Influence of the solution pH in the 6-mercaptopurine self-assembled monolayer (6MP-SAM) on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) have been prepared on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode by immersion of the metal surface in a 100 microM 6MP and 0.01 M HClO4 solution. The 6MP-SAM Au(111) single-crystal electrodes were transferred to the cell and allowed to equilibrate with the different aqueous working solutions before the electrochemical experiments. The influence of the solution pH was studied by cyclic voltammetry, double layer capacitance curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of the 6MP-SAM in acetic acid at pH 4 presents important differences in comparison to that obtained in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Cyclic voltammograms for the reductive desorption process in acid medium are broad and show some features that can be explained by a phase transition between a chemisorbed and a physisorbed state of the 6MP molecules. The low solubility of these molecules in acid medium could explain this phenomenon and the readsorption of the complete monolayer when the potential is scanned in the positive direction. The variation of the double-layer capacitance values in the potential range of monolayer stability with the pH suggests that the acid-base chemistry of the 6MP molecules is playing a role. This fact has been studied by following the variations of the electron-transfer rate constant of the highly charged redox probes as are Fe(CN)(6)-3/-4 and Ru(NH3)(6)+3/+2 as a function of solution pH. The apparent surface pKa value for the 6MP-SAM (pKa approximately 8) is explained by the total conversion of the different 6MP tautomers that exist in solution to the thiol species in the adsorbed state.     

Homo‐ and Copolymerization of Butadiene Catalyzed by an Bis(imino)pyridyl Vanadium Complex

Summary: The bis(imino)pyridyl vanadium(III ) complex [VCl₃{2,6‐bis[(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)NC(Me)]₂(C₅H₃N)}] activated with different aluminium cocatalysts (AlEt₂Cl, Al₂Et₃Cl₃, MAO) promotes chemoselective 1,4‐polymerization of butadiene with activity values higher than classical vanadium‐chloride‐based catalysts. The polymer structure depends on the nature of the cocatalyst employed. The MAO‐activated complex was also found to be active in ethylene‐butadiene copolymerization, producing copolymers with up to 45 mol‐% of trans‐1,4‐butadiene. Crystalline polyethylene and trans‐1,4‐poly(butadiene) segments were detected in these copolymers by DSC and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

     

Structural and Spectral Study of Nickel(II) Complexes of Pyridyl bis{3‐piperidyl‐, bis{hexamethyleneiminyl‐, bis{N(4)‐diethyl‐, and bis{N(4)‐dipropylthiosemicarbazones}

Pyridyl bis(N(4)‐substituted thiosemicarbazones), in which the substituents replacing the NH₂ group on the thiosemicarbazone moieties are piperidyl, H₂Plpip; hexamethyleneiminyl, H₂Plhexim; diethylamino, H₂Pl4DE; and dipropylamino, H₂Pl4DP, have been synthesized. These bis(thiosemicarbazones) and their nickel(II) complexes have been characterized with IR, electronic, mass, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. Crystal structures have been solved for H₂Plpip and all four nickel(II) complexes. H₂Plpip does not possess hydrogen bonding between the thiosemicarbazone moieties, but is in the Z isomeric form with intramolecular hydrogen bonding from both thiosemicarbazone moieties to pyridine nitrogen atoms. The nickel(II) complexes possess square‐planar N₂S₂ (i. e., imine nitrogen and thiolato sulfur atoms) centers and the two pyridine ring nitrogen atoms are not coordinated.     

Structural Relationships obtained from the Coordination of α‐Picolinamide to the (Iminodiacetato)copper(II) Chelate: Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Properties of (α‐Picolinamide)(iminodiacetato)copper(II) Dihydrate

The stoichiometric reaction of copper(II) hydroxycarbonate, iminodiacetic acid (H₂IDA = HN(CH₂CO₂H)₂) and α‐picolinamide (pya) in water yields crystalline samples of (α‐picolinamide)(iminodiacetato)copper(II) dihydrate, [Cu(IDA)(pya)] · 2 H₂O ( 1 ). The compound was characterised by thermal (TG analysis with FT‐IR study of the evolved gasses), spectral (IR, electronic and ESR spectra), magnetic and single crystal X‐ray diffraction methods. It crystallises in the triclinic system, space group P1, a = 8.8737(4), b = 10.23203(5), c = 15.7167(11) Å, α = 77.61(1)°, β = 103.89(1)°, γ = 80.32(1)°, Z = 4, final R1 = 0.056. The asymmetric unit contains two crystallographic independent molecules but chemically very similar ones. The Cu^II atom exhibits a square base pyramidal coordination (type 4 + 1). pya acts as N,O‐bidentate ligand supplying two among the four closest donor atoms of the metal [averaged bond distances (Å): Cu–N = 1.982(2), Cu–O(amide) = 1.972(2)]. IDA plays a N,O,O′‐terdentate chelating role [averaged bond distances (Å): Cu–N = 2.004(3), Cu–O = 1.941(2) and Cu–O = 2.242(2)]. The coordinating behaviour of pya in 1 is discussed on the basis of its N,O‐bidentate chelating role and the preference of the ‘Cu‐iminodiacetato' moiety [Cu(IDA)] to link the N‐heterocyclic donor of pya in trans versus the Cu–N(IDA) bond. Consistently the ligand pya is able to impose a fac‐chelating configuration to IDA one around the copper(II) as previously has been reported to mixed‐ligand complexes having a 1/1/2 Cu^II/IDA/N(heterocyclic) donor ratio or a closely related 1/1/1/1 Cu^II/IDA/N(heterocyclic)/N(aliphatic) one.     

Polymerization of 1-vinylcyclohexene in the presence of group 4 metallocenes – MAO catalysts

1-Vinylcyclohexene was polymerized in the presence of several homogeneous catalytic systems consisting of methylaluminoxane and group 4 metallocenes such as CpTiCl₃, [isopropyl(cyclopentadienyl)(1-fluorenyl)]ZrCl₂,rac-[ethylenebis(1-indenyl)] ZrCl₂, (CH₃)₂Si(Cp)₂ZrCl₂, CpZrCl₃. The structure of the polymers depends on the catalyst. In fact, with CpTiCl₃, [isopropyl(cyclopentadienyl)(1-fluorenyl)]ZrCl₂ and rac-[ethylenebis-(1-indenyl)]ZrCl₂ the polymers are chemo-, regio- and stereoregular with 1,4 cis, 1,4 trans and 1,2 isotactic structure, respectively.     

The Crystal Structures of two Linearly Polymeric Copper(II) Complexes of 2, 2′‐Bipyridine with threefold Glycolato and Oxalato Bridges

The complex [Cu(HGLYO)₂(bipy)] ( I ) and two new copper(II) coordination polymers with the formulas {[Cu(GLYO)_1‐x(ox)_x(bipy)]·2.5H₂O}_n [GLYO = glycolato dianion, ox = oxalato dianion, bipy = 2, 2′‐bipyridine, x = 0.56 (in II ) or 0.71 (in III )] were synthesized using copper(II) glycolate as starting material and were characterized by IR, UV‐Vis and EPR spectrometry, by magnetic measurements ( II and III ), and by single‐crystal X‐ray diffractometry. Both II and III crystallized as one‐dimensional polymers composed of Cu₂O₂‐centred dimers with a Cu‐Cu distance of 3.282(1)Å (mean of II and III ) that are linked by Cu₂(OCO)₂ rings with a Cu‐Cu distance of 5.237(1)Å (mean of II and III ), both dianions acting as (μ‐1, 1, 2, 3) three‐way bridges connecting the two copper atoms of one dimer with one copper atom of a neighbouring dimer. Each copper atom is coordinated tetragonally in a CuN₂O₄ chromophore. In the mononuclear complex I the copper atom has a tetragonally distorted octahedral environment.     

Evaluation of the degree of cross-linking of cellulose-based superabsorbent hydrogels: a comparison between different techniques

Three different techniques have been applied to the evaluation of the degree of cross-linking of superabsorbent cellulose-based hydrogels obtained from water solutions of carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (CMCNa) and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), chemically cross-linked with divinyl sulfone. These polyelectrolyte hydrogels are biodegradable and have the same sorption capacity as acrylate-based superabsorbents on the market. A ¹³C solid state NMR analysis was carried out on dry samples of hydrogel to obtain the degree of cross-linking, an important parameter that affects the swelling and mechanical properties of a hydrogel. Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed during the hydrogel cross-linking using a parallel plate rheometer under oscillatory deformations in order to monitor the evolution of the hydrogel viscoelastic properties during the synthesis. The value of |G*| and the slope of the stress-deformation ratio plots from uniaxial compression tests were used to evaluate the elastically effective degree of cross-linking according to classical rubber elasticity theory. Moreover, a dynamic mechanical analysis was carried out on cross-linked hydrogels at different degrees of swelling in order to investigate the influence of the swelling on the mechanical properties and the application of rubber elasticity theory to swollen hydrogels.     

Effects of thermal history in the ring opening polymerization of CBT and its mixtures with montmorillonite on the crystallization of the resulting poly(butylene terephthalate)

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to study the thermal characteristics and morphological structure of species produced during the ring opening polymerization of cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT). Thermal programs consisting of a first ramp heating scan and an isothermal step, followed by cooling and a second ramp heating step, were used to study the effects of thermal history, catalyst (butyl chlorotin dihydroxide) at concentrations between 0.1 and 1.3% (w/w), and the presence of a layered silicate nanofiller (montmorillonite at 4.0%, w/w) on the structure of the resulting polymer (poly(butylene terephthalate), pCBT). Wide angle X-ray diffraction was used to monitor the degree of exfoliation of the nanocomposites.It was found that pCBT is formed in the amorphous state, and crystallizes during the heating step or during the isothermal step at temperatures lower than the equilibrium melting temperature of the polymer (). When premixed with the nanofiller, irrespective of whether this was previously intercalated with a tallow surfactant or used in its pristine form, polymerization took place at higher temperatures and most of the crystallization was found to occur during the cooling stage. In those cases where crystallization took place during either the first heating scan, or during a prolonged isothermal step below the of the polymer, the resulting crystals were found to have a higher lamellar thickness, as compared with the same polymer crystallized from the melt during the cooling step from temperatures above the polymer .     

Oxidative DNA cleavage by copper ternary complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline and ethylenediamine-sulfonamide derivatives

Ternary copper(II) complexes (1–3) of 1,10-phenanthroline and ethylenediamine-R-sulfonamide derivatives (R = benzene, toluene and naphthalene rings) have been synthesized and characterized with the aid of X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The crystal structures of the complexes show that the coordination polyhedron around copper(II) is distorted square planar. Both 1,10-phenanthroline and ethylenediamine-R-sulfonamide act as bidentate ligands. The three structures are stabilized by π–π stacking interactions. The interaction of the complexes with calf thymus DNA has been investigated by thermal denaturation studies which indicated that DNA was stabilized in the presence of the compounds. The increase in DNA stability induced by the complexes follows the order: 3 > 2 > 1. All three complexes were found to be very efficient agents of plasmid DNA cleavage in the presence of ascorbate as reducing agent. Mechanistic studies of the DNA cleavage process performed with radical scavengers show that the reactive oxygen species involved in the DNA damage are the hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen-like species, the superoxide* and hydrogen peroxide.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of polynuclear complexes of Cu with 1-methyl-1,3-imidazoline-2-thione

Reactions of equimolar solutions of copper(I) halides with 1-methyl-1,3-imidazoline-2-thione (SC₄H₆N₂) in acetonitrile have yielded a trinuclear complex, {Cu₃(η¹-Br)₃(μ-SC₄H₆N₂)₃} · CH₃CN 1, and 1D polymer, {Cu₂(μ-I)₂(μ-SC₄H₆N₂)₂}_n2. The thio-ligands/halogens adopt μ-S, η¹-X or μ-X modes. There is weak interaction between trinuclear units {Cu···Br, 3.025 Å} and Cu···Cu contacts lie in the range, 2.974(2)–3.650(2) Å. Polymer 2 has alternating Cu₂I₂ and Cu₂S₂ cores involving sulfur/iodine bridging in a twisted ribbon type arrangement with short Cu···Cu distances {2.6912(9) and 2.785(9) Å}, respectively. The polynuclear complexes in dimethyl sulfoxide exhibit intense fluorescent bands {λ_em = 319 (1) and 322 (2)}.