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The theorems at the core of density functional theory (DFT) state that the energy of a many-electron system in its ground state is fully defined by its electron density distribution. This connection is made via the exact functional for the energy, which minimizes at the exact density. For years, DFT development focused on energies, implicitly assuming that functionals producing better energies become better approximations of the exact functional. We examined the other side of the coin: the energy-minimizing electron densities for atomic species, as produced by 128 historical and modern DFT functionals. We found that these densities became closer to the exact ones, reflecting theoretical advances, until the early 2000s, when this trend was reversed by unconstrained functionals sacrificing physical rigor for the flexibility of empirical fitting.

Kepp argues in his Comment, among other concerns, that the atomic densities we have considered are not relevant to molecular bonding. However, this does not change the main conclusion of our study, that unconstrained fitting of flexible functional forms can make a density functional more interpolative but less widely predictive.

A new synthetic pathway to four substituted imidazoles from readily available 2-((4-aryl(thienyl)-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)amino)phenols has been developed. Benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl(aryl(thienyl))methanimines were proved as key intermediates in their synthesis. The formation of an imidazole ring from two methanimine derivatives likely includes the opening of one benzoxazole ring followed by ring closure by intermolecular nucleophilic attack of the N-methanimine atom to a carbon atom of another methanimine.

The first examples of 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diamides bearing CF3-groups on the side amide substituents were synthesized. Due to stereoisomerism and amide rotation, such complexes have complicated behavior in solutions. Using advanced NMR techniques and X-ray analysis, their structures were completely elucidated. The possibility of the formation of complex compounds with lanthanoids nitrates was shown, and the constants of their stability are quantified. The results obtained are explained in terms of quantum-chemical calculations.

In this work, the solution conformations of seventeen 3,7-diacyl bispidines were studied by means of NMR spectroscopy including VT NMR experiments. The acyl groups included alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, hetaryl, and ferrocene moieties. The presence of syn/anti-isomers and their ratios were estimated, and some reasons explaining experimental facts were formulated. In particular, all aliphatic and heterocyclic units in the acylic R(CO) fragments led to an increased content of the syn-form in DMSO-d6 solutions. In contrast, only the anti-form was detected in DMSO-d6 and CDCl3 in the case when R = Ph, ferrocenyl, (R)-myrtenyl. In the case of a chiral compound derived from the natural terpene myrtene, a new dynamic process was found in addition to the expected inversion around the amide N-C(O) bond. Here, rotation around the CO-C=C bond in the acylic R fragment was detected, and its energy was estimated. For this compound, ΔG for amide N-C(O) inversion was found to be equal to 15.0 ± 0.2 kcal/mol, and for the rotation around the N(CO)–C2′ bond, it was equal to 15.6 ± 0.3 kcal/mol. NMR analysis of the chiral bispidine-based bis-amide was conducted for the first time. Two X-ray structures are reported. For the first time, the unique syn-form was found in the crystal of an acyclic bispidine-based bis-amide. Quantum chemical calculations revealed the unexpected mechanism for amide bond inversion. It was found that the reaction does not proceed as direct N-C(O) bond inversion in the double-chair (CC) conformation but rather requires the conformational transformation into the chair–boat (CB) form first. The amide bond inversion in the latter requires less energy than in the CC form.

A series of potassium salts of di- and tri-arylsubstituted cyclopentadienes has been obtained by the metalation of the corresponding cyclopentadienes with benzylpotassium in THF media. Crystals of all compounds, afforded by recrystallization from THF/hexane, diglyme-THF/hexane and toluene/hexane mixtures, have been studied by X-ray diffraction. All studied potassium cyclopentadienides exhibit the luminescence at room temperature and overall quantum yield of photoluminescence for potassium salt of diarylsubstituted cyclopentadiene is 18%.

An octahedral nickel(II) complex of 1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,4-diazapenta-1,3-diene was obtained and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The organic ligand was obtained by the reaction of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with aqueous ammonia solution.

Organophosphate-chloride complexes [(2,6-iPr2C6H3-O)2POO2LnCl(CH3OH)4]·2CH3OH, Ln = Nd (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), and Tb (4) have been obtained and structurally characterized. Their reaction with 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine leads to the formation of 1:1 adducts ([(2,6-iPr2C6H3-O)2POO2LnCl(terpy)(H2O)2(CH3OH)], Ln = Eu (5), Gd (6), Tb (7) with exception of Nd, where tris-diisopropylphenylphosphate complex [(2,6-iPr2C6H3-O)2POO3Nd) (terpy)(H2O)(CH3OH)] (8) was obtained due to the ligand metathesis. A bright luminescence observed for the Eu and Tb organophosphate complexes is the first example of an application of organophosphate ligands for 4f-ions luminescence sensitization. Photophysical properties of all complexes were analyzed by optical spectroscopy and an energy transfer scheme was discussed. A combination of two types of ligands into the coordination sphere (phosphate and phenanthroline) allows designing the Eu surrounding with very high intrinsic quantum yield QEuEu (0.92) and highly luminescent Ln complexes for both visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions.

Recently discovered bismuthides with the BaAu2Sb2 structure type demonstrate interesting properties and electronic structures. Here, we report successful crystal growth, crystal structure, band structure calculations, and DOS for BaAg1.8Bi2 and BaAu1.8Bi2. Grown crystals were characterized by a combination of single crystal X-ray diffraction and EDX spectroscopy. Both compounds crystallized in a new variation of BaAu2Sb2 structure type and demonstrated metallic properties according to our DFT calculations.

The title compound (1RS,2RS,6RS)-2-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-8-azaspiro[5.6]dodec-10-en-1-ol dihydrochloride was synthesized for the first time in two steps, the first of which was a regioselectivity of epoxide ring-opening reaction under the action of adenine, yielding N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-((1RS,2RS,6RS)-2-(6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-8-azaspiro[5.6]dodec-10-en-1-ol. By treating the latter with a saturated methanolic solution of hydrogen chloride, it was possible to obtain ((1RS,2RS,6RS)-2-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-8-azaspiro[5.6]dodec-10-en-1-ol dihydrochloride. The features of the molecular and crystal structure of ((1RS,2RS,6RS)-2-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-8-azaspiro[5.6]dodec-10-en-1-ol dihydrochloride are discussed based on X-ray diffraction studies. The product overall yield was 40% out of two steps and after purification by column chromatography and recrystallization. The product was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR spectroscopy, HRMS and X-ray.