Harnessing scorpionate ligand equilibria for modeling reduced nickel superoxide dismutase intermediates

Hydrotris(3-phenyl-5-methylpyrazoyl)boratonickel(II) complexes with organoxanthate or dithiocarbamate coligands equilibrate between kappa(2)- and kappa(3)-chelation modes of the scorpionate ligand in solution, connecting N2S2 square-planar and N3S2 pyramidal ligand fields and a spin crossover. The complexes also exhibit quasi-reversible oxidations at low anodic potentials, thus modeling the structure, dynamics, and redox reactivity of the reduced NiSOD active site.     

Catechol oxidase activity of a series of new dinuclear copper(II) complexes with 3,5-DTBC and TCC as substrates: syntheses, X-ray crystal structures, spectroscopic characterization of the adducts and kinetic studies

A series of dinuclear copper(II) complexes has been synthesized with the aim to investigate their applicability as potential structure and function models for the active site of catechol oxidase enzyme. They have been characterized by routine physicochemical techniques as well as by X-ray single-crystal structure analysis: [Cu 2(H 2L2 (2))(OH)(H 2O)(NO 3)](NO 3) 3.2H 2O ( 1), [Cu(HL1 (4))(H 2O)(NO 3)] 2(NO 3) 2.2H 2O ( 2), [Cu(L1 (1))(H 2O)(NO 3)] 2 ( 3), [Cu 2(L2 (3))(OH)(H 2O) 2](NO 3) 2, ( 4) and [Cu 2(L2 (1))(N 3) 3] ( 5) [L1 = 2-formyl-4-methyl-6R-iminomethyl-phenolato and L2 = 2,6-bis(R-iminomethyl)-4-methyl-phenolato; for L1 (1) and L2 (1), R = N-propylmorpholine; for L2 (2), R = N-ethylpiperazine; for L2 (3), R = N-ethylpyrrolidine, and for L1 (4), R = N-ethylmorpholine]. Dinuclear 1 and 4 possess two "end-off" compartmental ligands with exogenous mu-hydroxido and endogenous mu-phenoxido groups leading to intermetallic distances of 2.9794(15) and 2.9435(9) A, respectively; 2 and 3 are formed by two tridentate compartmental ligands where the copper centers are connected by endogenous phenoxido bridges with Cu-Cu separations of 3.0213(13) and 3.0152(15) A, respectively; 5 is built by an end-off compartmental ligand having exogenous mu-azido and endogenous mu-phenoxido groups with a Cu-Cu distance of 3.133(2) A (mean of two independent molecules). The catecholase activity of all of the complexes has been investigated in acetonitrile and methanol medium by UV-vis spectrophotometric study using 3,5-di- tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) and tetrachlorocatechol (TCC) as substrates. In acetonitrile medium, the conversion of 3,5-DTBC to 3,5-di- tert-butylbenzoquinone (3,5-DTBQ) catalyzed by 1- 5 is observed to proceed via the formation of two enzyme-substrate adducts, ES1 and ES2, detected spectroscopically for the first time. In methanol medium no such enzyme-substrate adduct has been detected, and the 3,5-DTBC to 3,5-DTBQ conversion is observed to be catalyzed by 1- 5 very efficiently. The substrate TCC forms an adduct with 2- 5 without performing further oxidation to TCQ due to the high reduction potential of TCC (in comparison with 3,5-DTBC). But most interestingly, 1 is observed to be effective even in TCC oxidation, a process never reported earlier. Kinetic experiments have been performed to determine initial rate of reactions (3,5-DTBC as substrate, in methanol medium) and the activity sequence is 1 > 5 > 2 = 4 > 3. A treatment on the basis of Michaelis-Menten model has been applied for kinetic study, suggesting that all five complexes exhibit very high turnover number, especially 1, which exhibits turnover number or K cat of 3.24 x 10 (4) (h (-1)), which is approximately 3.5 times higher than the most efficient catalyst reported to date for catecholase activity in methanol medium.     

Potential energy curve for isomerization of N2H2 and C2H4 using the improved virtual orbital multireference Møller-Plesset perturbation theory

Multireference M?ller-Plesset (MRMP) perturbation theory [K. Hirao, Chem. Phys. Lett. 190, 374 (1992)] is modified to use improved virtual orbitals (IVOs) and is applied to study ground state potential energy curves for isomerization and dissociation of the N2H2 and C2H4 molecules. In contrast to traditional MRMP or multistate multiconfiguration quasidegenerate perturbation theory where the reference functions are obtained from (often difficult to converge) state averaged multiconfiguration self-consistent field methods, our reference functions are represented in terms of computationally efficient IVOs. For convenience in comparisons with other methods, a first order complete active space configuration interaction (CASCI) calculation with the IVOs is followed by the use of the IVOs in MRMP to incorporate residual electron correlation effects. The potential energy curves calculated from the IVO-MRMP method are compared with computations using state-of-the-art coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) methods and variants thereof to assess the efficacy of the IVO-MRMP scheme. The present study clearly demonstrates that unlike the CCSD and its variants, the IVO-MRMP approach provides smooth and reliable ground state potential energy curves for isomerization of these systems. Although the rigorously size-extensive completely renormalized CC theory with noniterative triples corrections (CR-CC(2,3)) likewise provides relatively smooth curves, the CR-CC(2,3) calculations overestimate the cis-trans barrier height for N2H2. The ground state spectroscopic constants predicted by the IVO-CASCI method agree well with experiment and with other highly correlated ab initio methods.     

Simple Chemical Route Synthesis of Fe2O3 Nanoparticles and its Application for Adsorptive Removal of Congo Red from Aqueous Media: Artificial Neural Network Modeling

Nanocrystalline Fe₂O₃ powder was synthesized by a simple chemical route involving FeCl₃ and NaOH. The Fe₂O₃ powder thus prepared was characterized using x-ray diffraction study, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The adsorption properties of crystalline Fe₂O₃ powder have been investigated with an aim to explore a possible low cost and efficient way to remove Congo red (CR) from waste water. Fe₂O₃ powder was found as an excellent adsorbent for CR from aqueous medium. Adsorption capacity as much as 203.66 mg g^?1 is reported at room temperature. Effect of different experimental parameters such as reaction pH, initial CR dye concentration, adsorbent dose, and reaction temperature were studied on adsorption capacity of Fe₂O₃ powder and modeled by artificial neural network (ANN). Optimal ANN structure (4–5–1) shows minimum mean squared error (MSE) of 0.00235 and determination coefficient (R²) of 0.991 with Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. Isotherm analysis of experimental data exhibited better fit to the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption process was found to follow second-order kinetics as depicted by the analysis of experimental results. Thermodynamic study shows that the adsorption process is endothermic, spontaneous, and thermodynamically favorable in the temperature range of 27°C to 60°C.     

Total Synthesis of Isodaphlongamine H: A Possible Biogenetic Conundrum

Herein we describe the first synthetic efforts toward the total synthesis of isodaphlongamine H, a calyciphylline B‐type alkaloid. The strategy employs a chemoenzymatic process for the preparation of a functionalized cyclopentanol with a quaternary center. This molecule is elaborated to form an enantiopure 1‐aza‐perhydrocyclopentalene core, representing rings A and E of all calyciphylline B‐type alkaloids. Further transformations involve the formation of a cyclic enaminone, 1,4‐conjugate addition with a cyclopentenyl subunit, and intramolecular aldol cyclization to achieve a pentacyclic intermediate, ultimately forming isodaphlongamine H in a total of 24 steps from the commercially available compound 2‐carbethoxycyclopentanone. Isodaphlongamine H exhibits promising inhibitory activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines.     

Inclusion properties of 3-fluoromesotetraphenylporphyrin with C60 and C70

To improve the selectivity ratio of C70 over C60, a new designer molecule, viz., 3-fluoromesotetraphenylporphyrin (1) has been reported in the present investigations. Fluorescence studies reveal that the Q-absorption band of 1 gets sufficient quenching effect upon addition of both C60 and C70. Binding constants (K) of the C60/1 and C70/1 complexes are estimated to be 580 and 10,800 dm3 mol(-1), respectively. Thus, K(C70)/K(C60) is approximately 19 which is very large and even comparable with other macrocyclic host molecules like calix[5]arene, azacalix[m]arene[n]pyridine, cyclotriveratrylenophane and calixarene bisporphyrin. 1H NMR chemical shift measurements show that the -NH- proton of 1 suffers more shifts in presence of C70 compared to C60. This finding also offers a good support in favor of high K value for C70/1 complex as well as large selectivity ratio of C70 over C60.     

Digestion of titanium bearing geologic materials involving microwaves

An environmentally friendly and rapid digestion procedure involving 10 mL of acid mixture (HNO3 : HCl : HF = 2:2:1) for 0.1 g of sample in closed vessel microwave digester following heating program : 250W for 10 min., hold time 2 min., 600 W for 17 min, and Ventilation time 10 min was developed. The operating parameters were varied and optimized by factorial design approach using "Steepest Ascent" method. The validity of the recommended digestion procedure were examined by analyzing several well characterized standard reference materials such as diabase (W2), basalt (BIR-1, JB-3, BHVO-1), granite (G2), gabbro (JGb-1), Mn-nodule (Nod-A-1, Nod-P-1), sediment (STSD-4, LKSD-2), limestone (KH-2), soil (SAu-1), ilmenite (IGS-31), rutile (IGS-32), Zircon (IGS-35) and titanium dioxide (SRM-154b) employing both inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and well known spectrophotometric method. An excellent agreement between the methods and the certified values of standard reference materials suggest that the digestion procedure can be used for quality control and allied purposes.