Water soluble molecular switches of fluorescence based on the Ni(III)/Ni(II) redox change

The water soluble Ni(II) complexes of the cyclam derivatives with 1,3-benzodioxole and 1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene display the fluorescent emission typical of the covalently linked fluorophores, which results from a charge transfer excited state. On oxidation to Ni(III), the fluorescence is completely quenched due to the occurrence of an electron transfer (eT) process from the excited fluorogenic fragment Fl to the oxidized metal. Thus, fluorescence can be switched off/on at will, for several cycles, by consecutively oxidizing and reducing the metal center, in controlled potential electrolysis experiments both in acetonitrile and in aqueous 0.1 M HClO4. Occurrence of an eT process from Fl to Ni(III) ultimately depends upon the easy oxidation of Fl to Fl+, whereas failure of the occurrence of an eT process from Ni(II) to Fl has to be ascribed to the particular resistance of Fl fragments to the reduction.     

The crystal structure of triphenylallyltin

The crystal structure of (C₆H₅)₃SnCH₂CHCH₂ has been determined. The asymmetric unit consists of two molecules of triphenylallyltin having virtually the same conformation. Their geometrical parameters exclude p_π-d_π bonding between the metal and the allyl double bond, and seem to be in a better agreement with a σ-π conjugation effect.     

Divergent sequential reactions of β-(2-aminophenyl)-α,β-ynones with nitrogen nucleophiles

β-(2-Aminophenyl)-α,β-ynones readily react with nitrogen nucleophiles to give three major types of products, depending on reaction conditions and variation in the nucleophiles. The reaction may lead to simple 1,2-nucleophilic adducts or, at higher temperatures, to a divergent sequential cyclisation giving rise to 2-aryl-4-aminoquinolines by reaction with amines, or to substituted 2-aryl or 2-alkyl-4-alkylidene quinazolines by reaction with amidines. The latter could also be synthesised by reaction of β-(2-aminophenyl)-α,β-ynones with iminochlorides.     

CO2 Separation by Imide/Imine Organic Cages

Two novel imide/imine-based organic cages have been prepared and studied as materials for the selective separation of CO₂ from N₂ and CH₄ under vacuum swing adsorption conditions. Gas adsorption on the new compounds showed selectivity for CO₂ over N₂ and CH₄. The cages were also tested as fillers in mixed-matrix membranes for gas separation. Dense and robust membranes were obtained by loading the cages in either Matrimid® or PEEK-WC polymers. Improved gas-transport properties and selectivity for CO₂ were achieved compared to the neat polymer membranes.     

Synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of cyanide- and phenolate-bridged [M(III)NiII]2 tetranuclear complexes (M=Fe and Cr)

The binuclear complex NiII2L(H2O)2(ClO4)2(1) and the neutral tetranuclear bimetallic compounds [{M(III)(phen)(CN)4}2{NiII2L(H2O)2}].2CH3CN with M=Fe (2) and Cr (3)[H2L=11,23-dimethyl-3,7,15,19-tetraazatricyclo[19.3.1.1(9,13)]hexacosa-2,7,9,11,13(26),14,19,21(25),22,24-decaene-25,26-diol] have been synthesized and the structures of and determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. and are isostructural compounds whose structure is made up of centrosymmetric binuclear cations [Ni2(L)(H2O)2]2+ and two peripheral [M(phen)(CN)4]- anions [M=Fe (2) and Cr (3)] acting as monodentate ligands towards the nickel atoms through one of their four cyanide nitrogen atoms. The environment of the metal atoms in 2 and 3 is six-coordinated: two phen-nitrogen and four cyanide-carbon atoms at the iron and chromium atoms and a water molecule, one cyanide-nitrogen and two phenolate-oxygens and two imine-nitrogens from the binucleating ligand L2- at the nickel atom build distorted octahedral surroundings. The values of the FeNi and CrNi separations through the single cyanide bridge are 5.058(1) and 5.174(2)A respectively, whereas the Ni-Ni distances across the double phenolate bridge are 3.098(2)(2) and 3.101(1) A (3). The magnetic properties of have been investigated in the temperature range 1.9-290 K. The magnetic behaviour of corresponds to that of an antiferromagnetically coupled nickel(II) dimer with J=-61.0(1) cm-1, the Hamiltonian being defined as H=-J S(A).S(B). An overall antiferromagnetic behaviour is observed for and with a low-lying singlet spin state. The values of the intramolecular magnetic couplings are J(Fe-Ni)=+17.4(1) cm-1 and J(Ni-Ni(a))=-44.4(1) cm-1 for and J(Cr-Ni)=+11.8(1) cm-1 and J(Ni-Ni(a))=-44.6(1) cm-1 for [H=-J(M-Ni)(S(M).S(Ni)+S(Ma).S(Nia))-J(Ni-Nia)S(Ni)S(Nia)]. Theoretical calculations using methods based on density functional theory (DFT) have been employed on in order to analyze the efficiency of the exchange pathways involved and also to substantiate the exchange coupling parameters.     

Structure-Property Relationships in the Basicity and Lipophilicity of Arylalkylamine Oxides

Homologous N,N-dimethyl-phenylalkylamine oxides and N,N-dimethyl-diphenylalkylamine oxides were prepared. Their basicity and lipophilicity (octan-1-ol/H₂O) were compared to those of the parent amines. In contrast to the amines, the basicity of all N,N-dimethyl-arylalkylamine oxides showed very limited pK_a variations (range 4.65 – 5.01) with increasing chain length and number of Ph groups. The N-oxides in their neutral form had a log P^N value lower by 2.77±0.34 (n=9) units than that of the parent amine. The log P^C of the cationic N,N-dimethyl-diphenylalkylamines was lower than that of their neutral form, with a decrement diff(log P^N−C) that increased from 3.25 to 4.21 in the homologous series. Unexpectedly, the decrement diff(log P^N−C) for the N-oxides was much smaller than for the tertiary amines, being 0.23 for the aliphatic N,N-dimethyl-pentylamine oxide, 0.47±0.13 for the phenylalkylamine oxides, and 0.80±0.07 for the diphenylalkylamine oxides. In fact, the protonated N-oxides had log P^C values that were quite comparable to those of the protonated parent amines. Because of the differences in basicity, the difference in distribution coefficients at physiological pH (log D^7.4) between a tertiary arylalkylamine and its N-oxide was 0.82±0.66 (n=9). The pharmacokinetic implication is that N-oxygenation may have a smaller effect on the urinary excretion of tertiary amines than usually assumed.     

Synthesis,characterization and magnetic properties of mixed-valence iron complexes with 2-pyridyl oximes

Abstract

Two new mixed-valence iron complexes with 2-pyridyl oximes, [Fe(mpko)₃Fe(H₂O)₂(NO₃)](NO₃)·2H₂O (1) (mpko^? = methyl(2-pyridyl)ketone oximate) and [{Fe(dpko)₃}₂Fe](ClO₄)·4H₂O (2) (dpko^? = bis(2-pyridyl)ketone oximate), have been prepared by reaction of Fe^III with mpkoH in methanol (1) and Fe^II with dpkoH in methanol/water (2). Dinuclear Fe^II(low-spin)Fe^III(high-spin) and trinuclear Fe^II(low-spin)Fe^III(high-spin)Fe^II(low-spin) cations are present in the crystal structure of 1 and 2, respectively. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds in 1 lead to weak antiferromagnetic interactions between pairs of neighboring Fe^III centers, which allows observation of single-ion zero-field splitting effects.     

Ligand effects on the structures and magnetic properties of tricyanomethanide-containing copper(II) complexes

The preparation, crystal structure and magnetic properties of four heteroleptic copper(II) complexes with the tricyanomethanide (tcm(-)) and the heterocyclic nitrogen donors 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)pyridazine (dppn), 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (2,5-dpp), 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (2,3-dpp) and 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)quinoxaline (2,3-dpq) are reported, {[Cu(2)(dppn)(OH)(tcm)(2)] x tcm}(n) (1), {[Cu(2,5-dpp)(tcm)] x tcm}(n) (2), {[Cu(2)(2,3-dpp)(2)(tcm)(3)(H(2)O)(0.5)] x tcm x 0.5H(2)O}(n) (3) and [Cu(2,3-dpq)(tcm)(2)](n) (4). 1 has a ladder-like structure with single mu-1,5-tcm ligands forming the sides and a bis-bidentate dppn and a single mu-hydroxo providing the rung. Each copper atom in 1 exhibits a distorted square pyramidal CuN(4)O surrounding: the basal plane is built by the hydroxo-oxygen, a nitrile-nitrogen atom from a tcm group and one pyrazine and a pyridyl nitrogen atoms from the dppn whereas the apical position is filled by a nitrile-nitrogen atom from a symmetry-related tcm ligand. The structures of 2-4 consists of zig-zag (2 and 3)/linear (4) chains of copper(II) ions which are bridged by either bis-bidentate 2,5-dpp (2) and 2,3-dpp (3) molecules or single mu-1,5-tcm (4) groups. The copper atoms in 2 and 4 are five coordinated with distorted trigonal bipyramidal (2) and square pyramidal (4) CuN(5) surroundings. The axial positions in 2 are occupied by two pyridyl-nitrogen atoms from two 2,5-dpp ligands whereas the trigonal plane is built by a nitrile-nitrogen from a terminally bound tcm group and two pyrazine nitrogen atoms from two 2,5-dpp molecules. The basal plane in 4 is defined by a pyridyl and a pyrazine nitrogen atoms from the bidentate 2,3-dpq ligand and two nitrile nitrogen atoms from two tcm groups (one terminal and the other bridging) whereas the apical position is filled by a nitrile nitrogen from another tcm ligand. The crystallographically independent copper atoms in 3 [Cu(1) and Cu(2)] exhibit elongated octahedral geometries being defined by four nitrogen atoms from two 2,3-dpp groups [Cu(1) and Cu(2)] either two terminally bound tcm ligands [Cu(1)] or a water molecule and a monodentate tcm ligand [Cu(2)] in cis positions. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 1-4 in the temperature range 1.9-295 K reveal the occurrence of strong [J ca.-1000 cm(-1) (1); H = -JS(A) x S(B)] and weak [J = -0.13 (2), -0.67 (3) and -0.18 cm(-1) (4); H = -J Sigma(I)S(i) x S(i+1)] antiferromagnetic interactions in agreement with the different nature of the exchange pathways involved, diazine and single mu-hydroxo (1) and the extended 2,5-dpp (2), 2,3-dpp (3) and single mu-1,5-tcm (4) bridges with copper-copper separations of 3.363(8) (1), 7.111(1) (2), 6.823(1) and 7.056(1) (3) and 7.446(1) A (4).     

Lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin protect against DNA damage in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells induced by reactive nitrogen species

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the predominant carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) of the macular pigment of the human retina, to protect SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells against DNA damage induced by different RNOS donors. Although astaxanthin has never been isolated from the human eye, it was included in this study because its structure is very close to that of lutein and zeaxanthin and because it affords protection from UV-light. DNA damage was induced by GSNO-MEE, a nitric oxide donor, by Na(2)N(2)O(3), a nitroxyl anion donor and by SIN-1, a peroxynitrite-generating agent. DNA damage was assessed using the comet assay, a rapid and sensitive single cell gel electrophoresis technique able to detect primary DNA damage in individual cells. The tail moment parameter was used as an index of DNA damage. The values of tail moment increased in all the samples incubated with the RNOS donors, indicating DNA impairment. Data obtained show that the ability of zeaxanthin, lutein, and astaxanthin to reduce the DNA damage depends on the type of RNOS donor and the carotenoid concentration used. All the carotenoids studied were capable of protecting against DNA damage in neuroblastoma cells when the cells were exposed to GSNO-MEE. However, a different behaviour was present when the other two RNOS donors were used. The presence of a carotenoid alone (without an RNOS donor) did not cause DNA damage. Spectrophotometric studies showed that the order with which tested carotenoids reacted with RNOS was not always in agreement with the DNA protection results. The data from this study provides additional information on the activities of the macular pigment carotenoids of the human retina.