Evidence of variable H-bond network for nitroxide radicals in protic solvents.
This letter presents the results of a thorough computational investigation of two prototypical nitroxide spin probes in two different protic solvents, namely water and methanol, based on the combined use of Car-Parrinello molecular dynamic simulations and static cluster/continuum quantum chemical computations. Remarkable changes in solvation networks were found on going from aqueous to methanolic solutions. Moreover, despite their structural similarity, the two nitroxide probes display quite different behaviors in water. This provides a rationalization of indirect experimentally available indications. Eventually, the combination of static and dynamical ab initio methods exploited in the present study allows to dissect many subtle features of the nitroxide-solvent interaction, and also allows for an analysis of solvent effects on magnetic parameters (hyperfine coupling constants and g-tensor shift).
Pavone
Michele
M
Sillanpää
Atte
A
Cimino
Paola
P
Crescenzi
Orlando
O
Barone
Vincenzo
V