Theoretical descriptions of two-dimensional (2D) vibrational and electronic spectroscopy are presented. By using a coupled multi-chromophore model, some examples of 2D spectroscopic studies of peptide solution structure determination and excitation transfer process in electronically coupled multi-chromophore system are discussed. A few remarks on perspectives of this research area are given.

3D-QSAR model that correlates the biological activities with the chemical structures of quipazine derivatives acting on the serotonine transporter (SERT) was developed by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). Total 8 models were constructed and a more accurate model, using close 1 $\AA$ grid spacing and StDev*Coefficients weight value gave better results. The contour maps with the best model, the resulting cross-validated correlation ($q^2$ : 0.744), and non-cross-validated correlation ($r^2$ : 0.966) indicate the steric and electrostatic environment of inhibitors in the SERT binding pocket. This study can be used as a putative picture of the pharmacophore in the design of novel and potent inhibitors.

We have calculated the reaction probability and the reaction cross-section of the $N(^4S)+O_2(X^3\sum_{g}^{-})\;\rightarrow\;NO(X^2\Pi)+O(^3P)$ reaction by the quasiclassical trajectory method with the 6th-order explicit symplectic algorithm, based on a new ground potential energy surface. The advantage of the 6th-order explicit symplectic algorithm, conserving both the total energy and the total angular momentum of the reaction system during the numerical integration of canonical equations, has firstly analyzed in this work, which make the calculation of the reaction probability more reliable. The variation of the reaction probability with the impact parameter and the influence of the relative translational energy on the reaction cross-section of the reaction have been discussed in detail. And the fact is found by the comparison that the reaction probability and the reaction cross-section of the reaction estimated in this work are more reasonable than the theoretical ones determined by Gilibert et al.

Novel amphiphilic, thermo-responsive polyaspartamides which showed both LCST (lower critical solution temperature), and sol-gel transition were prepared and characterized. The polyaspartamide derivatives were synthesized from polysuccinimide, the polycondensate of aspartic acid monomer, via successive nucleophilic ring-opening reaction by using dodecylamine and N-isopropylethylenediamine (NIPEDA). At the intermediate composition ranges, the dilute aqueous solution exhibited a thermally responsive phase separation due to the presence of LCST. The phase transition temperature was controllable by changing the content of pendent groups. In addition, a physical gelation, i.e. the sol-gel transition was observed from the concentrated solutions, which was elucidated by dynamic viscoelastic measurements. These novel injectable and thermo-responsive hydrogels have potential for various biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and current drug delivery system.

The polymeric membrane electrodes based on urea derivative as an ionophore were prepared and studied for the iodide-ion selective electrode. This membrane exhibits a linear stable response over a wide concentration range ($1.0\;{\times}\;10^{-5}\sim1.0\;{\times}\;10^{-2}$) with a slope of -57.7 mV/decade, a detection limit of log[$I^-$] = -5.63, and a selectivity coefficient for iodide against perchlorate anion (log$K^{pot}_{I^-,j}$ = -1.42). The selectivity series of the membrane gives the follow as $I^-$ > $SCN^-$, $Sal^-$ > $ClO_4^-$ > $NO_3^-$ > $Br^-$ > $NO_2^-$ > $Cl^-$ > $F^-$. The proposed electrode showed good selectivity and response for iodide anion over a wide variety of other anions in pH 5.0 buffer solutions.

The $NiSO_4/CeO_2-ZrO_2 $catalysts containing different nickel sulfate and $CeO_2$ contents were prepared by the impregnation method, where support, $CeO_2-ZrO_2$was prepared by the coprecipitation method using a mixed aqueous solution of zirconium oxychloride and cerium nitrate solution followed by adding an aqueous ammonia solution. No diffraction line of nickel sulfate was observed up to 20 wt %, indicating good dispersion of nickel sulfate on the surface of $CeO_2-ZrO_2$. The addition of nickel sulfate (or $CeO_2$) to $ZrO_2$ shifted the phase transition of $ZrO_2$ from amorphous to tetragonal to higher temperatures because of the interaction between nickel sulfate (or $CeO_2$) and $ZrO_2$. A catalyst (10-$NiSO_4/1-CeO_2-ZrO_2$) containing 10 wt % $NiSO_4$ and 1 mole % $CeO_2$, and calcined at $600{^{\circ}C}$ exhibited a maximum catalytic activity for ethylene dimerization. The catalytic activities were correlated with the acidity of catalysts measured by the ammonia chemisorption method. The role of $CeO_2$was to form a thermally stable solid solution with zirconia and consequently to give high surface area, thermal stability and acidity of the sample.

The photodissociation dynamics of formic acid (HCOOH) at 206 nm have been investigated from rotationally resolved laser induced fluorescence spectra of OH ($^2\Pi$) fragments produced exclusively in the ground state. From the spectra, the rotational energy of the fragments was measured to be $820\;{\pm}\;50\;cm^{-1}$. The translational energy released in the products, which is 87% of the total available energy of the system, was also measured from analyses of the Doppler profiles. Joining these data with quantum chemical molecular orbital calculations, we have concluded that the dissociation should take place along the S1 surface with an exit channel barrier and also that the energy partitioning is determined at the exit channel.

This study examined the quenching of ofloxacin (OFL) and flumequine (FLU) fluorescence by $Cuj^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ in an aqueous solution. The change in the fluorescence intensity and lifetime was measured at various temperatures as a function of the quencher concentration. According to the Stern-Volmer plots, the fluorescence emission was quenched by both collisions (dynamic quenching) and complex formation (static quenching) with the same quencher but the effect of static quenching was larger than that of dynamic quenching. Large static and dynamic quenching constants for both OFL and FLU support significant ion-dipole and orbital-orbital interactions between fluorophore and quencher. For both molecules, the static and dynamic quenching constants by $Cu^{2+}$ were the largest among all the metal quenchers examined in this study. In addition, both the static and dynamic quenching mechanisms by $Cu^{2+}$ were somewhat different from the quenching caused by other metals. Between $Ni^{2+}$ and FLU, a different form of chemical interaction was observed compared with the interaction by other metals. The change in the absorption spectra as a result of the addition of a quencher provided information on static quenching. With all these metals, the static quenching constant of FLU was larger than those of OFL. The fluorescence of OFL was quite insensitive to both the dynamic and static quenching compared with FLU. This property of OFL can be explained by the twisted intramolecular charge transfer in the excited state.

We have investigated the solvent effects on $\Delta log\;K_s $(the difference of stability constant of binding) and the different free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6, i.e., the selectivity of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6 using a Monte Carlo simulation of statistical perturbation theory (SPT) in diverse solvents. The stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6, in $CH_3OH$ was calculated in this study as -1.06 agrees well with the different experimental results of -0.44~-0.6, respectively. We have reported here the quantitative solvent-polarity relationships (QSPR) studied on the solvent effects the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6. From the calculated coefficients of QSPR, we have noted that solvent polarity (ET) and Kamlet -Tafts solvatochromic parameters (b ) dominate the differences in relative solvation Gibbs free energies of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions but basicity (Bj) dominates the negative values in differences in the stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) as well as the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6 and acidity (Aj) dominates the positive values in differences in the stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) as well as the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6.

(1S,2R)-cis-1-Amino-2-indanol has been synthesized. A unique feature of the synthesis involves securing the functionalities and the configurations of the two stereocenters on an acyclic precursor before cyclizing it into the final ring-skeleton. The strategy allows both the stereocenters to be controlled in an absolute manner.

Dibenzyl sulfide was oxidized at the a-carbon to yield benzaldehyde in the presence of $Pd(NO_3)_2$. Oxygen itself could not oxidize the sulfide directly, instead the nitrato ligand of the palladium complex transferred oxygen to dibenzyl sulfide to form benzaldehyde. The X-ray crystal structure of the intermediate complex, cis-[$Pd(NO_3)_2${$S(CH_2C_6H_5)_2$}$_2$], revealed that the nitrato ligand was unidentate. Para-substituted dibenzyl sulfides I, $(YC_6H_4CH_2)_2S $wherein Y = $OCH_3$, $CH_3$, Cl, CN, or $NO_2$, were synthesized and reacted with palladium nitrate, and those with electron-donating substituents (Y = $OCH_3$ and $CH_3$) were good substrates for the oxidation reaction with palladium nitrate. Thus, the reaction mechanism of the oxygen transfer was proposed to include nucleophilic benzylic carbon.

The combined ab initio and vibrational predissociation (VP) spectroscopic studies on methylammonium-$(water)_4$ complex aimed at understanding the hydration behavior of an amphiphilic ion core are described. The ab initio calculations predicted eleven low-energy isomers forming cyclic, tripod, chain, and caged structures, and their relative stabilities, total hydration energies and thermodynamic functions at 298 K and 150 K. The excellent correlation between the observed VP spectra and ab initio spectra for bonded N-H, bonded O-H and free O-H stretches suggested co-existence of five cyclic isomers and two non-cyclic isomers in ion beam at 150 K, consistent with the trends of calculated Gibbs free energies.

The adsorption and surface reactions of $SO_2$ on Ni(100), c($2{\times}2$)_O/Ni (100) and NiO(111)/Ni(100) surfaces have been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) technique. On Ni(100), chemisorbed $SO_2$ is formed at 160 K. When $SO_2$ is adsorbed on c($2{\times}2$)_O/Ni(100) at 160 K, $SO_2$ reacts with oxygen to form $SO_3$ and trace amount of $SO_4$ species. $SO_3$ is adsorbed on this surface with its $C_3$ axis perpendicular to the surface. On a NiO(111)/Ni(100) surface, both $SO_3$ and $SO_4$ species are formed at 160 K from adsorbed $SO_2$.

Dielectric studies of methyl acrylate with 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-heptanol and 1-octanol binary mixtures have been carried out over the frequency range from 10 MHz to 10 GHz at temperatures of 283, 293, 303 and 313 K using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) for various concentrations. The Kirkwood correlation factor and excess inverse relaxation time were determined and discussed to yield information on the molecular structure and dynamics of the mixture. The values of the static dielectric constant, relaxation time and the Kirkwood correlation factor decrease with increased concentration of methyl acrylate in alcohol. The Bruggman plot shows a non-linearity of the curves for all the systems studied indicates the heterointeraction which may be due to hydrogen bonding of the OH group of alcohol with C=O of the methyl acrylate. The excess inverse relaxation time values are negative for all the systems at all the temperatures indicates that the solute-solvent interaction hinders the rotation of the dipoles of the system.

The interstitial hydrogen bonding in NiTi solid and its effect on the metal-to-metal bond is investigated by means of the EH tight-binding method. Electronic structures of octahedral clusters $Ti_4Ni_2$ with and without hydrogen in their centers are also calculated using the cluster model. The metal d states that interact with H 1s are mainly metal-metal bonding. The metal-metal bond strength is diminished as the new metal-hydrogen bond is formed. The causes of this bond weakening are analyzed in detail.

The molecular structures of the ground and lowest triplet states of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (DBH), 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) and their fused ring derivatives are investigated with an ab initio method and the density functional theory. Unlike the singlet DBH and DBO, the azo skeletal structures of the triplet counterparts are turned out to be quite sensitive to the change of the electronic structure of the fused ring. The B3LYP C-N=N-C dihedral angles of the triplet DBH and DBO are estimated to be about 28.0 and $40.4{^{\circ}}$, respectively. The B3LYP singlet-triplet energy gaps for DBH and DBO are predicted to be 58.4 and 48.4 kcal/mol, respectively. The triplet state energy can be lowered drastically by the presence of the remote $\Pi-\Pi$ interaction as in the case of 1bb'.