Excited state dynamics of 7-deazaguanosine and guanosine 5'-monophosphate.

Minor structural modifications to the DNA and RNA nucleobases have a significant effect on their excited state dynamics and electronic relaxation pathways. In this study, the excited state dynamics of 7-deazaguanosine and guanosine 5'-monophosphate are investigated in aqueous solution and in a mixture of methanol and water using femtosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopy following excitation at 267 nm. The transient spectra are collected using photon densities that ensure no parasitic multiphoton-induced signal from solvated electrons. The data can be fit satisfactorily using a two- or three-component kinetic model. By analyzing the results from steady-state, time-resolved, computational calculations, and the methanol-water mixture, the following general relaxation mechanism is proposed for both molecules, Lb → La → 1πσ*(ICT) → S0, where the 1πσ*(ICT) stands for an intramolecular charge transfer excited singlet state with significant πσ* character. In general, longer lifetimes for internal conversion are obtained for 7-deazaguanosine compared to guanosine 5'-monophosphate. Internal conversion of the 1πσ*(ICT) state to the ground state occurs on a similar time scale of a few picoseconds in both molecules. Collectively, the results demonstrate that substitution of a single nitrogen atom for a methine (C-H) group at position seven of the guanine moiety stabilizes the 1ππ* Lb and La states and alters the topology of their potential energy surfaces in such a way that the relaxation dynamics in 7-deazaguanosine are slowed down compared to those in guanosine 5'-monophosphate but not for the internal conversion of 1πσ*(ICT) state to the ground state.

Cavity-enhanced overtone spectroscopy of methanol in aprotic solvents: probing solute-solvent interactions and self-associative behavior.

Methanol in aprotic solvents can serve as a case study for self-association via hydrogen-bonding, which is an important process in many biological and environmental systems. Incoherent broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (IBBCEAS), which provides enhanced sensitivity relative to conventional single-pass absorption techniques, has been used to characterize the third "free" O-H stretching overtone of methanol in four aprotic solvents (CCl4, CHCl3, CH2Cl2, and C6H6), including the transition wavenumber, bandwidth, and molar absorptivity. The absorption band characteristics indicate an increasing degree of nonspecific methanol-solvent interaction with increasing solvent dielectric constant, except in the case of benzene, which shows evidence of a specific, H-π interaction. Density functional theory with the polarizable continuum model was used to complement the results by assessing the accuracy of computational methods for calculating anharmonic O-H stretching frequencies. Finally, the self-association of methanol in these solvents at 298 K was also investigated using the concentration dependence of the overtone absorption intensity. The propensity for methanol's self-association in the solvents studied increases in the order: CH2Cl2 ∼ CHCl3 < C6H6 < CCl4.

Cl2O photochemistry: ultraviolet/vis absorption spectrum temperature dependence and O(3P) quantum yield at 193 and 248 nm.

The photochemistry of Cl(2)O (dichlorine monoxide) was studied using measurements of its UV/vis absorption spectrum temperature dependence and the O((3)P) atom quantum yield, Φ(Cl(2)O)(O)(λ), in its photolysis at 193 and 248 nm. The Cl(2)O UV/vis absorption spectrum was measured over the temperature range 201-296 K between 200 and 500 nm using diode array spectroscopy. Cl(2)O absorption cross sections, σ(Cl(2)O)(λ,T), at temperatures <296 K were determined relative to its well established room temperature values. A wavelength and temperature dependent parameterization of the Cl(2)O spectrum using the sum of six Gaussian functions, which empirically represent transitions from the ground (1)A(1) electronic state to excited states, is presented. The Gaussian functions are found to correlate well with published theoretically calculated vertical excitation energies. O((3)P) quantum yields in the photolysis of Cl(2)O at 193 and 248 nm were measured using pulsed laser photolysis combined with atomic resonance fluorescence detection of O((3)P) atoms. O((3)P) quantum yields were measured to be 0.85 ± 0.15 for 193 nm photolysis at 296 K and 0.20 ± 0.03 at 248 nm, which was also found to be independent of temperature (220-352 K) and pressure (17 and 28 Torr, N(2)). The quoted uncertainties are at the 2σ (95% confidence) level and include estimated systematic errors. ClO radical temporal profiles obtained following the photolysis of Cl(2)O at 248 nm, as reported previously in Feierabend et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 114, 12052, (2010)], were interpreted to establish a <5% upper-limit for the O + Cl(2) photodissociation channel, which indicates that O((3)P) is primarily formed in the three-body, O + 2Cl, photodissociation channel at 248 nm. The analysis also indirectly provided a Cl atom quantum yield of 1.2 ± 0.1 at 248 nm. The results from this work are compared with previous studies where possible.

ClO radical yields in the reaction of O(1D) with Cl2, HCl, chloromethanes, and chlorofluoromethanes.

Absolute ClO radical product yields in the gas-phase reactions of O((1)D) with Cl(2), HCl, CCl(4), CHCl(3), CH(2)Cl(2), CH(3)Cl, CFCl(3), CF(2)Cl(2), CF(3)Cl, CHFCl(2), and CHF(2)Cl are reported. Product yields were measured using pulsed-laser photolysis of O(3) to produce O((1)D) in the presence of excess reactant combined with dual wavelength differential cavity ring-down spectroscopic detection of the ClO radical. ClO radical absorption cross sections for the A(2)Π(v = 10) ← X(2)Π(v = 0) transition band head near 280 nm were determined between 200 and 296 K as part of this work. The ClO product yields obtained at room temperature were Cl(2) (0.77 ± 0.10), HCl (0.20 ± 0.04), CCl(4) (0.79 ± 0.04), CHCl(3) (0.77 ± 0.04), CH(2)Cl(2) (0.73 ± 0.04), CH(3)Cl (0.46 ± 0.06), CFCl(3) (0.79 ± 0.04), CF(2)Cl(2) (0.76 ± 0.06), CF(3)Cl (0.82 ± 0.06), CHFCl(2) (0.73 ± 0.05), and CHF(2)Cl (0.56 ± 0.03), where the quoted error limits are 2σ of the measurement precision. ClO product yields in the O((1)D) + Cl(2) and CFCl(3) reactions were found to be independent of temperature between 200 and 296 K, within the precision of the measurements. The absolute ClO yields obtained in this study are compared with previously reported values determined using relative and indirect methods.

HCO quantum yields in the photolysis of HC(O)C(O)H (glyoxal) between 290 and 420 nm.

Quantum yields, Phi, for the production of the formyl radical, HCO, in the photolysis of glyoxal were determined at 85 wavelengths, lambda, in the range of 290-420 nm at pressures between 50 and 550 Torr (N(2)) at 298 K using pulsed-laser photolysis combined with cavity ring-down spectroscopy detection of HCO. HCO quantum yields were parametrized using a Stern-Volmer analysis to obtain extrapolated zero-pressure HCO quantum yields, Phi(0)(lambda), and values for the ratio of the rate coefficients for quenching and dissociation, k(q)/k(d)(lambda), at each wavelength. Phi(0)(lambda) varied smoothly with wavelength with a maximum value of approximately 1.8 in the range 300-385 nm with values decreasing to near 0 at 420 nm and 0.4 at 290 nm. k(q)/k(d)(lambda) was measurable at nearly all photolysis wavelengths and is well-represented by the relationship k(q)/k(d)(lambda) = (2.3 x 10(-20)) + (1.5 x 10(-19)) exp(-0.4DeltaE) (cm(3) molecule (-1)) where DeltaE = ((28,571/lambda) - 72.5) (kcal mol(-1)), lambda is the photolysis wavelength (nm), and 72.5 kcal mol(-1) is the threshold for glyoxal photodissociation. Differences in our HCO quantum yield wavelength- and pressure-dependence with previous studies are discussed. The present HCO quantum yield data are appropriate for use in atmospheric model calculations, and revised wavelength-dependent photolysis branching ratios for the production of 2HCO, H(2)CO + O(2), and H(2) + 2CO at atmospheric pressure are presented.

Rate coefficients for the OH + HC(O)C(O)H (glyoxal) reaction between 210 and 390 K.

Rate coefficients, k1(T), over the temperature range of 210-390 K are reported for the gas-phase reaction OH + HC(O)C(O)H (glyoxal) --> products at pressures between 45 and 300 Torr (He, N2). Rate coefficients were determined under pseudo-first-order conditions in OH using pulsed laser photolysis production of OH radicals coupled with OH detection by laser-induced fluorescence. The rate coefficients obtained were independent of pressure and bath gas. The room-temperature rate coefficient, k1(296 K), was determined to be (9.15 +/- 0.8) x 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. k1(T) shows a negative temperature dependence with a slight deviation from Arrhenius behavior that is reproduced over the temperature range included in this study by k1(T) = [(6.6 +/- 0.6) x 10-18]T2[exp([820 +/- 30]/T)] cm3 molecule-1 s-1. For atmospheric modeling purposes, a fit to an Arrhenius expression over the temperature range included in this study that is most relevant to the atmosphere, 210-296 K, yields k1(T) = (2.8 +/- 0.7) x 10-12 exp[(340 +/- 50)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and reproduces the rate coefficient data very well. The quoted uncertainties in k1(T) are at the 95% confidence level (2sigma) and include estimated systematic errors. Comparison of the present results with the single previous determination of k1(296 K) and a discussion of the reaction mechanism and non-Arrhenius temperature dependence are presented.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of vibrational overtones of glycolic acid and its hydrogen bonding interactions with water.

The present work reports observations of the 4nu(1) and 4nu(2) O-H stretching transitions in glycolic acid, CH(2)OHCOOH, using a highly sensitive cavity ring-down spectrometer. Experimental and theoretical values for the harmonic frequencies and anharmonic constants of both O-H stretching transitions were extracted and are compared with theoretical calculations in the literature. Calculations of anharmonic frequencies, intensities, and relative energies have been performed and are presented for three conformers of glycolic acid. In the presence of water, an interesting broad spectral feature appeared underneath 4nu(1) and 4nu(2). New calculations for harmonic frequencies, intensities, and relative energies of four CH(2)OHCOOH-H(2)O complexes are reported to aid in understanding the observed spectrum. This work suggests that the perturbations are caused by intermolecular hydrogen bonding of glycolic acid with one or more water molecules.

A comparison of experimental and calculated spectra of HNO3 in the near-infrared using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and vibrational perturbation theory.

This work combines new laboratory studies of the near-infrared vibrational spectra of HNO3 with theoretical predictions of these spectra as a means to understand the properties of this molecule at energies well above the fundamental region. Trends in overtone and combination band energy levels and intensities are compiled and examined. The theoretical calculations are in excellent agreement with the observed frequencies and intensities of the transitions in this spectral region. The calculations also serve as a valuable aid for assigning many of the transitions. This work validates the ab initio generated potential energy surface for HNO3 by comparing vibrational perturbation theory calculations to experimental spectra focused on combination band and overtone absorptions.