Synthesis of some benzimidazole- and benzothiazole-derived ligand systems and their precursory diacids

Procedures are described for the preparation of various bidentate and linear tetradentate benzimidazoles and benzothiazoles incorporating units such as pyridyl and thioether, and for the preparation of certain thioether dicarboxylic acids precursory to them. Condensations of ortho-functinal anilines with carboxylic acids were carried out in polyphosphoric acid or refluxing HCl solution. Syntheses are reported for: [HO₂C(CH₂)2S(CH₂)₂]₂X (X = O, S), 1,9-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)-2,5,8-trithianonane, 1,11-bis(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-3,6,9-trithiaundecane, 1,11-bis(2-benzimidazol-2-yl)-6-oxo-3,9-dithiaundecane, 2-(2-pyridyl)benzothiazole, 2,6-bis(benzothiazol-2-yl)pyridine, 2-(2-pyridyl)-N-methylbenzimidazole, 2-(2-pyridylmethyl)benzimidazole and 2-(N-methyl-2-piperidyl)benzimidazole. The compounds were characterized, where appropriate, by their mass, uv and ¹H-nmr spectra.     

Pincer-porphyrin hybrids

[reaction: see text] Starting from tetrakis(3,5-bis(bromomethyl)phenyl)porphyrin, pincer-porphyrin hybrid molecules (tetrakis(ECE-pincer)porphyrin; E = N, P, S) based on a tetraphenylporphyrin skeleton have been prepared in high yields. These multi-ligand site compounds could be selectively metalated at their peripheries, which was shown by X-ray crystallography.     

Preparation and Characterization of Compositions Based on PbO-MgO-Nb2O5 Using the Sol-Gel Method

Lead Magnesium Niobate, Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (PMN), is an important relaxor ferroelectric material. A significant problem exists, however, in the preparation of this material: it is very difficult to prepare pure phase, without the presence of a pyrochlore impurity phase which degrades the dielectric properties. Depending on the processing conditions, the amount of pyrochlore phase varies.Considering the ternary diagram PbO-MgO-Nb₂O₅, different compositions have been prepared by a simple sol-gel method at room temperature using Pb(CH₃COO)₂, Mg(CH₃COO)₂, Nb(OC₂H₅)₅ as precursors. After the heat treatment, the samples obtained were analyzed by XRD and EPMA with the purpose of studying the compositions formed.From the analysis of these results, it seems to be that the appearance of pyrochlore can be related to the reactivity of the MgO and/or the presence of other phases of the binary system PbO-Nb₂O₅. An excess of Pb and Mg is necessary for compositions to be formed near the PMN. The control of the amount of these two elements is very important because an excess of MgO would lead to rich compositions in Mg as a secondary phase.     

Gas-phase reactivity of heterobinuclear oxometalate anions [CrMoO6(OR)]-, [CrWO6(OR)]-, and [MoWO6(OR)]- (R = H, nBu)

Heterobinuclear oxometalate anions based upon [CrMoO7]2-, [CrWO7]2-, and [MoWO7]2- were generated and transferred to the gas phase by the electrospray process from acetonitrile solutions containing two of the salts (Bu4N)2[MO4] (M = Cr, Mo, W). Their reactivities were examined and compared with those of the related homobinuclear anions based upon [M2O7]2- (M = Cr, Mo, W). Particular emphasis was placed upon reactions relevant to gas-phase catalytic cycles described previously for oxidation of alcohols by [Mo2O6(OH)]- (Waters, T.; O'Hair, R. A. J.; Wedd, A. G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 3384-3396). The protonated anions [MM'O6(OH)]- each reacted with methanol with loss of water to form [MM'O6(OCH3)]- at a rate that was intermediate between those of [M2O6(OH)]- and [M'2O6(OH)]-. The butylated anions [MM'O6(OBu)]- were generated by collisional activation of the ion-pairs {Bu4N+ [MM'O7]2-}-. Collisional activation of [MM'O6(OBu)]- resulted in either the loss of butanal (redox reaction) or the loss of butene (elimination reaction), with the detailed nature of the observations depending on the nature of both M and M'. Selective 18O labeling indicated that the butoxo ligands of [CrMoO6(OBu)]- and [CrWO6(OBu)]- were located on molybdenum and tungsten, respectively. This structural insight allowed a more detailed comparison of reactivity with the homobinuclear species, and highlighted the importance of the neighboring metal center in these reactions.     

Ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and risk of prostate cancer and other diseases

Most common diseases appear to result from complex, poorly understood interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Relatively few factors have been unequivocally linked with disease risk or outcome. Evidence from various studies using different experimental approaches has been interpreted as showing that, apart from its harmful effects on the pathogenesis of the common skin cancers, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may exert a beneficial effect on development of various internal cancers and other pathologies. This concept is supported by parallel studies showing that hypovitaminosis D is linked with increased risk of various diseases including insulin resistance and multiple sclerosis. These findings suggest that, first, host factors such as skin pigmentation that affect UVR-induced synthesis of vitamin D and, second, polymorphism in genes that mediate the effectiveness of vitamin D action are susceptibility candidates for a variety of diseases. Collectively, these data suggest the hypothesis that, via effects on vitamin D synthesis, UVR exposure has beneficial effects on susceptibility and outcome to a variety of complex diseases. We describe evidence from studies in various diseases, but mainly from prostate cancer patients, that supports this hypothesis, but we emphasize that, although supportive data are available, the concept is unproven. Indeed, other explanations are possible. However, given the potentially important public health implications of the hypothesis and the potential for the development of novel therapeutic modalities, we believe the concept is worthy of further investigation.     

Metabonomics: the use of electrospray mass spectrometry coupled to reversed-phase liquid chromatography shows potential for the screening of rat urine in drug development

The application of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) followed by principal components analysis (PCA) has been successfully applied to the screening of rat urine following the administration of three candidate pharmaceuticals. With this methodology it was possible to differentiate the control samples from the dosed samples and to identify the components of the mass spectrum responsible for the separation. These data clearly show that LC/MS is a viable alternative, or complementary, technique to proton NMR for metabonomics applications in drug discovery and development.     

Fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s bearing pentafluorostyrene moieties prepared by a modified polycondensation

The polycondensation of decafluorobenzophenone with hexafluorobisphenol A was modified by the addition of a molecular sieve dehydrating apparatus to the refluxing reaction system. This modification promoted the polymerization and enabled the reactions to be conducted in milder conditions and completed in a shorter time, thereby depressing side reactions such as branching and crosslinking. The resulting fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (FPAEK) were free of gel particles and possessed the designed molecular weights. This modified procedure was also suitable for introducing crosslinkable pentafluorostyrene (FSt) moieties into the polymers at the chain ends and/or inside the chain with the vinyl group of FSt being pendant. The resulting FSt containing fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (FPAEK‐FSt) can then be thermally crosslinked at 100 °C in the presence of 1% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) or at 250 °C without any initiator. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of FPAEK increased with increasing molecular weight and leveled off at about 147 °C for the polymer with a number‐average molecular weight of 18,600 Da, whereas the values were not apparently affected by the addition of FSt units. However, crosslinking of the FPAEK‐FSt resulted in an approximate 30 °C increase of the T_g. Spin‐coating FPAEK‐FSt onto silicon wafers followed by crosslinking gave films with excellent thermal stability, physical strength, and adhesion to the substrate as well as good reproducibility in terms of film preparation and optical properties. The refractive index and birefringence of the films measured at a wavelength of 1.55 μm were 1.502 and 2.5 × 10^?3, respectively. © 2002 Government of Canada. Exclusive worldwide publication rights in the article have been transferred to Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4205–4216, 2002     

One‐Dimensional,Cofacial Porphyrin Polymers Formed by Self‐Assembly of meso‐Tetrakis(ERE Donor) Zinc(II) Porphyrins

A series of meso‐tetrakis‐(ERE donor) zinc(II) porphyrins n Zn (ERE donor=4‐R‐3,5‐bis[(E)‐methyl]phenyl; 1 Zn: E=NMe₂, R=Br; 2 Zn: E=NMe₂, R=H; 3 Zn: E=OMe, R=Br; 4 Zn: E=OMe, R=H) have been synthesized in excellent yields. As a result of the combination of a Lewis acidic site and eight Lewis basic sites within one molecule, monomeric molecules of n Zn self‐assemble to form one‐dimensional porphyrin polymers [ n Zn]_∞ in the solid state, as confirmed for 1 Zn and 3 Zn by X‐ray crystallography. The coordination environment around the zinc(II) ions in these polymers is octahedral. They are ligated by four equatorial nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin and two apical E atoms (E=N, O) provided by the EBrE donor groups of adjacent n Zn molecules. Complexes 2 Zn and 4 Zn did not form single crystals, but solid‐state UV/Vis analysis points to the formation of similar structures. Solution UV/Vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy indicated that interactions between 1 Zn and 2 Zn monomers in the polymers are stronger than between 3 Zn and 4 Zn monomers. Interestingly, they also revealed that the presence of a neighboring bromine atom in the EBrE donor groups has a considerable influence on the coordination properties of the benzylic N or O atoms. The zinc(II) ions of the porphyrins most likely adopt only hexacoordination in the solid state, owing to the unique predisposition of Lewis acidic and basic sites in the n Zn molecules. Several parameters of the aggregates, for example, the interplanar separation between porphyrins and the zinc–zinc distances, change as a function of the coordinating E groups. The high degree of modularity in their synthesis makes these zinc(II) porphyrins an interesting new entry in noncovalent multiporphyrin assemblies.     

An NMR study of the rotational barriers in cobalt-stabilized carbocations: X-ray crystal structures of (η-C4Ph4)Co-(η-C5H4R), where R is CH3CO, CHO, CH(Bu)OH

Treatment of the aldehyde (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-CHO) (4b) with tert-butyllithium or phenyllithium yields the secondary alcohols (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-CH(R)OH), where R=tert-butyl (5) or phenyl (6). Protonation of 5 and 6 at −80 °C furnishes the deep purple, cobalt-stabilized cations, 7 and 8, respectively, both of which exhibit restricted rotation about the external C₅H₄-CHR⁺ linkage on the NMR time-scale. These data indicate a minimum value for the barrier to rotation of 15 kcal mol⁻¹, but it is certainly much higher, indicating a considerable degree of C-C double bond character. X-ray crystal structures of 4b, 5 and also of the ketone (η⁴-C₄Ph₄)Co(η⁵-C₅H₄-C(O)CH₃ (4a) are reported. The secondary alcohol 5 exhibits disorder in the solid state because of the presence of diastereomers as a consequence of the stereogenic center at the α-carbon and the clockwise or anticlockwise propeller orientations of the tetraphenylcyclobutadiene ligand.