Multistate/multifunctional behaviour of 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium: a write-lock/read/unlock/enable-erase/erase cycle driven by light and pH stimulation

We have investigated the network of reactions observed for the photochromic 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium compound in aqueous solutions upon pH changes (including pH jump and stopped flow experiments) and light excitation. The changes observed in the NMR and UV/Vis spectra allowed identification of ten different forms in which this compound can be transformed depending on the experimental conditions. Equilibrium and kinetic constants have been determined. Compared with other members of the flavylium family, 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium is characterized by a large cis-->trans isomerization barrier, and a very efficient hydration reaction. These peculiar features allow writing, reading, storing and erasing photonic information on 4'-hydroxy-6-nitroflavylium by a novel cyclic process that involves the following steps: write-lock/read/unlock/enable-erase/erase.     

Tetranuclear [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] complexes as building blocks for new inorganic architectures: synthesis of coordination polymers and heteropolynuclear complexes with electrophilic d8 and d10 metal fragments

The reaction of [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(cod)4] (PyS2 = 2,6-pyridinedithiolate, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with CF3SO3Me gave the cationic complex [Rh(4)(mu-PyS(2)Me)(2)(cod)4][CF3SO3]2 (1) with two 6-(thiomethyl)pyridine-2-thiolate bridging ligands from the attack of Me+ at the terminal sulfur atoms of the starting material. Under identical conditions [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(tfbb)4] (tfbb = tetrafluorobenzobarrelene) reacted with CF3SO3Me to give the mixed-ligand complex [Rh(4)(mu-PyS2)(mu-PyS2Me)(tfbb)4][CF3SO3] 2. The nucleophilicity of the bridging ligands in the complexes [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] was exploited to prepare heteropolynuclear species. Reactions with [Au(PPh3)(Me2CO)][ClO4] gave the hexanuclear complexes [(PPh3)2Au2Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4][ClO4]2 (diolefin = cod (3), tfbb (4)). The structure of 4, solved by X-ray diffraction methods, showed the coordination of the [Au(PPh3)]+ fragments to the peripheral sulfur atoms in [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] along with their interaction with the neighbor rhodium atoms. Neutral coordination polymers of formula [ClMRh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4]n (M = Cu (5, 6), Au (7)) result from the self-assembly of alternating [Rh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] ([Rh4]) blocks and MCl linkers. The formation of the infinite polymetallic chains was found to be chiroselective for M = Cu; one particular chain contains exclusively homochiral [Rh4] complexes. Cationic heterometallic coordination polymers of formula [MRh4(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)4]n[BF4]n (M = Ag (8, 9), Cu (10, 11)) and [Rh5(mu-PyS2)2(diolefin)5]n[BF4]n (12, 13) result from the reactions of [Rh4] with [Cu(CH2CN)4]BF4, AgBF4, and [Rh(diolefin)(Me2CO)2]BF4, respectively. The heterometallic coordination polymers exhibit a weak electric conductivity in the solid state in the range (1.2-2.8) x 10(-7) S cm(-1).     

α-Oxohydrazones as imine component in the synthesis of 4-functionalized azetidinones by the Staudinger reaction

1-(Methyl-p-tolyl-amino)-3-phenoxy-2-azetidinones 4-COX and 4-R substituted (COX: X=Me, Et, Ph, NMe₂, NEt₂, OBu^t; R=Me, Et, Ph) were smoothly prepared from the corresponding α-(methyl-p-tolyl)hydrazonylated ketones, amides and esters via [2+2] cycloaddition with phenoxyketene. The reaction was generally high-yielding and diastereoselective, leading to β-lactams with a cis relationship between the PhO and the COX moieties, except for R=Ph, where an opposite stereoselectivity was instead observed. The azetidinones represent interesting intermediates which couple protection at N(1) and functionalization at position 4 of the ring. Deprotection of N(1) can be easily attained by oxidative N-N cleavage with magnesium monoperoxyphthalate.     

Theoretical and photoluminescence studies on the d10-s2 AuI-TlI interaction in extended unsupported chains

The reactions of solutions of TlPF(6) and OPPh(3) in tetrahydrofuran or acetone with NBu(4)[AuR(2)] (R=C(6)Cl(5), C(6)F(5)) gave the new complexes [Au(C(6)Cl(5))(2)](2)[Tl(OPPh(3))][Tl(OPPh(3))(L)] (L=THF (1), acetone (2)) and the previously reported [Tl(OPPh(3))(2)][Au(C(6)F(5))(2)] (3). The crystal structures of complexes 1 and 2 display extended unsupported chains with short intermolecular interactions between alternating gold(I) and thallium(I) centres. Moreover, the Tl(I) centres show two different types of geometrical environments, such as pseudotetrahedral and distorted trigonal-bipyramidal, due to the presence of solvent molecules that act as ligands in the solid-state structure. Quasirelativistic and nonrelativistic ab initio calculations were performed to study the nature of the intermetallic Au(I)-Tl(I) interactions and are consistent with the presence of a high ionic contribution (80 %) and dispersion-type (van der Waals) interaction with a charge-transfer contribution (20 %) when relativistic effects are taken into account. All complexes are luminescent in the solid state at room temperature and at 77 K. Complexes 1 and 2 show site-selective excitation, probably due to the different environments around the Tl(I) centres. The DFT and time-dependent (TD)-DFT calculations are in agreement with the experimental excitation spectra for all complexes and confirm the site-selective excitation behaviour as a function of the Tl(I) geometrical environment.     

Synthesis of copper,nickel and cobalt complexes containing a new N2S2 ligand: benzyl-N,N′-alkylbis(2-amino-1-cyclopentencarbodithioate)

The synthesis of [benzyl-N,N-alkylbis(2-amino-1-cyclopentencarbodithioate)]M^II [alkyl = ethene (L₂) and propene, (L₃) and M = Cu, Ni and Co] complexes and their characterization (u.v.–vis., FT-IR, ¹H-n.m.r., mass spectra and cyclic voltametry) are reported.     

An easy and stereoselective synthesis of N-Boc-dolaproine via the Baylis-Hillman reaction

In this communication we report a stereoselective total synthesis of N-Boc-dolaproine (Dap), an amino acid residue of the antineoplastic pentapeptide Dolastatin 10. Our strategy is based on a Baylis-Hillman reaction between N-Boc-prolinal and methyl acrylate, followed by a diastereoselective double bond hydrogenation and hydrolysis of the ester function.     

Molecular recognition of biotin, barbital and tolbutamide with new synthetic receptors

We have measured, by means of NMR titrations, the binding constants for the complexes between hosts N,N′-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-1,3-benzenedicarboxamide (7) and 4-chloro-N,N′-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide (8, hydrated) with biotin methyl ester (1), N,N′-dimethylurea (2), 2-imidazolidone (3), N,N′-trimethylenurea (4), barbital (5) and tolbutamide (6) as guests. Molecular Mechanics calculations (Monte Carlo Conformational Search, AMBER and OPLS force fields, MacroModel v.8.1) on the complexes formed between the foregoing guests and hosts 7 and 8, comparatively with 4-oxo-N,N′-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-1,4-dihydro-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide (9a) have been carried out in order to determine the correlation between experimental and theoretical results and to understand the behaviour of the designed new hosts. Finally we have performed single point DFT [B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)] calculations on the optimised Molecular Mechanics geometries for the complexes between hosts 7-9 and water.     

Metallomacrocycle (MacM) complex with cyanide as bridged ligand: Electronic structures of [MacMCN]n

The electronic structures of complexes and one‐dimensional metallomacrocycles with cyanide as bridged ligand, such as [MacM(CN)₂]^? and [MacM(CN)]_n [Mac=phthalocyanine, tetrabenzoporphyrine; M=Co(III), Rh(III)] have been investigated using density functional theory. The results of this study show that the intrinsic semiconductivity properties depend on the frontier bands. The valence band is composed by the π‐macrocycle orbital. The conduction band for the cobalt polymers is a mixture of orbitals between this metal and the cyanide ligand along of the stacking direction. However, in the rhodium polymers such a band is exclusively composed of the π* system of the macrocycles. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

Dendritic liquid-crystalline fullerene-ferrocene dyads

First- and second-generation ferrocene-based dendrimers, fullerene and a second-generation liquid-crystalline poly(arylester) dendrimer carrying four cyanobiphenyl units were assembled to elaborate polyfunctional materials displaying mesomorphic and electronic properties. The targeted compounds gave rise to enantiotropic smectic A phases and organized into bilayer structures within the smectic layers. Cyclic voltammetry investigations revealed oxidation and reduction processes in agreement with the presence of both ferrocene and fullerene units. Finally, strong quenching of the fluorescence was obtained for the fullerene-ferrocene dyads suggesting efficient elecron transfer from the ferrocene-based dendrimer to fullerene.     

Comparison of the phytoestrogen trans-resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) structures from x-ray diffraction and solution NMR

The NMR-derived solution structure of trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene (resveratrol) was compared with two recent literature crystal x-ray structures, resveratrol in complex with human transthyretin (TTR-RES) from 1DVS.pdb and resveratrol bound to chalcone synthase (CHS-RES) from 1CGZ.pdb. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of resveratrol were acquired in DMSO-d6. Assignments were obtained from an analysis of DQF-COSY, TOCSY, DEPT, HMQC/HSQC, HMBC and INADEQUATE NMR spectra. Past 1H and 13C NMR literature assignments are corrected. The dihedral angle 2-1-1'-2' provides an indication of the relative spatial orientation of the two phenolic rings. Values of 1.62, - 54.10 and 12.6 +/- 1.1 degrees were found for the 1DVS.pdb, 1CGZ.pdb and NMR resveratrol structures, respectively. The 1DVS.pdb resveratrol structure is 'flat' with the two phenolic rings along the same plane. The 1CGZ.pdb structure has these two rings almost orthogonal to each other, and the NMR structure has these two rings much closer to being along the same plane. The angles 1-alpha--alpha' and 1'-alpha'--alpha are along the same trace and of similar magnitude for the 1CGZ.pdb and NMR resveratrol structures. For the 1DVS.pdb resveratrol structure, these angles are about 7-10 degrees greater, with alpha and alpha' being 180 degrees out-of-phase from the other two structures. The alpha rings did not overlap, with the NMR result representing a 'median model' of the two x-ray structures.