Publications

Abstract 4(3H)-Pyrimidinone is observed in nature in equilibrium with other tautomeric forms, mimicking the tautomeric equilibrium in pyrimidine nucleobases. In this work, the enthalpy of formation in the gaseous phase of 4(3H)-pyrimidinone was derived from the combination of the enthalpy of formation in the crystalline phase, obtained by static bomb combustion calorimetry, and the enthalpy of sublimation, obtained by Knudsen effusion. The gaseous phase enthalpy of formation of 4(3H)-pyrimidinone was interpreted in terms of isodesmic reactions that consider the enthalpic effects of hydroxypyridines and pyrimidine. After comparison of the experimental and computational results, the same type of isodesmic reactions was used to study the substituent effects of the hydroxyl functional group of 2-, 4-, and 5-hydroxypyrimidines. The influence of aromaticity on the energetics of hydroxypyrimidines was evaluated using the variation of nucleus-independent chemical shifts for several reactions. The influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds was investigated using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and the geometric rule of Baker and Hubbard to identify hydrogen bonds. The energetic results obtained were also interpreted in terms of an in plane anomeric effect in the pyrimidine ring.

Abstract The enthalpy of formation of indigo, as a solid, was reported in 1893. The enthalpy of sublimation at a mean temperature of 577 K (ca. 298 degrees C) was reported some 90 years later, and corrected herein to 298 K. These values were summed to result in a standard gas phase enthalpy of formation. We have also performed quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++ G(d, p) level and analyzed them using (not quite) isodesmic and isomerisation reactions. From these disparate calorimetric and computational approaches, we hereby present a recommended enthalpy of formation of gaseous indigo of (35 +/- 16) kJ.mol (1).

Abstract Aiming at the evaluation of the impact of the ionic liquids (ILs) cation symmetry on their phase behaviour, in this work, novel mutual solubilities with water of the symmetric series of [C(n)C(n)im][NTf2] (with n=1-5) were determined and compared with their isomeric forms of the asymmetric [C(n)C(1)im][NTf2] group. While the solubility of isomeric ILs in water was found to be similar, the solubility of water in ILs follows the same trend up to a maximum cation alkyl side chain length. For n >= 4 in [C(n)C(n)im][NTf2] the solubility of water in the asymmetric ILs is slightly higher than that observed in the symmetric counterparts. The thermodynamic properties of solution and solvation derived from the experimental solubility data of ILs in water at infinite dilution, namely the Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy were used to evaluate the cation symmetry effect on the ILs solvation. It is shown that the solubility of ILs in water is entropically driven and highly influenced by the cation size. Accordingly, it was found that the ILs solubility in water of both symmetric and asymmetric series depends on their molecular volume. Based on these findings, a linear correlation between the logarithm of the solubility of ILs in water and their molar volume is here proposed for the [NTf2]-based ILs at a fixed temperature.

Abstract Ostrya spp. and Carpinus spp. pollen was in vitro exposed to three atmospheric pollutants: CO, O-3 and SO2. Two levels of each pollutant were used, and the first level corresponds to a concentration about the atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe and the second level to about the triple of the first level. Experiments were done under artificial solar light with temperature and relative humidity controlled. The viability of the exposed pollen samples showed a significant decrease. Also, the germination percentage showed a significant decrease in both exposed pollens, and the effect was most pronounced for SO2, followed by O-3 and CO. A general decreasing trend in the total soluble protein content of the exposed pollen samples when compared with the control was observed, but it was only statistically significant for the Ostrya spp pollen. The results showed marked effects were observed on the Ostrya spp. and Carpinus spp. pollen when exposed to air pollutant levels that can be considered safe for human health protection.

Abstract The knowledge of the liquid-liquid equilibria (LLE) between ionic liquids (ILs) and water is of utmost importance for environmental monitoring, process design and optimization. Therefore, in this work, the mutual solubilities with water, for the ILs combining the 1-methylimidazolium, [C(1)im](+); 1-ethylimidazolium, [C(2)im](+); 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium, [C(2)C(3)im](+); and 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium, [C(4)C(1)C(1)im](+) cations with the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, were determined and compared with the isomers of the symmetric 1,3-dialkylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C(n)C(n)im][NTf2], with n=1-3) and of the asymmetric 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C(n)C(1)im][NTf2], with n = 2-5) series of ILs. The results obtained provide a broad picture of the impact of the IL cation structural isomerism, including the number of alkyl side chains at the cation, on the water-IL mutual solubilities. Despite the hydrophobic behaviour associated to the [NTf2](-) anion, the results show a significant solubility of water in the IL-rich phase, while the solubility of ILs in the water-rich phase is much lower. The thermodynamic properties of solution indicate that the solubility of ILs in water is entropically driven and highly influenced by the cation size. Using the results obtained here in addition to literature data, a correlation between the solubility of [NTf2]-based ILs in water and their molar volume, for a large range of cations, is proposed. The COnductor like Screening MOdel for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) was also used to estimate the LLE of the investigated systems and proved to be a useful predictive tool for the a priori screening of ILs aiming at finding suitable candidates before extensive experimental measurements.

Abstract The vapour pressures of the liquid phase of 1-methylpyrazole, 1-methylbenzimidazole and 1-methylindole were measured over the temperature ranges (253.9 to 293.3) K, (303.2 to 372.5) K, and (268.6 to 341.9) K, respectively, using a static method. The vapour pressures of the crystalline phase of the two latter compounds were also measured at temperatures between (301.2 to 328.9) K and (267.6 to 275.5) K, respectively. The results obtained enabled the determination of the standard molar enthalpies and entropies of sublimation and of vaporisation at the mean temperatures of the measurements and at T = 298.15 K. The temperatures and molar enthalpies of fusion were determined using differential scanning calorimetry. The enthalpies of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds N-H center dot center dot center dot N in the crystalline phase of benzimidazole and pyrazole were determined and compared with the result previously determined for the energy of the intermolecular hydrogen bond in crystalline imidazole.

Abstract Vapour pressures of condensed phases of p-monohalophenols were measured over the temperature ranges (265.6 to 342.8) K, (273.5 to 331.0) K, (285.3 to 370.5) K and (307.2 to 380.4) K, respectively for p-fluoro, p-chloro, p-bromo and p-iodophenol, using a static method based on diaphragm capacitance gauges. The results obtained for each compound, enabled the determination of the standard molar enthalpies, Gibbs energies and entropies of sublimation and of vaporisation, at T = 298.15 K as well as phase diagram representations of the (p, T) experimental results. The temperatures and molar enthalpies of fusion were determined using DSC and were compared with the values derived from the vapour pressure measurements. Correlations involving thermodynamic properties and also the volume of the halogen substituent of p-halophenols are presented and compared to the ones derived before for related methyl p-halobenzoates and p-halobenzoic acids. Vapour pressures, at T = 298.15 K, of the compounds included in the three families are well described by a single correlation based on the temperature of fusion and on the volume of the halogen atom.

Abstract The impact activity cliffs have on drug discovery is double-edged. For instance, whereas medicinal chemists can take advantage of regions in chemical space rich in activity cliffs, QSAR practitioners need to escape from such regions. The influence of activity cliffs in medicinal chemistry applications is extensively documented. However, the 'dark side' of activity cliffs (i.e. their detrimental effect on the development of predictive machine learning algorithms) has been understudied. Similarly, limited amounts of work have been devoted to propose potential solutions to the drawbacks of activity cliffs in similarity-based approaches. In this review, the duality of activity cliffs in medicinal chemistry and computational approaches is addressed, with emphasis on the rationale and potential solutions for handling the 'ugly face' of activity cliffs.

Abstract Highly pure samples of 4-nitro-phenyl azide, 1-octyl azide and 1 decyl-azide were prepared for thermochemical studies. Vapour pressures over the solid and the liquid sample of 4-nitro-phenyl azide have been determined by the transpiration method. The molar enthalpies of vaporization/sublimation for this compound were derived from the temperature dependencies of vapour pressures. The molar enthalpy of fusion of 4-nitro-phenyl azide was measured by DSC. The measured data set for 4-nitrophenyl azide was successfully checked for internal consistency. Molar enthalpies of vaporization of 1-octyl azide and 1 decyl-azide were measured by transpiration. The molar enthalpies of formation of the liquid 1-octyl azide and 1 decyl-azides were derived from the combustion calorimetry. New experimental results for these organic azides have been used to derive their molar enthalpies of formation in the gas state and for comparison with results from quantum-chemical method G4.