The structure of ‘nearly’ ferroelectric RADP

X-ray scattering techniques have been used to study the structures of two crystals of Rb_1–x (NH₄) _x H₂PO₄ withx0.2, near to the boundary between ferroelectric and structural-glass behavior at low temperature. Below about 83K, both crystals develop shortrange incommensurate correlations with a wavevectorq0.13 a ^* which are presumably related to the glass properties. On cooling below 70 K, the crystal with the slightly larger NH ₄ ⁺ concentrationx, develops the ferroelectric structure in a small fraction of the crystal, while the bulk of the crystal retains the tetragonal structure. The other crystal transforms almost wholly to the ferroelectric phase. The transition to the ferroelectric structure shows considerable hysteresis on heating and cooling, and is spread over about 20 K. The transition is certainly of first order, and the spread in temperature may arise from concentration fluctuations. These results and the structure of the incommensurate modulations are compared with the predictions of a theoretical model for this system.     

Synthesis of enantiopure dihydropyranones: aldol-based ring expansion of dihydrofurans

[reaction: see text] The stereoselective Birch reduction of 3-methyl-2-furoic acids using a readily available chiral auxilairy is described; by coupling this process to an oxidative cleavage/aldol ring closure sequence we were able to produce highly functionalized and enantiopure dihydropyranones in high yield. This sequence has ample flexibility built into it, either by the use of different electrophiles during reductive alkylation or by subsequent derivatization of the dihydropyranone after ring expansion.     

Spontaneous generation of stable pnictinyl radicals from "jack-in-the-box" dipnictines: a solid-state, gas-phase, and theoretical investigation of the origins of steric stabilization

The molecular structures of the stable phosphinyl and arsinyl radicals, .PnR(2) [Pn = P (2); As (4); R = CH(SiMe(3))(2)], have been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) in conjunction with ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The X-ray crystal structures of the corresponding dipnictines, the "dimers", R(2)PnPnR(2) [Pn = P (1), As (3)], and the chloro derivatives R(2)PnCl [Pn = P (5), As (6)] have also been determined. Collectively, these structural investigations demonstrate that large distortions of the ligands attached to Pn occur when the pnictinyl radicals unite to form the corresponding dipnictine dimers. Principally, it is the shape and flexibility of the CH(SiMe(3))(2) ligands that permit the formation of the P-P and As-As bonds in 1and 3, respectively. However, theoretical studies indicate that in the process of pnictinyl radical dimerization to form 1 and 3, both molecules accumulate substantial amounts of potential energy and are thus primed to spring apart upon release from the solid state by melting, dissolution, or evaporation. The insights gleaned from these unusual systems have permitted a deeper understanding of the functioning of sterically demanding substituents.     

Bifunctional chelators for copper radiopharmaceuticals: the synthesis of [Cu(ATSM)-amino acid] and [Cu(ATSM)-octreotide] conjugates

Two new bifunctional chelators that are derivatives of the bis(thiosemicarbazone) ATSMH(2) proligand have been prepared, one with two phenyl carboxylate substituents on the exocyclic nitrogens (L(1)H(2)) and one with a single phenyl carboxylate (L(2)H(2)). The new ligands have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and in the case of L(1)H(2) by X-ray crystallography. The copper, nickel and zinc complexes of the new ligands have been synthesised and characterised. Electrochemical measurements show that the copper(II) complexes undergo a reversible reduction attributable to a Cu(II)/Cu(I) process. The new proligands have been tethered to the N-alpha-Boc-protected amino acids lysine and ornithine using solution and solid phase methods. The new amino acid conjugates form copper complexes and the complexes have been characterised by mass spectrometry and electronic spectroscopy. The bifunctional chelator L(2)H(2) has been conjugated to the tumour targeting peptide octreotide and the new ATSMH(2)-octreotide conjugate and its copper complex have been characterized by mass spectrometry. These new systems have the potential to be used for new targeted copper radiopharmaceuticals for imaging and therapy.     

New bimetallic compounds based on the bis(thiosemicarbazonato) motif

Zinc and copper bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes containing more than one metal centre have been prepared with a view to examining their application for molecular imaging. The zinc complexes are fluorescent with excitation and emission at relatively long wavelengths. The dinuclear copper complex undergoes two sequential, quasi-reversible reductions.     

Functionalized bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes of zinc and copper: synthetic platforms toward site-specific radiopharmaceuticals

Two new types of unsymmetrical bis(thiosemicarbazone) proligands and their neutral zinc(II) and copper(II) complexes have been synthesized. These bifunctional ligands both chelate the metal ions and provide pendent amino groups that can be readily functionalized with biologically active molecules. Functionalization has been demonstrated by the synthesis of three water-soluble glucose conjugates of the new zinc(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes, and their copper(II) analogues have been prepared in aqueous solution via transmetalation. A range of techniques including NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance, cyclic voltammetry, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV/vis, and fluorescence emission spectroscopy have been used to characterize the complexes. Four compounds, including two zinc(II) complexes, have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The connectivity and conformation of the glucose conjugates have been assigned by NMR spectroscopy. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been used to assign the electronic transitions of the copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) chromophore. Two copper-64-radiolabeled complexes, including one glucose conjugate, have been prepared and characterized using radio-HPLC, and transmetalation is shown to be a viable method for radiolabeling compounds with copper radionuclides. Preliminary cell washout studies have been performed under normoxic conditions, and the uptake and intracellular distribution have been studied using confocal fluorescence microscopy.     

Synthesis,characterization and bioactivity of mixed-ligand Cu(II) complexes containing Schiff bases derived from S-benzyldithiocarbazate and saccharinate ligand and the X-ray crystal structure of the copper-saccharinate complex containing S-benzyl-β-N-(acetylpyrid-2-yl)methylenedithiocarbazate

Mixed-ligand complexes of general formula, [Cu(NNS)(sac)] (NNS′ = S-benzyl-β-N-(2-acetylpyrid-2-yl)methylenedithiocarbazate, NNS″ = S-benzyl-β-N-(2-benzoylpyrid-2-yl)methylenedithiocarbazate and NNS? = S-benzyl-β-N-(6-methylpyrid-2-yl)methylenedithio-carbazate, sac = the saccharinate anion) have been synthesized by reacting [Cu(sac)₂(H₂O)₄] · 2H₂O with the appropriate ligands in ethanol and characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. Magnetic and spectral evidence indicate that the complexes are four-coordinate in which the Schiff bases coordinate as NNS ligands and the sac- anion coordinates as a unidentate N-donor ligand. An X-ray crystallographic structural analysis of [Cu(NNS′)(sac)] shows that the complex has a distorted square-planar geometry with the Schiff base coordinated to the copper (II) ion as a uninegatively charged tridentate chelating agent via the pyridine nitrogen atom, the azomethine nitrogen atom and the thiolate sulphur atom while the fourth coordination position is occupied by the N-bonded saccharinate anion. The complexes have been evaluated for their biological activities against selected pathogens and cancer cell lines. They display weak activity against the pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The complexes were highly active against the leukemic cell line (HL-60) but only [Cu(NNS′)(sac)] was found to exhibit strong cytotoxicity against the ovarian cancer cell line (Caov-3). All complexes were inactive against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).     

Fluoroaryl-substituted ketiminate complexes of aluminum

The ketiminate complex AlCl[OC(Me)CHC(Me)N(p-C₆H₄F)]₂ (4) has been prepared from the β-aminoenone, OC(Me)CHC(Me)N(H)(p-C₆H₄F) (3) by lithiation of 3 with n-BuLi, followed by reaction with AlCl₃ and by the reaction of 3 with Me₂AlCl. A second compound, [AlCl₂{OC(Me)CHC(Me)N(H)(p-C₆H₄F)}₄][AlCl₄] (5), was also isolated from the AlCl₃ reaction. The structures of 4 and 5 were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.