Double silyl migration converting ORe[N(SiMe(2)CH(2)PCy(2))(2)] to NRe[O(SiMe(2)CH(2)PCy(2))(2)] substructures

The reaction of (R(2)PCH(2)SiMe(2))(2)NM (PNP(R)M; R = Cy; M = Li, Na, MgHal, Ag) with L(2)ReOX(3) [L(2) = (Ph(3)P)(2) or (Ph(3)PO)(Me(2)S); X = Cl, Br] gives (PNP(Cy))ReOX(2) as two isomers, mer,trans and mer,cis. These compounds undergo a double Si migration from N to O at 90 degrees C to form (POP(Cy))ReNX(2) as a mixture of mer,trans and fac,cis isomers. Additional thermolysis effects migration of CH(3) from Si to Re, along with compensating migration of halide from Re to Si. DFT calculations on various structural isomers support the greater thermodynamic stability of the POP/ReN isomer vs PNP/ReO and highlight the influence of the template effect on the reactivities of these species.     

A new family of sequence-specific DNA-cleaving agents directed by triple-helical structures: benzopyridoindole-EDTA conjugates

Sequence-specific DNA recognition can be achieved by oligonucleotides that bind to the major groove of oligopyrimidine x oligopurine sequences. These intermolecular structures could be used to modulate gene expression and to create new tools for molecular biology. Here we report the synthesis and biochemical characterization of triple helix-specific DNA cleaving reagents. It is based on the previously reported triplex-specific ligands, benzo[e]pyridoindole (BePI) and benzo[g]pyridoindole (BgPI), covalently attached to ethylenediaminotetraacetic acid (EDTA). In the presence of iron, a reducing agent and molecular oxygen, BgPI-EDTA x FeII but not BePI-EDTA x FeII induced a double-stranded cut in a plasmid DNA at the single site where a triplex-forming oligonucleotide binds. At single nucleotide resolution, it was found that upon triplex formation BePI-EDTA x FeII led to cleavage of the pyrimidine strand and protection of the purine strand. BgPI-EDTA x FeII cleaved both strands with similar efficiency. The difference in cleavage efficiency between the two conjugates was rationalized by the location of the EDTA x FeII moiety with respect to the grooves of DNA (major groove: BePI-EDTA x FeII, minor groove: BgPI-EDTA x FeII). This work paves the way to the development of a new class of triple helix directed DNA cleaving reagents. Such molecules will be of interest for sequence-specific DNA cleavage and for investigating triple-helical structures, such as H-DNA, which could play an important role in the control of gene expression in vivo.     

Analytical study of highly condensed non ionic surfactants. Separation on cation exchangers

Summary This study was aimed at optimizing the separation of non-ionic surfactants, resulting from the condensation of ethylene oxide with natural fatty alcohols in the C₁₆ and C₁₈ range (saturated and unsaturated), and presenting a high degree of condensation, i.e. 20 and 25 ethylene oxide units (Brij 99 and KM 25). The cation exchange stationary phase is a partially ionized silica, conditioned in different ways. We have studied the influence of the nature of cations on the separation selectivity. Cations studied included alkali metals (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺), alkaline earth metals (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺), transition metals (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺), and quaternary ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺ , NMe ₄ ⁺ ) ions as well as a proton (acetic acid). The influences of ionic strength, pH and addition of cosolvent were examined. A study of the influence of temperature on the system selectivity evidenced a strong interdependance of these two parameters. The optimized conditions [mobile phase: CH₃CN/H₂O (92/8), pH 7.4, sodium acetate 5.10^–3 M; temperature gradient between 25 and 50°C] allowed for the first time the distributions of Brij 99 and KM 25 to be obtained.     

The deformation of dextran molecules. Causes and consequences in ultrafiltration

The transfer of dextran T70 solutions through a skinned polysulfone hollow fiber membrane was studied with and without applied pressure. The molecular weight distributions of dextran in the feed and in the permeate were obtained by high pressure liquid chromatography. Two different phenomena appear to play important roles with regard to solute transfer. One is related to the shear stress imposed by the flow at the pore entrances, i.e. to permeate flux, and the other is related to the influence of solute concentration on the expansion of the macromolecular chains. These phenomena explain the observed variations with operating conditions of the overall rejection coefficient.     

New Metal Oxamates as Precursors of Low-Dimensional Heterobimetallics

The goal of this work was to synthesize new molecular bricks which could be used as precursors of heterobimetallic low-dimensional compounds. Along this line, four compounds have been synthesized and structurally characterized, namely (NBu(4))(2)[Ni(Cl(2)opba)] (1), (NBu(4))(2)[Cu(Cl(2)opba)] (2), (NBu(4))(5)[Mn(Cl(2)opba)(DMSO)(2)](4) (3), and Cu(en)(2)[Mn(Cl(2)opba)(H(2)O)(2)](2).2DMSO (4), with Cl(2)opba = (4,5-dichloro-o-phenylene)bis(oxamato), NBu(4) = tetra-n-butylammonium, en = ethylenediamine, and DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural; they crystallize in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c, Z = 4, with a = 18.708(2) ?, b = 17.525(2) ?, c = 14.763(9) ?, and beta = 92.03(4) degrees for 1 and a = 18.928(2) ?, b = 17.634(2) ?, c = 14.704(9) ?, and beta = 92.38(3) degrees for 2. 3 crystallizes in the tetragonal system, space group P&fourmacr;2(1)c, Z = 2, with a = 26.295(10) ? and c = 12.342(7) ?. The structure shows a random occupation of the metal site by Mn(III) and Mn(II) ions in 3/4 and 1/4 ratios, respectively. 4 crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P&onemacr;, Z = 1, with a = 7.066(7) ?, b = 11.844(1) ?, c = 14.292(5) ?, alpha = 105.64(2) degrees, beta = 97.67(5) degrees, and gamma = 102.13(3) degrees. The structure consists of Mn(III)Cu(II)Mn(III) trinuclear species, with Cu-O-Mn bridges involving oxygen atoms of the oxamato groups already linked to the metal atom. The magnetic properties of compounds 1-4 have been investigated and quantitatively interpreted. For 3, this magnetic investigation has been performed on a single crystal, which allows us to determine unambiguously the sign of the axial zero-field splitting parameter for the Mn(III) ion. The potentialities of these new molecular bricks have been discussed.     

New stereoselective preparation of (Z)-3-perfluoroalkyl-3-magnesiated enoates by an iodine-magnesium exchange reaction

(Z)-Ethyl-3-perfluoroalkyl-3-magnesiated crotonates were prepared from (Z)-ethyl-3-perfluoroalkyl-3-iodo enoates by iodine-magnesium exchange reaction with isopropylmagnesium bromide in THF at -78 degrees C. These new reagents reacted with a range of electrophiles, leading to polyfunctional products bearing a perfluoroalkyl group.     

Synthesis,spectral, thermal and structural characterization of {[Cu(H2O)3][Cu(MAL)2] · 2H2O}∞ and [Cu(MAL)(TEA)] · H2O (MAL = malonate and TEA = triethanolamine)

A polymeric malonato-bridged copper(II) complex, {[Cu(H₂O)₃][Cu(MAL)₂]· 2H₂O}, and a mononuclear malonato-copper(II) complex with triethanolamine, [Cu(MAL)(TEA)]·H₂O, have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, i.r., u.v.–vis, magnetic measurements and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The polymeric complex consists of one-dimensional chains containing the MAL bridged [Cu(H₂O)₃]²⁺ and [Cu(MAL)₂]^2– ions and each MAL ligand simultaneously exhibits chelating bidentate (at one copper atom) and bridging (at the adjacent copper atom) coordination modes. The intrachain Cu1...Cu2 separation is 4.963 Å and the polymeric complex exhibits antiferromagnetic behaviour. In the mononuclear complex, the copper(II) ion is octahedrally coordinated by one bidentate MAL and one tetradentate neutral TEA ligands. The i.r. spectra and thermal decompositions of both complexes are described.     

Electron-transfer-catalyzed ligand substitution of carboxylato niobocene complex induced by electrochemical oxidation

Electrochemical reduction of niobocene dichloride (η⁵-C₅H₄SiMe₃)₂NbCl₂1 formulated as in the presence of 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid yields to the complex [Nb(η⁵-C₅H₄SiMe₃)₂(κ²-O,O-OOC(C₆H₃)(NH₂)₂)] 3. When CN(2,6-Me₂C₆H₃) formulated as xylylisonitrile (CNXylyl) is added to a complex 3 solution, a substitution reaction takes place to lead to the complex [Nb(η⁵-C₅H₄SiMe₃)₂(κ¹-O-OOC(C₆H₃)(NH₂)₂)(CN(2,6-Me₂C₆H₃)) 4 after 3 h. An alternative way to yield quantitatively and nearly instantaneously 4 consists in a previous oxidation of 3 in the presence of CNXylyl. Hence, we present here a new example of electron-transfer-catalyzed (ETC) ligand substitution of carboxylato niobocene complex induced by electrochemical oxidation. The structure of the complexes, the formation mechanism are described using electrochemical and spectroscopic data. Electrochemical simulation have been done to verify experimental results and to complete them with a kinetic study.     

Emploi d'une méthode de perturbation-variation pour l'étude de la polarisation de spin dans les radicaux libres aromatiques

A perturbation method has been used to deal with the problem of the interaction of configuration in the free aromatic radicals. We have considered only the mono-excitated configurations which are responsible for the specific effects due to the spin polarization; the corresponding wave functions are built up with the set of molecular orbitals LCAO SCF (occupied and virtual) of the ground-state configuration. We thus obtain a good distribution of spin densities on the rings of the studied radicals: the benzyl and the methylene-naphthyls radicals. The spin density on the extracyclic carbon remains too large as in the case of the SCF representation. This may be explained by the shape of the molecular orbital occupied by the unpaired electron in the SCF configuration, and the structure of the method used which disregards the excitated configurations involving this orbital.     

The Osmium(VIII) Oxofluoro Cations OsO(2)F(3)(+) and F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+): Syntheses, Characterization by (19)F NMR Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Crystal Structure of F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+)Sb(2)F(11)(-), and Density Functional Theory Calculations of OsO(2)F(3)(+), ReO(2)F(3), and F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+)

Osmium dioxide tetrafluoride, cis-OsO(2)F(4), reacts with the strong fluoride ion acceptors AsF(5) and SbF(5) in anhydrous HF and SbF(5) solutions to form orange salts. Raman spectra are consistent with the formation of the fluorine-bridged diosmium cation F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+), as the AsF(6)(-) and Sb(2)F(11)(-) salts, respectively. The (19)F NMR spectra of the salts in HF solution are exchange-averaged singlets occurring at higher frequency than those of the fluorine environments of cis-OsO(2)F(4). The F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+)Sb(2)F(11)(-) salt crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Imma. At -107 degrees C, a = 12.838(3) ?, b = 10.667(2) ?, c = 11.323(2) ?, V = 1550.7(8) ?(3), and Z = 4. Refinement converged with R = 0.0469 [R(w) = 0.0500]. The crystal structure consists of discrete fluorine-bridged F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+) and Sb(2)F(11)(-) ions in which the fluorine bridge of the F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+) cation is trans to an oxygen atom (Os-O 1.676 ?) of each OsO(2)F(3) group. The angle at the bridge is 155.2(8) degrees with a bridging Os---F(b) distance of 2.086(3) ?. Two terminal fluorine atoms (Os-F 1.821 ?) are cis to the two oxygen atoms (Os-O 1.750 ?), and two terminal fluorine atoms of the OsO(2)F(3) group are trans to one another (1.813 ?). The OsO(2)F(3)(+) cation was characterized by (19)F NMR and by Raman spectroscopy in neat SbF(5) solution but was not isolable in the solid state. The NMR and Raman spectroscopic findings are consistent with a trigonal bipyramidal cation in which the oxygen atoms and a fluorine atom occupy the equatorial plane and two fluorine atoms are in axial positions. Density functional theory calculations show that the crystallographic structure of F(cis-OsO(2)F(3))(2)(+) is the energy-minimized structure and the energy-minimized structures of the OsO(2)F(3)(+) cation and ReO(2)F(3) are trigonal bipyramidal having C(2)(v)() point symmetry. Attempts to prepare the OsOF(5)(+) cation by oxidative fluorination of cis-OsO(2)F(4) with KrF(+)AsF(6)(-) in anhydrous HF proved unsuccessful.