Oxamidate-bridged dinuclear five-coordinate nickel(II) complexes: a magneto-structural study

The preparation, spectroscopic characterization, and magnetic study of three new oxamidate-bridged nickel(II) dinuclear complexes of formulas ([Ni(Me3[12]aneN3)]2(mu-oa))(PF6)2 (1), ([Ni(Me3[12]aneN3)]2(mu-dmoa))(PF6)2 (2), and ([Ni(Me3[12]aneN3)]2(mu-dpoa))(PF6)2 (3) (Me3[12]aneN3 = 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,5,9-triazacyclododec-1-ene, oa = oxamidate, dmoa = N,N'-dimethyloxamidate, and dpoa = N,N'-diphenyloxamidate) are reported. The crystal structures of two of them (1 and 3) have been determined. 1 and 3 crystallize in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c, with Z = 2 and a = 7.901(4) A, b = 13.597(6) A, c = 17.565(10) A, and beta = 96.46(4) degrees for 1 and a = 13.854(3) A, b = 17.469(4) A, c = 12.543(3) A, and beta = 116.22(3) degrees for 3. The structures of 1 and 3 consist of dinuclear ([Ni(Me3[12]aneN3)]2(mu-oa))2+ and ([Ni(Me3[12]aneN3)]2(mu-dpoa))2+ cations and hexafluorophosphate anions. Each nickel in 1-3 is five-coordinate, and the substitution of the hydrogen atom of the amidate nitrogen of 1 by a methyl (2) or a phenyl (3) group causes a significant modification of the stereochemistry of the nickel(II) ions from square pyramidal toward trigonal bipyramidal (tau values of 0.12 and 0.48 for 1 and 3, respectively). The NOESY spectrum of 3 has allowed us to achieve the assignment of the phenyl protons of the N,N'-diphenyloxamidate. The value of magnetic coupling between the two nickel(II) ions across the oxamidate bridge [J = -57.0 (oa, 1), -38.0 (dmoa, 2) and -30.5 cm(-1) (dpoa, 3)] is very sensitive to this stereochemical change, and its variation is explained on the basis of orbital considerations. DFT type calculations have been performed to analyze and substantiate the trend of the magnetic coupling in 1-3.     

Differentially-protected steroidal triamines; scaffolds with potential for medicinal, supramolecular, and combinatorial chemistry

Cholic acid 2a has been converted into two new orthogonally-protected triamino scaffolds, 13 and 14. The synthesis proceeds via the bis-Boc-NH-substituted azide 10, for which an improved preparation is described. After removal of the Boc groups, the two axial amines are differentiated through a novel monoprotection employing 1-(2-nitrobenzenesulfonyloxy)-benzotriazole 29. Regioselectivity of > or 50 : 1 is achieved, presumably reflecting an exceptional sensitivity to steric hindrance. Protection of the remaining amino group as Boc or Alloc gives the scaffolds in approximately 40% overall yield from cholic acid. Scaffold 13 has been sequentially deprotected and derivatised with N-carbamoyl amino acids, to give a model for tripodal peptide libraries.     

Synthesis and characterization of hydroxo, pyrazolato and carboxylato derivatives of the PdR(PPh3)moiety (R = C6F5 or C6Cl5)

The hydroxo-complexes [{PdR(PPh₃)(μ-OH)}₂] (R = C₆F₅ or C₆Cl₅) have been obtained by reaction of the corresponding [{PdR(PPh₃)(μ-Cl)}2] complexes with NBu₄OH in acetone. In this solvent, the reaction of the hydroxo-bridged complexes with pyrazole (Hpz) and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (Hdmpz) in 1:2 molar ratio leads to the formation of the new complexes [{Pd(C₅F₅)(PPh₃)(μ-azolate)}2] and [{Pd(C₆Cl₅)(PPh₃)}₂(μ-OH)(μ-azolate)] (azolate = pz or dmpz). The reaction of the bis(μ-hydroxo) complexes with Hpz and Hdmpz in acetone in 1:1 molar ratio has also been studied, and the resulting product depends on the organic radical (C₆F₅ or C₆Cl₅) as well as the azolate (pz or dmpz). The identity of the isomer obtained has been established in every case by NMR (¹H, ¹⁹F and ³¹P) spectroscopy. The reaction of the bis(μ-hydroxo) complexes with oxalic (H₂Ox) and acetic (HOAc) acids yields the binucle ar complexes [{PdR(PPh₃)}2(μ-Ox)] (R = C₆F₅ or C₆Cl₅) and [{Pd(C₆F₅)(PPh₃)(μ-OAc)}2], respectively. [{Pd(C₆F₅)(PPh₃)(μ-OH)}₂] reacts with PPh₃ in acetone in 1:2 ratio giving the mononuclear complex trans-[Pd(C₆F₅) (OH)(PPh₃)₂], whereas the pentachlorophenylhydroxo complex does not react with PPh₃, even under forcing conditions.     

Functional and structural characterization of ovine ornithine transcarbamoylase

Ornithine transcarbamoylase from ovine liver has been purified to homogeneity. Like all anabolic OTCs, the ovine enzyme is a trimer, constituted by identical subunits of 34 kDa. Sequence analysis of the 54 N-terminal residues of ovine OTC shows a high degree of homology with the human enzyme. The optimum pH and the Michaelis constants for the catalytic reaction were determined. The ovine enzyme is the most thermostable one among mammals OTCs, its critical temperature being 6 degrees C higher than those measured for the other enzymes. The enzyme has been crystallised and the structure determined at 3.5 A resolution. Crystals belong to the cubic P4(3)32 space group, with a = b = c = 184.7 A and a solvent content of about 80%. There is no evidence of any ligand in the active site cavity, indicating that the crystals contain an unliganded or T state of the enzyme. The unliganded OTCase enzyme adopts a trimeric structure which, in the crystal, presents a three-fold axis coincident with the crystallographic one. The conformation of each monomer in the trimer is quite similar to that of the liganded human protein, with the exception of a few loops, directly interacting with the substrate(s), which are able to induce a rearrangement of the quaternary organisation of the trimer, that accounts for the cooperative behaviour of the enzyme following the binding of the substrates.     

BRS cohomology and topological anomalies

The occurrence of non-abelian anomalies in gauge theories and gravitation, first discovered via perturbative techniques, is now completely explained from the mathematical point of view by means of the family index theorem of Atiyah and Singer. Here we make contact between this approach and BRS cohomology, by showing that they yield the same non-abelian anomalies, provided a certain restriction to local functionals is not introduced from the very beginning. In particular, this solves the unicity problem for this kind of anomalies. Local BRS cohomology is still relevant for the abelian case.Work partially supported by Gruppo Nazionale di Fisica Matematica del CNR and Progetto Nazionale Geometria e Fisica del MPI     

Fiber orientation kinetics of a concentrated short glass fiber suspension in startup of simple shear flow

The common approach for simulating the evolution of fiber orientation during flow in concentrated suspensions is to use an empirically modified form of Jeffery's equation referred to as the Folgar–Tucker (F-T) model. Direct measurements of fiber orientation were performed in the startup of shear flow for a 30 wt% short glass fiber-filled polybutylene terephthalate (PBT-30); a matrix that behaves similar to a Newtonian fluid. Comparison between predictions based on the F-T model and the experimental fiber orientation show that the model over predicts the rate of fiber reorientation. Rheological measurements of the stress growth functions show that the stress overshoot phenomenon approaches a steady state at a similar strain as the fiber microstructure, at roughly 50 units. However, fiber orientation measurements suggest that a steady state is not reached as the fiber orientation continues to slowly evolve, even up to 200 strain units. The addition of a “slip” parameter to the F-T model improved the model predictions of the fiber orientation and rheological stress growth functions.     

Palladium(II) and platinum(II) organometallic complexes with the model nucleobase anions of thymine, uracil, and cytosine: antitumor activity and interactions with DNA of the platinum compounds

Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with the anions of the model nucleobases 1-methylthymine (1-MethyH), 1-methyluracil (1-MeuraH), and 1-methylcytosine (1-MecytH) of the types [Pd(dmba)(mu-L)]2 [dmba = N,C-chelating 2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl; L = 1-Methy, 1-Meura or 1-Mecyt] and [M(dmba)(L)(L')] [L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; L' = PPh(3) (M = Pd or Pt), DMSO (M = Pt)] have been obtained. Palladium complexes of the types [Pd(C6F5)(N-N)(L)] [L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; N-N = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda), 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), or 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (Me2bpy)] and [NBu4][Pd(C6F5)(1-Methy)2(H2O)] have also been prepared. The crystal structures of [Pd(dmba)(mu-1-Methy)]2, [Pd(dmba)(mu-1-Mecyt)]2.2CHCl3, [Pd(dmba)(1-Methy)(PPh3)].3CHCl3, [Pt(dmba)(1-Methy)(PPh3)], [Pd(tmeda)(C6F5)(1-Methy)], and [NBu4][Pd(C6F5)(1-Methy)2(H2O)].H2O have been established by X-ray diffraction. The DNA adduct formation of the new platinum complexes synthesized was followed by circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Atomic force microscopy images of the modifications caused by the platinum complexes on plasmid DNA pBR322 were also obtained. Values of IC50 were also calculated for the new platinum complexes against the tumor cell line HL-60. All the new platinum complexes were more active than cisplatin (up to 20-fold in some cases).