Reductive elimination from organometals. Thermal and induced decomposition of arylmethylnickel(II) complexes

The thermal decomposition of arylmethylbis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), ArNiMeL₂, is studied in hydrocarbon solutions, both in the presence and absence of aryl halide. The direct thermolysis affords methylarenes without aryl scrambling, by first-order kinetics. The inverse phosphine dependence of the rate is related to a dissociative mechanism proceeding via reductive elimination directly from the coordinatively unsaturated ArNiMeL intermediate. In contrast, the reductive elimination of methylarene induced by aryl halide is a radical chain process in which there is extensive scrambling of aryl groups, consistent with paramagnetic nickel(I) and nickel(III) species, and not aryl radicals, as reactive intermediates. The induced reductive elimination is a significantly more facile process than direct thermolysis. However, the relative contributions from these pathways in the reductive elimination of ArNiMeL₂ can be deliberately manipulated by additives (inhibitors and promoters) which control the induction period relating the generation of nickel(I, III) intermediates required for chain initiation. The radical chain mechanism for the formation of carboncarbon bonds by reductive elimination in this system is essentially the same as that previously deduced for aryl coupling to biaryls from arylhalonickel(II) and aryl halides.     

Crystallographic view of fluidic structures for room‐temperature ionic liquids: 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl­imidazolium hexa­fluoro­phosphate

Shock‐induced crystallization of the supercooled ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl­imidazolium hexa­fluoro­phosphate, C₈H₁₅N₂⁺·PF₆⁻, allows for the first time precise X‐ray diffraction analysis directly pertinent to the fluid state. This inter­mediate‐chain‐length structure shows features of both short‐ and long‐chain analogs. Two types of inter­planar distances between imidazolium rings are observed. The anions are located in channels formed by the imidazolium rings and alkyl chains.     

Donor-acceptor (electronic) coupling in the precursor complex to organic electron transfer: intermolecular and intramolecular self-exchange between phenothiazine redox centers

Intermolecular electron transfer (ET) between the free phenothiazine donor (PH) and its cation radical (PH*+) proceeds via the [1:1] precursor complex (PH)(2)*+ which is transiently observed for the first time by its diagnostic (charge-resonance) absorption band in the near-IR region. Similar intervalence (optical) transitions are also observed in mixed-valence cation radicals with the generic representation: P(br)P*+, in which two phenothiazine redox centers are interlinked by p-phenylene, o-xylylene, and o-phenylene (br) bridges. Mulliken-Hush analysis of the intervalence (charge-resonance) bands afford reliable values of the electronic coupling element H(IV) based on the separation parameters for (P/P*+) centers estimated from some X-ray structures of the intermolecular (PH)(2)*+ and the intramolecular P(br)P*+ systems. The values of H(IV), together with the reorganization energies lambda derived from the intervalence transitions, yield activation barriers DeltaG(ET)() and first-order rate constants k(ET) for electron-transfer based on the Marcus-Hush (two-state) formalism. Such theoretically based values of the intrinsic barrier and ET rate constants agree with the experimental activation barrier (E(a)) and the self-exchange rate constant (k(SE)) independently determined by ESR line broadening measurements. This convergence validates the use of the two-state model to adequately evaluate the critical electronic coupling elements between (P/P*+) redox centers in both (a) intermolecular ET via the precursor complex and (b) intramolecular ET within bridged mixed-valence cation radicals. Important to intermolecular ET mechanism is the intervention of the strongly coupled precursor complex since it leads to electron-transfer rates of self-exchange that are 2 orders of magnitude faster (and activation barrier that is substantially lower) than otherwise predicted solely on the basis of Marcus reorganization energy.     

Isolation of the latent precursor complex in electron-transfer dynamics. Intermolecular association and self-exchange with acceptor anion radicals

Transient [1:1] complexes formed in the bimolecular interactions of electron acceptors (A) with their reduced anion radicals (A(-.)) are detected and characterized in solution for the first time. The recognition of such metastable intermediates as the heretofore elusive precursor complex (A(2)(-.)) in electron-transfer processes for self-exchange allows the principal parameters lambda (Marcus reorganization energy) and H(DA) (electronic coupling element) to be experimentally determined from the optical (charge-transfer) transitions inherent to these intermolecular complexes. The satisfactory correspondence of the theoretically predicted with the experimentally observed rate constants validates these ET parameters and the Marcus-Hush-Sutin methodology for strongly coupled redox systems lying in the (Robin-Day) Class II category. Most importantly, the marked intermolecular electronic interaction (H(DA)) within these precursor complexes must be explicitly recognized, since it dramatically affects the electron-transfer dynamics by effectively lowering the activation barrier. As such, the numerous calculations of the reorganization energy previously obtained from various self-exchange kinetics based on lambda = 4DeltaG must be reconsidered in the light of such a precursor complex, with the important result that ET rates can be substantially faster than otherwise predicted. On the basis of these studies, a new mechanistic criterion is proposed for various outer-sphere/inner-sphere ET processes based on the relative magnitudes of H(DA) and lambda.     

Synthesis and structures of heterobimetallic Ir2M (M=Pd, Pt) sulfido clusters and their catalytic activity for regioselective addition of alcohols to internal 1-aryl-1-alkynes

The heterobimetallic trinuclear sulfido clusters [(Cp*Ir)₂(μ₃-S)₂MCl₂] (M=Pd (3), Pt (4); Cp*=η⁵-C₅Me₅) were synthesized from the dinuclear hydrogensulfido complex [Cp*IrCl(μ-SH)₂IrCp*Cl] (2) and [MCl₂(COD)] (COD=cycloocta-1,5-diene), while the reaction of 2 with [Pd(PPh₃)₄] afforded the cationic trinuclear cluster [(Cp*Ir)₂(μ₃-S)₂PdCl(PPh₃)]Cl (5). Clusters 3 and 4 reacted with PPh₃ to give a series of mono and dicationic clusters including 5, while the dicationic clusters [(Cp*Ir)₂(μ₃-S)₂M(dppe)][BPh₄]₂ (M=Pd (9), Pt (10); DPPE=Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂) were obtained by the reaction with dppe followed by anion metathesis. The molecular structures of 5·CH₂Cl₂, 9·CH₃COCH₃, and 10·CH₃COCH₃ were determined by X-ray crystallography. Clusters 3 and 4 were found to catalyze the addition of alcohols to alkynes to give the corresponding acetals. Internal 1-aryl-1-alkynes were transformed by cluster 3 into the corresponding 2,2-dialkoxy-1-arylalkanes with high regioselectivity up to 99:1, while cluster 4 was a much less regioselective catalyst.     

Aggregation of sodium dodecylsulfate in aqueous nitric acid medium

Curcumin (Cur) shows low anticancer activity in vivo due to its reduced systemic bioavailability stemmed from its poor aqueous solubility and instability. Suitably functionalized nanocarriers designed to empty the drug specifically at tumor sites can potentially enhance the antitumor activity of Cur. We devised a simple method for the fabrication of water soluble Cur conjugated gold nanoparticles to target various cancer cell lines. Cur was conjugated to hyaluronic acid (HA) to get a water soluble conjugate (HA-Cur). We generated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by reducing chloroauric acid using HA-Cur, which played the dual role of a reducing and stabilizing agent and subsequently anchored folate conjugated PEG. These entities were probed using different analytical techniques, assayed the blood compatibility and cytotoxicity. Their interaction with cancer cell lines (HeLa cells, glyoma cells and Caco 2 cells) was followed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Blood-materials interactions studies showed that the nanoparticles are highly hemocompatible. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy results showed significant cellular uptake and internalization of the particles by cells. HA-Cur@AuNPs exhibited more cytotoxicity comparing to free Cur. The strategy, we adopted here, resulted the formation blood compatible Cur conjugated AuNPs with enhanced targeting and improved efficacy.     

Effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation on expression of growth-associated genes by corticospinal neurons

Background  

Inflammation around cell bodies of primary sensory neurons and retinal ganglion cells enhances expression of neuronal growth-associated genes and stimulates axonal regeneration. We have asked if inflammation would have similar effects on corticospinal neurons, which normally show little response to spinal cord injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied onto the pial surface of the motor cortex of adult rats with or without concomitant injury of the corticospinal tract at C4. Inflammation around corticospinal tract cell bodies in the motor cortex was assessed by immunohistochemistry for OX42 (a microglia and macrophage marker). Expression of growth-associated genes c-jun, ATF3, SCG10 and GAP-43 was investigated by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridisation.     

Tris(thianthrene)(2+) bis(dodecamethylcarba‐closo‐dodecaborate) dichloromethane tetrasolvate: a crossed triple‐decker π‐trimer dication

The title compound, (3C₁₂H₈S₂)²⁺·2C₁₃H₃₆B₁₁⁻·4CH₂Cl₂, contains an unusual cation–radical association comprising a π‐trimer dication of crossed thianthrenes. The thianthrene molecular planes are essentially cofacial, but the S...S axes of adjacent molecules are orthogonal to each other. The outer thianthrenes (both located on mirror planes bisecting the units at the S atoms) are bent slightly towards the inner and planar thianthrene (residing on a 2/m symmetry element with the S atoms on the twofold rotation axis), with close noncovalent separations of 3.1 Å indicating strong interplanar interactions within the trimeric dication. Bond‐length analysis indicates that the 2+ charge is delocalized over the three stacked thianthrenes with the maximum charge on the central unit. The crossed monomer arrangement is attributed to the frontier‐orbital symmetry that allows various π‐bonding orientations between thianthrene molecules. The CB₁₁(CH₃)₁₂⁻ counter‐ion resides on a mirror plane. One of the CH₂Cl₂ solvent molecules resides on a twofold rotation axis, whereas the other is located on a mirror plane.     

Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation via Catalytically Generated Aminocarbene Complexes: Rhodium‐Catalyzed Hydroaminative Cyclization of Enynes with Secondary Amines

We report a hydroaminative cyclization of enynes using phosphine‐quinolinolato rhodium catalysts. The hydroaminative cyclization of 2‐vinylphenylacetylene derivatives with secondary amines gives 2‐aminoindenes in good yields. The reaction is considered to proceed through carbon–carbon bond formation on a catalytically generated aminocarbene ligand.