FT-IR spectroscopy, intra-molecular C−H⋯O interactions, HOMO, LUMO, MESP analysis and biological activity of two natural products, triclisine and rufescine: DFT and QTAIM approaches

• FTIR spectra of triclisine and rufescine are recorded and interpreted by DFT.
• HOMO, LUMO and MESP surfaces are plotted to explain chemical reactivity.
• Intra-molecular C−H⋯O interactions are detected and characterized by QTAIM.
• Biological activities of molecules are predicted.

The present study deals with two natural products, triclisine and rufescine which are extracted from the Amazonian wines but ubiquitous in nature. The quantum chemical density functional method at B3PW91/6-311+G(d,p) level is used to obtain the equilibrium geometries of these molecules. The quantum theory of atoms-in-molecule approach is employed to study various intra-molecular C−H⋯O interactions within these molecules. We have also performed vibrational analyses of triclisine and rufescine at their equilibrium geometries and presented the complete assignments of the significant vibrational modes. The calculated vibrational frequencies are shown to be in perfect agreement with the experimentally observed FTIR spectra of molecules under study. In addition, the electronic properties of these molecules are also discussed with the help of HOMO–LUMO and MESP surfaces and a number of electronic as well as thermodynamic parameters are calculated which are closely related to their chemical reactivity and reaction paths. The biological activities of both molecules have also been predicted which highlight their pharmacological importance.

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