{"title":"Reverse Micelles of Sodium Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Sulfosuccinate Promote Dimethyl Carbonate Hydrolysis in Absence of Added Water.","authors":"Alejandra González Herrera, Ruben Dario Falcone, Fernando Moyano, Nestor Mariano Correa","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500376","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding how chemical reactivity is modulated in confined environments remains a central challenge in chemistry. In this work, a reverse micellar system composed of sodium 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is investigated, where no water is deliberately added. Using two solvatochromic molecular probes: 1-methyl-8-oxyquinolinium betaine (QB) and 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethyl)aminonaphthalene (PRODAN), the interfacial region of these reverse micelles behaves as a highly polar and hydrogen-bond-donor environment, unexpectedly similar to that of protic solvents like methanol (MeOH) is demonstrated. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>1</sup>H NMR) spectroscopy reveals the formation of MeOH over time, providing strong evidence for the hydrolysis of DMC within the micellar core, yielding MeOH. Remarkably, even in the complete absence of deliberately added water, trace interfacial water inherently present in AOT reverse micelles is sufficient to hydrolyze DMC to methanol. These strongly confine residual water molecules exhibit exceptional nucleophilicity, enabling a reaction typically associated with bulk aqueous or acidic conditions. This findings highlight the unique reactivity of nanoconfined polar environments and open new avenues for the design of green catalytic platforms based on confinement effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145079708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Glycosylation on the Reorganization at the Active Site of Human Carbonic Anhydrase IX.","authors":"Ritwika Dey, Kriti Shukla, Arunendu Das, Srabani Taraphder","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500573","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500573","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study is reported on the catalytic domain of human carbonic anhydrase IX in water, with and without glycosylation, employing two force fields, CHARMM36M and ff19SB. The equilibrium structure and stability of the simulated systems in water are found to be largely preserved upon glycosylation. The fluctuations of the distal glycan chain appear to be highly correlated with two catalytically important reorganization processes at the active site. For extended glycan conformations pointing away from the enzyme surface, the active site water network becomes more disordered compared to its unglycosylated counterpart. Glycosylation also sustains the proton shuttle mediated by His-64 sidechain with rapidly interconverting in and out conformations. But the relative stability and rates of transition between these conformations depend critically on the force field used. In the presence of a few rare, back-folded conformations of the glycan chain, a new transient hydrogen-bond network connects the glycan chain to proton paths leading up to the His-64 mediated shuttle, revealing a possible role of glycan fluctuation on the catalysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500573"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145079713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-14DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500520
Paulina Marciniak, Karina Tokarska, Teresa Urban, Małgorzata Wiśniewska, Piotr Nowicki
{"title":"Microwave-Assisted Conversion of Walnut Shells into Carbonaceous Adsorbents-Toward Efficient Removal of Organic Dyes, Polymers, and Surfactants from Aqueous Media.","authors":"Paulina Marciniak, Karina Tokarska, Teresa Urban, Małgorzata Wiśniewska, Piotr Nowicki","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500520","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new set of carbonaceous adsorbents is synthesized via direct physical or chemical activation of walnut shells using microwave-assisted heating. Their ability to remove various classes of organic contaminants-including dyes, surfactants, and polymers-from aqueous media has been comprehensively investigated. In the activation process, CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> are used as activating agents under microwave-induced thermal treatment. The obtained biocarbons are systematically tested for their chemical composition, surface characteristics, textural features, and electrokinetic behavior. Variations in the activation method resulted in distinct differences among the produced biocarbons with respect to their elemental composition, surface acidity-basicity, specific surface area development, and pore size distribution. Adsorption tests show that the efficiency of organic pollutants removal from aqueous media depends significantly on the type of adsorbent prepared and the chemical properties of the adsorbate applied. The sample obtained via microwave-assisted chemical activation proved to be very effective in terms of all the tested organic pollutants' adsorption. The maximum sorption capacity toward poly(ethylene glycol), methylene blue, Triton X-100 and poly(acrylic acid) reached the levels of 722.6, 339.7, 63.4 and 49.9 mg g<sup>-1</sup>, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500520"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Detailed Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Crystalline and Electronic Structure of BaHf<sub>(1-x)</sub>Zr<sub>x</sub>S<sub>3</sub> Solid Solutions (0 ≤ x ≤ 1).","authors":"Lorenza Romagnoli, Alessandro Motta, Alessandro Latini","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Solid solutions of the chalcogenide perovskites BaHfS<sub>3</sub> and BaZrS<sub>3</sub> are synthesized and studied in detail across the entire composition interval by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. The results obtained extend those previously obtained by the same authors in previous works, giving a deeper insight into the structure-electronic properties relationship of these materials. Furthermore, high-resolution synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction data are obtained for pure BaHfS<sub>3</sub> and BaZrS<sub>3</sub>. In particular, the analysis of a higher number of compositions reveals that the cell volume of the solid solutions decreases linearly with increasing Hf content, while the unit cell axes, though showing a decreasing behavior with increasing Hf content, do not show a well-defined trend. The bandgap values of the solid solutions show a more complex relationship with the composition and unit cell volume, that is, values of Hf/(Hf + Zr) ratio below 40% do not exert a significant influence on the bandgap value, which remains practically constant, and then it increases substantially up to reach the value for pure BaHfS<sub>3</sub>. The comparison of the experimental data with density functional theory calculations reveals a satisfactory agreement.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500466"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-14DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500378
Olfa Zayene, Jun Hu, Anne Gaucher, Romain Plais, Manuel Barday, Xavier Moreau, Jean-Yves Salpin, Damien Prim
{"title":"Anion-Π Meets H-Bonding: Tuning Synergy Through the Flexibility-to-Preorganization Transition in Anion Receptor Design","authors":"Olfa Zayene, Jun Hu, Anne Gaucher, Romain Plais, Manuel Barday, Xavier Moreau, Jean-Yves Salpin, Damien Prim","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500378","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500378","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study focuses on a series of receptors incorporating urea and pentafluoropyridine motifs to investigate the synergistic combination of hydrogen bonding and anion-<i>π</i> interactions for anion recognition. Three receptors with various spacers are synthesized to evaluate the influence of molecular preorganization and rigidity on anion binding. Flexible receptor <b>1</b> and rigid receptors <b>2</b> and <b>3</b> are synthesized following a two-step protocol, involving the construction of the urea fragment from isocyanate precursors and a nucleophilic aromatic substitution to install the tetrafluoropyridine motif as key steps. Computational analyses (density functional theory (DFT), noncovalent interaction (NCI) plots), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry are employed to assess structural features and binding performance. DFT calculations reveal that all receptors allow complexation with chloride through dual urea and <i>π</i>-anion sites. Structural rigidity in receptor <b>3</b> shows enhanced binding efficacy due to steric strain and additional C<span></span>H···Cl<sup>−</sup> interaction from its naphthalene core. NMR titrations provide qualitative insights into binding events, with receptor <b>3</b> exhibiting the largest shieldings for all H-bonds, in line with theoretical predictions. Mass spectrometry and collision-induced dissociation experiments confirm receptor–anion complexation, with fragmentation patterns supporting the relative binding strengths. The overall ranking is <b>3 </b>> <b>2 </b>> <b>1</b>, corroborating computational and experimental data.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202500378","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-14DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500295
Wenqi Lv, Jiaqi Zhang, Luca Evangelisti, Gang Feng, Walther Caminati
{"title":"Unveiling the Conformations and van der Waals Interactions between Rare Gas and Bicyclic Aromatic: Rotational Spectroscopy of Benzofuran Complexes with Argon and Krypton.","authors":"Wenqi Lv, Jiaqi Zhang, Luca Evangelisti, Gang Feng, Walther Caminati","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>By integrating Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy with quantum chemical calculations, a detailed conformational and structural analysis of the benzofuran (BF) complexes with argon (BF-Ar) and krypton (BF-Kr) is conducted. The conformations of each complex are explored utilizing the Conformer-Rotamer Ensemble Sampling Tool method for conformational searches, with subsequent geometry optimizations using MP2, RI-SCS-MP2, and density functional theory methods. Experimental results corroborate that the most stable conformations for both complexes feature the rare gas (Rg) atom positioned above the BF ring. In particular, Ar and Kr atoms prefer to locate above the C5 atom, with the Rg···C5 line nearly perpendicular to the BF plane. The Ar and Kr atoms are located ≈3.491 and 3.580 Å from the center of mass of BF. The natural bond orbital analysis indicates that the second-order perturbation energy for the Rg···π interaction is about 3.1 and 3.0 kJ mol<sup>-1</sup> in the BF-Ar and BF-Kr complexes, respectively. Symmetry-adapted perturbation theory energy decomposition analysis reveals that dispersion forces are predominant in these complexes. This study provides insights into the nature of van der Waals interactions between bicyclic heteroaromatics and Rg.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e2500295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145058379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-14DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202401023
Lily M. Guidry, Courtney A. Poirier, Aylin Yigiter, Teagan P. Legg, Barbara Marchetti, Michael N. R. Ashfold, Michael F. Vansco, Tolga N. V. Karsili
{"title":"Unraveling Electronic Effects that Influence the Bimolecular Chemistry of Fluorinated Criegee Intermediates","authors":"Lily M. Guidry, Courtney A. Poirier, Aylin Yigiter, Teagan P. Legg, Barbara Marchetti, Michael N. R. Ashfold, Michael F. Vansco, Tolga N. V. Karsili","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202401023","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202401023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ozonolysis is important for the removal of unsaturated volatile organic compounds emitted into the Earth's atmosphere. The alkene + ozone reaction (alkene ozonolysis) forms a carbonyl oxide – a Criegee intermediate (CI). CIs are interesting from an atmospheric chemistry perspective. They are implicated in enhancing the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere and in secondary organic aerosol formation. CIs may participate in bimolecular reactions with trace atmospheric vapors like water and methanol. Here, the chemistry of the two isomers of CFHOO and of CF<sub>3</sub>CHOO with water, water dimer, and methanol is explored. The present study confirms that the <i>syn</i>-conformer is the minimum energy structure for both CIs and that the reactions of <i>anti</i>-CFHOO display slightly lower activation energies cf. <i>syn</i>-CFHOO, thus promoting faster reaction. For both <i>syn</i>- and <i>anti</i>-CFHOO, the energy barrier in the pathway to adding water, water dimer, or methanol is lower—and the overall reaction exoergicity greater—than for the corresponding reactions involving the nonfluorinated analogue, CH<sub>2</sub>OO. The corresponding bimolecular reaction rates are thus predicted to be faster for CFHOO than CH<sub>2</sub>OO. Similar reactivity trends are found when comparing the same reactions of <i>syn</i>-CF<sub>3</sub>CHOO, cf. <i>syn</i>-CH<sub>3</sub>CHOO, but not when comparing the energetics of the reactions involving anti-CF<sub>3</sub>CHOO <i>cf</i>. <i>anti</i>-CH<sub>3</sub>CHOO.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatially Confined Gap-Mode Excited Molecular Vibrations in Poly(p-Phenylene Vinylene).","authors":"Arjun Upadhyay, Sushant Sharma, Mahsa Haddadi Moghaddam, DaiSik Kim, Parinda Vasa","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores excitation of molecular vibrations in oriented poly(p-phenylene vinylene) or PPV chains by spatially confined gap-mode of a nanoslit antenna fabricated in ≈200-nm-thick gold film. Semi-infinite nanoslit antenna of ≈10 nm width and >200 μm length supports Fabry-Perot resonator like gap-modes, exhibiting strongly confined and spatially diffracting electromagnetic fields on a sub-5 nm length scale that is comparable to the PPV chain width. Excitation of Raman active phenylene and vinylene vibration modes in PPV by such a unique gap-mode facilitates exploration of molecular vibrations selection rules beyond the long wavelength approximation. Raman spectroscopy results presented here reveal clear broadening in vinylene modes of PPV chains due to the relaxation of momentum-space selection rules induced by strong spatial confinement of the gap-mode. Broadening is accompanied by a small red shift in Raman peak position associated with a much higher gap-mode wavevector distribution compared to the free space propagating mode. The experimental results demonstrate potential applications of extremely narrow (≈λ/100), essentially 1D illumination conditions generated by a tunable width nanoslit antenna in probing and engineering nanoscale light-matter interactions beyond long-wavelength approximation over a broad spectral range.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500191"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145063644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500212
Magdalena W. Duszka, Wolfgang Domcke, Andrzej L. Sobolewski
{"title":"Computational Design of B,N-Substituted Graphene Ribbons Exhibiting S1 and T1 States with Near-Degeneracy and High Oscillator Strengths","authors":"Magdalena W. Duszka, Wolfgang Domcke, Andrzej L. Sobolewski","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500212","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500212","url":null,"abstract":"<p>B,N-substituted graphene ribbons are computationally designed and their spectroscopic properties are systematically explored with wave-function-based electronic structure methods. All B,N-graphene ribbons exhibit exceptionally small S<sub>1</sub>–T<sub>1</sub> energy gaps. The oscillator strength of the S<sub>0</sub>–S<sub>1</sub> transition increases monotonically with the length of the ribbons. Some B,N-graphene ribbons of intermediate length (5–10 rings along the main axis) exhibit a negative singlet–triplet energy gap concurrently with a substantial oscillator strength. The calculated emission energies provide evidence of high rigidity of the ribbons, and therefore, narrow absorption/emission profiles and low radiationless quenching rates of the emissive S<sub>1</sub> state.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145022856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-09-07DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500459
Qia-Chun Lin, Wei-Ming Liao, Jun He
{"title":"Metal-Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Coupled with Selective Oxidation Reactions.","authors":"Qia-Chun Lin, Wei-Ming Liao, Jun He","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500459","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Excessive fossil fuel combustion has accelerated renewable energy development, with hydrogen energy emerging as a promising alternative due to its high energy density and environmental compatibility. Photocatalytic hydrogen production through solar energy conversion represents a viable approach for sustainable development. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant research interest owing to their structural tunability, well-defined catalytic sites, and post-synthetic modification capabilities. Recent advances demonstrate that rationally designed MOF-based photocatalysts can achieve photocatalytic hydrogen production without requiring external photosensitizers or sacrificial agents. A systematic analysis of these optimization strategies is crucial for guiding the development of next-generation catalytic materials. This review examines the mechanistic principles underlying photocatalytic hydrogen production coupled with selective oxidation reactions, and focuses on recent key progress in MOF-based photocatalytic hydrogen production coupled with selective oxidation reactions, encompassing overall water splitting, benzyl alcohol oxidation, benzylamine coupling, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation, selective microplastics conversion, and so on. Key factors influencing reaction kinetics are analyzed, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of performance-enhancement strategies including 1) construction of single-component MOF photocatalysts, 2) introduction of the second metal, 3) loading oxidation/reduction cocatalyst, and 4) construction of heterojunctions. The discussion concludes with an assessment of current challenges and potential solutions for advancing MOF-based photocatalytic systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500459"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145014006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}