João Paulo Gobbo

On the deactivation mechanisms of adenine-thymine base pair.

In this contribution, the multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory method based on a complete active space reference wave function (CASSCF/CASPT2) is applied to study all possible single and double proton/hydrogen transfers between the nucleobases in the adenine-thymine (AT) base pair, analyzing the role of excited states with different nature [localized (LE) and charge transfer (CT)], and considering concerted as well as step-wise mechanisms. According to the findings, once the lowest excited states, localized in adenine, are populated during UV irradiation of the Watson-Crick base pair, the proton transfer in the N-O bridge does not require high energy in order to populate a CT state. The latter state will immediately relax toward a crossing with the ground state, which will funnel the system to either the canonical structure or the imino-enol tautomer. The base pair is also capable of repairing itself easily since the imino-enol species is unstable to thermal conversion.

Proton/Hydrogen Transfer Mechanisms in the Guanine-Cytosine Base Pair: Photostability and Tautomerism.

Proton/hydrogen-transfer processes have been broadly studied in the past 50 years to explain the photostability and the spontaneous tautomerism in the DNA base pairs. In the present study, the CASSCF/CASPT2 methodology is used to map the two-dimensional potential energy surfaces along the stretched NH reaction coordinates of the guanine-cytosine (GC) base pair. Concerted and stepwise pathways are explored initially in vacuo, and three mechanisms are studied: the stepwise double proton transfer, the stepwise double hydrogen transfer, and the concerted double proton transfer. The results are consistent with previous findings related to the photostability of the GC base pair, and a new contribution to tautomerism is provided. The C-based imino-oxo and imino-enol GC tautomers, which can be generated during the UV irradiation of the Watson-Crick base pair, have analogous radiationless energy-decay channels to those of the canonical base pair. In addition, the C-based imino-enol GC tautomer is thermally less stable. A study of the GC base pair is carried out subsequently taking into account the DNA surroundings in the biological environment. The most important stationary points are computed using the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach, suggesting a similar scenario for the proton/hydrogen-transfer phenomena in vacuo and in DNA. Finally, the static model is complemented by ab initio dynamic simulations, which show that vibrations at the hydrogen bonds can indeed originate hydrogen-transfer processes in the GC base pair. The relevance of the present findings for the rationalization of the preservation of the genetic code and mutagenesis is discussed.

On The Population of Triplet Excited States of 6-Aza-2-Thiothymine

The mechanisms of population of the lowest excited triplet states of 6-aza-2-thiothymine were investigated by means of CASPT2//CASSCF quantum-chemical calculations, with extensive atomic natural orbital basis sets of double-ζ quality (ANO-L-VDZP). Several key structures corresponding to equilibrium geometries, surface crossings, minimum energy paths, and linear interpolation in internal coordinates were used to explain the ability to sensitize molecular oxygen. After population of the S2(1)(ππ*) state, the system evolves to the state minimum. At this point, and along the minimum energy path of the (1)(ππ*) state, two main mechanisms related to the triplet and singlet manifolds can be visualized, leading the system to the lowest triplet state, T1(3)(ππ*).

On the Mechanisms of Triplet Excited State Population in 8-Azaadenine

The photophysics of 8-azaadenine (8-AA) has been studied with the CASPT2//CASSCF protocol and ANO-L double-ζ basis sets. Stationary equilibrium structures, surface crossings, minimum energy paths, and linear interpolations have been used to study possible mechanisms to populate the lowest triplet state, T(1)(3)(ππ*), capable of sensitizing molecular oxygen. Our results show that two main mechanisms can occur after photoexcitation to the S(2)(1)(ππ*) state. The first one is through the S(2)/S(1) conical intersection (((1)ππ*/(1)nπ*)(CI)), leading to the S(1) ((1)nπ*) state minimum, (S(1) ((1)nπ*))(min), where a singlet-triplet crossing, ((1)nπ*/(3)ππ*)(STC), is accessible. The second one starts with the ((1)ππ*/(3)nπ*)(STC) at the (S(2)((1)ππ*))(min), from which the system can evolve to the (T(2) ((3)nπ*))(min), with subsequent population of the T(1) excited electronic state, due to the ((3)nπ*/(3)ππ*)(CI) conical intersection.

Electronic structure and chemical bonding in the ground states of Tc2 and Re2

Multiconfiguration second-order perturbation theory, including relativistic effects and spin–orbit coupling, has been employed to investigate the nature of the chemical bonding in the ground state of Tc2 and Re2. The Tc2 ground state is found to be a state, with an effective bond order (EBO) of 4.4, and a dissociation energy of 3.25 eV. The Re2 ground state is a 1 g state, with EBO = 4.3. Almost degenerate to it, is a state (T e = 77 cm−1), with EBO = 4.1. Experimental evidence also indicates that the ground state is of 1 g nature. The dissociation energy is computed to be 5.0 eV in agreement with an experimental estimate of 4 ± 1 eV.

Relaxation Mechanisms of 5-Azacytosine.

The photophysics and deactivation pathways of the noncanonical 5-azacytosine nucleobase were studied using the CASPT2//CASSCF protocol. One of the most significant differences with respect to the parent molecule cytosine is the presence of a dark (1)(nNπ*) excited state placed energetically below the bright excited state (1)(ππ*) at the Franck-Condon region. The main photoresponse of the system is a presumably efficient radiationless decay back to the original ground state, mediated by two accessible conical intersections involving a population transfer from the (1)(ππ*) and the (1)(nNπ*) states to the ground state. Therefore, a minor contribution of the triplet states in the photophysics of the system is expected, despite the presence of a deactivation path leading to the lowest (3)(ππ*) triplet state. The global scenario on the photophysics and photochemistry of the 5-azacytosine system gathered on theoretical grounds is consistent with the available experimental data, taking especially into account the low values of the singlet-triplet intersystem crossing and fluorescence quantum yields observed.

Low-Lying Singlet and Triplet Electronic States of RhB

The low-lying XSigma+, a3Delta, A1Delta, b3Sigma+, B1Pi, c3Pi, C1Phi, D1Sigma+, E1Pi, d3Phi, and e3Pi electronic states of RhB have been investigated at the ab initio level, using the multistate multiconfigurational second-order perturbation (MS-CASPT2) theory, with extended atomic basis sets and inclusion of scalar relativistic effects. Among the eleven electronic states included in this work, only three (the X1Sigma+, D1Sigma+, and E1Pi states) have been investigated experimentally. Potential energy curves, spectroscopic constants, dipole moments, binding energies, and chemical bonding aspects are presented for all electronic states.

The nature of the [20.0]Σ+1 electronic state of RhB: A multiconfigurational study

Multiconfigurational second order perturbation theory, with extended atomic basis sets and inclusion of scalar relativistic effects, was employed to investigate the low-lying Σ+1 electronic states of RhB. The [20.0]Σ+1 state is represented by a single configuration, ∣…10σ211σ15π42δ412σ1⟩, derived from a single excitation (11σ→12σ) from the ground state, which defines its electronic nature. A new excited state, coined as [9.0]Δ1 (R0=1.786A, ΔG1∕2=792cm−1), located 9221cm−1 above the XΣ+1 state, and described by the ∣…10σ211σ25π42δ312σ1⟩ electronic configuration, was also identified.

Inertization of small-scale chemical wastes using iron phosphate glass

The viability of small-scale heavy-metal waste immobilization into iron phosphate glasses was investigated. Several waste forms containing different amounts of heavy-ion wastes were evaluated (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 26%, 33%, 40% and 50% by mass) and their X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that no crystallization occurred in glasses with waste concentrations up to 26%. The dissolution rates for all of the reported glass compositions (ca. 10-8 g cm-2 min-1) are similar to those reported for the materials most commonly used for waste vitrification. Iron phosphate glasses thus proved to be very useful for the immobilization of heavy-metal wastes, exhibiting good contention and chemical durability comparable to that of borosilicate glasses.