Copper(II) halide reactions with the - NH · CS - group in heterocyclic pentaatomic rings

Summary White crystalline complexes of general formula Cu₂L₄X₂ (where X = Cl, Br and L = 1, 3-oxazolidine-2-thione, pyrrolidine-2-thione,N-methyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione andN-ethyl-1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione) and CuLX (where L = 1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione) were prepared by reduction of copper(II) halides and studied by i.r. spectroscopy in the 4000–200 cm^– range. Evidence for ligand coordination to the metal through sulphur was found in each case. The(CuCI) vibration in all the chloro derivatives falls atca. 240 cm^–.     

Synthesis of the Bretonins,Polyolefinic Esterified Glyceryl Ethers of an Unidentified Sponge from the North-Brittany Sea: Absolute Configuration and Novel Structure Assignment

The absolute configurations of acetylated bretonin A (= (+}-( R )-1-[(acetoxy)methyl]-2-{[(4E,6E,8E)-dodeca-4,6,8-trienyl]oxy}ethyl 4-acetoxybenzoate; (?)- 1b ) and isobretonin A (= (+)-(S)-3-{[(4E,6E,8E)-do-deca-4,6,8-trienyl]oxy}-2-hydroxypropyl 4-hydroxybenzoate; (+)-2), previously isolated from an undetermined sponge of the North Brittany sea, were established by comparison with synthetic (+)- lb and (+)- 2 , obtained from the condensation of commerical (?)-(R)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl p-toluenesuifonate ((?)-(R)- 15 ) with a mixture of (4E,6E,8E)- ( 14e ) and (4E,6Z,8E)-dodeca-4,6,8-trien-1-ol ( 14z ). This also allowed confirming the structure and configuration of bretonin B (= (S)-2-{[(4E,6Z,8E)-dodeca-4,6,8-trienyl]oxy}-1-(hydroxy-methyl)ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate; 3 ) which was also isolated from the same sponge, albeit in a too small amount for a complete study. As concerns the glyceryl ethers precursors of the bretonins, co-occurrence of the usual (S)-con-figuration (from 1a ) with the unusual (R)-configuration (from (+)- 2 )) poses intriguing biogenetic problems.     

Electrochemically switchable hydrogen-bonded molecular shuttles

A series of [2]rotaxanes containing succinamide and naphthalimide hydrogen-bonding stations for a benzylic amide macrocycle is described. Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of the naphthalimide group alters its ability to form hydrogen bonds to the macrocycle to such a degree that redox processes can be used to switch the relative macrocycle-binding affinities of the two stations in a rotaxane by over 8 orders of magnitude. The structure of the neutral [2]rotaxane in solution is established by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and shows that the macrocycle exhibits remarkable positional integrity for the succinamide station in a variety of solvents. Cyclic voltammetry experiments allow the simultaneous stimulation and observation of a redox-induced dynamic process in the rotaxane which is both reversible and cyclable. Model compounds in which various conformational and co-conformational changes are prohibited demonstrate unequivocally that the redox response is the result of shuttling of the macrocycle between the two stations. At room temperature in tetrahydrofuran the electrochemically induced movement of the macrocycle between the two stations takes approximately 50 micros.     

A new pyridine-based 12-membered macrocycle functionalised with different fluorescent subunits; coordination chemistry towards Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II)

The coordination chemistry of the new pyridine-based, N2S2-donating 12-membered macrocycle 2,8-dithia-5-aza-2,6-pyridinophane (L1) towards Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II) has been investigated both in aqueous solution and in the solid state. The protonation constants for L1 and stability constants with the aforementioned metal ions have been determined potentiometrically and compared with those of ligand L2, which contains a N-aminopropyl side arm. The measured values show that Hg(II) in water has the highest affinity for both ligands followed by Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II). For each metal ion considered, 1:1 complexes with L1 have also been isolated in the solid state, those of Cu(II) and Zn(II) having also been characterised by X-ray crystallography. In both complexes L1 adopts a folded conformation and the coordination environments around the two metal centres are very similar: four positions of a distorted octahedral coordination sphere are occupied by the donor atoms of the macrocyclic ligand, and the two mutually cis-positions unoccupied by L1 accommodate monodentate NO3- ligands. The macrocycle L1 has then been functionalised with different fluorogenic subunits. In particular, the N-dansylamidopropyl (L3), N-(9-anthracenyl)methyl (L4), and N-(8-hydroxy-2-quinolinyl)methyl (L5) pendant arm derivatives of L1 have been synthesised and their optical response to the above mentioned metal ions investigated in MeCN/H2O (4:1 v/v) solutions.     

A mechanistic study of the permeation kinetics through biomembrane models: gemcitabine-phospholipid bilayer interaction

The kinetics of the interaction between Gemcitabine (a new anticancer drug) and phospholipid membrane models was investigated. This kind of study is of particular importance both in hypothesizing the interaction of Gemcitabine with mammalian cell membranes and in evaluating the potentiality of liposomes as a Gemcitabine delivery system. Unilamellar (LUV) and multilamellar (MLV) membrane models were made up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dimyristoylphosphatidic acid sodium salt (DMPA), or a DMPC-DMPA mixture (1:1 molar ratio). Gemcitabine-phospholipid vesicle interaction was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements performed at different time intervals. The findings showed slower permeation kinetics of Gemcitabine through MLV than LUV which, at the same lipid/water ratio, are characterized by a larger lipid surface in contact with the drug aqueous solution. Another interesting difference between LUV and MLV is the onset of a transient two-peak structure during the DSC scans of MLVs. The effect is due to the unequal distribution of the drug between the outer and inner bilayers of the multilamellar vesicles during the permeation kinetics. At equilibrium the two-peak structure merges into a unique peak. This finding may provide useful information about the lipid bilayer permeability in model membranes.     

Rogiolenyne D,the likely immediate precursor of rogiolenyne A and B,branched C15 acetogenins isolated from the red seaweed Laurencia microcladia of II Rogiolo. Conformation and absolute configuration in the whole series

It is shown that in the red seaweed Jaurencia microcladia, collected in the Mediterranean off the torrent Il Rogiolo, the new branched C₁₅ acetogenin rogiolenyne D ( = (+)-(2S,3S,7R))-3-(bromomethyl)-7-[(Z)-1-chlorohexen-3-en-5-nyyl)]-2-ethyl-2,3,6,7-tetrahydrooxepin; (+)- ?3 co-occurs with the already reported rogiolenyne A ((?)- 1 ) and B ((?)- 2a , suggesting the lineage (+)- 3 →(?)- 1 (?)- 2a ,Which is realized here chemically. The relative configurations are established via NMR analysis and chemical transformations as regards the seven-membered ring, while recourse is made to conformational analysis for the side chain. The absolute configuration is established via the Mosher's NMR method applied to the MPTA esters of (?)- 2a .     

Electronic energy transfer and collection in luminescent molecular rods containing ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) 2,2':6',2"-terpyridine complexes linked by thiophene-2,5-diyl spacers

The electronic absorption spectra, luminescence spectra and lifetimes (in MeCN at room temperature and in frozen n-C3H7CN at 77 K), and electrochemical potentials (in MeCN) of the novel dinuclear [(tpy)Ru(3)Os(tpy)]4+ and trinuclear [(tpy)Ru(3)Os(3)Ru(tpy)]6- complexes (3 = 2,5-bis(2,2':6',2'-terpyridin-4-yl)thiophene) have been obtained and are compared with those of model mononuclear complexes and homometallic [(tpy)Ru(3)Ru(tpy)]4+, [(tpy)Os(3)Os(tpy)]4+ and [(tpy)Ru(3)Ru(3)Ru(tpy)]6+ Complexes. The bridging ligand 3 is nearly planar in the complexes, as seen from a preliminary X-ray determination of [(tpy)Ru(3)Ru(tpy)][PF6]4, and confers a high degree of rigidity upon the polynuclear species. The trinuclear species are rod-shaped with a distance of about 3 nm between the terminal metal centres. For the polynuclear complexes, the spectroscopic and electrochemical data are in accord with a significant intermetal interaction. All of the complexes are luminescent (phi in the range 10(-4)-10(-2) and tau in the range 6-340 ns, at room temperature), and ruthenium- or osmium-based luminescence properties can be identified. Due to the excited state properties of the various components and to the geometric and electronic properties of the bridge, Ru --> Os directional transfer of excitation energy takes place in the complexes [(tpy)Ru(3)Os(tpy)]4+ (end-to-end) and [(tpy)Ru(3)Os(3)Ru(tpy)]6+ (periphery-to-centre). With respect to the homometallic case, for [(tpy)Ru(3)Os(3)Ru(tpy)]6+ excitation trapping at the central position is accompanied by a fivefold enhancement of luminescence intensity.     

Evaluation of behaviour of linear monoamines CH3-(CH2)n−1-NH2 (n=1-6) in ion chromatography

This paper reports the results on a study of ion chromatography (IC) behaviour on strong cationic exchange column of CH₃-(CH₂)_n−1-NH₂ (n=1-6) type linear monoamines. The eluents were mixtures of HCl-NaCl, HNO₃-NaNO₃, HClO₄-NaClO₄, H₂SO₄-Na₂SO₄, HClO₄-NaClO₄-CH₃CN. Amines were revealed with an amperometric detector. The influence of different counter-ions on retention factors, k′, is discussed. Relationships between k′ and pE (E=sum of Na⁺ and H⁺ concentrations), and length of alkylic chain, and sensitivity coefficient S, are reported and discussed. The addition of acetonitrile (ACN) in the eluent was also taken into account. Suitable considerations are derived from these data. An example of monoamines separation is given.     

Zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) halide pyrrolidine-2-thione complexes

Summary White crystalline complexes of general formula ML₂X₂, where M = Zn, Cd, Hg; X = Cl, 13r, I and L = pyrrolidine-2-thione, were prepared and studied by i.r. spectroscopy in the 4000-200 cm^–1 range. Evidence for coordination of the ligand to the metal through sulphur was found in each case. The previous assignment of the band present in the ligand at 1110 cm^–1 to the(CS) fundamental is discussed.This work was supported by the National Research Council (C.N.R.) of Italy.     

Axial Imidazole Distortion Effects on the Catalytic and Binding Properties of Chelated Deuterohemin Complexes

The effect of strain in the axial coordination of imidazole to the heme has been studied in the chelate complexes deuterohemin-histidine (DH-His) and deuterohemin-alanylhistidine (DH-AlaHis). Molecular mechanics calculations indicate that three types of distortion of the axial ligand occur in DH-His, due to the relatively short length of the arm carrying the donor group: tilting off-axis, tipping, and inclination of the imidazole plane with respect to the axial Fe-N bond. The effects of tilting (Deltagamma approximately 10 degrees ) and inclination of the imidazole ring (Deltadelta approximately 17 degrees ) are dominant, while tipping is small and is probably of little importance here. By contrast, the axial imidazole coordination is normal in DH-AlaHis and other computed deuterohemin-dipeptide or -tripeptide complexes where histidine is the terminal residue, the only exception being DH-ProHis, where the rigidity of the proline ring reduces the flexibility of the chelating arm. The distortion in the axial iron-imidazole bond in DH-His has profound and negative influence on the binding and catalytic properties of this complex compared to DH-AlaHis. The former complex binds more weakly carbon monoxide, in its reduced form, and imidazole, in its oxidized form, than the latter. The catalytic efficiency in peroxidative oxidations is also reduced in DH-His with respect to DH-AlaHis. The activity of the latter complex is similar to that of microperoxidase-11, the peptide fragment incorporating the heme that results from hydrolytic cleavage of cytochrome c.