Platinum(IV)-mediated nitrile-sulfimide coupling: a route to heterodiazadienes

Pt(IV)-mediated addition of the sulfimide Ph2S = NH and the mixed sulfide/sulfimides o- and p-[PhS(=NH)](PhS)-C6H4 by the S=NH group to the metal-bound nitriles in the platinum(IV) complexes [PtCl4(RCN)2] proceeds smoothly at room temperature in CH2Cl2 and results in the formation of the heterodiazadiene compounds [PtCl4[NH=C(R)N=SR'Ph]2] (R' = Ph, R = Me, Et, CH2Ph, Ph; R' = o- and p-(PhS)C6H4; R = Et). While trans-[PtCl4(RCN)2] (R = Et, CH2Ph, Ph) reacting with Ph2S=NH leads exclusively to trans-[PtCl4[NH=C(R)N=SPh2]2], cis/trans-[PtCl4(MeCN)2] leads to cis/trans mixtures of [PtCl4[NH=C(Me)N=SPh2]2] and the latter have been separated by column chromatography. Theoretical calculations at both HF/HF and MP2//HF levels for the cis and trans isomers of [PtCl4[NH=C(Me)N=SMe2]2] indicate a higher stability for the latter. Compounds trans-[PtCl4[E-NH=C(R)N=SPh2]2] (R = Me, Et) and cis-[PtCl4[E-NH=C(Me)N=SPh2][Z-NH=C(Me)N=SPh2]] have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The complexes [PtCl4[NH=C(R)N=SPh2]2] undergo hydrolysis when treated with HCl in nondried CH2Cl2 to achieve the amidines [PtCl4[NH=C(NH2)R]2] the compound with R = Et has been structurally characterized) and Ph2SO. The heterodiazadiene ligands, formed upon Pt(IV)-mediated RCN/sulfimide coupling, can be liberated from their platinum(IV) complexes [PtCl4[NH=C(R)N=SR'Ph]2] by reaction with Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2 (dppe) giving free NH=C(R)=SR'Ph and the dppe oxides, which constitutes a novel route for such rare types of heterodiazadienes whose number has also been extended. The hybrid sulfide/sulfimide species o- and p-[PhS(=NH)](PhS)C6H4 also react with the Pt(II) nitrile complex [PtCl2(MeCN)2] but the coupling--in contrast to the Pt(IV) species--gives the chelates [PtCl2[M-I=C(Me)N=S(Ph)C6H4SPh]]. The X-ray crystal structure of [PtCl2[M-I=C(Me)N=S(Ph)C6H4SPh-o]] reveals the bond parameters within the metallacycle and shows an unusual close interaction of the sulfide sulfur atom with the platinum.     

Determining the topology of virus assembly intermediates using ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry

We have combined ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry with tandem mass spectrometry to characterise large, non‐covalently bound macromolecular complexes in terms of mass, shape (cross‐sectional area) and stability (dissociation) in a single experiment. The results indicate that the quaternary architecture of a complex influences its residual shape following removal of a single subunit by collision‐induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. Complexes whose subunits are bound to several neighbouring subunits to create a ring‐like three‐dimensional (3D) architecture undergo significant collapse upon dissociation. In contrast, subunits which have only a single neighbouring subunit within a complex retain much of their original shape upon complex dissociation. Specifically, we have determined the architecture of two transient, on‐pathway intermediates observed during in vitro viral capsid assembly. Knowledge of the mass, stoichiometry and cross‐sectional area of each viral assembly intermediate allowed us to model a range of potential structures based on the known X‐ray structure of the coat protein building blocks. Comparing the cross‐sectional areas of these potential architectures before and after dissociation provided tangible evidence for the assignment of the topologies of the complexes, which have been found to encompass both the 3‐fold and the 5‐fold symmetry axes of the final icosahedral viral shell. Such insights provide unique information about virus assembly pathways that could allow the design of anti‐viral therapeutics directed at the assembly step. This methodology can be readily applied to the structural characterisation of many other non‐covalently bound macromolecular complexes and their assembly pathways. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of structural and electronic transport properties of Ce-doped LaMnO3

The structural and electronic transport properties of La_1−x Ce _x MnO₃ (x=0.0–1.0) have been studied. All the samples exhibit orthorhombic crystal symmetry and the unit cell volume decreases with Ce doping. They also make a metal-insulator transition (MIT) and transition temperature increases with increase in Ce concentration up to 50% doping. The system La_0.5Ce_0.5MnO₃ also exhibits MIT instead of charge-ordered state as observed in the hole doped systems of the same composition.