fac-[Re(CO)3(dmso-O)3](CF3SO3): a new versatile and efficient Re(I) precursor for the preparation of mono and polynuclear compounds containing fac-[Re(CO)3]+ fragments

We show here that the new complex fac-[Re(CO)3(dmso-O)3](CF3SO3) (1), efficiently prepared in one step from [ReBr(CO)5] and featuring a broad range of solubility, is, in general, a better precursor for the one-step synthesis of mono- and polynuclear inorganic compounds containing fac-[Re(CO)3]+ fragments compared to the commonly used (NEt4)2fac-[ReBr3(CO)3] and fac-[Re(CO)3(CH3CN)3](Y) (Y = PF6, BF4, ClO4) species. Compound 1 is the first example of a Re(I)-dmso complex structurally characterized and confirms the rule that dmso is always O-bonded when trans to CO. The reactivity of 1 was tested in the one-step preparation of several new and known complexes. The O-bonded sulfoxides of 1 are replaced under mild conditions by tri- (L3) and bidentate ligands (L2) to produce fac-[Re(CO)3(L3)]+ and fac-[Re(CO)3(L2)(dmso-O)]+ compounds, respectively. An excess of monodentate ligands (L) and more forcing conditions are needed to prepare fac-[Re(CO)3(L)3]+ compounds. The new compounds include fac-[Re(CO)3(bipy)(dmso-O)](CF3SO3) (4), that turned out to be an excellent precursor for binding the luminescent fac-[Re(CO)3(bipy)]+ fragment to polytopic ligands for the construction of more elaborate assemblies. One example reported here is the two-step preparation of fac-[{Re(CO)3(bipy)}(mu-4,4'-bipy){Ru(TPP)(CO)}](CF3SO3) (8) (TPP = tetraphenylporphyrin). The X-ray structures of the new compounds 1, 4, of the bis-porphyrin complex fac-[Re(CO)3Cl(4'MPyP)2] (13) (4'MPyP = 5-(4'pyridyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin), and of the rhenium-cyclophane [{(CO)3Re(mu-OH)2Re(CO)3}2(micro-4,4'-bipy)2] (15), among others, are described. Compound 1 might find useful applications in supramolecular chemistry (metal-mediated assembly of large architectures), in the in situ preparation of stable Re compounds to be used in nuclear medicine, and for the labeling of biomolecules.     

The first unequivocally ferromagnetically coupled squarato complex: origin of the ferromagnetism in an interlocked 3D Fe(II) system

An unprecedented interlocked 3D Fe(II) system, [Fe(squarate)(bpy)(2H2O)] x 3H2O, 1 (bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine), the first unequivocally ferromagnetically coupled squarato complex to be reported, has been synthesised and magnetically characterized.     

Synthesis, structural analysis, and magnetic behaviour of three fumarate bridged coordination polymers: five-fold interpenetrated diamond-like net of NiII, sheets of NiII and CoII

The hydrothermal reactions of Ni(NO(3))(2).6H(2)O, disodium fumarate (fum) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe)/1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) in aqueous-methanol medium yield one 3-D and one 2-D metal-organic hybrid material, [Ni(fum)(bpe)] (1) and [Ni(fum)(bpp)(H(2)O)] (2), respectively. Complex possesses a novel unprecedented structure, the first example of an "unusual mode" of a five-fold distorted interpenetrated network with metal-ligand linkages where the four six-membered windows in each adamantane-type cage are different. The structural characterization of complex 2 evidences a buckled sheet where nickel ions are in a distorted octahedral geometry, with two carboxylic groups, one acting as a bis-chelate, the other as a bis-monodentate ligand. The metal ion completes the coordination sphere through one water molecule and two bpp nitrogens in cis position. Variable-temperature magnetic measurements of complexes 1 and 2 reveal the existence of very weak antiferromagnetic intramolecular interactions and/or the presence of single-ion zero field splitting (D) of isolated Ni(II) ions in both the compounds. Experimentally, both the J parameters are close, comparable and very small. Considering zero-field splitting of Ni(II), the calculated D values are in agreement with values reported in the literature for Ni(II) ions. Complex 3, [[Co(phen)]](2)(fum)(2)](phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) is obtained by diffusing methanolic solution of 1,10-phenanthroline on an aqueous layer of disodium fumarate and Co(NO(3))(2).6H(2)O. It consists of dimeric Co(II)(phen) units, doubly bridged by carboxylate groups in a distorted syn-syn fashion. These fumarate anions act as bis-chelates to form corrugated sheets. The 2D layer has a (4,4) topology, with the nodes represented by the centres of the dimers. The magnetic data were fitted ignoring the very weak coupling through the fumarate pathway and using a dimer model.     

Complexes of platinum(II) containing neutral and deprotonated 9-methyladenine. Synthesis, x-ray structures, and NMR studies on the cyclic trimer cis-[L2Pt[9-MeAd([bond]H)]]3(NO3)3 and the Dinuclear cis-[L2Pt(ONO2)[9-MeAd([bond]H)]PtL2](NO3)2 (L = PMePh2)

The dinuclear hydroxo complex cis-[L(2)Pt(mu-OH)](2)(NO(3))(2) (L = PMePh(2), 1), in CH(2)Cl(2), CH(3)CN, or DMF solution, deprotonates the NH(2) group of 9-methyladenine (9-MeAd) to give the complex cis-[L(2)Pt[9-MeAd(-H)]](3)(NO(3))(3), 2, which was isolated in good yield. The X-ray structure shows that the nucleobase binds symmetrically the metal centers through the N(1),N(6) atoms forming a cyclic trimer with Pt...Pt distances in the range 5.202(1)-5.382(1) A. Dissolution of 2 in DMSO or DMF determines the partial (or total) dissociation of the cyclic structure to form several fragments. A multinuclear NMR analysis of the resulting mixture supports the presence of the mononuclear species cis-[L(2)Pt[9-MeAd(-H)]](+), 3, in which the deprotonated nucleobase chelates the metal center with the N(6),N(7) atoms. Addition of a stoichiometric amount of the nitrato complex cis-[L(2)Pt(ONO(2))(2)] (L = PMePh(2), 4) to a DMSO or DMF solution of 2 affords quantitatively the diplatinated compound cis-[L(2)Pt(ONO(2))[9-MeAd(-H)]PtL(2)](NO(3))(2), 5. The single-crystal X-ray analysis shows that the adenine behaves as a tridentate ligand bridging two cis-L(2)Pt units at the N(1) and N(6),N(7) sites, respectively [Pt(1)-N(1) = 2.109(5) A, Pt(2)-N(6) = 2.095(7) A, Pt(2)-N(7) = 2.126(7) A]. The N(1)-bonded metal center completes the coordination sphere through an oxygen atom of a nitrate group, and its coordination plane is arranged orthogonally with respect the second one. The Pt-O distance [2.109(5) A] is similar to those found in the nitrato complex 4 [2.110 A, average]. The related complex cis-[[L(2)Pt(ONO(2))](2)(9-MeAd)](NO(3))(2), 6, containing the neutral adenine platinated at the N(1),N(7) atoms, was isolated and its stability in solution investigated by NMR spectroscopy. In DMSO, 6 undergoes decomposition forming a mixture of the species 4, 5, and the adenine mono- and bis-adducts cis-[L(2)Pt(9-MeAd)(DMSO)](2+), 7, and cis-[L(2)Pt(9-MeAd)(2)](2+), 8, respectively. This last complex, quantitatively formed upon addition of 9-MeAd (Pt/adenine = 1:2) to the mixture, was also isolated and characterized.     

Chemo‐Enzymatic Synthesis and Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Both Enantiomers of Methyl trans‐5‐Oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylate Precursors of the Aza Analogues of (+)‐ and (−)‐Methylenolactocin

Enantiomerically pure methyl esters of (+)‐(2R,3S)‐ and (−)‐(2S,3R)‐5‐oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid with 99% and 98% ee were obtained by enzymatic resolution of the corresponding racemic mixture using α‐chymotrypsin and pig‐liver acetone powder, respectively. Their absolute configurations were established by chemical methods, i.e., conversion of the trans‐γ‐lactam moiety to the corresponding γ‐lactone of known configuration. The favorable interactions between the trans‐γ‐lactam and α‐chymotrypsin were rationalized by molecular‐mechanics calculations, which suggest a different situation for the cis‐diastereoisomer.     

Synthesis of optically active α-benzyl paraconic acids and their esters and assignment of their absolute configuration

The cis- and trans-4-benzylparaconic acids and their ethyl esters were synthesized with high enantiomeric excess by hydrolysis of the corresponding diastereomeric lactonic esters using α-chymotrypsin. Thus, at low conversion values, cis- and trans-4-benzyl-5-oxo-3-tetrahydrofurancarboxylic acids were separately isolated with 99% ee and 92% ee, respectively. Both ethyl ester diastereomers were also obtained in enantiopure form. The absolute configuration of the trans-lactonic acid was assigned by ¹H NMR analysis of its ester derivatives with both enantiomers of 1-(9-anthryl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, while that of the cis-lactonic acid was assigned by means of X-ray analysis of a crystalline derivative. The circular dichroism curves of the products obtained are also reported.     

The unprecedented bridging coordination mode of 1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate (mu-cbdc-O,O') stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in ruthenium(II) complexes

The 1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate ligand (cbdc), that normally binds to metal centres as a chelate (eta(2)-cbdc-O,O'), prefers to bind in an unprecedented bridging fashion (micro-cbdc-O,O') on cationic Ru(ii) centres bearing ancillary ligands (e.g. H(2)O, NH(3)) capable of making intramolecular H-bonds with the non-coordinated oxygen atoms of the carboxylate groups. Thus, the thermodynamic product of the reaction between cis,fac-[RuCl(2)(dmso-S)(3)(dmso-O)]() and cbdc in a number of different reaction conditions is the dinuclear species with two bridging cbdc units fac-[Ru(micro-cbdc-O,O')(dmso-S)(3)(H(2)O)](2) (2). Similarly, reaction of cis,fac-[RuCl(2)(dmso-S)(3)(NH(3))] (3) with cbdc yielded the corresponding dinuclear species fac-[Ru(micro-cbdc-O,O')(dmso-S)(3)(NH(3))](2) (4), in which ammonia occupies the position of the water molecule in 2. Both dinuclear species 2 and 4 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and have an anti geometry with respect to the H(2)O or NH(3) ligands. The results from the X-ray studies are consistent with the NMR spectroscopic data, indicating that the dinuclear structures observed in the solid state are maintained in solution. The mononuclear anionic complex with a chelating cbdc unit, K{fac-[RuCl(eta(2)-cbdc-O,O')(dmso-S)(3)]}(5), was isolated under appropriate conditions form the reaction of 1 with K(2)(cbdc) and was demonstrated to be an intermediate in the formation of 2.     

Positronium Spin-Conversion Reactions Promoted by 3d Complexes in Highand Low-Spin States

Continuing in our work on the correlations between the rate constants, k _CR, of the ortho into para-positronium conversion reactions, CR, promoted by complexes of various 3d ions and the metal electron delocalization caused by the ligands, the relationship between the parameters of the correlation lines pertinent to highand low-spin complexes of Cr^II, Mn^II, and Co^II ions was ascertained. Moreover, it was experimentally verified, for the first time, that the statistical probability of the CR promoted by paramagnetic compounds with S = 1/2 is three times larger than that of the CR caused by compounds with S > 1/2.     

Insights into CO/styrene copolymerization by using Pd(II) catalysts containing modular pyridine-imidazoline ligands

Continuing our studies into the effect that N-N' ligands have on CO/styrene copolymerization, we prepared new C(1)-symmetrical pyridine-imidazoline ligands with 4',5'-cis stereochemistry in the imidazoline ring (5) and 4',5'-trans stereochemistry (6-10) and compared them with our previously reported ligands (1-4). Their coordination to neutral methylpalladium(II) (5 a-10 a) and cationic complexes (5 b-10 b), investigated in solution by NMR spectroscopy, indicates that both the electronic and steric properties of the imidazolines determine the stereochemistry of the palladium complexes. The crystal structures of two neutral palladium precursors [Pd(Me)(2-n)Cl(n)(N-N')] (n=1 for 8 a; n=2 for 9 a') show that the Pd-N coordination distances and the geometrical distortions in the imidazoline ring depend on the electronic nature of the substituents in the imidazoline fragment. Density functional calculations performed on selected neutral and cationic palladium complexes compare well with NMR and X-ray data. The calculations also account for the formation of only one or two stereoisomers of the cationic complexes. The performance of the cationic complexes as catalyst precursors in CO/4-tert-butylstyrene copolymerization under mild pressures and temperatures was analyzed in terms of the productivity and degree of stereoregularity of the polyketones obtained. Insertion of CO into the Pd-Me bond, which was monitored by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, shows that the N ligand influences the stereochemistry of the acyl species formed.