Publications by authors named "Rifaat Hilal"

We implemented a version of the decoherence-corrected fewest switches surface hopping based on linear-response time-dependent density functional tight binding (TD-DFTB), enhanced by transition density analysis. The method has been tested for the gas-phase relaxation dynamics of two cycloparaphenylene molecules, [8]CPP and [10]CPP, explaining some important features of their nonadiabatic dynamics, such as the origin of their long fluorescence lifetimes (related to the slow radiative emission from the S state) and the trend of increasing the fluorescence rate with the molecular size (related to an increase in the S-S energy gaps and oscillator strengths in the larger molecule). The quality of the TD-DFTB electronic structure information was assessed through four quantities: excitation energies; charge-transfer (CT) numbers, which estimate the charge transfer character of states; participation ratio (PR), which describes delocalization of electronic density; and participation ratio of natural transition orbitals (PRNTO), which describes the multiconfigurational character of states.

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The photo dissociation of nitrosyl fluorite, FONO, a potential source of atmospheric fluorine, underlies its active role in ozone depletion and other activities in the troposphere. In the present work, the electronic structure of FONO is revisited at high level of ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) theoretical levels. Several different post SCF methods were used to compute excited states, vertical excitation energies and intensities, namely configuration interaction with single excitations (CIS), equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations (EOM-CCSD), and symmetry adopted cluster configuration interaction (SAC-CI) methods.

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The gas-phase thermal tautomerization reaction between 2-hydroxypyridine (2-HPY) and 2-pyridone (2-PY) was investigated by applying 6-311++G** and aug-cc-pvdz basis sets incorporated into some density functional theory (DFT) and coupled cluster with singles and doubles (CCSD) methods. The geometrical structures, dipole moments, HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, total hyperpolarizability, kinetics and thermodynamics functions were monitored against the effects of the corrections imposed on these functionals. The small experimental energy difference between the two tautomers of 3.

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In the present study, we examined the UV excitations of a newly introduced molecular set, Halons-9, composed of nine gaseous halon molecules. The performance of the density functional-based multi-reference configuration interaction method (DFT/MRCI) and time-dependent density functional theory with CAM-B3LYP functional (TD-CAM-B3LYP) in the computation of singlet and triplet excited states of this set was evaluated against coupled-cluster with singles and doubles (CCSD). Excited states up to the corresponding ionization limits, including both localized and delocalized excitations, have been benchmarked.

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Equilibrium thermochemical measurements using the mass-selected ion mobility (MSIM) technique have been utilized to investigate the binding energies and entropy changes of the stepwise association of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and acetonitrile (CH3CN) molecules with the naphthalene radical cation (C10H8˙(+)) in the gas phase forming the C10H8˙(+)(HCN)n and C10H8˙(+)(CH3CN)n clusters with n = 1-3 and 1-5, respectively. The lowest energy structures of the C10H8˙(+)(HCN)n and C10H8˙(+)(CH3CN)n clusters for n = 1-2 have been calculated using the M062X and ω97XD methods within the 6-311+G** basis set, and for n = 1-6 using the B3LYP method within the 6-311++G** basis set. In both systems, the initial interaction occurs through unconventional CH(δ+)···N ionic hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen atoms of the naphthalene cation and the lone pair of electrons on the N atom of the HCN or the CH3CN molecule.

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The gas-phase thermal tautomerization reaction between imidazole-4-acetic (I) and imidazole-5-acetic (II) acids was monitored using the traditional hybrid functional (B3LYP) and the long-range corrected functionals (CAM-B3LYP and ωB97XD) with 6-311++G** and aug-cc-pvdz basis sets. The roles of the long-range and dispersion corrections on their geometrical parameters, thermodynamic functions, kinetics, dipole moments, Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital-Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO-LUMO) energy gaps and total hyperpolarizability were investigated. All tested levels of theory predicted the preference of I over II by 0.

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The present work details, our efforts to investigate and compare the acid-base properties of levodopa (LD) and carbidopa (CD), a drug combination being used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Protonation and deprotonation were examined for all possible sites in the two drugs. Proton affinity and proton detachment enthalpies were computed at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory.

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The present study aims at a fundamental understanding of bonding characteristics of the C-Br and O-Br bonds. The target molecular systems are the isomeric CH3OBr/BrCH2OH system and their decomposition products. Calculations of geometries and frequencies at different density functional theory (DFT) and Hartree-Fock/Møller-Plesset (HF/MP2) levels have been performed.

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This study aims to identify the origin of the extra stability of alloxan, a biologically active pyrimidine. To achieve this goal, detailed DFT computations and quantum dynamics simulations have been performed to establish the most stable conformation and the global minimum structure on the alloxan potential energy surface. The effects of the solvent, basis set, and DFT method have been examined to validate the theoretical model adopted throughout the work.

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The fate of organic pollutants in the environment is influenced by several factors including the type and strength of their interactions with soil components especially SOM. However, a molecular level answer to the question "How organic pollutants interact with SOM?" is still lacking. In order to explore mechanisms of this interaction, we have developed a new SOM model and carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in parallel with sorption experiments.

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Equilibrium thermochemical measurements using the ion mobility drift cell technique have been utilized to investigate the binding energies and entropy changes for the stepwise association of HCN molecules with the pyridine and pyrimidine radical cations forming the C5H5N(+·)(HCN)n and C4H4N2 (+·)(HCN)n clusters, respectively, with n = 1-4. For comparison, the binding of 1-4 HCN molecules to the protonated pyridine C5H5NH(+)(HCN)n has also been investigated. The binding energies of HCN to the pyridine and pyrimidine radical cations are nearly equal (11.

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The coupling of hydrogen bonds is central to structures and functions of biological systems. Hydrogen bond coupling in sodium dihydrogen triacetate (SDHTA) is investigated as a model for the hydrogen bonded systems of the type O-H…O. The two-dimensional potential energy surface is derived from the full-dimensional one by selecting the relevant vibrational modes of the hydrogen bonds.

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MP2, DFT and CCSD methods with 6-311++G** and aug-cc-pvdz basis sets have been used to probe the structural changes and relative energies of E-prop-2-ynylideneamine (I), Z-prop-2-ynylideneamine (II), prop-1,2-diene-1-imine (III) and vinyl cyanide (IV). The energy near-equivalence and provenance of preference of isomers and tautomers were investigated by NBO calculations using HF and B3LYP methods with 6-311++G** and aug-cc-pvdz basis sets. All substrates have Cs symmetry.

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The optimized geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and energies of the structures of monohydrated alloxan were computed at the DFT/ωB97X-D and B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory. Results confirm that the monohydrate exists as a dipolar alloxan-water complex which represents a global minimum on the potential energy surface (PES). Trajectory dynamics simulations show that attempt to reorient this monohydrate, to a more favorable orientation for H-bonding, is opposed by an energy barrier of 25.

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The FTIR spectra of a series of 1H- and 2H- 1,2,3- and 1,2,4- triazoles and benzotriazoles were measured in the solid state. Assignments of the observed bands were facilitated by computation of the spectra using the density functional B3LYP method with the 6-311++G** basis set. The theoretical spectra show very good agreement with experiment.

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Hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs) interact in soil with the soil organic matter (SOM) but this interaction is insufficiently understood at the molecular level. We investigated the adsorption of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) on soil samples with systematically modified SOM. These samples included the original soil, the soil modified by adding a hot water extract (HWE) fraction (soil+3 HWE and soil+6 HWE), and the pyrolyzed soil.

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Equilibrium thermochemical measurements using an ion mobility drift cell technique have been utilized to investigate the binding energies and entropy changes associated with the stepwise hydration of the biologically significant ions pyrimidine radical cation and protonated pyrimidine. The binding energy of the hydrated pyrimidine radical cation is weaker than that of the proton-bound dimer pyrimidineH(+)(H2O) consistent with the formation of a weak carbon-based CH(δ+)··OH2 hydrogen bond (11.9 kcal/mol) and a stronger NH(+)··OH2 hydrogen bond (15.

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The MP2 and DFT/B3LYP methods at 6-311++G(d,p) and aug-cc-pdz basis sets have been used to probe the origin of relative stability preference for eclipsed acetaldehyde over its bisected counterpart. A relative energy stability range of 1.02 to 1.

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The electronic structure, the origin of the extraordinary stability and the reaction mechanisms of the decomposition reaction of the three-membered ring cyclopropenone (IO), its phenyl derivative (IIO) and its sulfur analogues (IS and IIS) have been investigated at the B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory. All critical points on the reaction surface, reactants, transition states and intermediates were determined. Reaction rate constants and half-lives have been computed.

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The present work aims to exploit the possibility of using the tautomerism in 2-hydroxy Schiff bases for molecular switching. The enol imine (E)⇔ enaminone (K) tautomerization in a series of 2-hydroxy Schiff bases have been investigated theoretically at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311G** level of theory. The intramolecular proton transfer processes have been explored, transition structures have been located and characterized.

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Levodopa (LD) is used to increase dopamine level for treating Parkinson's disease. The major metabolism of LD to produce dopamine is decarboxylation. In order to understand the metabolism of LD; the electronic structure of levodopa was investigated at the Density Functional DFT/B3LYP level of theory using the 6-311+G** basis set, in the gas phase and in solution.

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The complexes of orotic acid with Co(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), Cu(II), and Cd(II) were prepared and their stoichiometry were determined by elemental analysis. Co(II) and Ni(II) give complexes with orotic acid of 1:1 ratio whereas that of the remaining transition metals give complexes of 1:2 ratio. The stereochemistry of the studied metal complexes has been established by analyses of their electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibilities.

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Quantitative and comparative investigation of the electronic absorption spectra of theophylline, caffeine and their derivatives is reported. The spectra of theophylline, caffeine and theobromine were compared to establish the predominant tautomeric species in solution. This comparison, analysis of solvent effects and assignments of the observed transitions via MO computations indicate the exits of only one tautomeric species in solution that is the N7 form.

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A QSAR model has been developed for 1,3-dimethylxanthines as adenosine receptor antagonists. The model is capable of predicting the affinity toward both the A1 and A2 receptors. Constitutional, geometrical, topological, electronic descriptors (computed at the ab initio 6-31G level), and some empirical descriptors related to the hypophilicity were computed and analyzed.

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