Document Detail


The mechanism of formamide hydrolysis in water from ab initio calculations and simulations.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16130156     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The neutral hydrolysis of formamide in water is a suitable reference to quantify the efficiency of proteolytic enzymes. However, experimental data for this reaction has only very recently been obtained and the kinetic constant determined experimentally is significantly higher than that predicted by previous theoretical estimations. In this work, we have investigated in detail the possible mechanisms of this reaction. Several solvent models have been considered that represent a considerable improvement on those used in previous studies. Density functional and ab initio calculations have been carried out on a system which explicitly includes the first solvation shell of the formamide molecule. Its interaction with the bulk has been treated with the aid of a dielectric continuum model. Molecular dynamics simulations at the combined density functional/molecular mechanics level have been carried out in parallel to better understand the structure of the reaction intermediates in aqueous solution. Overall, the most favored mechanism predicted by our study involves two reaction steps. In the first step, the carbonyl group of the formamide molecule is hydrated to form a diol intermediate. The corresponding transition structure involves two water molecules. From this intermediate, a water-assisted proton transfer occurs from one of the hydroxy groups to the amino group. This reaction step may lead either to the formation of a new reaction intermediate with a marked zwitterionic character or to dissociation of the system into ammonia and formic acid. The zwitterionic intermediate dissociates quite easily but its lifetime is not negligible and it could play a role in the hydrolysis of substituted amides or peptides. The predicted pseudo-first-order kinetic constant for the rate-limiting step (the first step) of the hydrolysis reaction at 25 degrees C (3.9x10(-10) s(-1)) is in excellent agreement with experimental data (1.1x10(-10) s(-1)).
Authors:
Leonid Gorb; Amparo Asensio; Iñaki Tuñón; Manuel F Ruiz-López
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)     Volume:  11     ISSN:  0947-6539     ISO Abbreviation:  Chemistry     Publication Date:  2005 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-11-02     Completed Date:  2006-04-17     Revised Date:  2009-08-04    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9513783     Medline TA:  Chemistry     Country:  Germany    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  6743-53     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Computational Center for Molecular Structure and Interactions, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, P.O. Box 17910, 1325 Lynch Street, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Computer Simulation*
Crystallography, X-Ray
Formamides / chemistry*
Hydrogen Bonding
Hydrolysis
Models, Molecular
Molecular Structure
Thermodynamics*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Formamides

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