Electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry of heterobimetallic porphyrin-corrole dyads. Influence of the spacer, metal ion, and oxidation state on the pyridine binding ability

Combined electrochemical and UV-visible spectroelectrochemical methods were utilized to elucidate the prevailing mechanisms for electroreduction of previously synthesized porphyrin-corrole dyads of the form (PCY)H2Co and (PCY)MClCoCl where M = Fe(III) or Mn(III), PC = porphyrin-corrole, and Y is a bridging group, either biphenylenyl (B), 9,9-dimethylxanthenyl (X), anthracenyl (A), or dibenzofuranyl (O). These studies were carried out in pyridine, conditions under which the cobalt(IV) corrole in (PCY)MClCoCl is immediately reduced to its Co(III) form, thus enabling direct comparisons with the free-base porphyrin dyad, (PCY)H2Co(III) under the same solution conditions. The compounds are all reduced in multiple one-electron-transfer steps, the first of which involves the M(III)/M(II) process of the porphyrin in the case of (PCY)MClCoCl and the Co(III)/Co(II) process of the corrole in the case of (PCY)H2Co. Each metal-centered redox reaction may be accompanied by the gain or loss of pyridine axial ligands, with the exact stoichiometry of the exchange process depending upon the specific combination of metal ions in the dyad, their oxidation states, and the particular spacer in the complex. Before this study was started, it was expected that the porphyrin-corrole dyads with the largest spacers, namely, O and A, would readily accommodate the formation of cobalt(III) bis-pyridine adducts because of the larger size of the cavity while dyads with the smallest B spacer would seem to have insufficient room to add even a single pyridine within the cavity, as was structurally seen in the case of (PCB)H2Co(py). This is clearly not the case, as shown in the present study. A reversible Co(III)/Co(II) reaction is seen for (PCB)MnClCoCl at -0.62 V, which when combined with spectroscopic data, leads to the assignment of (PCB)Mn(III)(py)2Co(III)(py) as the species in pyridine. The reduction of (PCB)Mn(III)(py)2Co(III)(py) to (PCB)Mn(II)(py)Co(III)(py) is accompanied on the slower spectroelectrochemical time scale by the appearance of a 603 nm band in the UV-vis spectra and is consistent with the addition of a second pyridine ligand to the Co(III)(py) unit of the dyad as one ligand is lost from the electrogenerated manganese(II) porphyrin, thus maintaining one pyridine ligand within the cavity. A different change in the coordination number is observed in the case of (PCB)FeClCoCl. Here the initial Fe(III) complex can be assigned as (PCB)Fe(III)ClCo(III)(py), which has no pyridine molecule within the cavity and the singly reduced form is characterized as (PCB)Fe(II)(py)2Co(III)(py)2, which contains two pyridine ligands inside the cavity. A following one-electron reduction of the Fe(II)/Co(III) complex then gives [(PCB)Fe(II)(py)2Co(II)]-.     

Synthesis of 24-Methylidene[24-14C]- and 24-Methylidene[7-3H]cholesterol

The syntheses of 24-methylidene[24-¹⁴C]cholesterol ( 7a ) and of 24-methylidene[7-³H]cholesterol ( 7b ) from commercially available (20S)-3-oxopregn-4-ene-20-carbaldehyde ( 1 ) are described. The method also provides simple preparations of 3β-acetoxy[24-¹⁴C]chol-5-en-24-oic acid ( 4 ) and 24-oxocholest-5-en-3β-yl acetate ( 6b ).     

Electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, chloride binding, and O2 catalytic reactions of free-base porphyrin-cobalt corrole dyads

Three face-to-face linked porphyrin-corrole dyads were investigated as to their electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, and chloride-binding properties in dichloromethane or benzonitrile. The same three compounds were also investigated as to their ability to catalyze the electroreduction of dioxygen in aqueous 1 M HClO4 or HCl when adsorbed on a graphite electrode. The characterized compounds are represented as (PCY)H2Co, where P = a porphyrin dianion; C = a corrole trianion; and Y = a biphenylenyl, 9,9-dimethylxanthenyl, or anthracenyl spacer, which links the two macrocycles in a face-to-face arrangement. An axial binding of one or two Cl- ligands to the cobalt center of the corrole is observed for singly and doubly oxidized (PCY)H2Co, with the exact stoichiometry of the reaction depending upon the spacer size and the concentration of Cl- added to solution. No Cl- binding occurs for the neutral or reduced forms of the dyad, which contrasts with what is seen for the monocorrole, (Me4Ph5Cor)Co, where a single Cl- ligand is added to the Co(III) corrole in PhCN. The Co(III) form of the corrole in (PCY)H2Co also appears to be the catalytically active species in the electroreduction of dioxygen, which occurs at potentials associated with the Co(IV)/Co(III) reaction, that is, 0.35 V in 1 M HClO4 as compared to 0.31-0.42 V for the same three dyads in PhCN and 0.1 M TBAP. The potential for the catalytic electroreduction of O2 in HCl shifts negatively by 60 to 70 mV as compared to E(1/2) values in 1 M HClO4, consistent with the binding of Cl- to the Co(IV) form of the corrole and its rapid dissociation after electroreduction to Co(III) at the electrode surface.     

Unusual C-6 Lithiation of 2-Chloropyridine-Mediated by BuLi-Me(2)N(CH(2))(2)OLi. New Access to 6-Functional-2-chloropyridines and Chloro-bis-heterocycles

The reaction of 2-chloropyridine with alkylithium generally results in nucleophilic addition leading to the loss of chlorine atom while exclusive directed ortho metalation is obtained using LDA. Herein it is shown that the BuLi-Me(2)N(CH(2))(2)OLi (BuLi-LiDMAE) superbase promotes an unprecedented regioselective C-6 lithiation. The method was successfully applied to the preparation of potentially useful chlorinated pyridinic and bis-heterocyclic synthons.     

Observation of the radiative 2s02p6−2s12p5 transition in NeIII

Ion impact excited spectra of Ne contain a line at 52.82 nm which has been identified as resulting from the decay of double 2s vacancies in NeIII via the transition 2s⁰2p⁶(¹S₀)?2s¹2p⁵(¹P₁).     

Generalization of Fenchel's duality theorem for convex vector optimization

For a vector-valued function f, Sup f and Inf f are defined from the Yu's domination theory and the Pareto's efficiency. A notion of conjugate is proposed for convex vector-valued function, this construction gives once more the usual conjugate function: $\text{f}{}^1\text{(x}{}^1\text{) =}\text{sup}\text{[〈x}{}^1\text{, x〉 ? f(x)]}$ when the function f is scalar. Then, this concept is used to write the Fenchel's problem in convex multiple objective optimization and to prove the associated duality theorem.     

Electron slip influence on quasimolecular X-rays in heavy ion collisions

The rotation of the quasimolecular axis in the heavy ion collision is treated dynamically by taking into account the 2pπ-2pσ electron slip. This is done by the correct quantum mechanical method in the perturbation approximation for low ion velocities. The various radiative processes resulting from initial alignments are discussed. The spectra and anisotropies are calculated. Their dependence on the electron slip is investigated.     

Entrenched time delays versus accelerating opinion dynamics: are advanced democracies inherently unstable?

Modern societies face the challenge that the time scale of opinion formation is continuously accelerating in contrast to the time scale of political decision making. With the latter remaining of the order of the election cycle we examine here the case that the political state of a society is determined by the continuously evolving values of the electorate. Given this assumption we show that the time lags inherent in the election cycle will inevitable lead to political instabilities for advanced democracies characterized both by an accelerating pace of opinion dynamics and by high sensibilities (political correctness) to deviations from mainstream values. Our result is based on the observation that dynamical systems become generically unstable whenever time delays become comparable to the time it takes to adapt to the steady state. The time needed to recover from external shocks grows in addition dramatically close to the transition. Our estimates for the order of magnitude of the involved time scales indicate that socio-political instabilities may develop once the aggregate time scale for the evolution of the political values of the electorate falls below 7–15 months.     

SECM for Studying the Immobilization and Repartition of a Redox Anti-tetracycline Aptamer on Screen-printed Carbon Electrodes

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is discussed as a versatile tool to provide a unique approach of localized electrochemical information in the context of biosensing research. The step-by-step immobilization of DNA aptamer with intrinsic redox activity on screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was successfully monitored using SECM imaging tool. Control experiments were performed with a non-electroactive aptamer. After immobilization of these aptamers, SECM images showed the repartition of the electroactive anti-tetracycline aptamer when comparing with images produced for control and for all modification steps of SPCE. The possibility of tetracycline detection was also proved by causing a decrease in recorded current.