Detection and automatic repair of nucleotide base-pair mutations by coherent light

Protonation effect on the electronic properties of 2-pyridone monomer, dimer and its water clusters: a theoretical study

The CC2 (second order approximate coupled cluster method) has been applied to investigate protonation effect on electronic transition energies of 2-pyridone (2PY), 2-pyridone dimer, and micro-solvated 2-pyridone (0-2 water molecules). The PE profiles of protonated 2-pyridone (2PYH(+)) as well as monohydrated 2PYH(+) at the different electronic states have been investigated. The (1)πσ∗ state in protonated species (2PYH(+)) is a barrier free and dissociative state along the O-H stretching coordinate. In this reaction coordinate, the lowest lying (1)πσ∗ predissociates the bound S1((1)ππ∗) state, connecting the latter to a conical intersection with the S0 state. These conical intersections lead the (1)ππ∗ state to proceed as predissociative state and finally direct the excited system to the ground state. Furthermore, in presence of water molecule, the (1)πσ∗ state still remains dissociative but the conical intersection between (1)πσ∗ and ground state disappears. In addition, according to the CC2 calculation results, it has been predicted that protonation significantly blue shifts the S1-S0 electronic transition of monomer, dimer, and microhydrated 2-pyridone.

Optical switching of electric charge transfer pathways in porphyrin: a light-controlled nanoscale current router

We introduce a novel molecular junction based on a thiol-functionalized porphyrin derivative with two almost energetically degenerate equilibrium configurations. We show that each equilibrium structure defines a pathway of maximal electric charge transfer through the molecular junction and that these two conduction pathways are spatially orthogonal. We further demonstrate computationally how to switch between the two equilibrium structures of the compound by coherent light. The optical switching mechanism is presented in the relevant configuration subspace of the compound, and the corresponding potential and electric dipole surfaces are obtained by ab initio methods. The laser-induced isomerization takes place in two steps in tandem, while each step is induced by a two-photon process. The effect of metallic electrodes on the electromagnetic irradiation driving the optical switching is also investigated. Our study demonstrates the potential for using thiol-functionalized porphyrin derivatives for the development of a light-controlled nanoscale current router.

Reactive force fields for proton transfer dynamics

A force field-inspired method based on fitted, high-quality multidimensional potential energy surfaces to follow proton transfer (PT) reactions in molecular dynamics simulations is presented. In molecular mechanics with proton transfer (MMPT) a system is partitioned into a region where proton transfer takes place and the remaining degrees of freedom which are treated with a conventional force field. The implementation of the method and applications to specific chemically and biologically relevant scenarios are presented. MMPT is developed in view of two primary areas in mind: to follow the molecular dynamics of proton transfer in the condensed phase on realistic time scales and to adapt the shape (morphing) of the potential energy surface for specific applications. MMPT is applied to PT in protonated ammonia dimer, double proton transfer in 2-pyridone-2-hydroxypyridine, and the first step of PT from a protein side-chain towards a buried [3Fe4S] cluster in ferredoxin I. Specific findings of the work include the fundamental role of the N-N vibration as the gating mode for PT in NH4+...NH3 and the qualitative understanding of PT from the protein to a metastable active-site water molecule in Ferredoxin I.

2-pyridone: The role of out-of-plane vibrations on the S1↔S0 spectra and S1 state reactivity

The S(1)<-->S(0) vibronic spectra of supersonic jet-cooled 2-pyridone [pyridin-2-one (2PY)] and its N-H deuterated isotopomer (d-2PY) have been recorded by two-color resonant two-photon ionization, laser-induced fluorescence and emission, and fluorescence depletion spectroscopies. By combining these methods, the B origin of 2PY at 0(0) (0)+98 cm(-1) and the bands at +218 and +252 cm(-1) are identified as overtones of the S(1) state out-of-plane vibrations nu(1) (') and nu(2) ('), as are the analogous bands of d-2PY. Anharmonic double-minimum potentials are derived for the respective out-of-plane coordinates that predict further nu(1) (') and nu(2) (') overtones and combinations, reproducing approximately 80% of the vibronic bands up to 600 cm(-1) above the 0(0) (0) band. The fluorescence spectra excited at the electronic origins and the nu(1) (') and nu(2) (') out-of-plane overtone levels confirm these assignments. The S(1) nonplanar minima and S(1)<--S(0) out-of-plane progressions are in agreement with the determination of nonplanar vibrationally averaged geometries for the 0(0) (0) and 0(0) (0)+98 cm(-1) upper states by Held et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 95, 8732 (1991)]. The fluorescence lifetimes of the S(1) state vibrations show strong mode dependence: Those of the out-of-plane levels decrease rapidly above 200 cm(-1) excess vibrational energy, while the in-plane vibrations nu(5) ('), nu(8) ('), and nu(9) (') have longer lifetimes, although they are above or interspersed with the "dark" out-of-plane states. This is interpreted in terms of an S(1) (') state reaction with a low barrier towards a conical intersection with a prefulvenic geometry. Out-of-plane vibrational states can directly surmount this barrier, whereas in-plane vibrations are much less efficient in this respect. Analysis of the fluorescence spectra allows to identify nine in-plane S(0) (') state fundamentals, overtones of the S(0) state nu(1) (") and nu(2) (") out-of-plane vibrations, and >30 other overtones and combination bands. The B3LYP6-311++G(d,p) calculated anharmonic wave numbers are in very good agreement with the observed fundamentals, overtones, and combinations, with a deviation Delta(rms)=1.3%.