Quantification of hydrogen bond energy based on equations using spectroscopic, structural, QTAIM-based, and NBO-based descriptors which calibrated by the molecular tailoring approach.

CONTEXT: Hydrogen bonds critically influence the structure and properties of both organic molecules and biomolecules, as well as supramolecular assemblies. For this reason, the development and elaboration of methods for quantitative assessment of hydrogen bond energy is an urgent challenge. In this study, using a large series of hydroxycarbonyl aliphatic compounds with the O‒H···O = C intramolecular hydrogen bond, a bank of hydrogen bond descriptors was created, including spectroscopic, structural, QTAIM-based, and NBO-based parameters. It was shown that the O‒H vibration frequency, OH chemical shift as the spectroscopic descriptors, the O···H hydrogen bond length, O···O distance, and O‒H covalent bond length as the structural descriptors, the electron density and its Laplacian, electron potential energy density in the hydrogen bond critical point, the electron density at the ring critical point as the QTAIM-based descriptors change in a correlated manner. The same correlation is found in change of the charge transfer energy through a hydrogen bond, the occupancy of the O‒H bond antibonding orbital, the Wiberg indices of the O···H hydrogen bond, and the O‒H covalent bond, as well as the polarization of the O‒H bond, which are the NBO-based descriptors. It was also recognized that the specified descriptors from the spectroscopic, structural, QTAIM-based, and NBO-based categories are functionally related to the values of intramolecular hydrogen bond energy, quantified via the molecular tailoring approach. This allowed one to obtain a system of equations for quantitative estimation of intramolecular hydrogen bond energy based on the spectroscopic, structural, QTAIM, and NBO descriptors, which makes such quantification more dependable and reliable. METHODS: To obtain the spectroscopic descriptors, the vibrational spectra and shielding constants were calculated using the GIAO method. Structural descriptors were obtained for the equilibrium geometry of molecules, calculated at the MP2(FC)/6-311 + + (2d,2p) level using the Gaussian 09 program. The QTAIM-based descriptors were calculated using the AIMAll program within the framework of the quantum theory "Atoms in Molecules." The NBO-based descriptors were calculated using the NBO 3.1 program implemented into Gaussian 09. To quantify the energy of intramolecular hydrogen bonds, molecular fragmentation was used within the molecular tailoring approach.

Revealing the Reasons for Degeneration of Resonance-Assisted Hydrogen Bond on the Aromatic Platform: Calculations of Ortho-, Meta-, Para-Disubstituted Benzenes, and (Z)-(E)-Olefins.

The energies of the O-H∙∙∙O=C intramolecular hydrogen bonds were compared quantitatively for the series of ortho-disubstituted benzenes and Z-isomers of olefins via a molecular tailoring approach. It was established that the hydrogen bond energy in the former series is significantly less than that in the latter one. The reason for lowering the hydrogen bond energy in the ortho-disubstituted benzenes compared to the Z-isomers of olefins is the decrease in the π-contribution to the total energy of the complex interaction, in which the hydrogen bond per se is enhanced by the resonance effect. By the example of the para- and meta-disubstituted benzenes, as well as E-isomers of olefins, it was explicitly shown that the aromatic ring is a much poorer conductor of the resonance effect compared to the double bond. The hydrogen bond in the ortho-disubstituted benzenes has a lower energy than a typical resonance-assisted hydrogen bond because the aromatic moiety cannot properly assist the hydrogen bond with a resonance effect. Thus, a hydrogen bond on an aromatic platform should fall into a special category, namely an aromaticity-assisted hydrogen bond, which is closer by nature to a simple hydrogen bond rather than to a resonance-assisted one.

Molecular tailoring approach as tool for revealing resonance-assisted hydrogen bond: Case study of Z-pyrrolylenones with the NH⋯OС intramolecular hydrogen bond.

Both the experimental and calculated data reveal that a strong NH⋯OС intramolecular hydrogen bond closing the seven-membered quasi-cycle is formed in the Z-isomers of pyrrolylenones. Comparison of the NH⋯OС intramolecular hydrogen bonds energies in the pyrrolylenones, estimated via the molecular tailoring approach, with the similar data for reference malonaldehydes shows that the resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding occurs in both cases, the hydrogen bond energy being varied mainly within 10-20 kcal/mol. The combined application of function-based and molecular tailoring approaches makes it possible to decompose the NH⋯OС total hydrogen bond energy in the pyrrolylenones into the π- and σ-components. It is established that the contribution of the π-component to the total N(O)H⋯OС hydrogen bond energy in the pyrrolylenones and malonaldehydes is almost the same (6-7 kcal/mol). Comparison of the π-contribution to the total energy of the resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding in the Z-isomer of pyrrolylenones with the energy of the push-pull effect in the E-isomer of pyrrolylenones reveals that the resonance contribution to the total energy of the resonance-assisted hydrogen bond in the former significantly enhances with reference to the net resonance energy in the latter. The appearance of the resonance-assisted hydrogen bond in the pyrrolylenones is possible due to the participation in the interaction of 10 or 14 π-electrons satisfying the Hückel aromaticity rule.

Guide to tuning the chalcone molecular properties based on the push-pull effect energy scale created via the molecular tailoring approach.

Using the molecular tailoring approach, a total energy scale for the push-pull effect in the range from -40 to 100 kcal/mol is created for the wide series of neutral, charged and doubly charged compounds on the chalcone platform. Taking into account similar energy scale for hydrogen bonds, the strength of the push-pull effect is ranked in the seven categories, ranging from negative (anti-push-pull) to very weak and very strong push-pull effect. It is demonstrated that the molecular properties of chalcone can be tuned prior synthesis due to the created energy scale for the push-pull effect. The single bonds of the π-spacer in the chalcones are shortened, the double ones are lengthened, and the C=O bond vibrations are red shifted when the push-pull effect is enhanced along the energy scale. The HOMO and LUMO energies change systematically while the HOMO-LUMO energy gap narrows as the strength of the push-pull effect increases.

Finding the direct energy-structure correlations in intramolecular aromaticity assisted hydrogen bonding (AAHB).

A predictive model for intramolecular hydrogen bond energy (EHB) calculation of polyaromatic ortho-hydroxyaldehydes based on a set of small, functionalized hydrocarbons is developed. The complete data set of 18 compounds was used for this study. The model is based on one of four optional categories of molecular descriptors: geometric, spectroscopic, bond order and topological indices. The model of Wiberg bond indices (WBIs) as descriptors of the CC involved bond based on stepwise regression has acceptable prediction abilities for 14 structures of ortho-hydroxyformylobenzo[a]pyrene derivatives already at the semiempirical level. The presented correlation enables a significantly more rapid and quantitative description of the hydrogen bonding strength than the much more time-consuming MTA method. Thus, WBIs are shown to provide a reliable means for fast prescreening of the energy of chelate hydrogen bonds potentially for any polyaromatic derivatives.

A molecular tailoring approach - a new guide to quantify the energy of push-pull effects: a case study on (E)-3-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)prop-2-enones.

The molecular tailoring approach is recognized to be an efficient tool for quantifying the strength of the push-pull effect in molecules with internal charge transfer.

Fragmentation studies of selected drugs utilized in palliative care.

The results of research on selected drugs used in palliative care are presented, including fentanyl, tramadol, metoclopramide, hyoscine butylbromide, midazolam, haloperidol, levomepromazine and clonazepam. Interpretation of their ESI mass spectra obtained by the use of a triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer is given. As a result, fragmentation pathways described in the literature are complemented and presented with more details. On their basis, transitions for quantitative analysis are selected and chromatographic conditions for the determination of the palliative care drugs are proposed as well. These results enable future studies on palliative care drugs in elderly patients including both their quantitation in body fluids and easier identification of their metabolites.

Energy of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in ortho-Hydroxybenzaldehydes, Phenones and Quinones. Transfer of Aromaticity from ipso-Benzene Ring to the Enol System(s).

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (HB) is one of the most studied noncovalent interactions of molecules. Many physical, spectral, and topological properties of compounds are under the influence of HB, and there are many parameters used to notice and to describe these changes. Hitherto, no general method of measurement of the energy of intramolecular hydrogen bond (EHB) has been put into effect. We propose the molecular tailoring approach (MTA) for EHB calculation, modified to apply it to Ar-O-H∙∙∙O=C systems. The method, based on quantum calculations, was checked earlier for hydroxycarbonyl-saturated compounds, and for structures with resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB). For phenolic compounds, the accuracy, repeatability, and applicability of the method is now confirmed for nearly 140 structures. For each structure its aromaticity HOMA indices were calculated for the central (ipso) ring and for the quasiaromatic rings given by intramolecular HB. The comparison of calculated HB energies and values of estimated aromaticity indices allowed us to observe, in some substituted phenols and quinones, the phenomenon of transfer of aromaticity from the ipso-ring to the H-bonded ring via the effect of electron delocalization.

Experimental and in silico investigations of organic phosphates and phosphonates sorption on polymer-ceramic monolithic materials and hydroxyapatite.

A method based on experimental and in silico evaluations for investigating interactions of organic phosphates and phosphonates with hydroxyapatite was developed. This quick and easy method is used for determination of differences among organophosphorus compounds of various structures in their mineral binding affinities. Empirical sorption evaluation was carried out using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry or UV-VIS spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm sorption of organic phosphates and phosphonates on hydroxyapatite. Polymer-ceramic monolithic material and bulk hydroxyapatite were applied as sorbent materials. Furthermore, a Polymer-ceramic Monolithic In-Needle Extraction device was used to investigate both sorption and desorption steps. Binding energies were computed from the fully optimised structures utilising Density Functional Theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level. Potential pharmacologic and toxic effects of the tested compounds were estimated by the Prediction of the Activity Spectra of Substances using GeneXplain software.

Intramolecular O-H···O═C hydrogen bond energy via the molecular tailoring approach to RAHB structures.

A method for the calculation of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (HB) energy (EHB) by molecular tailoring approach for hydroxycarbonyl aliphatic compounds has been used for compounds with resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB). The intramolecular hydrogen bond energies estimated for 229 structures (of 186 compounds) range from 8.2 to 26.3 kcal/mol and show correlation with the geometry descriptors of hydrogen bonds, with the calculated frequencies as well as with topological parameters obtained from the atoms in molecules (AIM) theory. These correlations differ significantly from obtained formerly for saturated nonenolizable structures and prove the special character of the resonance-assisted hydrogen-bonded systems.

Estimation of the intramolecular O-H···O═C hydrogen bond energy via the molecular tailoring approach. Part I: aliphatic structures.

A simple and universal method for the estimation of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (HB) energy (E(HB)) in hydroxycarbonyl aliphatic compounds is proposed by the application of the molecular tailoring approach (MTA) based on calculations at the second-order Møller-Plesset MP2 level. The calculation of EHB can be realized by the one optimization and three single point calculations of the energy for each compound with carbonyl and hydroxyl groups involved in HB. The intramolecular hydrogen bond energies estimated for 153 structures (of 102 compounds) ranged from 1.4 to 13.7 kcal/mol for systems without resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB). To verify the method, we show the correlations of the energy (E(HB)) in six-, seven-, and eight-membered HB rings in the optimized multifunctional molecules with the usual geometry descriptors of hydrogen bonds. Moreover, topological parameters from the atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and the calculated infrared and proton NMR spectra are correlated. The effects of conjugation and π-electron delocalization, bifurcation, and cooperativity are discussed, along with the correlation between the strength and geometrical parameters of H bonding.

Estimation of the breakthrough volume of selected steroids for C-18 solid-phase extraction sorbent using retention data from micro-thin layer chromatography.

SPE method is a very popular technique, and is commonly used for the prepurification, concentration, and isolation of different organic compounds from variable matrices. In this work, the optimization of SPE process was carried out. The breakthrough volume of solid sorbents based on octadecylsilane was determined and three methods were compared: (1) calculation one - the breakthrough volume was calculated using retention factor k determined with micro-TLC method, frontal analysis - (2) breakthrough volume was determined as volume of whole elution peak, and (3) breakthrough volume was determined as the center of peak gravity. For calculation method, the k values of key estrogens and progestogens were derived from the micro-TLC experiment reported previously. By combining these three methods, we can point the start of elution, the maximum concentration of analyte in eluate, and the whole eluent volume, which is necessary to achieve an appropriate selectivity and high extraction recovery. Proposed calculation method allows to estimate the beginning of the steroid peak, when the analyte appears in the eluate flowing from the sorbent. Such observation advances the SPE optimization protocol that was described before and was based on the correlation between raw k(SPE) and k(micro-TLC) data.

Extended and clustered conformers of epothilone A.

The conformational properties of epothilone A have been analyzed in detail using electronic structure calculations to better understand the effect of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on the conformational energies of this highly potent anticancer molecule. Single-point second-order Møller-Plesset calculations done in vacuo at the MP2/6-31+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level yielded data on the relative stability of conformers that were more distinct than data obtained from the standard DFT model, although the structural trends are in fair agreement. We studied torsional profiles of both hydroxyl groups and sampled energies of the side chain and thiazole moiety rotamers within the whole set of all experimentally accessible conformers. The aldol hydrogen bonds, though relatively weak, generally contribute to the conformational profile, while dipole-dipole interactions, ester group puckering, transannular repulsions between hydrogen atoms, steric effects, and syn-pentane effects have a limited influence. A salient result of our calculations is the determination that the energy of the clustered exo conformer P01 lays 9.3 kcal/mol below that of the extended, experimental conformer P11, apparently due to the unconstrained, near linear 3-OH hydrogen bond to thiazole. Another finding to be noted is the corroboration of the remarkable ability of 3-OH to form transannular hydrogen bonding with the epoxide, which releases the conformational strain of the macroring and thus leads to extra stabilization energy within the endoW subset. Finally, we found that the general trend of the conformer populations of epothilone A obtained from conformational energies resembles those derived from experiments and can be used to interpret values of NMR vicinal coupling constants. The calculated geometries and energies provide essential data for further discussion of the mechanism of biological activity of epothilone A and might be of importance in the explanation of its ADME properties.

De(side chain) model of epothilone: bioconformer interconversions DFT study.

Using ab initio methods, we have studied conformations of the de(sidechain)de(dioxy)difluoroepothilone model to quantify the effect of stability change between the exo and endo conformers of the epoxy ring. The DFT minimization of the macrolactone ring reveals four low energy conformers, although MP2 predicted five stable structures. The model tested with DFT hybride functional (B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)) exhibits the global minimum for one of the exo forms (C), experimentally observed in the solid state, but unexpectedly with the MP2 electron correlation method for the virtual endo form (W). Using the QST3 technique, several pathways were found for the conversion of the low energy conformers to the other low energy exo representatives, as well as within the endo analog subset. The potential energy relationships obtained for several exo forms suggest a high conformational mobility between three, experimentally observed, conformers. The high rotational barrier, however, excludes direct equilibrium with experimental EC-derived endo form S. The highest calculated transition state for the conversion of the most stable exo M interligand to the endo S form is approximately a 28 kcal/mol above the energy of the former. The two-step interconversion of the exo H conformer to the endo S requires at least 28 kcal/mol. Surprisingly, we found that the transition state energy of the H form to the virtual endo W has the acceptable value of about 9 kcal/mol and the next energy barrier for free interconversion of endo W to endo S is 13 kcal/mol.

Calculated conformer energies for organic molecules with multiple polar functionalities are method dependent: Taxol (case study).

BACKGROUND: Molecular mechanics (MM) and quantum chemical (QM) calculations are widely applied and powerful tools for the stereochemical and conformational investigations of molecules. The same methods have been extensively used to probe the conformational profile of Taxol (Figure 1) both in solution and at the beta-tubulin protein binding site. RESULTS: In the present work, the relative energies of seven conformations of Taxol derived from NMR and X-ray analyses were compared with a set of widely used force fields and semiempirical MO methods coupled to a continuum solvent treatment. The procedures not only diverge significantly in their assessment of relative conformational energies, but none of them provide satisfactory agreement with experiment. CONCLUSIONS: For Taxol, molecular mechanics and semiempirical QM methods are unable to provide a consistent energetic ranking of side-chain conformations. For similar highly polar organic structures, "energy-free" conformational search methods are advised.