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A consensus has progressively developed that the path towards complex organic molecules could be favoured by the icy mantles of interstellar dust particles. However, the question of whether activation energy is required to promote those reactions is open. This work deals with the simplest process thought to increase complexity i.e. successive additions of a single atom (H). Two situations can be considered, the direct additions of H in the gas phase and the atomic hydrogenation processes on water ice surfaces available in the interstellar medium (ISM). The synthesis of methanol, largely discussed in the literature is revisited as a case study. Computational investigations of the reactions leading from CO to CH3OH show that, with [H...(H2O)n] complexes as hydrogenation vectors, all steps of the process are barrier-less, contrary to the gas phase process and this, whatever the level of theory considered. The key parameter is the position of the CO + [H...(H2O)n] initial system on the global energy scale. At the present level of theory, when H is pre-adsorbed on the ice, the system happens to be high enough above the reaction path, namely, above any intermediates and possible transition states. This is true whatever the dimension of the ice support, even for the simplest model of one H2O molecule. Application of such a simplified synthetic approach, here validated for the synthesis of methanol, could be generalized, providing a simple way to get a fair insight into the important class of atomic hydrogenations on ices in the ISM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we study several monocarbonyl-metal complexes in order to unravel the contribution of relativistic effects to the metal-ligand bond length and complexation energy. Using scalar density functional theory (DFT) constrained space orbital variation (CSOV) energy decomposition analysis supplemented by all-electron four-component DFT computations, we describe the dependency of relativistic effects on the orbitals involved in the complexation for the Au+ isoelectronic series, namely, the fully occupied 5d orbitals and the empty 6s orbitals. We retrieve the well-known sensitivity of gold toward relativity. For platinum and gold, the four-component results illustrate the simultaneous relativistic expansion of the 5d orbitals and the contraction of the 6s orbitals. The consequences of such modifications are evidenced by CSOV computations, which show the importance of both donation and backdonation within such complexes. This peculiar synergy fades away with mercury and thallium for which coordination becomes driven by the accepting 6s orbitals only, which makes the corresponding complexes less sensitive toward the relativistic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we study several monocarbonyl-metal complexes in order to unravel the contribution of relativistic effects to the metal-ligand bond length and complexation energy. Using scalar density functional theory (DFT) constrained space orbital variation (CSOV) energy decomposition analysis supplemented by all-electron four-component DFT computations, we describe the dependency of relativistic effects on the orbitals involved in the complexation for the Au+ isoelectronic series, namely, the fully occupied 5d orbitals and the empty 6s orbitals. We retrieve the well-known sensitivity of gold toward relativity. For platinum and gold, the four-component results illustrate the simultaneous relativistic expansion of the 5d orbitals and the contraction of the 6s orbitals. The consequences of such modifications are evidenced by CSOV computations, which show the importance of both donation and backdonation within such complexes. This peculiar synergy fades away with mercury and thallium for which coordination becomes driven by the accepting 6s orbitals only, which makes the corresponding complexes less sensitive toward the relativistic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of the gas-phase laser spectroscopy and quantum chemistry approaches is employed to explain the properties of a two-residue model peptide. The application of the technique in explaining the different dispersive interactions is also explained.

The recent detection of SiN in the outer envelope of the IRC+10216 carbon star has renewed the interest for the gas phase interstellar silicon chemistry. In this contribution, we present a theoretical study of the H2SiN+ molecular ion, the silicon hydrogenated counterpart of the previously studied SiNH+2. On many points, the differences relative to the SiNH+2 isomer have been found to be dramatic. As an example, the dipole moment is computed to be 3.8 D while being only 0.5 D in SiNH+2. The radio, infrared and electronic signatures have been evaluated at a quantitative level. The rotational constants and vibrational frequencies have been determined using Möller–Plesset MPn (n=2,3,4), coupled cluster (CCSDT) and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) methods for H2SiN+ and some of its isotopomers. These quantities have been corrected using a scaling procedure derived from previous studies on the HNSi, HSiN, HSiNH2, H2SiNH, and SiNH+2 species in order to provide quantitative results. The failure of single-reference perturbation theories to predict a relevant infrared spectrum is discussed. Intense bands around 550, 950, and 2300 cm-1 are predicted. The electronic spectrum has been obtained using a coupled multiconfiguration SCF–perturbation treatment (MC/P): It is characterized by a large number of excited states, none of them having a strong transition moment. The lowest excited state is predicted to lie 0.54 eV above the ground state, but the first allowed transition having a nonnegligible oscillator strength has to be searched at 6.44 eV. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present contribution reports investigations on the metal-ligand bond lengths and interaction energies in selected carbon monoxide complexes of metal cations sharing the ns2 np0 valence configuration. 1- and 4-component DFT geometry optimizations have been performed for cations ranging from Ge2+ to Uuq2+, the dication of element 114 (Ununquadium). The nature of the bonding has been studied by means of energy decomposition analysis. The magnitude of the relativistic effects is shown to evolve slowly and to become predominant for Uuq for the molecular properties investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this contribution, we propose a deeper understanding of the electronic effects affecting the nucleation of water around the Au + and Hg 2+ metal cations using quantum chemistry. To do so, and in order to go beyond usual energetical studies, we make extensive use of state of the art quantum interpretative techniques combining ELF/NCI/QTAIM/EDA computations to capture all ranges of interactions stabilizing the well characterized microhydrated structures. The Electron Localization Function (ELF) topological analysis reveals the peculiar role of the Au+ outer-shell core electrons (subvalence) that appear already spatially preorganized once the addition of the first water molecule occurs. Thus, despite the addition of other water molecules, the electronic structure of Au(H 2 O) + appears frozen due to relativistic effects leading to a maximal acceptation of only two waters in gold's first hydration shell. As the values of the QTAIM (Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules) cations's charge is discussed, the Non Covalent Interactions (NCI) analysis showed that Au + appears still able to interact through longer range van der Waals interaction with the third or fourth hydration shell water molecules. As these types of interaction are not characteristic of either a hard or soft metal cation, we introduced the concept of a "pseudo-soft" cation to define Au + behavior. Then, extending the study, we performed the same computations replacing Au + with Hg 2+ , an isoelectronic cation. If Hg 2+ behaves like Au + for small water clusters, a topological, geometrical, and energetical transition appears when the number of water molecules increases. Regarding the HSAB theory, this transition is characteristic of a shift of Hg 2+ from a pseudosoft form to a soft ion and appears to be due to a competition between the relativistic and correlation effects. Indeed, if relativistic effects are predominant, then mercury will behave like gold and have a similar subvalence/geometry; otherwise when correlation effects are predominant, Hg 2+ behaves like a soft cation.

In Nature, the family of copper monooxygenases comprised of peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM), dopamine β-monooxygenase (DβM), and tyramine β-monooxygenase (TβM) is known to perform dioxygen-dependent hydroxylation of aliphatic C-H bonds by using two uncoupled metal sites. In spite of many investigations, including biochemical, chemical, and computational, details of the C-H bond oxygenation mechanism remain elusive. Herein we report an investigation of the mechanism of hydroxylation by PHM by using hybrid quantum/classical potentials (i.e., QM/MM). Although previous investigations using hybrid QM/MM techniques were restricted to geometry optimizations, we have carried out ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in order to include the intrinsic flexibility of the active sites in the modeling protocol. The major finding of this study is an extremely fast rebound step after the initial hydrogen-abstraction step promoted by the cupric-superoxide adduct. The hydrogen-abstraction/rebound sequence leads to the formation of an alkyl hydroperoxide intermediate. Long-range electron transfer from the remote copper site subsequently triggers its reduction to the hydroxylated substrate. We finally show two reactivity consequences inherent in the new mechanistic proposal, the investigation of which would provide a means to check its validity by experimental means., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)