Marxist Nation Building in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

With the surrender of the Japanese in 1945, Ho Chi Minh and his compatriots faced the problem of building an industrialized Marxist nation from an extremely localistic peasant society

Geometries of third-row transition-metal complexes from density-functional theory

A set of 41 metal-ligand bond distances in 25 third-row transition-metal complexes, for which precise structural data are known in the gas phase, is used to assess optimized and zero-point averaged geometries obtained from DFT computations with various exchange-correlation functionals and basis sets. For a given functional (except LSDA) Stuttgart-type quasi-relativistic effective core potentials and an all-electron scalar relativistic approach (ZORA) tend to produce very similar geometries. In contrast to the lighter congeners, LSDA affords reasonably accurate geometries of 5d-metal complexes, as it is among the functionals with the lowest mean and standard deviations from experiment. For this set the ranking of some other popular density functionals, ordered according to decreasing standard deviation, is BLYP > VSXC > BP86 approximate to BPW91 approximate to TPSS approximate to B3LYP approximate to PBE > TPSSh > B3PW91 approximate to B3P86 approximate to PBE hybrid. In this case hybrid functionals are superior to their nonhybrid variants. In addition, we have reinvestigated the previous test sets for 3d- (Buhl M.; Kabrede, H. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2006, 2, 1282-1290) and 4d- (Waller, M. P.; Buhl, M. J. Comput. Chem. 2007,28,1531-1537) transition-metal complexes using all-electron scalar relativistic DFT calculations in addition to the published nonrelativistic and ECP results. For this combined test set comprising first-, second-, and third-row metal complexes, B3P86 and PBE hybrid are indicated to perform best. A remarkably consistent standard deviation of around 2 pm in metal-ligand bond distances is achieved over the entire set of d-block elements.PostprintPeer reviewe

Design of a highly active Pd catalyst with P,N hemilabile ligands for alkoxycarbonylation of alkynes and allenes : a density functional theory study

Authors thanks EaStCHEM and the School of Chemistry for support.In palladium-catalysed methoxycarbonylation of technical propyne, the presence of propadiene poisons the hemilabile Pd(P,N) catalyst. According to density functional theory calculations (B3PW91-D3/PCM level), a highly stable π-allyl intermediate is the reason for this catalyst poisoning. Predicted regioselectivities suggest that at least 11% of propadiene should yield this allyl intermediate, where the reaction gets stalled under the turnover conditions due to an insurmountable methanolysis barrier of 25.8 kcal mol-1. Results obtained for different ligands and substrates are consistent with the available experimental data. A new ligand, (6-Cl-3-Me-Py)PPh2, is proposed, which is predicted to efficiently control the branched/linear selectivity, avoiding rapid poisoning (with only 0.2% of propadiene being trapped as Pd allyl complex), and to tremendously increase the catalytic activity by decreasing the overall barrier to 9.1 kcal mol-1.PostprintPeer reviewe

Computational modelling of Pd-catalysed alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes and alkynes

The work was supported by the School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM.This perspective highlights the computational modelling of alkene and alkyne alkoxycarbonylation at palladium catalysts. We cover studies on Pd-catalysed alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes with bidentate diphosphine ligands, which reveal a hydride pathway is operating with an intermolecular alcoholysis step, where explicit solvation is mandatory to estimate the overall barriers correctly and model alcoholysis/copolymerisation selectivities. Subsequently, we discuss Pd-catalysed alkyne alkoxycarbonylation with P,N-chelating ligands, where an in situ base mechanism is operating involving ketene-type intermediates. We also discuss catalyst poisoning due to allene and designing a potential new catalyst tolerant towards allene poisoning.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Hydricity Of 3d transition metal complexes from density functional theory : a benchmarking study

A range of modern density functional theory (DFT) functionals have been benchmarked against experimentally determined metal hydride bond strengths for three first-row TM hydride complexes. Geometries were found to be produced sufficiently accurately with RI-BP86-D3(PCM)/def2-SVP and further single-point calculations with PBE0-D3(PCM)/def2-TZVP were found to reproduce the experimental hydricity accurately, with a mean absolute deviation of 1.4 kcal/mol for the complexes studied.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Laccase redox potentials: pH dependence and mutants, a QM/MM study

The authors are grateful for funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, grant “Clean catalysis for sustainable development” (Ref. EP/J018139/1).We have studied the T. versicolor laccase T1 site redox potential (RP) at the M06/6-311++G**/SDD(Cu) level of theory, employing QM/MM optimised geometries (RI-BP86/def2-SVP/def2-TZVP(Cu):CHARMM) of the whole protein system with electronic embedding. The oxidation state of the trinuclear cluster was found to affect the T1 site RP by about 0.2-0.3 V, depending on the protein protonation state. The computed laccase RP can be drastically lowered upon introduction of a protonation state corresponding to a neutral environment, by up to -1.37 V, which is likely an overestimation of the effect in vivo. The gradual change of the protonation state by single points without optimisation or equilibration results in a change that is even larger, namely up to about -2.6 V. Thus, the preferred protein conformation supports a high redox potential, compensating for the RP-lowering effect of surface charges. The predicted change in RP on going to the F463M mutant, ca. -0.1 V, is consistent with observations for a related laccase. Based on our results, we also propose and test a D206N mutant, but find it to be locked in a conformation with slightly lower RP.PostprintPeer reviewe

Second-Order Latent Growth Models with Shifting Indicators

Second-order latent growth models assess longitudinal change in a latent construct, typically employing identical manifest variables as indicators across time. However, the same indicators may be unavailable and/or inappropriate for all time points. This article details methods for second-order growth models in which constructs’ indicators shift over time

[UO2(NH3)5]Br2 ∙ NH3 : synthesis, crystal structure, and speciation in liquid ammonia solution by first-principles molecular dynamics simulations

Pentaammine dioxido uranium(VI) dibromide ammonia (1/1), [UO2(NH3)5]Br2·NH3, was synthesized in the form of yellow crystals by the reaction of uranyl bromide, UO2Br2, with dry liquid ammonia. The compound crystallizes orthorhombic in space group Cmcm and is isotypic to [UO2(NH3)5]Cl2·NH3 with a = 13.2499(2), b = 10.5536(1), c = 8.9126(1) Å, V = 1246.29(3) Å3 and Z = 4 at 123 K. The UO22+ cation is coordinated by five ammine ligands and the coordination polyhedron can be best described as pentagonal bipyramid. Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations are reported for [UO2(NH3)5]2+ in the gas phase and in liquid NH3 solution (using the BLYP density functional). According to free-energy simulations, solvation by ammonia has only a small effect on the uranyl–NH3 bond strength.PostprintPeer reviewe

Density functional theory study of Pd aggregation on a pyridine-terminated self-assembled monolayer

Authors thank the School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM for support. The Chinese Scholarship Council is gratefully acknowledged for a stipend for Z. Y.By using density functional theory calculations, the initial steps towards Pd metal cluster formation on a pyridine‐terminated self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) consisting of 3‐(4‐(pyridine‐4‐yl)phenyl)propane‐1‐thiol on an Au(1 1 1) surface are investigated. Theoretical modelling allows the investigation of structural details of the SAM surface and the metal/SAM interface at the atomic level, which is essential for elucidating the nature of Pd–SAM and Pd–Pd interactions at the liquid/solid interface and gaining insight into the mechanism of metal nucleation in the initial stage of electrodeposition. The structural flexibility of SAM molecules was studied first and the most stable conformation was identified, planar molecules in a herringbone packing, as the model for Pd adsorption. Two binding sites are found for Pd atoms on the pyridine end group of the SAM. The strong interaction between Pd atoms and pyridines illustrates the importance of SAM functionalisation in the metal nucleation process. Consistent with an energetic driving force of approximately −0.3 eV per Pd atom towards Pd aggregation suggested by static calculations, a spontaneous Pd dimerisation is observed in ab initio molecular dynamic studies of the system. Nudged elastic band calculations suggest a potential route with a low energy barrier of 0.10 eV for the Pd atom diffusion and then dimerisation on top of the SAM layer.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe