Electrochemical activation of metal complexes: Redox-initiated haptotropic isomerization of organometallic π-complexes

The main principles of the redox activation of the 18-electron complexes of transition metals with conversion of the complexes into 17- or 19-electron radical-ions, which exhibit substantially higher reactivity, are discussed. It was shown that electrochemical initiation of the isomerization of complexes with polydentate ligands, accompanied by change in the position of coordination of the metal, is possible in the case of the sandwich and semisandwich -complexes of transition metals with aromatic polycondensed ligands.Chernogolovka Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 69–79, March–April, 1996. Original article submitted November 13, 1995.     

From helix to macrocycle: anion-driven conformation control of π-conjugated acyclic oligopyrroles

Anion-responsive pyrrole-based linear receptor oligomers were newly synthesized and their anion-driven dynamic conformation changes were investigated. Phenylene-bridged dimers and a tetramer of dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes as π-conjugated acyclic anion receptors formed anion-driven helical structures in the solid and solution states. In fact, single-crystal X-ray analyses of the receptor-anion complexes exhibited various helical structures, such as [1+1]- and [1+2]-type single helices and a [2+2]-type double helix according to the lengths of oligomers and the existence of terminal aryl substituents. Anion-binding modes and behaviors of the oligomers in solution state were also examined by (1)H NMR and UV/Vis spectra along with ESI-TOF MS. Differences in the binding modes were observed in the solid and solution states. The oligomers showed augmented anion-binding constants and anion-tunable electronic and optical properties in comparison with the monomer receptor. A negative cooperative effect in the tetramer was observed in the second anion binding of the [1+2]-type single helix due to electrostatic repulsion between two anions captured in the helix. Further, an anion-template coupling reaction from the linear dimer provided a receptor macrocycle, which was obtained as a Cl(-) complex with distinct electronic and optical properties. The macrocycle exhibited extremely high anion-binding constants (>10(10) m(-1) in CH(2)Cl(2)) through multiple hydrogen bonding.     

Fluorescent ratioable recognition of Cu in water using a pyrene-attached macrocycle/γ-cyclodextrin complex

A pyrene-functional fluoroionophore, 1 was used to construct a supramolecular 1/γ-CD complex for Cu²⁺ recognition in water. In aqueous γ-CD solution, 1 exhibits pyrene monomer fluorescence emission at 378 nm and 397 nm, while in the presence of Cu²⁺, it shows a pyrene excimer emission at 452 nm with a decrease in the monomer fluorescence due to the formation of a 1:2 metal-liganded complex. Based on the response characteristics of the supramolecular complex, a fluorescent ratiometric method was performed for the determination of Cu²⁺ concentration in water. With the optimum conditions described, Cu²⁺ in aqueous solution can be determined from 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ to 4.5 × 10⁻⁴ M. The Cu²⁺ selectivity of the complex is excellent, and the excimer fluorescence enhancements are very smaller induced by other heavy metal and transition metal ions.     

A pentiptycene-derived molecular brake: photochemical E→Z and electrochemical Z→E switching of an enone module

The synthesis and brakelike performance of a new molecular system (1) consisting of a pentiptycene rotor and a 2-methyleneindanone brake are reported. The rotation kinetics of the rotor was probed by both variable-temperature (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations, and the switching between the brake-on and brake-off states was conducted by a combination of photochemical and electrochemical isomerization. Because of the greater steric hindrance between the rotor and the brake units in the Z form ((Z)-1) than in the E form ((E)-1), rotation of the rotor is slowed down 500-fold at room temperature (298 K) on going from (E)-1 to (Z)-1, corresponding to the brake-off and brake-on states, respectively. The (E)-1→(Z)-1 photoisomerization in acetonitrile is efficient and reaches an (E)-1/(Z)-1 ratio of 11:89 in the photostationary state upon excitation at 290 nm, attributable to a much larger isomerization quantum efficiency for (E)-1 versus (Z)-1. An efficient (Z)-1→(E)-1 isomerization (96%) was also achieved by electrochemical treatment through the radical anionic intermediates. Consequently, the reversibility of the E-Z switching of 1 is as high as 85%. The repeated E-Z switching of 1 with alternating photochemical and electrochemical treatments is also demonstrated.     

Synthesis and NMR Characterization of (Z,Z,Z,Z,E,E,ω)-Heptaprenol

We describe a practical, multigram synthesis of (2Z,6Z,10Z,14Z,18E,22E)-3,7,11,15,19,23,27-heptamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22,26-octacosaheptaen-1-ol [(Z(4),E(2),ω)-heptaprenol, 4] using the nerol-derived sulfone 8 as the key intermediate. Sulfone 8 is prepared by the literature route and is converted in five additional steps (18% yield from 8) to (Z(4),E(2),ω)-heptaprenol 4. The use of Eu(hfc)(3) as an NMR shift reagent not only enabled confirmation of the structure and stereochemistry of 4, but further enabled the structural assignment to a major side product from a failed synthetic connection. The availability by this synthesis of (Z(4),E(2),ω)-heptaprenol 4 in gram quantities will enable preparative access to key reagents for the study of the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell envelope.     

Photophysics of self-assembled monolayers of a π-conjugated quinquethiophene derivative

The photophysics of fully and partially covered self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a quinquethiophene (5T) derivative have been investigated. The monolayers behave as H-aggregates. The fluorescence of fully covered SAMs is weak and red-shifted, and the extinction is blue-shifted as compared to that of single molecules. The fluorescence of partially covered SAMs is dominated by that of single molecules on the surface. The extinction spectra are similar for fully and partially covered monolayers, which show that even the smallest islands are H-aggregates. The extinction spectra furthermore closely resemble those for 5T single crystals, which demonstrates that in oligothiophene crystals the intermolecular interactions within one layer molecules are stronger than the interlayer electronic coupling.     

Synthesis of a π-extended TTF-perylenediimide donor-acceptor dyad

A donor-acceptor dyad containing perylenediimide as the electron acceptor and π-extended tetrathiafulvalene as electron donor has been successfully synthesized by means of a Wittig reaction. Cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy show that both electroactive units preserve their nature, whereas preliminar photophysical investigations show a strong fluorescence quenching.     

A Negatively Curved π-Expanded Pyracylene Comprising a Tropylium Cation

We disclose π-expanded pyracylenes and their cationic species comprising 7-membered rings. The compounds were synthesized by stepwise oxidative cyclodehydrogenation to monitor the effect of successive cyclization on the structural and optoelectronic properties. As shown by X-ray crystallography, the complete cyclization leads to a boat-shaped scaffold featuring negative curvature provided by the 7-membered ring. The embedded tropone unit enabled the convenient generation of a stabilized tropylium cation, showing bathochromically shifted absorption bands reaching into the near-infrared region beyond 1000 nm. The altered structural features, supported by theoretical calculations, point towards the positively charged 7-membered ring having aromatic character.     

Study of the aggregation behavior of a π-conjugated dendrimer with a twisted core

A dendrimer having phenylene vinylene and phenylene ethynylene moieties, a twisted core, and eighteen chiral centers on the periphery has been prepared in high yield by using Sonogashira and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reactions. UV–visible and fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism measurements have been envisaged to study the aggregation behavior.     

Bent π-Conjugation within a Macrocycle: Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Spirohexenolides A and B

Macrocycles with bent π-conjugation motif are extremely rare in nature and synthetically daunting and anticancer haouamines and spirohexenolides were representative of such rare natural products with synthetically challenging bent π-conjugation within a macrocycle. While the total synthesis of haouamines has been elegantly achieved, spirohexenolides remains an unmet synthetic challenge due to the highly strained bent 1,3,5-triene conjugation within C15 macrocycle. Inspired by the chemical synthesis of cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) and haouamines, herein we devise a synthetic strategy to overcome the highly strained bent 1,3,5-triene conjugation within the macrocycle and achieve the first, asymmetric total synthesis of spirohexenolides A (>20 mg) and B (>50 mg). Our synthesis features strategic design of ring-closing metathesis (RCM) macrocyclization followed by double dehydration to achieve the C15 macrocycle with the deformed nonplanar 1,3,5-triene conjugation. In addition, we have developed a new enantioselective construction of highly functionalized spirotetronate fragment (northeast moiety) through RCM and Ireland–Claisen rearrangement. Our in vitro bioassay studies reveal that both spirohexenolides are cytotoxic against a panel of human cancer cells with IC₅₀ 1.2–13.3 μM and spirohexenolide A is consistently more potent (up to 3 times) than spirohexenolide B, suggesting the importance of alcohol for their bioactivity and for medicinal chemistry development.     

A Simplified version of the Pariser-Parr-Pople treatment of π-electron systems

The semi-empirical configuration interaction treatment due to Pariser and Parr and to Pople has been modified by reducing the set of electronic interaction integrals to ₁₁ and ₁₂ and by limiting the number of configurations to 10. Hückel MOs are used as basis functions. The dependence of the resonance integral _v on the interatomic distance R _v is simulated by making _v a quadratic function of the Hückel bond orders P _v .

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Zusammenfassung Eine Modifikation des semiempirischen CI-Verfahrens von Pariser, Parr und Pople wurde zur Behandlung von -Systemen herangezogen. Als Vereinfachung wurde der Grad der CI-Matrix auf zehn beschränkt und von den Elektronenwechselwirkungsintegralen nur ₁₁ und ₁₂ berücksichtigt. Hückel-MOs wurden als Basisfunktionen verwendet. Die Abhängigkeit des Resonanzintegrals _v vom interatomaren Abstand R _v wurde durch den Ansatz von _v als quadratische Funktion der Hückel-Bindungsordnung P _v angenähert.

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Résumé Le procédé semi-empirique de l'interaction de configuration selon Pariser, Parr et Pople a été modifié en réduisant l'ensemble des intégrales d'interaction électronique à ₁₁ et limitant le nombre des configurations à 10. Les fonctions de base sont des orbitales moléculaires selon Hueckel. La dépendance entre l'intégrale de résonance _v et la distance interatomique R _v est simulée en posant que _v est une fonction quadratique des ordres de liaisons P _v selon Hückel.

     

Dissociation energetics of the phenol(+)⋯Ar(2) cluster ion: The role of π→H isomerization

The dissociation energetics in the phenol(+)?Ar(2)(2π) cluster ion have been investigated using photoionization efficiency and mass analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy. The appearance energies for the loss of one and two Ar atoms are determined as ～210 and ～1115?cm(-1), respectively. The difference between the appearance energy for the first Ar ligand in phenol(+)?Ar(2)(2π) and the dissociation energy of the phenol(+)?Ar(π) dimer (535cm(-1)) is explained by the isomerization of one π-bound Ar ligand to the OH binding site (H-bond) upon ionization. The energy difference between phenol(+)?Ar(2)(2π) and phenol(+)?Ar(2)(H/π) could also be estimated to be around 325cm(-1), which corresponds roughly to the difference of the binding energy of a π-bound and H-bound Ar ligands. The binding energy of the H-bound Ar atom in phenol(+)?Ar(2)(H/π) is derived to be ～905cm(-1).     

Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Study of Z/E Isomerization of Azobenzene: Kramers’ Theory Validation

The reaction rate in a condensed phase is retarded by solvent friction and deviates from the transition state theory (TST) in a highly viscous solvent. The Z/E isomerization kinetics of 4-dimethylamino-4′-nitroazobenzene in solution have been experimentally analyzed in a wide range of pressure in our previous studies. Herein the non-TST behaviors of the rate constant were theoretically modelled by means of Kramers’ theory and its extensions and by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The Z/E isomerization takes place in milliseconds or longer and so is not reachable by normal MD simulations. The accelerated MD method was employed to simulate the rare events using a biased isomerization potential barrier.     

In pursuit of balgacyclamide A – Discovery of an oxazoline macrocycle with multiple myeloma cytotoxicity and penetration

Four new oxazoline based macrocycles have been constructed, said cycles were found to possess varying cytotoxicity against six different cancer cell lines: IC₅₀ values of 6.4 μM towards HeLa and 11.9 μM towards LnCaP being the most potent. Two of the four macrocycles were found to have marginal cytotoxicity against MM.1S and MM.1R, myeloma cancer cell lines, and further evaluation showed that they also possessed rapid cellular uptake and accumulation characteristics. Through the structure-activity relationship comparisons between the four compounds, it was found that the C6 position of the E-ring is amendable to substitution and could possibly serve as a conjugation site for the development of a selective delivery system to MM.1R.     

The influence of water on the isomerization of α-pinene in a supercritical aqueous-alcoholic solvent

The influence of water as a cosolvent and catalyst of the isomerization of α-pinene in a supercritical aqueous-alcoholic (ethanol) solvent was studied experimentally. At T = 657 K and p = 230 atm, an increase in the concentration of water in the reaction mixture was found to increase the rate of the reaction and its selectivity with respect to the desired product, limonene. Water exhibited the properties of an acid catalyst because of its ionization. Mathematical experimental data processing was performed to evaluate and separate the contributions of the radical and ionic paths to the total rate of the reactions that occurred during the thermal isomerization of α-pinene.     

细胞色素b5突变体(E44A/E48A/E56A/D60A)的溶液结构研究

电子传递反应是光合作用和生物氧化等一系列重要生物过程的基本反应[1],为阐明细胞色素b5和c的静电结合模型,1993年Northrup等[3]用Brownian动态模拟预言的这两个蛋白结合模型有两种几何形态,根据以下模型设计了许多实验,但对两种模型都至关重要的细胞色素b5血红素暴霞棱周围的4个残基E44,48,56T D60对蛋白质复合物的稳定性以及在蛋白质识别中的作用仍然不清楚,为了阐明这4个带负电的残基对细胞色素b5结构的影响,正确地揭示蛋白质相互作用的本质和机理,本文对牛肝微粒体细胞色素b5胰蛋白酶切割后水溶性部分的突变体(E44A/E48A/E56A/D60A)深液结构进行了研究.     

Synthesis of a π-Extended Double [9]Helicene

Double helicenes are appealing chiral frameworks. Their π-extension is desirable to achieve (chir)optical response in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) region, but access to higher double [n]helicenes (n≥8) has remained challenging. Herein, we report an unprecedented π-extended double [9]helicene ( D9H ), unambiguously revealing its structure by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. D9H shows remarkable NIR emission from 750 to 1100 nm with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 18 %. In addition, optically pure D9H exhibits panchromatic circular dichroism with a notable dissymmetry factor (g_CD) of 0.019 at 590 nm, which is among the highest in the visible region for reported helicenes.     

Greatly enhanced intermolecular π-dimer formation of a porphyrin trimer radical trications through multiple π bonds

A trefoil‐like porphyrin trimer linked by triphenylamine (TPA‐TPZn₃) was synthesized. A three‐electron oxidation of TPA‐TPZn₃ forms a radical trication (TPA‐TPZn₃³⁺), in which each porphyrin ring undergoes a one‐electron oxidation. The radical trication TPA‐TPZn₃³⁺ spontaneously dimerizes to afford (TPA‐TPZn₃)₂⁶⁺ in CH₂Cl₂. The characteristic charge‐resonance band due to the charge delocalization over the π system of (TPA‐TPZn₃)₂⁶⁺ was observed in the NIR region. The initial oxidation potential of TPA‐TPZn₃ is negatively shifted relative to that of the corresponding monomer porphyrin, which results from the stabilization of the oxidized state of TPA‐TPZn₃ associated with the dimerization. The thermodynamic parameters (i.e., ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG) for the formation of (TPA‐TPZn₃)₂⁶⁺ were determined by measuring Vis/NIR spectra at various temperatures. The formation constant of (TPA‐TPZn₃)₂⁶⁺ is significantly larger than that of the radical cation dimer of the corresponding monomer porphyrin (e.g., over 2000‐fold at 233 K). The electronic states were investigated using EPR spectroscopic analysis. The greatly enhanced dimerization of TPA‐TPZn₃³⁺ results from multiple π‐bond formation between the porphyrin radical cations.     

A π-stacked phenylacetylene dimer

The structure of the phenylacetylene-dimer has been elucidated using IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy in combination with high level ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T)/CBS level. The IR spectra in the acetylenic and the aromatic C-H stretching regions indicate that the two phenylacetylene moieties are in identical environments and very similar to the phenylacetylene monomer. Calculated stabilization energies and the free energies at the CCSD(T)/CBS level favor the formation of an anti-parallel π-stacked structure. The DFT-SAPT energy decomposition analysis points out that the anti-parallel π-stacked structure maximizes electrostatic as well as the dispersion components of energy. The observed IR spectra are consistent with the anti-parallel π-stacked structure.