Binding propensity and selectivity of cationic, anionic, and neutral guests with model hydrophobic hosts: A first principles study

Abstract

Computations play a critical role in deciphering the nature of host–guest interactions both at qualitative and quantitative levels. Reliable quantum chemical computations were employed to assess the nature, binding strength, and selectivity of ionic, and neutral guests with benzenoid hosts. Optimized complex structures reveal that alkali and ammonium ions are found to be in the hydrophobic cavity, while halide ions are outside, while both complexes elicit substantial binding energy. The origin of the selectivity of host toward the guest has been traced to the interaction and deformation energies, and the nature of associated interactions is quantified using energy decomposition and the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules analyses. While the larger hosts lead to loosely bound complexes, as assessed by the longer intermolecular distances, the binding strengths are proportional to the size of the host systems. The binding of cationic complexes is electrostatic or polarization driven while exchange term dominates the anionic complexes. In contrast, dispersion contribution is a key in neutral complexes and plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the polyatomic complexes.

Discerning Potent CSF-1R inhibitors for Targeting and Therapy of Neuroinflammation using Computational Approaches

“…NCIs play a signi cant role in determining the folding, structure, stability, binding and hence govern the dynamics of a plethora of chemical, biological, and supramolecular assemblies [52,53]. We analysed the MD trajectories for the H-bond lengths.…”

Tracing the transition from covalent to non-covalent functionalization of pyrene through C-, N-, and O-based ionic and radical substrates using quantum mechanical calculations

“…24 The p-p, XH-p, cation-p, anion-p and other non-covalent interactions have been identied to play an important role in the non-covalent functionalization of pyrene and other PAHs. [25][26][27] Sastry et al has comprehensively studied a range of PAHs interacting with different substrates via non-covalent interactions and has emphasized the nature of interactions, [28][29][30] and their modulation based on the size and nature of PAHs and substrates. [31][32][33][34][35] Interaction of different substrates with pyrene is also undertaken in several other studies highlighting the functionalization of pyrene or other pyrene-like model systems for a range of applications.…”