Oxidative Reactions of the MoIV Dialkyl Complex [{(3‐CF3C6H4NCH2CH2)2NMe}Mo(CH2SiMe3)2]

The structure of [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] (in which (CF₃N₂NMe)^2? is [(3‐CF₃C₆H₄NCH₂CH₂)₂NMe]^2?) is approximately trigonal bipyramidal with one axial and one equatorial alkyl ligand. Heating of solutions of [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] in [D₆]benzene in the presence of five equivalents of 2‐butyne led to diamagnetic [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CHSiMe₃)(η²‐MeC?CMe)], whose structure is approximately square pyramidal with the alkyne occupying the axial site. Addition of one equivalent of cyclohexene sulfide to [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] at room temperature produced the diamagnetic, dimeric molybdenum(IV) sulfido complex, [{(CF₃N₂NMe)MoS}₂]. This complex is composed of two approximately trigonal bipyramidal centers, each containing one axial and one equatorial sulfur atom. Oxidation of [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] with hexachloroethane resulted in formation of tetramethylsilane, HCl, and the sparingly soluble, red alkylidyne complex, [{(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CSiMe₃)Cl}₂]. This complex forms a dimer through bridging chlorides. The oxidation reactions of [(CF₃N₂NMe)Mo(CH₂SiMe₃)₂] with 2‐butyne, cyclohexene sulfide, or C₂Cl₆ are all proposed to proceed by α‐hydrogen abstraction in the Mo^VI species to yield (initially) the Mo?CHSiMe₃ species and tetramethylsilane.     

Mono-, di-, and trinuclear luminescent silver(I) and gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes derived from the picolyl-substituted methylimidazolium salt: 1-methyl-3-(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1H-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate

The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor, 1-methyl-3-(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1H-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [HCH3im(CH2py)]BF4, reacted with AgBF4 in the presence of aqueous NaOH to produce the silver complex [Ag(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (1) which was then reacted with Au(tht)Cl to form the corresponding gold(I) complex, [Au(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (2). Complex 2 reacted with 1 equiv of AgBF4 to produce the mixed-metal species [AuAg(CH3im(CH2py))2](BF4)2 (3). The reaction of 2 with 1 equiv of Au(tht)Cl followed by metathesis with NaBF4 produces the dimetallic gold complex [Au2(CH3im(CH2py))2](BF4)2 (4). The reaction of [Ag(CH3im(CH2py))2]BF4 (1) with 1 equiv of AgBF4 produces the trinuclear [Ag3(CH3im(CH2py))3(NCCH3)2](BF4)3 (5) complex, which appears to dissociate into a dimetallic complex in solution. Complexes 1-5 were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-vis, luminescence spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. The CH3im(CH2py) ligands in 3 are arranged in a head-to-head fashion spanning a Au-Ag separation of 3.0318(5) A with the carbene portion of the ligand remaining coordinated to the Au(I) center. In 4, the ligands are arranged in a head-to-tail fashion with an Au-Au separation of 3.1730(5) A. In 5, the ligands bridge the nearly symmetrical Ag3 triangular core with short Ag-Ag separations of 2.7765(8), 2.7832(8), and 2.7598(8) A. All of these complexes, including the ligand precursor, are intensely luminescent in solution and the solid state.     

Charge-mediated recognition of N-terminal tryptophan in aqueous solution by a synthetic host

The molecular recognition of peptides and proteins in aqueous solution by designed molecules remains an elusive goal with broad implications for basic biochemical research and for sensors and separations technologies. This paper describes the recognition of N-terminal tryptophan in aqueous solution by the synthetic host cucurbit[8]uril (Q8). Q8 is known to form 1:1:1 heteroternary complexes with methyl viologen (MV) and a second aromatic guest. Here, the complexes of Q8.MV with (i) the four natural aromatic alpha-amino acids, (ii) four singly charged tryptophan derivatives, and (iii) four tryptophan-containing tripeptides were characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry, mass spectrometry, and UV-visible, fluorescence, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. We find that Q8.MV binds Trp-Gly-Gly with high affinity (K(a) = 1.3 x 10(5) M(-1)), with 6-fold specificity over Gly-Trp-Gly, and with 40-fold specificity over Gly-Gly-Trp. Analysis of the nine indole-containing compounds suggests that peptide recognition is mediated by the electrostatic charge(s) proximal to the indole, and that the mode of binding is consistent for these compounds. Complex formation is accompanied by the growth of a visible charge-transfer band and the quenching of indole fluorescence. These optical properties, combined with the stability and selectivity of this system, are promising for applications in sensing and separating specific peptides.     

A molecular mechanics study of the effect of substitution in position 1 on the conformational space of the oxytocin/vasopressin ring

Summary The effect of the substitution in position 1 on the low-energy conformations of the oxytocin/vasopressin 20-membered ring was investigated by means of molecular mechanics. Three representative substitutions were considered: -mercapto-,-dimethyl)propionic acid (Dmp), (-mercapto-,-cyclopentamethylene)propionic acid (Cpp), both forming strong antagonists, and (,-dimethyl--mercapto)propionic acid (-Dmp), forming analogs of strongly reduced biological activity, with the -mercaptopropionic (Mpa) residue taken as reference. Both ECEPP/2 (rigid valence geometry) and AMBER (flexible valence geometry) force fields were employed in the calculations. Three basic types of backbone conformations were taken into account which are distinguished by the type of -turn at residues 3 and 4: 1/III, II, and I/III, all types containing one or two intra-annular hydrogen bonds. The allowed (ring-closed) disulfide-bridge conformations were searched by an algorithm formulated in terms of scanning the disulfide-bridge torsional angle C-S-S-C. The ECEPP/2 and AMBER energies of the obtained conformations were found to be in reasonable agreement. Two of the low-energy conformers of the [Mpa¹]-compound agreed very well with the cyclic part of the two conformers found in the crystal structure of [Mpa¹]-oxytocin. An analysis of the effect of -substitution on relative energies showed that the conformations with the N-C-CH₂-CH₂ (₁) and C-CH₂-CH₂-S (₁) angles of the first residue around (–100°, 60°) and (100°, –60°) are not affected; this in most cases implies a left-handed disulfide bridge. In the case of -substitution the allowed values of ₁ are close to ± 60°. This requirement, being in contradiction to the one concerning -substitution, could explain the very low biological activity of the -substituted analogs. The conformational preferences of substituted compounds can largely be explained by the analysis of local interactions within the first residue. Based on the selection of the conformations which are low in energy for both the reference and -substituted compounds, two distinct types of possible binding conformations were proposed, the first one being similar to the crystal conformer with a left-handed disulfide bridge, the second one having a right-handed bridge, but a geometry different from that of the crystal conformer with the right-handed bridge. The first type of disulfide-bridge arrangement is equally favorable for both I/III and II types of backbone structure, while the second one is allowed only for the II type of backbone. No conformation of the I/III type has a low enough energy to be considered as a possible binding conformation for all of the active compounds studied in this work.     

Adsorption of oligooxypropylenated amines at the aqueous solution—air interface: Homologous series of piperidine and morpholine derivatives

The surface tension isotherms for pure oligooxypropylenated piperidine and morpholine at the aqueous solution—air interface were determined and interpreted. The surface excess concentration, Γ, the surface area per molecule, A, and the standard free energy of adsorption, ΔG°, were calculated according to a new empirical adsorption equation. The standard free energy contribution for the oxypropylene group (PO) in morpholine derivatives,ΔG° (PO) = −3.34 kJ mol⁻¹, is substantially lower than that for the PO group located in the piperidine derivatives, i.e. ΔG° (PO)= −3.12 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Synthesis of some heterocyclic skeletons via organoiron complexes. Crystal and molecular structure of (5a,6,7,8,9,9a-η6-1,4-benzoxathiino[3,2-b]pyridine)(η5-cyclopentadienyl)iron hexafluorophosphate

Synthesis of the heterocyclic skeletons of some biologically active compounds from (η⁶-o-dichlorobenzene)(η⁵-cyclopentadienyrl)iron hexafluorophosphate in a two step procedure is described. Cyclopentadienyliron hexafluorophosphate complexes of 1,4-benzodioxino[2,3-b]pyridine, 1,4-benzoxathiino[3,2-b]pyridine, 10H-pyrido[3,2-b]benzoxazine, benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-e][1,4]dioxin, 4-methylbenzo[b]benzopyran-2-one[7,6-e][1,4]dioxin and benzo[b]anthracen-9,10-diono[1,2-e][1,4]dioxin were isolated and characterized. Upon pyrolytic sublimation of these complexes the free heterocycles were obtained and characterized. (η⁶-1,4-Benzoxathiino[3,2-b]pyridine)(η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)iron hexafluorophosphate crystalizes in the orthothombic system, space group Pbca; the dihedral angle between the planes of outer rings was found to be 176.8 (1).     

Comparative study of capillary electroendosmotic chromatography and electrically assisted gradient nano-liquid chromatography for the separation of peptides

Capillary electroendoendosmotic chromatography (CEC), being a hybrid of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis, offers considerable changes to enhance column efficiency, speed of analysis and additional selectivity as compared to the parent methods. The analytes are driven by the electroendosmotic flow (EOF) and separated by surface-solute interactions as well as by differences in electromigration. In this paper on the separation of peptides on C18 reversed-phase and mixed-mode (sulphonic acid-n-alkyl) packings in CEC and electrically assisted reversed-phase gradient nano-LC are investigated. It is shown that mixed mode packings generate a higher EOF than reversed-phase packings that is scarcely dependent on the pH of the eluent. Applying a potential in gradient elution reversed-phase nano-LC of peptides shortens the analysis time as compared to separations without a potential. Electrically assisted reversed-phase gradient elution nano-LC is a powerful separation tool for analysis of tryptic digests. Peptides can be successfully resolved in acidic organic mobile phase at pH 2-3 with and without trifluoroacid as ion pairing reagent under isocratic conditions. It is demonstrated that CEC with mixed mode packing and an eluent of pH 2.3 with varying acetonitrile content can be applied to monitor impurities in a synthetic peptide.     

Water addition to a two-electron mixed-valence bimetallic center

Water adds to the two-electron mixed-valence Ir(0,II)(2) core of Ir(2)(tfepma)(3)Cl(2)(tfepma = MeN[P(OCH(2)CF(3))(2)](2)) to cleanly generate an Ir(I,III)(2) hydride. Dehydrohalogenation across the Ir-Ir bond returns the complex to an Ir(0,II)(2) species.     

A highly chemoselective oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl products with iodosobenzene diacetate mediated by chromium(III)(salen) complexes: synthetic and mechanistic aspects

[reaction: see text] The catalytic oxidation of the allylic alcohols 1d-n with iodosobenzene diacetate, mediated by the [Cr(III)(salen)]X complex, affords the respective enones in excellent chemoselectivity for Cl(-) as counterion [complex A(Cl)], while for the counterions TfO(-) [complex A(TfO)] and PF(6)(-) [complex A(PF(6)())] nearly equal amounts of enone and epoxide are observed. This counterion-dependent oxidation of allylic alcohols by Cr(III)(salen) complexes is rationalized in terms of Lewis acid catalysis by the complex A(Cl) and redox catalysis for A(TfO) and A(PF(6)()).     

Direct episulfidation of alkenes and allenes with elemental sulfur and thiiranes as sulfur sources,catalyzed by molybdenum oxo complexes

The molybdenum oxo complexes 1a and 1b catalyze efficiently the sulfur transfer to a series of alkenes 4 and allenes 6, for which elemental sulfur, phenylthiirane, or methylthiirane have been employed as sulfur sources to afford the corresponding episulfides 5 and 7. The most effective catalytic episulfidation system to date is the combination of the dithiophosphate-ligated oxo complex 1b and phenylthiirane (Ibeta). This metathesis process is efficient enough to convert usually reluctant alkenes (cyclopentene, cycloheptene, Z-cyclooctene, Z-cyclononene, E-cyclodecene, norbornene, and even bicyclopropylidene) to their episulfides in good yields under mild conditions. The direct catalytic sulfuration of allenes (cyclonona-1,2-diene, cyclonona-1,2,5-triene, cyclodeca-1,2-diene, and 2,4-dimethylpenta-2,3-diene) to their labile methylenethiiranes is unprecedented.