TDDFT) calculates spectra directly for a selected frequency region while including the relativistic effects variationally, making the method well suited for X-ray applications. In this work, we show that accurate X-ray absorption spectra near L-2,L-3- and M-4,M-5-edges of closed-shell transition metal and actinide compounds with different central atoms, ligands, and oxidation states can be obtained by means of 4c-DR-TDDFT. While the main absorption lines do not change noticeably with the basis set and geometry, the exchange-correlation functional has a strong influence with hybrid functionals performing the best. The energy shift compared to the experiment is shown to depend linearly on the amount of Hartee-Fock exchange with the optimal value being 60% for spectral regions above 1000 eV, providing relative errors below 0.2% and 2% for edge energies and SO splittings, respectively. Finally, the methodology calibrated in this work is used to reproduce the experimental L-2,L-3-edge X-ray absorption spectra of [RuCl2(DMSO)(2)(Im)(2)] and [WCl4(PMePh2)(2)], and resolve the broad bands into separated lines, allowing an interpretation based on ligand field theory and double point groups. These results support 4c-DR-TDDFT as a reliable method for calculating and analyzing X-ray absorption spectra of chemically interesting systems, advance the accuracy of state-of-the art relativistic DFT approaches, and provide a reference for benchmarking more approximate techniques., Research Council of NorwayResearch Council of Norway [315822, 252569]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic -DKRVO [RP/CPS/2020/006]; Slovak Grant Agency VEGAVedecka grantova agentura MSVVaS SR a SAV (VEGA) [2/0135/21, APVV-19-0516]; Slovak Grant Agency APVVSlovak Research and Development Agency [2/0135/21, APVV-19-0516]; UNINETT Sigma2, the National Infrastructure for High Performance Computing and Data Storage in Norway [NN4654K]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through the e-INFRA CZ [90140], RP/CPS/2020/006; NN4654K, Sigma2; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT: 90140; Norges Forskningsråd: 252569, 315822; Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA: 2/0135/21, APVV-19-0516

The growing application of materials containing TiO2 particles has led to an increased risk of human exposure, while a gap in knowledge about the possible adverse effects of TiO2 still exists. In this work, TiO2 particles of rutile, anatase, and their commercial mixture were exposed to various environments, including simulated gastric fluids and human blood plasma (both representing in vivo conditions), and media used in in vitro experiments. Simulated body fluids of different com-positions, ionic strengths, and pH were used, and the impact of the absence or presence of chosen enzymes was investigated. The physicochemical properties and agglomeration of TiO2 in these media were determined. The time dependent agglomeration of TiO2 related to the type of TiO2, and mainly to the type and composition of the environment that was observed. The presence of enzymes either prevented or promoted TiO2 agglomeration. TiO2 was also observed to exhibit concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. This knowledge about TiO2 behavior in all the abovementioned environments is critical when TiO2 safety is considered, especially with respect to the significant impact of the presence of proteins and size‐related cytotoxicity. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland., Czech Science FoundationGrant Agency of the Czech Republic [20-28732S]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic-grant DKRVO [RP/CPS/2020/001]; TBU in Zlin [IGA/CPS/2021/001], Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT: IGA/CPS/2021/001, RP/CPS/2020/001; Grantová Agentura České Republiky, GA ČR: 28732S

We have studied the magnetic response properties and aromaticity of osmium metallacycles by means of scalar-relativistic (1c) and fully relativistic (4c) density functional theory computations. For osmabenzene, whose aromatic character is controversial, a topological analysis of the current density has revealed the presence of a unique σ-type Craig–Mobius magnetic aromaticity. We show that the partially filled osmium valence shell induces a large paratropic current, which may interfere with certain methods commonly used to analyze aromaticity, in particular NICS. Further, we show that the extreme deshielding of the light atoms in the vicinity of the osmium atoms in osmapentalene derivatives is not a consequence of aromaticity but can be explained by paramagnetic couplings between σOs—C bonding orbitals and the π*Os orbitals. We demonstrate that variations in the orientation of the induced magnetic currents through the molecule dictates the alternating signs of the spin–orbit contribution to the NMR chemical shift.

Sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation of sodium hyaluronate to 2,3-dicarboxylated hyaluronate (DCH), a novel biocompatible and highly functionalized derivative bearing additional pair of COOH groups at C2 and C3 carbons of oxidized ᴅ-glucuronic acid units, is investigated. The impact of various reaction parameters (time, oxidizer concentration, and molar amount) on DCH's composition, molecular weight, degree of oxidation, and cytotoxicity are investigated to guide the synthesis of DCH derivatives of desired properties. Subsequently, fully (99%) and partially (70%) oxidized DCH derivatives were compared to untreated sodium hyaluronate in terms of anticancer drug cisplatin loading efficacy, carrier capacity, drug release rates, and cytotoxicity towards healthy and cancerous cell lines. DCH derivatives were found to be superior in every aspect, having nearly twice the carrier capacity, significantly slower release rates, and higher efficacy. DCH is thus a highly interesting hyaluronate derivative with an adjustable degree of oxidation, molecular weight, and great potential for further modifications.

The factors contributing to the accuracy of quantum‐chemical calculations of proton NMR chemical shifts in molecular solids are systematically investigated. Proton chemical shifts of six solid amino acids with hydrogen atoms in various bonding environments (CH, CH 2 , CH 3 , OH, SH and NH 3 ) were determined experimentally using ultra‐fast magic‐angle spinning and proton‐detected 2D NMR experiments. The standard DFT method commonly used for the calculations of NMR parameters of solids is shown to provide chemical shifts that deviate from experiment by up to 1.5 ppm. The effects of the computational level (hybrid DFT functional, coupled‐cluster calculation, inclusion of relativistic spin‐orbit coupling) are thoroughly discussed. The effect of molecular dynamics and nuclear quantum effects are investigated using path‐integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations. It is demonstrated that the accuracy of the calculated proton chemical shifts is significantly better when these effects are included in the calculations.

Chemical shifts present crucial information about an NMR spectrum. They show the influence of the chemical environment on the nuclei being probed. Relativistic effects caused by the presence of an atom of a heavy element in a compound can appreciably, even drastically, alter the NMR shifts of the nearby nuclei. A fundamental understanding of such relativistic effects on NMR shifts is important in many branches of chemical and physical science. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the tools, concepts, and periodic trends pertaining to the shielding effects by a neighboring heavy atom in diamagnetic systems, with particular emphasis on the "spin-orbit heavy-atom effect on the light-atom" NMR shift (SO-HALA effect). The analyses and tools described in this review provide guidelines to help NMR spectroscopists and computational chemists estimate the ranges of the NMR shifts for an unknown compound, identify intermediates in catalytic and other processes, analyze conformational aspects and intermolecular interactions, and predict trends in series of compounds throughout the Periodic Table. The present review provides a current snapshot of this important subfield of NMR spectroscopy and a basis and framework for including future findings in the field.

The synthesis of selectively oxidized cellulose, 2,3-dicarboxycellulose (DCC), is optimized for preparation of highly oxidized material for biological applications, which includes control over the molecular weight of the product during its synthesis. Conjugates of DCC and cisplatin simultaneously offer a very high drug binding efficiency (>90%) and drug loading capacity (up to 50 wt %), while retaining good aqueous solubility. The adjustable molecular weight of the DCC together with variances in drug feeding ratio allows to optimize cisplatin release profiles from delayed (

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Michal Straka and Martin Dračínský (IOCB Prague, Czech Academy of Sciences). The image depicts a neutron star, which is used to represent the relativistic effects between a heavy element and a hydrogen atom reported in this work. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202001532.

A little is known about the link between the macromolecular architecture of dialdehyde polysaccharides (DAPs), their crosslinking capabilities, and the properties of resulting hydrogels. Here, DAPs based on cellulose, dextrin, dextran, and hyaluronate were compared as crosslinkers for poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA. The swelling, network parameters, viscoelastic properties, porosity, and cytotoxicity of PVA/DAP hydrogels were investigated concerning the crosslinker structure, molecular weight, aldehyde group density per macromolecule, and the size of spontaneously formed crosslinker nano-assemblies. Generally, crosslinkers based on linear polysaccharides (cellulose, hyaluronate) performed more reliably, while the presence of branching could be both beneficial (dextran) but also detrimental (dextrin) at lower crosslinker concentrations. For example, the hydrogel swelling differed by up to one-third (600 vs. 400%) and storage modulus even by up to one half (~7000 vs. ~3500 Pa) depending on crosslinker structure and properties. These differences were rationalized by variances in crosslinking modes derived based on obtained data.

Dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) derived from α-cellulose by periodate oxidation was solubilized and utilized as a suitable crosslinking agent for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The crosslinking occurs between reactive aldehyde groups of DAC on the C2 and C3 carbons of anhydroglucose unit and hydroxyl groups on PVA backbone in the presence of acidic catalyst. Two catalyst systems based on diluted hydrochloric or sulfuric acid were tested. Their influence on the PVA/DAC network has been investigated by solid-state 13C NMR, XRD analysis and in the terms of network parameters and mechanical properties. Because DAC undergoes structural changes and decays with time, the role of DAC solution age (1, 14 and 28 days old) on material properties of formed PVA/DAC samples was studied as well. Outlined, even after 28 days after solution preparation, DAC exhibited the capability to act as an efficient crosslinker for PVA. The resulting material properties of PVA/DAC hydrogels were found to be dependent on the molecular weight of solubilized DAC closely related to its age and the choice of catalyst system. Furthermore, the DAC potential for PVA crosslinking was investigated in a broad concentration range. Besides, the DAC crosslinking efficiency was also compared to that of common crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde. The results showed different network topology of prepared hydrogels and exceptional crosslinking potential of DAC in comparison to glutaraldehyde, which is most likely related to DAC macromolecular character.

RATIONALE Bisimidazolium salts (BIMs) represent an interesting family of ditopic ligands that are used in the construction of supramolecular systems with hosts based on cyclodextrins or cucurbit[n]urils. Understanding the fragmentation mechanism of individual BIMs and how this mechanism changes after complexation with cucurbit[n]urils can bring new insight into the intrinsic host-guest relationship, thereby allowing utilization of mass spectrometry to describe binding behavior. METHODS Selectively 2H-labeled bisimidazolium salts were prepared and fully characterized by spectroscopic methods. All MSn experiments were conducted in the positive-ion mode using an ESI ion-trap mass spectrometer. The structures of the proposed fragments were supported by theoretical optimizations performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of density functional theory using the Spartan'14 program. RESULTS Using selectively deuterium-labeled isotopologues of two adamantylated bisimidazolium salts and DFT calculations, we describe the fragmentation pathways of bisimidazolium salts. The release of two important adamantane moieties, [C11H17]+ and C11H16, from M2+ was determined, although the former was strongly preferred. In contrast, when M2+ was complexed with CB7, the neutral loss of the C11H16 fragment was favored. The fragmentation pattern strongly depended on the steric hindrance of the M2+ guest against slippage of the CB7 unit over the guest molecular axle. CONCLUSIONS The structures of two adamantane-based fragments and the mechanisms of their formation were rationalized. Two distinct geometric arrangements for the adamantane cage inside the CB7 cavity were hypothesized to explain the differences in the fragmentation patterns for guests with minimal, moderate, and high steric hindrance. This finding brings new insight into the understanding of intrinsic behavior of the adamantane-based guests inside the CB7 cavity.

Derivatization of alpha cellulose by periodate oxidation is an useful method for production of dialdehyde cellulose (DAC). Conversion of the 2,3-hydroxyl groups to a pair of aldehyde groups along with cleavage of the C2–C3 bond of anhydroglucose unit reduces crystallinity of initial material, leaving DAC soluble in water under mild conditions. Solubilization in hot water is necessary to obtain product in solution. The first part of our work confirmed that solubilization causes severe degradation of the molecular weight of the polymer. However, the chemistry and processes within these solutions are currently poorly understood. In the main part of the study, products of periodate oxidation were identified in acidic DAC solutions by NMR spectroscopy for the first time. Subsequent investigation of the acidic DAC solution's aging demonstrated that the low pH of the DAC solution considerably slows the degradation processes, namely the decrease of reactive aldehyde group content when compared to previous studies. Large increase in the molecular weight, observed after 14 days of aging, was explained by formation of intermolecular hemiacetals. Our results demonstrate that pH-stabilized aqueous DAC solutions remained active (e.g. applicable for cross-linking reactions) even several weeks after preparation, therefore reducing the need to prepare a fresh solution each time.

Only a single thorium fullerene, Th@C84, has been reported to date (Akiyama, K.; et al. J. Nucl. Radiochem. Sci. 2002, 3, 151–154). Although the system was characterized by UV–vis and XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) spectra, its structure and properties remain unknown. In this work we used the density functional calculations to identify molecular and electronic structure of the Th@C84. Series of molecular structures satisfying the ThC84 stoichiometric formula were studied comprising 24 IPR and 110 non-IPR Th@C84 isomers as well as 9 ThC2@C82 IPR isomers. The lowest energy structure is Th@C84-Cs(10) with the singlet ground state. Its predicted electronic absorption spectra are in agreement with the experimentally observed ones. The bonding between the cage and Th was characterized as polar covalent with Th in formal oxidation state IV. The NMR chemical shifts of Th@C84-Cs(10) were predicted to guide the future experimental efforts in identification of this compound.

Solubilized dialdehyde cellulose (DAC), an efficient crosslinking agent for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), provides less toxic alternative to current synthetic crosslinking agents such as glutaraldehyde, while simultaneously allowing for the preparation of hydrogels with comparably better characteristics. PVA/DAC hydrogels prepared using 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt% of DAC were analyzed in terms of mechanical, swelling and cytotoxicity characteristics. Materials properties of PVA/DAC hydrogels range from stiff substances to soft viscoelastic gels capable of holding large amounts of water. Superior mechanical properties, porosity and surface area in comparison with analogical PVA/glutaraldehyde hydrogels were observed. Biological studies showed low toxicity and good biocompatibility of PVA/DAC hydrogels. Potential of PVA/DAC in mesh-controlled release of biologically active compounds was investigated using ibuprofen, rutin and phenanthriplatin. Hydrogel loaded with anticancer drug phenantriplatin was found effective against alveolar cancer cell line A549 under in vitro conditions.

The role of relativistic effects on 1H NMR chemical shifts of SnII and PbII hydrides is investigated by using fully relativistic DFT calculations. The stability of possible PbII hydride isomers is studied together with their 1H NMR chemical shifts, which are predicted in the high-frequency region, up to 90 ppm. These 1H signals are dictated by sizable relativistic contributions due to spin–orbit coupling at the heavy atom and can be as large as 80 ppm for a hydrogen atom bound to PbII. Such high-frequency 1H NMR chemical shifts of PbII hydride resonances cannot be detected in the 1H NMR spectra with standard experimental setup. Extended 1H NMR spectral ranges are thus suggested for studies of PbII compounds. Modulation of spin–orbit relativistic contribution to 1H NMR chemical shift is found to be important also in the experimentally known SnII hydrides. Because the 1H NMR chemical shifts were found to be rather sensitive to the changes in the coordination sphere of the central metal in both SnII and PbII...

Sequence dependence of 13C and 15N chemical shifts in the receiver domain of CKI1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, CKI1RD, and its complexed form, CKI1RD.Mg2+, was studied by means of MD/DFT calculations. MD simulations of a 20–ns production run length were performed. Nine explicitly hydrated structures of increasing complexity were explored, up to a 40-amino-acid structure. The size of the model necessary depended on the type of nucleus, the type of amino acid and its sequence neighbors, other spatially close amino acids, and the orientation of amino acid NH groups and their surface/interior position. Using models covering a 10 and a 15 A environment of Mg2+, a semi-quantitative agreement has been obtained between experiment and theory for the V67-I73 sequence. The influence of Mg2+ binding was described better by the 15 A as compared to the 10 A model. Thirteen chemical shifts were analyzed in terms of the effect of Mg2+ insertion and geometry preparation. The effect of geometry was significant and opposite in sign to the effect of Mg2+ binding. The strongest individual effects were found for 15N of D70, S74, and V68, where the electrostatics dominated; for 13C_beta of D69 and 15N of K76, where the influences were equal, and for 13C_alpha of F72 and 13C_beta of K76, where the geometry adjustment dominated. A partial correlation between dominant geometry influence and torsion angle shifts upon the coordination has been observed.

2,3-Dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) was used as an efficient and low-toxicity crosslinker to prepare thin PVA/DAC hydrogel films designed for topical applications such as drug-loaded patches, wound dressings or cosmetic products. An optimization of hydrogel properties was achieved by the variation of two factors – the amount of crosslinker and the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the source PVA. The role of each factor to network parameters, mechanical, rheological and surface properties, hydrogel porosity and transdermal absorption is discussed. The best results were obtained for hydrogel films prepared using 0.25 wt% of DAC and PVA with Mw = 130 kDa, which had a high porosity and drug-loading capacity (high water content), mechanical properties allowing easy handling, best adherence to the skin from all tested samples and improved transdermal drug-delivery. Hydrogel films are biocompatible, show no cytotoxicity and have no negative impact on cell growth and morphology in their presence. Furthermore, hydrogels do not support cell migration and attachment to their surface, which should ensure easy removal of hydrogel patches even from wounded or damaged skin after use.

Spin-orbit (SO) heavy-atom on the light-atom (SO-HALA) effect is the largest relativistic effect caused by a heavy atom on its light-atom neighbors, leading, for example, to unexpected NMR chemical shifts of 1 H, 13 C, and 15 N nuclei. In this study, a combined experimental and theoretical evidence for the SO-HALA effect transmitted through hydrogen bond is presented. Solid-state NMR data for a series of 4-dimethylaminopyridine salts containing I- , Br- and Cl- counter ions were obtained experimentally and by theoretical calculations. A comparison of the experimental chemical shifts with those calculated by a standard DFT methodology without the SO contribution to the chemical shifts revealed a remarkable error of the calculated proton chemical shift of a hydrogen atom that is in close contact with the iodide anion. The addition of the relativistic SO correction in the calculations significantly improves overall agreement with the experiment and confirms the propagation of the SO-HALA effect through hydrogen bonds.

Despite substantial evidence of short Au⋅⋅⋅H-X contacts derived from a number of X-ray structures of AuI compounds, the nature of AuI ⋅⋅⋅H bonding in these systems has not been clearly understood. Herein, we present the first spectroscopic evidence for an intramolecular AuI ⋅⋅⋅H+ -N hydrogen bond in a [Cl-Au-L]+ complex, where L is a protonated N-heterocyclic carbene. The complex was isolated in the gas phase and characterized with helium-tagging infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra, in which H+ -N-mode-derived bands evidence the intramolecular AuI ⋅⋅⋅H+ -N bond. Quantum chemical calculations reproduce the experimental IRPD spectra and allow to characterize the intramolecular Au⋅⋅⋅H+ -N bonding with a short rAu⋅⋅⋅H distance of 2.17 A and an interaction energy of approximately -10 kcal mol-1 . Various theoretical descriptors of chemical bonding calculated for the Au⋅⋅⋅H+ -N interaction provide strong evidence for a hydrogen bond of moderate strength.

Illusive AuI/III···H hydrogen bonds and their effect on structure and dynamics of molecules have been a matter of debate. While a number of X-ray studies reported gold compounds with short AuI/III···H contacts, a solid spectroscopic evidence for AuI/III···H bonding has been missing. Recently, Bakar et al. (NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 8:576) reported compound with four short Au···H contacts (2.61­–2.66 Å; X-ray determined). Assuming the central cluster be [Au6]2+and observing the 1H (13C) NMR resonances at relevant H(C) nuclei deshielded with respect to precursor compound, the authors concluded with reservations that “the present Au···H–C interaction is a kind of “hydrogen bond”, where the [Au6]2+serves as an acceptor”. Here, we show that the Au6cluster in their compound bears negative charge and the Au···H contacts lead to a weak (~1 kcal/mol) auride···hydrogen bonding interactions, though unimportant for the overall stability ofthe molecule. Additionally, computational analysis of NMR chemical shifts reveals that the deshielding effects at respective hydrogen nuclei are not directly related to Au···H–C hydrogen bonding .

Despite substantial evidence of short Au⋅⋅⋅H−X contacts derived from a number of X‐ray structures of AuI compounds, the nature of AuI⋅⋅⋅H bonding in these systems has not been clearly understood. Herein, we present the first spectroscopic evidence for an intramolecular AuI⋅⋅⋅H+−N hydrogen bond in a [Cl−Au−L]+ complex, where L is a protonated N‐heterocyclic carbene. The complex was isolated in the gas phase and characterized with helium‐tagging infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra, in which H+−N‐mode‐derived bands evidence the intramolecular AuI⋅⋅⋅H+−N bond. Quantum chemical calculations reproduce the experimental IRPD spectra and allow to characterize the intramolecular Au⋅⋅⋅H+−N bonding with a short r Au⋅⋅⋅H distance of 2.17 Å and an interaction energy of approximately −10 kcal mol−1. Various theoretical descriptors of chemical bonding calculated for the Au⋅⋅⋅H+−N interaction provide strong evidence for a hydrogen bond of moderate strength.

The N-heterocyclic plumbylene [Fe{(η5 -C5 H4 )NSiMe3 }2 Pb:] is in equilibrium with an unprecedented dimer in solution, whose formation involves the cleavage of a strong C-H bond and concomitant formation of a Pb-C and an N-H bond. According to a mechanistic DFT assessment, dimer formation does not involve direct PbII insertion into a cyclopentadienyl C-H bond, but is best described as an electrophilic substitution. The bulkier plumbylene [Fe{(η5 -C5 H4 )NSitBuMe2 }2 Pb:] shows no dimerization, but compensates its electrophilicity by the formation of an intramolecular Fe-Pb bond.

The importance of relativistic effects on the NMR parameters in heavy-atom (HA) compounds, particularly the SO-HALA (Spin–Orbit Heavy Atom on the Light Atom) effect on NMR chemical shifts, has been known for about 40 years. Yet, a general correlation between the electronic structure and SO-HALA effect has been missing. By analyzing 1H NMR chemical shifts of the sixth-period hydrides (Cs–At), we discovered general electronic-structure principles and mechanisms that dictate the size and sign of the SO-HALA NMR chemical shifts. In brief, partially occupied HA valence shells induce relativistic shielding at the light atom (LA) nuclei, while empty HA valence shells induce relativistic deshielding. In particular, the LA nucleus is relativistically shielded in 5d2–5d8 and 6p4 HA hydrides and deshielded in 4f0, 5d0, 6s0, and 6p0 HA hydrides. This general and intuitive concept explains periodic trends in the 1H NMR chemical shifts along the sixth-period hydrides (Cs–At) studied in this work. We present substantial...

The (13)C and (29)Si NMR signals of ligand atoms directly bonded to Tl(I) or Pb(II) heavy-element centers are predicted to resonate at very high frequencies, up to 400 ppm for (13)C and over 1000 ppm for (29)Si, outside the typical experimental NMR chemical-shift ranges for a given type of nuclei. The large (13)C and (29)Si NMR chemical shifts are ascribed to sizable relativistic spin-orbit effects, which can amount to more than 200 ppm for (13)C and more than 1000 ppm for (29)Si, values unexpected for diamagnetic compounds of the main group elements. The origin of the vast spin-orbit contributions to the (13)C and (29)Si NMR shifts is traced to the highly efficient 6p → 6p* metal-based orbital magnetic couplings and related to the 6p orbital-based bonding together with the low-energy gaps between the occupied and virtual orbital subspaces in the subvalent Tl(I) and Pb(II) compounds. New NMR spectral regions for these compounds are suggested based on the fully relativistic density functional theory calculations in the Dirac-Coulomb framework carefully calibrated on the experimentally known NMR data for Tl(I) and Pb(II) complexes.

A non-axial centerpiece based on 1,3-disubstituted adamantane was designed, and three new guests were prepared. In the structure of the heterotritopic guests, the central adamantane site was combined with two terminal butyl or 1-adamantyl sites. The new central binding motif displayed an extraordinarily high affinity towards CB8 (Ka = (5.3 ± 0.3) × 1012 M−1 in water) to allow formation of quaternary assemblies with geometries which are dependent on the nature of macrocycles. Based on the individual binding strengths, the replacement of CB7 by CB8 led to inverse arrangements of the quaternary assemblies; i.e., β-CD is capped at the central site by two CB7 units, while the CB8 prefers the central site to be capped with two β-CD units.

The role of various factors (structure, solvent, and relativistic treatment) was evaluated for square-planar 4d and 5d transition-metal complexes. The DFT method for calculating the structures was calibrated using a cluster approach and compared to X-ray geometries, with the PBE0 functional (def2-TZVPP basis set) providing the best results, followed closely by the hybrid TPSSH and the MN12SX functionals. Calculations of the NMR chemical shifts using the two-component (2c, Zeroth-Order Regular Approximation as implemented in the ADF package) and four-component (4c, Dirac-Coulomb as implemented in the ReSpect code) relativistic approaches were performed to analyze and demonstrate the importance of solvent corrections (2c) as well as a proper treatment of relativistic effects (4c). The importance of increased exact-exchange admixture in the functional (here PBE0) for reproducing the experimental data using the current implementation of the 2c approach is partly rationalized as a compensation for the missing exchange-correlation response kernel. The kernel contribution was identified to be about 15-20% of the spin-orbit-induced NMR chemical shift, DdSO, which roughly corresponds to an increase in DdSO introduced by the artificially increased exact-exchange admixture in the functional. Finally, the role of individual effects (geometry, solvent, relativity) in the NMR chemical shift is discussed in selected complexes. Although a fully relativistic DFT approach is still awaiting the implementation of GIAOs for hybrid functionals and an implicit solvent model, it nevertheless provides reliable NMR chemical shift data at an affordable computational cost. It is expected to outperform the 2c approach, in particular for the calculation of NMR parameters in heavy-element compounds., Czech Science Foundation [15-09381S, 14-03564S]; European Regional Development Fund [CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0068]; Research Council of Norway through a Centre of Excellence [179568, 214095, 177558]; Czech-Norway mobility grant from Norway Funds [NF-CZ07-MOP-3-245-2015]; program Center CERIT Scientific Cloud, part of the Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations [CZ.1.05/3.2.00/08.0144]

Relativistic effects significantly affect various spectroscopic properties of compounds containing heavy elements. Particularly in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the heavy atoms strongly influence the NMR shielding constants of neighboring light atoms. In this account we analyze paramagnetic contributions to NMR shielding constants and their modulation by relativistic spin-orbit effects in a series of transition-metal complexes of Pt(II), Au(I), Au(III), and Hg(II). We show how the paramagnetic NMR shielding and spin-orbit effects relate to the character of the metal-ligand (M-L) bond. A correlation between the (back)-donation character of the M-L bond in d10 Au(I) complexes and the propagation of the spin-orbit (SO) effects from M to L through the M-L bond influencing the ligand NMR shielding via the Fermi-contact mechanism is found and rationalized by using third-order perturbation theory. The SO effects on the ligand NMR shielding are demonstrated to be driven by both the electronic structure of M and the nature of the trans ligand, sharing the σ-bonding metal orbital with the NMR spectator atom L. The deshielding paramagnetic contribution is linked to the σ-type M-L bonding orbitals, which are notably affected by the trans ligand. The SO deshielding role of σ-type orbitals is enhanced in d10 Hg(II) complexes with the Hg 6p atomic orbital involved in the M-L bonding. In contrast, in d8 Pt(II) complexes, occupied π-type orbitals play a dominant role in the SO-altered magnetic couplings due to the accessibility of vacant antibonding σ-type MOs in formally open 5d-shell (d8). This results in a significant SO shielding at the light atom. The energy- and composition-modulation of σ- vs π-type orbitals by spin-orbit coupling is rationalized and supported by visualizing the SO-induced changes in the electron density around the metal and light atoms (spin-orbit electron deformation density, SO-EDD). © 2017 American Chemical Society., Czech Science Foundation [16-05961S, 15-09381S]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [LQ1601, LO1504]; multilateral cooperation project [8X17009]; SASPRO Program [1563/03/02]; European Union; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic; Slovak Academy of Sciences VEGA [2/0116/17]; Research Council of Norway [179568]; Norwegian supercomputing program NOTUR [NN4654K]

Only a single thorium fullerene, Th@C

Oxidation of polysaccharides to 2,3-dicarboxypolysaccharides is a two-stage process, where selective oxidation by periodate is followed by secondary oxidation by chlorite. Addition of sulfamic acid before the secondary oxidation influences the molecular weight and degree of oxidation of the product. Here, mechanism of sulfamic acid-catalysed chain scission is elucidated for selectively oxidized cellulose and dextrin. Initially, sulfamic acid sulfonates the aldehyde groups of 2,3-dialdehydepolysaccharide. Introduced –SO3H groups are in ideal position to protonate the oxygen atom of 1-4′ glycosidic bond and to trigger acidic hydrolysis. This can be used to obtain a direct control over the molecular weight of the product. Observed slightly lower degree of oxidation was ascribed to the ability of sulfamic acid to scavenge the hypochlorite and thus protect the intermolecular hemiacetals from oxidation. Usually undesirable hypochlorite thus seems to be necessary for preparation of selectively oxidized polysaccharides with degree of oxidation above 90%.

A new family of stereoelectronically promoted aluminum and scandium super Lewis acids is introduced on the basis of state-of-the-art computations. Structures of these molecules are designed to minimize resonance electron donation to central metal atoms in the Lewis acids. Acidity of these species is evaluated on the basis of their fluoride-ion affinities relative to the antimony pentafluoride reference system. It is demonstrated that introduced changes in the stereochemistry of the designed ligands increase acidity considerably relative to Al and Sc complexes with analogous monodentate ligands. The high stability of fluoride complexes of these species makes them ideal candidates to be used as weakly coordinating anions in combination with highly reactive cations instead of conventional Lewis acid-fluoride complexes. Further, the interaction of all designed molecules with methane is investigated. All studied acids form stable pentavalent-carbon complexes with methane. In addition, interactions of the strongest acid of this family with very weak bases, namely, H2, N2, carbon oxides, and noble gases were investigated; it is demonstrated that this compound can form considerably stable complexes with the aforementioned molecules. To the best of our knowledge, carbonyl and nitrogen complexes of this species are the first hypothetical four-coordinated carbonyl and nitrogen complexes of aluminum. The nature of bonding in these systems is studied in detail by various bonding analysis approaches.

The detailed X-ray structural elucidation of reaction products of a zinc(II) salt with O,O′-dialkyldithiophosphate and nitrogen-containing heterocycles (N–N=1,10-phenanthroline (phen) or 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy)) has been performed. Surprisingly, together with [Zn(S2 P(OR)2)2(N–N)] compounds, also ionic-type complexes having the formula of [Zn(N–N)3](S2 P(OR)2)2 have been obtained using the same molar ratios of the reactants. The prepared complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The crystallographic analysis showed that the bond lengths and bite angles of the prepared complexes are in good agreement with those of similar compounds. The crystal packing of described complexes is formed via π–π stacking interactions and/or C–H···S non-covalent contacts.

Relativistic effects play an essential role in understanding the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts in heavy-atom compounds. Particularly interesting from the chemical point of view are the relativistic effects due to heavy atom (HA) on the NMR chemical shifts of the nearby light atoms (LA), referred to as the HALA effects. The effect of Spin-Orbit (SO) interaction originating from HA on the nuclear magnetic shielding at a neighboring LA, σ(SO), is explored here in detail for a series of d(6) complexes of iridium. Unlike the previous findings, the trends in σ(SO) observed in this study can be fully explained neither in terms of the s-character of the HA-LA bonding nor by trends in the energy differences between occupied and virtual molecular orbitals (MOs). Rather, the σ(SO) contribution to the total NMR shielding is found to be modulated by the d-orbital participation of the heavy atom (Ir) in the occupied and virtual spin-orbit active MOs, i.e., those which contribute significantly to the σ(SO). The correlation between the d-character of σ(SO)-active MOs and the size of the corresponding SO contribution to the nuclear magnetic shielding constant at LA is so tight that the magnitude of σ(SO) can be predicted in a given class of compounds on the basis of d-orbital character of relevant MO with relative error smaller than 15%. This correspondence is supported by an analogy between the perturbation theory expressions for the spin-orbit induced NMR σ-tensor and those for the EPR g-tensor as well as the A-tensor of the ligand. This correlation is demonstrated on a series of d(5) complexes of iridium. Thus, known qualitative relationships between electronic structure and EPR parameters can be newly applied to reproduce, predict, and understand the SO-induced contributions to NMR shielding constants of light atoms in heavy-atom compounds.

Two oxidovanadium(V) complexes, [VVO(L1)(OMe)] (1) and [VVO(L2)(OMe)] (2), with ONNO donor ethylenediamine-bis(phenolate) ligands (H2L1 and H2L2) have been readily synthesized by the reaction between the ligand precursors and VOSO4·5H2O in MeOH, and characterized by physico-chemical techniques and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Both complexes 1 and 2 are hexa-coordinated with a pseudo-octahedral geometry in an N2O4 coordination environment and are found to catalyze the oxidation of toluene to benzoic acid and isomers of xylene to the corresponding hydroxy acids, with turnover numbers (TON) over 200, except for o-xylene. On changing the ligand fragments and coordination geometry around the metal centre there is an improvement in the catalytic efficiency, selectivity and also TON of the reaction as compared with the previously reported systems. The reactions were monitored using 51V NMR spectroscopy. Based on mass spectra analysis and 51V NMR studies, the mechanism of the catalytic process has been proposed, employing the formation of oxido-hydroperoxido/hydroxido-peroxido [V(ONNO)(O)(OOH)] ⇔ [V(OH)(ONNO)(O2)] intermediates.

The role of relativistic effects on

Bisimidazolium salts (BIMs) represent an interesting family of ditopic ligands that are used in the construction of supramolecular systems with hosts based on cyclodextrins or cucurbit[n]urils. Understanding the fragmentation mechanism of individual BIMs and how this mechanism changes after complexation with cucurbit[n]urils can bring new insight into the intrinsic host-guest relationship, thereby allowing utilization of mass spectrometry to describe binding behavior.SelectivelyUsing selectively deuterium-labeled isotopologues of two adamantylated bisimidazolium salts and DFT calculations, we describe the fragmentation pathways of bisimidazolium salts. The release of two important adamantane moieties, [CThe structures of two adamantane-based fragments and the mechanisms of their formation were rationalized. Two distinct geometric arrangements for the adamantane cage inside the CB7 cavity were hypothesized to explain the differences in the fragmentation patterns for guests with minimal, moderate, and high steric hindrance. This finding brings new insight into the understanding of intrinsic behavior of the adamantane-based guests inside the CB7 cavity.

Two novel Pt(IV) complexes of aromatic cytokinins with possible antitumor properties were prepared by reaction of selected aminopurines with K(2)PtCl(6). The structures of both complexes, 9-[6-(benzylamino)purine] pentachloroplatinate (IV) and 9-[6-(furfurylamino)purine] pentachloroplatinate (IV), were characterized in detail by using two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C, (15)N, and (195)Pt) in solution and CP/MAS NMR techniques in the solid state. We report for the first time the X-ray structure of a nucleobase adenine derivative coordinated to Pt(IV) via the N9 atom. The protonation equilibria for the complexes in solution were characterized by using NMR spectroscopy (isotropic chemical shifts and indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling constants) and the structural conclusions drawn from the NMR analysis are supported by relativistic density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Because of the presence of the Pt atom, hybrid GGA functionals and scalar-relativistic and spin-orbit corrections were employed for both the DFT calculations of the molecular structure and particularly for the NMR chemical shifts. In particular, the populations of the N7-protonated and neutral forms of the complexes in solution were characterized by correlating the experimental and the DFT-calculated NMR chemical shifts. In contrast to the chemical exchange process involving the N7-H group, the hydrogen atom at N3 was determined to be unexpectedly rigid, probably because of the presence of the stabilizing intramolecular interaction N3-H···Cl. The described methodology combining the NMR spectroscopy and relativistic DFT calculations can be employed for characterizing the tautomeric and protonation equilibria in a large family of transition-metal-modified purine bases.

The (1)H and (13)C NMR resonances of 16 purine glucosides were assigned by a combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments, including gs-COSY, gs-HSQC, and gs-HMBC, in order to characterize the effect of substituent and the position of glucose unit on the NMR chemical shifts. In addition, (15)N NMR chemical shifts for selected derivatives were investigated by using (1)H-(15)N chemical shift correlation techniques. To map the influence of sugar moiety on the directly bonded nitrogen atom, selected N(9)-glucosides and their ribose analogs were compared. Characteristic long-range (1)H-(15)N coupling constants, measured by using (1)H-(15)N gradient-selected single-quantum multiple bond correlation (GSQMBC), are also reported and discussed. All compounds investigated here belong to cytokinins, an important group of plant hormones.

Sequence dependence of (13) C and (15) N chemical shifts in the receiver domain of CKI1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, CKI1RD , and its complexed form, CKI1RD •Mg(2+), was studied by means of MD/DFT calculations. MD simulations of a 20-ns production run length were performed. Nine explicitly hydrated structures of increasing complexity were explored, up to a 40-amino-acid structure. The size of the model necessary depended on the type of nucleus, the type of amino acid and its sequence neighbors, other spatially close amino acids, and the orientation of amino acid NH groups and their surface/interior position. Using models covering a 10 and a 15 Å environment of Mg(2+), a semi-quantitative agreement has been obtained between experiment and theory for the V67-I73 sequence. The influence of Mg(2+) binding was described better by the 15 Å as compared to the 10 Å model. Thirteen chemical shifts were analyzed in terms of the effect of Mg(2+) insertion and geometry preparation. The effect of geometry was significant and opposite in sign to the effect of Mg(2+) binding. The strongest individual effects were found for (15) N of D70, S74, and V68, where the electrostatics dominated; for (13) Cβ of D69 and (15) N of K76, where the influences were equal, and for (13) Cα of F72 and (13) Cβ of K76, where the geometry adjustment dominated. A partial correlation between dominant geometry influence and torsion angle shifts upon the coordination has been observed.

The significant role of relativistic effects in altering the NMR chemical shifts of light nuclei in heavy-element compounds has been recognized for a long time; however, full understanding of this phenomenon in relation to the electronic structure has not been achieved. In this study, the recently observed qualitative differences between the platinum and gold compounds in the magnitude and the sign of spin-orbit-induced (SO) nuclear magnetic shielding at the vicinal light atom ((13)C, (15)N), σ(SO)(LA), are explained by the contractions of 6s and 6p atomic orbitals in Au complexes, originating in the larger Au nuclear charge and stronger scalar relativistic effects in gold complexes. This leads to the chemical activation of metal 6s and 6p atomic orbitals in Au complexes and their larger participation in bonding with the ligand, which modulates the propagation of metal-induced SO effects on the NMR signal of the LA via the Spin-Orbit/Fermi Contact (SO/FC) mechanism. The magnitude of the σ(SO)(LA) in these square-planar complexes can be understood on the basis of a balance between various metal-based 5d → 5d* and 6p → 6p* orbital magnetic couplings. The large and positive σ(SO)(LA) in platinum complexes is dominated by the shielding platinum-based 5d → 5d* magnetic couplings, whereas small or negative σ(SO)(LA) in gold complexes is related to the deshielding contribution of the gold-based 6p → 6p* magnetic couplings. Further, it is demonstrated that σ(SO)(LA) correlates quantitatively with the extent of M-LA electron sharing that is the covalence of the M-LA bond (characterized by the QTAIM delocalization index, DI). The present findings will contribute to further understanding of the origin and propagation of the relativistic effects influencing the experimental NMR parameters in heavy-element systems.

Pd(II) and Pt(II) chloride organometallics with the deprotonated, N(1), C(2′)-chelating form of 2-phenylpyridine (2ppy*), i.e. [Pd(2ppy*)(μ-Cl)]2 (1) and [Pt(2ppy*)(μ-Cl)]2 (2), were studied by 1H, 13C, 15N, and 195Pt NMR in DMF-d7 and by 15N CP/MAS in the solid state. Both dimers immediately decompose in DMSO-d6, however, the products of this process are entirely different for 1 and 2. The cleavage of 1 is unusual among all described [M(2ppy*)(μ-X)]2 dimeric compounds as it yields, most likely, the [Pd(2ppy*)(DMSO-d6)2]+ [Pd(2ppy*)Cl2]− ionic pair, whereas 2 is known to undergo a more classical conversion into trans(S,N)-[Pt(2ppy*)(DMSO-d6)Cl]. The conclusions formulated for the above ionic pair were supported by quantum-chemical NMR calculations, calibrated specifically for this class of compounds (geometry optimization tested on molecular cluster, calibration of exact-exchange admixture in the PBE0 functional). The proposed computational approach is shown to be valid and suitable also for similar systems.

The (1)H and (13)C NMR resonances of 16 purine glucosides were assigned by a combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments, including gs-COSY, gs-HSQC, and gs-HMBC, in order to characterize the effect of substituent and the position of glucose unit on the NMR chemical shifts. In addition, (15)N NMR chemical shifts for selected derivatives were investigated by using (1)H-(15)N chemical shift correlation techniques. To map the influence of sugar moiety on the directly bonded nitrogen atom, selected N(9)-glucosides and their ribose analogs were compared. Characteristic long-range (1)H-(15)N coupling constants, measured by using (1)H-(15)N gradient-selected single-quantum multiple bond correlation (GSQMBC), are also reported and discussed. All compounds investigated here belong to cytokinins, an important group of plant hormones.

Endohedral actinide fullerenes are rare and a little is known about their molecular properties. Here we characterize the U2@C80 system, which was recently detected experimentally by means of mass spectrometry (Akiyama et al., JACS, 2001, 123, 181). Theoretical calculations predict a stable endohedral system, (7)U2@C80, derived from the C80:7 IPR fullerene cage, with six unpaired electrons. Bonding analysis reveals a double ferromagnetic (one-electron-two-center) U-U bond at an rU-U distance of 3.9 Å. This bonding is realized mainly via U(5f) orbitals. The U-U interaction inside the cage is estimated to be about -18 kcal mol(-1). U-U bonding is further studied along the U2@Cn (n = 60, 70, 80, 84, 90) series and the U-U bonds are also identified in U2@C70 and U2@C84 systems at rU-U∼ 4 Å. It is found that the character of U-U bonding depends on the U-U distance, which is dictated by the cage type. A concept of unwilling metal-metal bonding is suggested: uranium atoms are strongly bound to the cage and carry a positive charge. Pushing the U(5f) electron density into the U-U bonding region reduces electrostatic repulsion between enclosed atoms, thus forcing U-U bonds.