Copper(II) chloride complexes with multimodal ligands based on the cyclotriphosphazene platform

The reaction of hexakis(2-pyridyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene (L) and hexakis(4-methyl-2-pyridyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene (MeL) with copper(ii) chloride afford the complexes [CuLCl(2)], [(CuCl(2))(2)(MeL)], [CuLCl]PF(6) and [Cu(MeL)Cl]PF(6). The single-crystal X-ray structure of [CuLCl(2)] shows the copper ion to be in a square based pyramidal distorted trigonal bipyramidal (SBPDTBP) environment (tau= 0.47) with L acting as a kappa(3)N donor, coordinating via the nitrogen atoms from two non-geminal pyridyloxy pendant arms, a nitrogen atom in the phosphazene ring and two chloride ions. In the dimetallic complex, [(CuCl(2))(2)(MeL)], the geometry about both (symmetry related) copper(ii) centres is also SBPDTBP (tau= 0.57) with a 'N(3)Cl(2)' donor set. In the monocation of [CuLCl]PF(6), L acts as a kappa(5)N donor, bonding to the copper(ii) centre through the nitrogen atoms of four pyridyloxy pendant arms, a phosphazene ring nitrogen atom and a chloride ion to give an elongated rhombic octahedral coordination sphere. The phosphazene ring atoms remain virtually coplanar in all three structures as a consequence of the phenoxy-hinge, which links the pyridine pendant donors to the cyclotriphosphazene platform, allowing the formation of six-membered chelate rings. The spectroscopic (mass spectral, EPR and electronic) and magnetic properties of the complexes are discussed. The EPR and variable temperature magnetic susceptibility results for the dicopper complex, [(CuCl(2))(2)(MeL)], point to a very weak electronic interaction between the metal atoms.     

Dehydroalanine-based inhibition of a peptide epimerase from spider venom

Ribosomally produced peptides that contain D-amino acids have been isolated from a number of vertebrate and invertebrate sources. In each case, the D-amino acids are introduced by a posttranslational modification of a parent peptide containing only amino acids of the L-configuration. The only known enzyme to catalyze such a reaction is the peptide epimerase (also known as peptide isomerase) from the venom of the funnel web spider, Agelenopsis aperta. This enzyme interconverts two 48-amino-acid-long peptide toxins that differ only by the stereochemistry at a single serine residue. In this paper we report the synthesis and testing of two pentapeptide analogues that contain modified amino acids at the site normally occupied by the substrate serine residue. When the L-chloroalanine-containing peptide 3 was incubated with the epimerase it was converted into the dehydroalanine-containing peptide 4 via an elimination of HCl. The dehydroalanine peptide 4 was independently synthesized and found to act as a potent inhibitor of the epimerase (IC50 = 0.5 microM). These results support a direct deprotonation/reprotonation mechanism in which a carbanionic intermediate is formed. The observed inhibition by 4 can be attributed to the sp(2)-hybridization of the alpha-carbon in the dehydroalanine unit that mimics the planar geometry of the anionic intermediate.     

Acid digestion of geological and environmental samples using open-vessel focused microwave digestion

The application of open vessel focused microwave acid digestion is described for the preparation of geological and environmental samples for analysis using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method is compared to conventional closed-vessel high pressure methods which are limited in the use of HF to break down silicates. Open-vessel acid digestion more conveniently enables the use of HF to remove Si from geological and plant samples as volatile SiF4, as well as evaporation-to-dryness and sequential acid addition during the procedure. Rock reference materials (G-2 granite, MRG-1 gabbros, SY-2 syenite, JA-1 andesite, and JB-2 and SRM-688 basalts) and plant reference materials (BCR and IAEA lichens, peach leaves, apple leaves, Durham wheat flour, and pine needles) were digested with results comparable to conventional hotplate digestion. The microwave digestion method gave poor results for granitic samples containing refractory minerals, however fusion was the preferred method of preparation for these samples. Sample preparation time was reduced from several days, using conventional hotplate digestion method, to one hour per sample using our microwave method.     

CS+(B2Σ+ → A 2Πi) fluorescence from penning excitation of CS

The energy transfer reation of He(2³S) + CS was studied spectroscopically in a flowing afterglow apparatus. The CS⁺(B²Σ⁺ → A ²Π_i) transition is identified via three members of the Δν = 0 sequence (406–415 nm). The spin-orbit splitting of the (0, 0) band of CS⁺(A ²Π_i) is 301 ± 5 cm^?1. A weak emitting system (280–340 nm) is tentatively identified as CS⁺(B²Σ⁺→ X²Σ⁺).     

Cyclopentadienyl-ruthenium and -osmium chemistry: XXVIII. Reactions and isomerisation of 1,2-bis(methoxycarbonyl)ethenyl complexes: X-ray structures of Ru{Z)-C(CO2Me)CH(CO2Me)} -(CO)(PPh3)(η-C5H5) · 0.5EtOH,Ru{(E)-C(CO2Me)CH(CO2Me)}(dppe)(η-C5H5) and Ru{C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)CH(CO2Me)} - (PPh3)(η-C5H5)

A reinvestigation of the reaction between C₂(CO₂Me)₂ and RuH(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅) and some related complexes is reported. Initial cis addition is followed by conversion into the trans isomer. In the case of the bis-(PPh₃) complex, isomerisation is followed by chelation of the ester CO group with concomitant displacement of one PPh₃ligand. The resulting chelate complex reacts with CO or CNBu^t to give the (Z)-RuC(CO₂Me)CH(CO₂Me) complexes; the (E)-isomer of the carbonyl complex is obtained by addition of C₂(CO₂Me)₂to RuH(CO)(PPh₃)(η-C₅H₅). The ^1Hand ¹³C NMR spectra are not a reliable guide to assignment of the stereochemistry of the vinyl group. Other products isolated from the initial reaction are the bis-insertion product $\text{Ru{C(CO}{}_2\text{Me)C(CO}{}_2\text{Me)C(CO}{}_2\text{Me)}$CH(CO₂Me)} -(PPh₃)(η-C₅H₅) and the 1/2 PPh₃/C₂(CO₂Me)₂ adduct. The molecular structures of Ru{(Z)-C(CO₂Me)CH(CO₂Me)}(CO)(PPh₃(η-C₅H₅) · 0.5EtOH, Ru{(E)-C(C₂Me)CH(CO₂Me)}(dppe)(η-C₅H₅) and $\text{Ru{C(CO}{}_2\text{Me)C(CO}{}_2\text{Me)C(CO}{}_2\text{-Me)}$CH(CO₂Me)}(PPh₃)(η-C₅H₅) have been determined. The cis isomer is monoclinic, space group P2₁,with a 9.328(8), b 17.385(10), c 10.356(7) Å, β 101.78(3)° and Z = 2; 2107 data with I ≥ 2.5σ(I) were refined to R = 0.076 R_w = 0.085. The trans isomer is triclinic, space group P$\text{1}$, with a 10.404(7) b 11.221(6), c 13.230(9) Å, α 92.67(5), β 110.56(5), γ 106.21(5)° and Z = 2; 2520 data with I ≥ 2.5σ(I) were refined to R = 0.055 R_w = 0.068. The butadienyl complex is monoclinic, space group P2₁/a, with a 19.655(8), b 8.674(4), c 21.060(5) Å, β 116.22(3)° and Z = 4; 2724 data with I ≥ 2.5σ(I) were refined to R = 0.042, R_w = 0.047.     

Energy migration in novel pH-triggered self-assembled beta-sheet ribbons

Energy migration between tryptophan residues has been experimentally demonstrated in self-assembled peptide tapes. Each peptide contains 11 amino acids with a Trp at position 6. The peptide self-assembly is pH-sensitive and forms amphiphilic tapes, which further stack in ribbons (double tapes) and fibrils in water depending on the concentration. Fluorescence spectra, quenching, and anisotropy experiments showed that when the pH is lowered from 9 to 2, the peptide self-assembly buries the tryptophan in a hydrophobic and restricted environment in the interior of stable ribbons as expected on the basis of the peptide design. These fluorescence data support directly and for the first time the presence of such ribbons which are characterized by a highly packed and stable hydrophobic interior. In common with Trp in many proteins, fluorescence lifetimes are nonexponential, but the average lifetime is shorter at low pH, possibly due to quenching with neighboring Phe residues. Unexpectedly, time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy does not change significantly with self-assembly when in water. In highly viscous sucrose-water mixtures, the anisotropy decay at low pH was largely unchanged compared to that in water, whereas at high pH, the anisotropy decay increased significantly. We concluded that depolarization at low pH was not due to rotational diffusion but mainly due to energy migration between adjacent tryptophan residues. This was supported by a master equation kinetic model of Trp-Trp energy migration, which showed that the simulated and experimental results are in good agreement, although on average only three Trp residues were visited before emission.     

Synthesis of a homoleptic niobium(V) thiolate complex and the preparation of niobium sulfide via thio "sol-gel" and vapor phase thin-film experiments

Reaction of [Nb(NMe(2))(5)] with 10 equiv of 2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3)SH in toluene results in the formation of red crystals of [Nb(SC(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6)(5)]. Crystal structure analysis of [Nb(SC(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6)(5)] showed that the niobium center adopts a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Niobium disulfide, NbS(2), has been successfully prepared via a thio "sol-gel" process using [Nb(SC(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6)(5)] as the metal source. In contrast, vapor phase thin-film studies revealed that [Nb(SC(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6)(5)] functions as a single-source precursor to NbS films.     

Structure and synthesis of physoperuvine: x-ray crystal and molecular structures of the n-benzoyl derivatives of (±)-3- and (+)-4-methylaminocycloheptanone

Single-crystal X-ray analyses have defined the structures and solid-state conformations of (±)-N-benzoyl-3-methylaminocycloheptanone [(±)-$\text{3}$]and (+)-N-benzoyl-4-methylaminocycloheptanone [(±)$\text{4}$]. Resolution of (±)-[4- methylaminocycloheptanone α 1-hydroxytropane]to yield the (+)-enantiomer. Identical in all respects with the free base from natural (+)-physoperuvine, was achieved via the di-p-toluoyl-(+)-tartrate salt.     

Bismuth-catalyzed benzylic oxidations with tert-butyl hydroperoxide

[reaction: see text] Oxidation of alkyl and cycloalkyl arenes with tert-butyl hydroperoxide catalyzed by bismuth and picolinic acid in pyridine and acetic acid gave the corresponding benzylic ketones (48-99%). Alternatively, oxidation of methyl arenes gave the corresponding substituted benzoic acids (50-95%). Preliminary mechanistic studies were consistent with a radical mechanism rather than a bismuth(III)-bismuth(V) cycle.     

Synthesis of a transition metal-dithionite complex, (η5-C5H5)(CO)2FeS(O)2S(O)2Fe(CO)2(η5-C5H5)

The reaction of Na[η⁵-C₅H₅Fe(CO)₂] with large excess of SO₂ in THF at ?78°C followed by warming to room temperature affords an iron—dithionite complex, (η⁵-C₅H₅)(CO)₂FeS(O)₂S(O)₂Fe(CO)₂(η⁵-C₅H₅).