The worldwide emergence of viral diseases such as Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, West Nile and Yellow Fever urge the search for solutions to eliminate their common vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This paper describes the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and docking studies of a series of nine 3-(3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)propionic acids (AOPA), 1-9, previously published by our group. Additionally, three new 1,2,4-oxadiazoles, 10-12, have also been synthesized, characterized and studied. The QSAR and docking studies of all compounds, 1-12, clearly indicate that larger hydrophobic substituents such as biphenyl groups attached on position 3 in 1,2,4-oxadiazoles improve the larvicidal activity. It is worthwhile to mention that nanocapsulation of compounds 10-12 were necessary to help their dissolution in water and these three new 1,2,4-oxadiazoles also exhibited approximately equal or higher larvicidal activities compared to the former prototypes at stage L4.

Considering the bicentenary of Brazil’s Independence in 2022 and that this year was proclaimed by UNESCO as the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, in mid-2021 the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) launched the “Post 2022 Chemistry Movement - Sustainability and Sovereignty”, with the main goal of promoting different activities so that chemistry contributes for the sustainable development and sovereignty of Brazil in the coming years. One of these activities is the proposal of an action plan, with goals to be achieved by 2030 and 2050. This article describes in detail how this action plan was formulated by a working group, with the help of an advisory council and interviews of 18 professionals from universities, the government, industries, the third sector and other organizations. Mimicking the Agenda 2030 SDGs, the resulting action plan is based on two broad Chemistry Sustainable Development Goals: promoting sustainability through chemistry in basic education, and promoting sustainability in the industry and university through science, technology, innovation, and education (STI&E) in chemistry. After the definition of three driving technological challenges in STI&E, they shall be successively implemented through different actions starting in 2023 yet.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate decomposition and release of C and of N from the litter of forest Caatinga species in the humification phase, as well as to estimate the residence time of C and N. Litter decomposition of the species was evaluated in 2014/2015 in the municipality of Floresta, Pernambuco, Brazil, using a method of the litter bags at 270; 300; 330; and 360 day. Litter from species of the Fabaceae family presented different decomposition groups, suggesting that decomposition was more influenced by the C/N ratio than N concentration only. The N release was 6.25% greater than the release of C. C will remain in the litter for more time, while N will be almost totally released in approximately 1.14 years. The species litter decomposition were shared, suggesting that the nutrients cycling is fundamental in the preservation of the Caatinga, mainly due to the longer residence time of C.

Descritores eletrônicos obtidos de cálculos de orbitais moleculares AM1, juntamente com os parâmetros log P e π, foram empregados para obter relações quantitativas estrutura-atividade (QSAR) para um conjunto de dezesseis derivados de 2-fenil-indan-1,3-dionas possuindo atividade hipolipidêmica. Os descritores AM1 foram obtidos tanto para o modelo da molécula isolada como também para o modelo COSMO (modelo de seleção considerando condutor ideal) visando incluir o efeito do solvente em nossa análise QSAR. Dos dezesseis derivados estudados, três deles foram excluídos do conjunto de treinamento tendo por objetivo servir como conjunto de teste. Em geral, os resultados obtidos deste conjunto de teste validaram nossos modelos quantitativos, os quais foram baseados em análise de regressão linear e de componentes principais (PCA). A partir disso, novos derivados foram previstos para ser agentes hipolipidêmicos mais potentes do que os derivados de 2-fenil-indan-1,3-dionas cujas atividades experimentais foram determinadas. Por exemplo, nossos resultados sugerem que 2-orto-hidroxi-fenil-indan-1,3-diona é um potencial candidato para novas triagens de estudos experimentais na redução dos níveis de colesterol e de triglicerídeos.

Electronic descriptors obtained from AM1 molecular orbital calculations were employed, along with the empirical parameters log P and π, in a multivariate statistical analysis of the quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) in a group of sixteen 2-(substituted phenyl)indan- 1,3-diones possessing hypolipidemic activities. AM1 descriptors were obtained both for the isolated molecule model and, to simulate the solvent effect, for the COSMO model (conductor-like screening model) in our QSAR analysis. From sixteen studied derivatives, three were excluded from the set of molecules used in the model building stage in order to serve as a test set. In general, the results obtained from this test set validated our quantitative models, which were based on linear regressions and principal component analysis (PCA). From these results, new derivatives were predicted to be more potent hypolipidemic agents than the indan-1,3-diones for which experimental activities were determined. For instance, our results suggest that 2-(ortho-hydroxy-phenyl)indan-1,3-dione is a potential candidate for new experimental screening studies for reducing serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Hydrogen bonds formed through the interaction between a high electronic density center (lone electron pairs, π or pseudo-π bonds) and proton donors cause important electronic and vibrational phenomena in many systems. However, it was demonstrated that proton donors interact with hydrides, such as alkali and alkaline earth metals (BeH2, MgH2, LiH and NaH), what yields a new type of interaction so-called dihydrogen bonds. The characterization of these interactions has been performed at light of the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM), by which the electronic densities ρ are quantified and the intermolecular regions are characterized as closed-shell interactions through the analysis of the Laplacian field ∇2ρ.

We present a theoretical study of solvent effect on C2H5N···HF hydrogen-bonded complex through the application of the AGOA methodology. By using the TIP4P model to orientate the configuration of water molecules, the hydration clusters generated by AGOA were obtained through the analysis of the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of solute (C2H5N···HF). Thereby, it was calculated the hydration energies on positive and negative MEP fields, which are maxima (PEMmax) and minima (PEMmin) when represent the -CH2- methylene groups and hydrofluoric acid, respectively. By taking into account the higher and lower hydration energy values of -370.6 kJ mol-1 and -74.3 kJ mol-1 for PEMmax and PEMmin of the C2H5N···HF, our analysis shows that these results corroborate the open ring reaction of aziridine, in which the preferential attack of water molecules occurs at the methylene groups of this heterocyclic.

As atividades antiinflamatórias de oito compostos 4-amino-2,6-diarilpirimidina-5-carbonitrilas foram sujeitas a uma análise QSAR baseada nos resultados de cálculos de estrutura eletrônica B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) e AM1. Análise de Componentes Principais e regressões baseados nesses dados indicam que compostos potencialmente mais ativos teriam menores valores de momentos de dipolo e de coeficientes de partição e também seriam afetados pelos valores de cargas dos átomos de carbono através dos quais os dois anéis aromáticos estão ligados ao anel pirimidínico. Duas novas moléculas foram previstas serem, ao menos, tão ativas como aquelas com as maiores atividades usadas no estágio de construção do modelo. Uma delas, tendo o grupo metoxila conectado a um dos anéis aromáticos, foi prevista ter um valor de atividade antiinflamatória de 52,3%. Essa molécula foi sintetizada e sua atividade experimental foi determinada em 52,8%, em concordância com a previsão teórica AM1. Esse valor é 5% maior que o maior valor usado para a modelagem.

The experimental anti-inflammatory activities of eight 4-amino-2,6-diarylpyrimidine-5-carbonitriles were subjected to a QSAR analysis based on results from B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and AM1 electronic structure calculations. Principal component analyses and regressions based on these data indicate that potentially more active compounds should have low dipole moment and partition coefficient values and also be affected by the values of the charges of the carbon atoms through which the two aromatic rings are bonded to the pyrimidinic ring. Two new molecules were predicted to be at least as active as those with the highest activities used in the model building stage. One of them, having a methoxy group attached to one of the aromatic rings, was predicted to have an anti-inflammatory activity value of 52.3%. This molecule was synthesized and its experimental activity was found to be 52.8%, in agreement with the AM1 theoretical prediction. This value is 5% higher than the largest value used for modeling.

We present a theoretical study of molecular properties in C2H4···2HF, C2H2···2HF and C3H6···2HF trimolecular hydrogen-bonded complexes. From B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations, the most important structural deformations are related to the C=C (C2H4), C≡C (C2H2), C-C (C3H6) and HF bond lengths. According to the Bader's atoms in molecules and CHELPG calculations, it was identified a tertiary interaction between the fluorine atom of the second hydrofluoric acid molecule and hydrogen atoms of the ethylene and acetylene within the C2H4···2HF and C2H2···2HF complexes, respectively. Additionally, the evaluation of the infrared spectrum characterized the new vibrational modes and bathochromic effect of the HF molecules.

B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculations were used to determine the optimized geometries of the C2H4O-C2H2 and C2H4S-C2H2 heterocyclic hydrogen-bonded complexes. Results of structural, rotational, electronic and vibrational parameters indicate that the hydrogen bonding is non-linear due to the pi bond of the acetylene interacting with the hydrogen atoms of the methyl groups of the three-membered rings. Moreover, the theoretical investigation showed that the non-linearity is much more intriguing, since there is a structural disjunction on the acetylene within the heterocyclic system.

Cálculos de orbitais moleculares ab initio RHF e MP2 usando os conjuntos de base 4-31G**, 6-311G** e cc-pVTZ têm revelado que os valores de G D,A mostram uma boa correlação com transferências de cargas atômicas intermoleculares obtidas a partir de diferentes esquemas de partição para os complexos de hidrogênio CNH…CNH, NCH…CNH, CNH…NCH e NCH…NCH. Isto é especialmente evidente quando a distância da ligação de hidrogênio é progressivamente aumentada até 4,5 Å. Entretanto, valores de G D,A mostram uma melhor correlação linear com valores de deltaQ usando as cargas Mülliken corrigidas, que são obtidas do modelo carga-fluxo de carga-recobrimento (CCFO) para intensidades no infravermelho. Neste caso, ambos G D,A e deltaQ formam duas curvas exponenciais praticamente superpostas. Por outro lado, valores de G D,A mostram uma menor concordância com valores de deltaQ obtidos das cargas atômicas derivadas dos orbitais de ligação naturais. Isso é claramente verificado quando é considerada a taxa de decaimento exponencial de primeira ordem de G D,A versus deltaQ obtida de diferentes esquemas de partição de carga.

RHF and MP2 ab initio molecular orbital calculations using the 4-31G**, 6-311G** and cc-pVTZ basis sets have revealed that the Green's function matrix element (G D,A) values show a good correlation with the amount of intermolecular transferred charges obtained from different charge partitioning schemes for the CNH…CNH, NCH…CNH, CNH…NCH and NCH…NCH hydrogen bonded complexes. This is evident specially when the hydrogen bond distance is progressively increased from the equilibrium position until 4.5 Å. However, G D,A values show a better linear correlation with deltaQ values using corrected Mülliken charges, which are obtained from the charge-charge flux-overlap (CCFO) model for infrared intensities. In this case, both G D,A and deltaQcorr form two practically superposed exponential curves. On the other hand, G D,A values show a smaller agreement with deltaQ values obtained from atomic charges derived from natural bonding orbitals. This is clearly verified when considering the first order exponential decay rate of G D,A versus deltaQ obtained from different charge partitioning schemes.

Estudos teóricos usando os níveis de cálculo B3LYP e MP2 com um conjunto de base 6-31++G** foram empregados para caracterizar complexos de hidrogênio envolvendo pirazina e ácidos lineares HX com X= F, NC, CN e CCH. As propriedades moleculares destes complexos e as mudanças estruturais, eletrônicas e vibracionais que ocorrem nas espécies isoladas devido à formação da ligação de hidrogênio foram calculadas e comparadas com aquelas anteriormente estimadas em complexos do tipo-T envolvendo hidrocarbonetos insaturados simples como doadores de elétrons. Nossos cálculos mostraram que estas mudanças nos complexos de Pyz…HX são muito mais pronunciadas do que aquelas verificadas nos complexos do tipo pi...HX, assim como suas energias de ligação-H. Correções BSSE para as energias da ligação-H estimadas pelos cálculos B3LYP são aproximadamente três vezes menores que aquelas obtidas através dos cálculos MP2. Nossos cálculos também mostraram que ligações de hidrogênio mais fortes nos complexos Pyz...HX estão associadas com menores comprimentos de ligação-H, maiores valores de transferência de carga intermolecular e maiores deslocamentos para baixo na freqüência de estiramento H-X. A força dessas ligações de hidrogênio segue a ordem: X = F > X = NC > X = CN > X = CCH. Como esperado, a intensidade de estiramento H-X foi aumentada substancialmente após a formação da ligação. Finalmente, os novos modos vibracionais que surgem em decorrência da complexação foram também analisados.

Theoretical studies using the B3LYP and MP2 levels of calculation, with the 6-31++G** basis set, have been used to characterize hydrogen bonded complexes between pyrazine and HX linear acids with X = F, NC, CN and CCH. The molecular properties of these complexes and, the structural, electronic and vibrational changes that occur in the isolated species due to H-bond formation have been calculated and then, compared with those previously obtained in T-shaped complexes, involving simple unsaturated hydrocarbons as proton acceptors. Our calculations have shown that these changes in Pyz…HX complexes are much more pronounced than those observed in the pi…HX complexes, as well as their binding energies. BSSE corrections to the energy of binding-H estimated by the B3LYP results are approximately three times smaller than those obtained through MP2 results. Our calculations have also shown that stronger hydrogen bonds in the complexes Pyz…HX are associated with smaller H-bond length values, larger intermolecular charge-transfer and greater downward displacement to the stretching frequency H-X . The H-bond strength for these complexes follows the order: X = F > X = NC > X = CN > X = CCH. As expected, the H-X stretching intensity was enhanced substantially after the H-bond formation. Finally, the new vibrational modes that appear due to the complexation are also analyzed.

The ¹H NMR data set of a series of 3-aryl (1,2,4)-oxadiazol-5-carbohydrazide benzylidene derivatives synthesized in our group was analyzed using the chemometric technique of principal component analysis (PCA). Using the original ¹H NMR data PCA allowed identifying some misassignments of the proton aromatic chemical shifts. As a consequence of this multivariate analysis, nuclear Overhauser difference experiments were performed to investigate the ambiguity of other assignments of the ortho and meta aromatic hydrogens for the compound with the bromine substituent. The effect of the 1,2,4-oxadiazol group as an electron acceptor, mainly for the hydrogens 12,13, has been highlighted.

Um estudo ab initio MP2/6-311++G** foi realizado para obter geometrias, energias de establização e propriedades vibracionais dos complexos de hidrogênio HCN-HX com X = F, Cl, NC, CN e CCH. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que: (i) os valores calculados dos comprimentos das ligações de hidrogênio estão em excelente concordância com seus valores exeperimentais; (ii) a força da ligação-H está associada com a transferência de carga intermolecular e segue a ordem: HCN-HNC ~ HCN-HF > HCN-HCl ~ HCN-HCN > HCN-HCCH; (iii) correção BSSE introduz uma redução média de 2.4 kJ/mol na energia de estabilização MP2/6-311++G**; (iv) as energias do ponto-zero calculadas reduzem a estabilidade destes complexos e estão em boa concordância com os valores experimentais disponíveis; (v) a frequência de estiramento da molécula livre H-X sofre, como esperado, um deslocamento para baixo no espectro após a formação da ligação de hidrogênio e quanto mais curta a distância da ligação-H menor será este deslocamento; (vi) a intensidade no infravermelho deste estiramento H-X sofre a mudança mais pronunciada após a complexação, verificando-se um aumento substancial devido ao termo de fluxo de carga; (vii) as frequências de estiramento intermolecular destes complexos HCN-HX mostram uma concordância muito boa com os seus valores experimentais; e, finalmente, (viii) Os resultados obtidos para HCN-HX seguem o mesmo perfil daqueles observados para os complexos do tipo acetileno-HX. Entretanto, nestes últimos, as mudanças nas propriedades moleculares de suas moléculas livres, após a complexação, são menos pronunciadas do que aquelas observadas para os complexos HCN-HX.

An ab initio MP2/6-311++G** study has been performed to obtain geometries, binding energies and vibrational properties of HCN-HX H-bonded complexes with X = F, Cl, NC, CN and CCH. These MP2/6-311++G** results have revealed that: (i) the calculated H-bond lengths are in very good agreement with the experimental ones; (ii) the H-bond strength is associated with the intermolecular charge transfer and follows the order: HCN-HNC ~ HCN-HF > HCN-HCl ~ HCN-HCN > HCN-HCCH; (iii) BSSE correction introduces an average reduction of 2.4 kJ/mol on the MP2/6-311++G** binding energies, i.e. 11% of the uncorrected binding energy; (iv) the calculated zero-point energies reduce the stability of these complexes and show a good agreement with the available experimental values; (v) the H-X stretching frequency is shifted downward upon H-bond formation. This displacement is associated with the H-bond length; (vi) The more pronounced effect on the infrared intensities occurs with the H-X stretching intensity. It is much enhanced after complexation due to the charge-flux term; (vii) the calculated intermolecular stretching frequencies are in very good agreement with the experimental ones; and, finally, (viii) the results obtained for the HCN-HX complexes follow the same profile as those found for the acetylene-HX series but, in the latter case, the effects on the properties of the free molecules due to complexation are less pronounced than those in HCN-HX.

This work reviews some applications of ab initio molecular orbital calculations to the elucidation of structures of interstellar molecules. The case of the CnNH (n=1, 3 and 5 ) carbenes is extensively analyzed and discussed. Theoretical conformational analysis and predicted values for the rotational constants and dipole moments of the singlet state of C5NH are reported for the first time and a comparison is performed with results previously obtained for C3NH and CNH.