1H and 199Hg NMR spectra of methylmercury(II) complexes. Effects of basicity and ortho substitution in pyridines(L) in complexes [MeHgL]NO3

Linear complexes [MeHgL]NO₃ (L = substituted pyridine) have been prepared and their ¹H and ¹⁹⁹Hg NMR spectra measured and compared with other complexes of this series reported previously. The coupling constant J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) correlates directly with pKa and with the gas phase enthalpy of ionization [ΔG_i(g)] of LH⁺; with J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) decreasing with increasing pKa or ΔG_i(g). The chemical shift, δ, for ¹⁹⁹Hg does not correlate with either pKa or ΔG_i(g). Complexes without substituents in the 2 position of pyridine have δ¹⁹⁹Hg ca. 80–100 ppm downfield from MeHgNO₃, those with one methyl group in the 2 position ca. 125–150 ppm, and those with methyl groups in the 2 and 6 position (or benzyl or 3′-methylpyridyl groups in the 2 position) ca. 160–200 ppm downfield from MeHgNO₃. The coupling constant J(¹H?¹⁹⁹Hg) is found to be more useful than δ¹⁹⁹Hg in determination of solution structures of MeHg(II) complexes of this type of ligand.     

Theoretical investigation into the mechanism of reductive elimination from bimetallic palladium complexes

Reductive elimination of C-Cl and C-C bonds from binuclear organopalladium complexes containing Pd-Pd bonds with overall formal oxidation state +III are explored by density functional theory for dichloromethane and acetonitrile solvent environments. An X-ray crystallographically authenticated neutral complex, [(L-C,N)ClPd(μ-O(2)CMe)](2) (L = benzo[h]quinolinyl) (I), is examined for C-Cl coupling, and the proposed cation, [(L-C,N)PhPd(1)(μ-O(2)CMe)(2)Pd(2)(L-C,N)](+) (II), examined for C-C coupling together with (L-C,N)PhPd(1)(μ-O(2)CMe)(2)Pd(2)Cl(L-C,N) (III) as a neutral analogue of II. In both polar and nonpolar solvents, reaction from III via chloride dissociation from Pd(2) to form II is predicted to be favored. Cation II undergoes Ph-C coupling at Pd(1) with concomitant Pd(1)-Pd(2) lengthening and shortening of the Pd(1)-O bond trans to the carbon atom of L; natural bond orbital analysis indicates that reductive coupling from II involves depopulation of the d(x(2)-y(2)) orbital of Pd(1) and population of the d(z(2)) orbitals of Pd(1) and Pd(2) as the Pd-Pd bond lengthens. Calculations for the symmetrical dichloro complex I indicate that a similar dissociative pathway for C-Cl coupling is competitive with a direct (nondissociative) pathway in acetonitrile, but the direct pathway is favored in dichloromethane. In contrast to the dissociative mechanism, direct coupling for I involves population of the d(x(2)-y(2)) orbital of Pd(1) with Pd(1)-O(1) lengthening, significantly less population occurs for the d(z(2)) orbital of Pd(1) than for the dissociative pathway, and d(z(2)) at Pd(2) is only marginally populated resulting in an intermediate that is formally a Pd(1)(I)-Pd(2)(III) species, (L-Cl-N,Cl)Pd(1)(μ-O(2)CMe)Pd(2)Cl(O(2)CMe)(L-C,N) that releases chloride from Pd(2) with loss of Pd(I)-Pd(III) bonding to form a Pd(II) species. A similar process is formulated for the less competitive direct pathway for C-C coupling from III, in this case involving decreased population of the d(z(2)) orbital of Pd(2) and strengthening of the Pd(I)-Pd(III) interaction in the analogous intermediate with η(2)-coordination at Pd(1) by L-Ph-N, C(1)-C(2).     

Computational Analysis of Mesomerism in para-Substituted mer-NCN Pincer Platinum(II) Complexes,Including its Relationships with Hammett σp Substituent Parameters

Density Functional Theory studies of square-planar Pt^II pincer structures, (4-Z-NCN)PtCl ([4-Z-NCN]⁻=[4-Z-2,6-(Me₂NCH₂)₂C₆H₂-N,C,N]⁻, Z=H, NO₂, CF₃, CO₂H, CHO, Cl, Br, I, F, SMe, SiMe₃, tBu, OH, NH₂, NMe₂), enable characterisation of mesomerism for the pincer-Pt interaction. Relationships between Hammett σ_p substituent parameters of Z and DFT data obtained from NBO6 and AOMix computation are used to probe the interaction of the 5d_yz orbital of platinum with π-orbitals of the arene ring. Analogous computation for 2,6-(Me₂CH₂)₂C₆H₃Z (Z=H, CF₃, CHO, Cl, Br, I, F, SMe, SiMe₃, tBu, OH, NH₂) and (4-H-NCN)PtZ allows an estimation of the relative substituent effects of “(CH₂NMe₂)₂PtZ” on π-delocalisation in the pincer system.     

Synthesis and solid-state structural characterisation of Pt(II,IV) bromide complexes containing bidentate organothiomethylpyridine heteroleptic ligands

A convenient synthetic method for the preparation of organothiomethylpyridine ligands 2-(RSCH₂)C₅H₄N (R = Ph (L¹), Me (L²)), 2-MeS–6-Me-C₅H₃N (L³), and 2-MeS–4-Me-C₅H₃N (L⁴) via the initial lithiation of substituted 2-picolines followed by the nucleophilic reaction with a diorganyldisulfide is described. The complexes [PtBr₂L] (L = L¹–L⁴) have been prepared in good to high yields as yellow solids with low solubility in organic solvents. The solid state structures of the complexes have been determined, showing the spatial arrangement of the complexes to depend significantly upon varying substituents within the ligand. The complexes undergo oxidation by bromine to form the tetravalent complexes [PtBr₄(L)] (L = L¹–L⁴). The solid state structures of [PtBr₄(L²)] and [PtBr₄(L₄)] have been determined, and shown to be monomeric with the ligand chelating the platinum centre.     

Copper and iron interactions with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. A study by fast-atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

Fast atom bombardment, combined with high-energy collision-induced tandem mass spectrometry, has been used to investigate gas-phase metal-ion interactions with captopril, enalaprilat and lisinopril, all angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.Suggestions for the location of metal-binding sites are presented. For captopril, metal binding occurs most likely at both the sulphur and the nitrogen atom. For enalaprilat and lisinopril, binding preferably occurs at the amine nitrogen. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inspection games in arms control

An inspection game is a mathematical model of a situation in which an inspector verifies the adherence of an inspectee to some legal obligation, such as an arms control treaty, where the inspectee may have an interest in violating that obligation. The mathematical analysis seeks to determine an optimal inspection scheme, ideally one which will induce legal behavior, under the assumption that the potential illegal action is carried out strategically; thus a non-cooperative game with two players, inspector and inspectee, is defined. Three phases of development in the application of such models to arms control and disarmament may be identified. In the first of these, roughly from 1961 through 1968, studies that focused on inspecting a nuclear test ban treaty emphasized game theory, with less consideration given to statistical aspects associated with data acquisition and measurement uncertainty. The second phase, from 1968 to about 1985, involves work stimulated by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Here, the verification principle of material accountancy came to the fore, along with the need to include the formalism of statistical decision theory within the inspection models. The third phase, 1985 to the present, has been dominated by challenges posed by such far-reaching verification agreements as the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Agreement (INF), the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), as well as perceived failures of the NPT system in Iraq and North Korea. In this connection, the interface between the political and technical aspects of verification is being examined from the game-theoretic viewpoint.