Computational Comparison Of Platinum, Base Metals, And Binary Intermetallic Compounds’ Efficiency In Hydrogenation Catalysis,
2023
Missouri State University
Computational Comparison Of Platinum, Base Metals, And Binary Intermetallic Compounds’ Efficiency In Hydrogenation Catalysis, Lauren M. Sayler
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
In the petroleum industry, platinum is used as a catalyst in hydrogenation reactions during petroleum refining. Although platinum is extremely effective as a catalyst, it is expensive. This is an investigation into platinum and what characteristics make it so efficient, with the end goal of finding intermetallic compounds composed of base metals that are as effective in hydrogenation catalysis. The metals used in this investigation are Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, and W. The research performed here is computational and used to support and direct decisions made in the laboratory. The computation is first-principle, which is accomplished using Vienna Ab initio …
Renewable Fuels: Molecular Dynamics Investigations Into Pyrolysis Of Methyl Linoleate,
2023
Missouri State University
Renewable Fuels: Molecular Dynamics Investigations Into Pyrolysis Of Methyl Linoleate, Elson Osakpolor Eguaosa
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
With the rapid depletion of the world’s supply of fossil fuels, especially petroleum products, petroleum prices have risen by approximately 800% between the 1970s and now and are projected to continue rising. It is also expected that the world’s consumption of energy will increase commensurate with its growing population. Although biodiesel is a good renewable alternative, it has its limitations including high production costs and poor low-temperature performance. We seek to improve conventional biodiesel with pyrolysis to produce low molecular-weight compounds with high energy densities. Understanding the pyrolysis path on the atomic scale is key as it will allow us …
Exploration And Synthesis Of Half-Heusler And Disordered Ternary Intermetallic Single Crystals,
2023
Missouri State University
Exploration And Synthesis Of Half-Heusler And Disordered Ternary Intermetallic Single Crystals, Md Fahel Bin Noor
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
Due to their distinct physical and chemical characteristics, half-Heusler compounds are intermetallic materials that have undergone substantial research. The general formula for these compounds is XYZ, where X and Y are transition metals and Z is a p-block element. Thermoelectricity is among the half-Heusler compounds' most exciting potential uses, but additional possible applications include spintronics, magnetic refrigeration, and superconductivity, among others. Recently, half-Heuslers (and Heuslers) have emerged as candidates for catalysts for hydrogenation. The CoNbSn half-Heusler compound, as well as another unique intermetallic ternary compound, the disordered Mn4-xCrxAl11, were successfully grown as single crystals …
The Design And Characterization Of Gold Nanoclusters As Elementary Building Blocks,
2023
Wilfrid Laurier University
The Design And Characterization Of Gold Nanoclusters As Elementary Building Blocks, Heather Gaebler
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Gold nanoclusters with diameters in the quantum size regime (< ~2 nm) are promising building blocks for the design of novel nanomaterials as they exhibit unique size-dependent properties that can be altered and fine-tuned. The research outlined in this PhD thesis employs density functional theory to construct and analyze small ligand-protected cage and rod-shaped nanoclusters. Chapter 2 reports stable halide-protected gold nanocages that were engineered to have a closed-shell valence electron count of 18. This study finds that nanocages comprised of 19 and 20 gold atoms can be converted into stable magic number species containing 18 valence electrons by modifying their charged states via adsorption of halide ligands to the cage’s surface. Chapter 3 reports stable ligand-protected gold nanoclusters with a tetrahedral Au4 core that were engineered to have a closed-shell valence electron count of 2. This study investigates the structural and electronic effects of halide and alkoxy ligands on the tetrahedral nanocluster and concludes that the results support the broader conclusion that it’s possible to fine-tune the stability and electronic properties of small gold nanoclusters using appropriate ligands. Chapter 4 reports stable gold nanorods that have diameters in the quantum regime that were constructed from elementary building blocks that contain “halide-staples”. This study presents different orientations of the “halide-staple” motifs on …
Quantum Computations And Molecular Dynamics Simulations: From The Fundamentals Of Antimicrobial Resistance To Neurological Diseases,
2022
Duquesne University
Quantum Computations And Molecular Dynamics Simulations: From The Fundamentals Of Antimicrobial Resistance To Neurological Diseases, Angel Tamez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Biophysical phenomena are modeled using a combination of quantum and classical methods to interpret and supplement three distinct and diverse problems in this dissertation. In the first project, decarboxylation reactions are ubiquitous across chemical and biological disciplines, yet the origin of non-catalytic solvent effects remains elusive. Specific solvent structure and energetics have not been well described for the monoanion of malonate, nor corrected from the gas-phase charge-assisted intramolecular hydrogen bond model known as “pseudochair”. In the aqueous phase, a low-lying energy conformer known as the “orthogonal conformation” is computed to be preferred by a three-water cluster of hydrogen bonding over …
Computer Simulation Of The Light Absorption Band Of The Jumping Spider Isorhodopsin,
2022
Bowling Green State University
Computer Simulation Of The Light Absorption Band Of The Jumping Spider Isorhodopsin, Noah Zoldak
Honors Projects
In order to simulate the photoisomerization of the 9-cis Jumping Spider Isorhodopsin (JSiR-1) it is necessary to first simulate its light-absorption band. Here we report on the absorption band simulated using protein models constructed using the advanced Automatic Rhodopsin Modeling (a-ARM) program. A population of S0 models was created and the corresponding S0 to S1 transitions were determined for each member of the resulting population. The calculation resulted in a Gaussian plot showing that the wavelength of the absorption maximum of 560 nm (a violet color) that is consistent, but red-shifted, with respect the experimentally observed value.
Hydrogen Bonding In Small Model Peptides; The Dft And Mp2 Study,
2022
Kennesaw State University
Hydrogen Bonding In Small Model Peptides; The Dft And Mp2 Study, Gracie Smith, Martina Kaledin
Symposium of Student Scholars
Formamide is a small model compound for the study of the peptide bond. The peptide bond links amino acids together, specifies rigidity to the protein backbone, and includes the essential docking sites for hydrogen-bond-mediated protein folding and protein aggregation, namely, the C=O acceptor and the N-H donor parts. Therefore, the infrared C=O (amide-I) and N-H (amide-A) vibrations provide sensitive and widely used probes into the structure of peptides. This computational chemistry work, we study hydrogen bonds in formamide dimer isomers. We evaluate the accuracy of the density functional theory (DFT) and many-body perturbation theory to the 2nd order (MP2) …
Computational And Experimental Investigations Of Alkali Cation Interactions At The Rutile – Water Interface,
2022
Clemson University
Computational And Experimental Investigations Of Alkali Cation Interactions At The Rutile – Water Interface, Isaac Johnston
All Dissertations
Overall, the objective of this dissertation was to investigate the degree of sorption for the alkali cations on rutile to ascertain the impact of different cation properties, such as ion size and charge density, on sorption mechanics as well as probe how the ion may alter the surface – aqueous interface. Initial molecular dynamic simulations and batch experiments showed minimal surface sorption for any alkali cation at relatively low concentrations while simultaneously suggesting the enthalpy of deprotonation shifts slightly in the presence of the alkali cations at different ionic strengths. The cations are likely causing small reorientations of the near-surface …
Turning Density Functional Theory Calculations Into Molecular Mechanics Simulations : Establishing The Fluctuating Density Model For Rna Nucleobases,
2022
University at Albany, State University of New York
Turning Density Functional Theory Calculations Into Molecular Mechanics Simulations : Establishing The Fluctuating Density Model For Rna Nucleobases, Christopher A. Myers
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Molecular mechanics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) have been the backbone of computational chemistry for decades. Due to its accuracy and computational feasibility, DFT has become the go-to method for theoretically predicting interaction energies, polarizability, and other electronic properties of small molecules at the quantum mechanical level. Although less fundamental than DFT, molecular mechanics (MM) algorithms have been just as influential in the fields of biology and chemistry, owing their success to the ability to compute measurable, macroscopic quantities for systems with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of atoms at a time. Nevertheless, MD simulations would …
Turning Ligands On Their Side: Computational Investigation Into The Binding Of N2o And N2 In Transition Metal Complexes,
2022
Stephen F Austin State University
Turning Ligands On Their Side: Computational Investigation Into The Binding Of N2o And N2 In Transition Metal Complexes, Cole Donald
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Common greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is a thermodynamically potent and environmentally benign oxidant, making it a desirable target for metal center activation. Unfortunately, N2O is a poor ligand for transition metals due to its weak sigma-donating and pi-accepting properties; as a result, few transition metal complexes capable of interacting with N2O have been found. As the primary source of all nitrogen in organisms, abundant gas dinitrogen (N2) is a crucially important tiny molecule and an essential part of daily existence. However, due to its inertness, it has limited practical uses in …
Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Decipher Mechanistic Details Of Biomolecular Processes Of Biology And Biotechnology Oriented Applications,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Decipher Mechanistic Details Of Biomolecular Processes Of Biology And Biotechnology Oriented Applications, Adithya Polasa
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Researchers in chemistry and biology often utilize computer simulations, in conjunction with experimental data, to model and predict the structures, energies, kinetics, processes, and functions of the systems that are their focus of study, ranging from single molecules to whole viruses. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) techniques to gain a deeper understanding of biomolecular processes in biology and biotechnology-oriented applications. Using a mixture of equilibrium and non-equilibrium MD simulations, this work describes the insertion process of YidC at the atomic level. In order to better comprehend the insertion process, several docking models of YidC-Pf3 in the lipid bilayer were …
Elucidation Of Active Site And Mechanism Of Metal Catalysts Supported In Nu-1000,
2022
Clemson University
Elucidation Of Active Site And Mechanism Of Metal Catalysts Supported In Nu-1000, Hafeera Shabbir
All Dissertations
Advances in extraction of shale oil and gas has increased the production of geographically stranded natural gas (primarily consisting of methane (C1) and ethane (C2)) that is burned on site. A potential utilization strategy for shale gas is to convert it into fuel range hydrocarbons by catalytic dehydrogenation followed by oligomerization by direct efficient catalysts. This work focuses on understanding metal cation catalysts supported on metal-organic framework (MOF) NU-1000 that will actively and selectively do this transformation under mild reaction conditions, while remaining stable to deactivation (via metal agglomeration or sintering). I built computational models validated by experimental methods to …
Perfect Polar Alignment Of Parallel Beloamphiphile Monolayers: Synthesis, Characterization, And Crystal Architectures Of Unsymmetrical Phenoxy-Substituted Acetophenone Azines,
2022
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Perfect Polar Alignment Of Parallel Beloamphiphile Monolayers: Synthesis, Characterization, And Crystal Architectures Of Unsymmetrical Phenoxy-Substituted Acetophenone Azines, Harmeet Bhoday, Michael Lewis, Steven P. Kelley, Rainer Glaser
Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works
It remains a great challenge to achieve polar order in organic molecular crystals because anti-parallel alignment of side-by-side molecules is intrinsically preferred. We have addressed this problem with a rational design that focuses on the polar stacking of parallel beloamphiphile monolayers (PBAMs) with strong lateral quadrupole-quadrupole attractions. We employ arene-arene interactions as lateral synthons. The first successes were achieved with unsymmetrical donor (X), acceptor (Y) substituted acetophenone azines which form polar PBAMs with double T-contacts between the azines. Near-perfect alignment was achieved with the methoxy series of (MeO, Y)-azines with Y=Cl, Br, I. Here, we report on the synthesis, the …
First-Principles Study Of Doping Effects On Ferroelectricity And On Rashba Spin Splitting,
2022
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
First-Principles Study Of Doping Effects On Ferroelectricity And On Rashba Spin Splitting, Zegnet Yimer Muhammed
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
In this dissertation, we have thoroughly studied the effect of chemical and charge dopingon ferroelectrics (PbTiO3 and BaTiO3) and Rashba type semiconductor (BiTeI). In the first project, We investigate the polar instability and soft modes in electron-doped PbTiO3 using linear-response density functional calculations. Because, metallicity and ferroelectric-like polar distortion are mutually non-compatible, and their coexistence in the same system is an intriguing subject of fundamental interest in the field of structure phase transition. However, it is unclear what mechanism may extend the limit of metallicity that allows polar distortion. We find that ferroelectric instability can remarkably sustain up to an …
Helium Nanodroplets As An Efficient Tool To Investigate Hydrogen Attachment To Alkali Cations,
2022
University of Innsbruck
Helium Nanodroplets As An Efficient Tool To Investigate Hydrogen Attachment To Alkali Cations, Siegfried Kollotzek, José Campos-Martínez, Massimiliano Bartolomei, Fernando Pirani, Lukas Tiefenthaler, Marta I. Hernández, Teresa Lázaro, Eva Zunzunegui-Bru, Tomás González-Lezana, José Bretón, Javier Hernández-Rojas, Olof E. Echt, Paul Scheier
Faculty Publications
We report a novel method to reversibly attach and detach hydrogen molecules to positively charged sodium clusters formed inside a helium nanodroplet host matrix. It is based on the controlled production of multiply charged helium droplets which, after picking up sodium atoms and exposure to H2 vapor, lead to the formation of Nam+(H2)n clusters, whose population was accurately measured using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectra reveal particularly favorable Na+(H2)n and Na2+(H2)n clusters for specific “magic” numbers of attached hydrogen molecules. …
Biomimetic Modifications Of A Feni Hydrogenase Bridging Cys Residue Ligand,
2022
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Biomimetic Modifications Of A Feni Hydrogenase Bridging Cys Residue Ligand, Madeline Kesner, Meghan Mcgreal
Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research
No abstract provided.
Solvation Of Large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Helium: Cationic And Anionic Hexabenzocoronene,
2022
University of Innsbruck
Solvation Of Large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Helium: Cationic And Anionic Hexabenzocoronene, Miriam Kappe, Florent Calvo, Johannes Schöntag, Holger F. Bettinger, Serge Krasnokutski, Martin Kuhn, Elisabeth Gruber, Fabio Zappa, Paul Scheier, Olof E. Echt
Faculty Publications
The adsorption of helium on charged hexabenzocoronene (Hbc, C42H18), a planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecule of D6h symmetry, is investigated by a combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry and classical and quantum computational methods. The ion abundance of HenHbc+ complexes versus size n features prominent local anomalies at n = 14, 38, 68, 82, and a weak one at 26, indicating that for these “magic” sizes the helium evaporation energies are relatively large. Surprisingly, mass spectra of anionic HenHbc– complexes feature a different set of anomalies, namely at …
Probing Mechanisms Of Binding And Allostery In The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Variant Complexes With The Host Receptor: Revealing Functional Roles Of The Binding Hotspots In Mediating Epistatic Effects And Communication With Allosteric Pockets, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Steve Agajanian, Ryan Kassab, Keerthi Krishnan
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
In this study, we performed all-atom MD simulations of RBD–ACE2 complexes for BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3 Omicron subvariants, conducted a systematic mutational scanning of the RBD–ACE2 binding interfaces and analysis of electrostatic effects. The binding free energy computations of the Omicron RBD–ACE2 complexes and comprehensive examination of the electrostatic interactions quantify the driving forces of binding and provide new insights into energetic mechanisms underlying evolutionary differences between Omicron variants. A systematic mutational scanning of the RBD residues determines the protein stability centers and binding energy hotpots in the Omicron RBD–ACE2 complexes. By employing the ensemble-based global network analysis, we …
Interpretable Machine Learning Models For Molecular Design Of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Using Variational Autoencoders And Perturbation-Based Approach Of Chemical Space Exploration,
2022
Chapman University
Interpretable Machine Learning Models For Molecular Design Of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Using Variational Autoencoders And Perturbation-Based Approach Of Chemical Space Exploration, Keerthi Krishnan, Ryan Kassab, Steve Agajanian, Gennady M. Verkhivker
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
In the current study, we introduce an integrative machine learning strategy for the autonomous molecular design of protein kinase inhibitors using variational autoencoders and a novel cluster-based perturbation approach for exploration of the chemical latent space. The proposed strategy combines autoencoder-based embedding of small molecules with a cluster-based perturbation approach for efficient navigation of the latent space and a feature-based kinase inhibition likelihood classifier that guides optimization of the molecular properties and targeted molecular design. In the proposed generative approach, molecules sharing similar structures tend to cluster in the latent space, and interpolating between two molecules in the latent space …
In Silico Evaluation Of The Antimalarial Potential Of The Phytoconstituents Of The Azadirachta Indica Plant,
2022
Department of Chemistry, Confluence University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 1040, Osara, Kogi State, Nigeria
In Silico Evaluation Of The Antimalarial Potential Of The Phytoconstituents Of The Azadirachta Indica Plant, Areh E.T., Atolani O., Kambizi L
Al-Bahir
Background and Objectives: Malaria, a parasitic protozoan disease caused primarily by Plasmodium falciparum, has killed millions of people in Africa, particularly those with meager or no access to orthodox medical facilities and therapies. Extracts from the Azadirachta indica (neem) plant is believed to possess antimalaria properties among the locals that rely on herbs. Numerous in - vivo studies have suggested the antimalarial properties of neem extract and phytochemicals. This study employs an in - silico method through molecular docking techniques to provide insight while adding credence to the antimalarial potential of phytochemicals of neem plants as claimed …
