We have carried out a computational study on the reactivity of catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene) towards superoxide radical anion (O˙) in water, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), pentyl ethanoate (PEA) and vacuum using density functional theory and the coupled cluster method. Five reaction mechanisms were studied: (i) sequential proton transfer followed by hydrogen atom transfer (PT-HT), (ii) sequential hydrogen atom transfer followed by proton transfer (HT-PT), (iii) single electron transfer (SET), (iv) radical adduct formation (RAF) and (v) concerted double proton-transfer electron-transfer (denoted as global reaction, GR). Our results show that catechol and superoxide do not react via a sequential reaction mechanism (initial PT, initial HAT or SET). Instead, the reaction proceeds via a concerted double proton-transfer electron-transfer mechanism yielding hydrogen peroxide and catechol radical anion. The protons are transferred asynchronously between the σ orbitals of the catechol oxygen atoms to superoxide, while the electron is transferred between oxygen π orbitals in the same direction. The calculated rate constants in aqueous media agree with the experimental values reported in the literature. This suggests that the mechanism proposed in this work is adequate to describe this reaction. In addition, our results show that the reaction exhibits a large tunneling effect.
ABSTRACT:The conformational preferences of morphine and heroin were studied in gas phase and with inclusion of solvent effects. At 298.15 K, three conformers are significant for isolated morphine, all of them displaying antiperiplanar arrangement for the C2AC3AOAH unit, and there is only one significantly populated conformer for heroin. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis of the electron density in their most populated conformers in gas phase indicates that the positive charge is shared among the amino hydrogen, those hydrogens of the methylamino group, and all of the hydrogens attached to the bridgehead carbons.
This work aims at describing the electronic features of cocaine and how they are modified by the different substituents present in its metabolites. The QTAIM analysis of B3LYP and MP2 electron densities obtained with the 6-311++G** 6d basis set for cocaine and its principal metabolites indicates: (i) its positive charge is shared among the amino hydrogen, those of the methylamino group, and all of the hydrogens attached to the bicycle structure; (ii) the zwitterionic structure of benzoylecgonine can be described as two partial charges of 0.63 au, the negative one shared by the oxygens of the carboxylate group, whereas the positive charge is distributed among all the hydrogens that bear the positive charge in cocaine; (iii) its hydrogen bond is strengthened in the derivatives without benzoyloxy group and is also slightly strengthened as the size of the alkyl ester group at position 2 increases.
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