Reversible Insertion of Methyl Isothiocyanate into Copper(I) Aryloxides

MeNCS undergoes insertion into the copper(I)-aryloxide bond to form [N-methylimino(aryloxy)methanethiolato]copper(I) complexes. This insertion occurs in the absence of ancillary ligands unlike the analogous insertion of PhNCS. The reaction with 4-methylphenoxide results in the formation of hexakis[[N-methylimino(4-methylphenoxy)methanethiolato]copper(I)] (1), which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography. Crystal data for 1: hexagonal R&thremacr;, a = 12.365(3) ?, c = 36.734(16) ?, gamma = 120 degrees, Z = 3, V = 4863(3) ?(3), R = 0.0306. Reactions of 2,6-dimethyl- and 4-chlorophenoxides also result in analogous copper(I) complexes 2 and 3. Addition of stochiometric amounts of PPh(3) to the oligomeric complexes typically results in the extrusion of MeNCS. The ease of extrusion is dependent on the substituents on the aryloxide, and this deinsertion is accelerated by water. However, the extrusion reaction is slow enough in the case of the N-methylimino(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)methanethiolate complex and the isolation of an intermediate monomeric product bis(triphenylphosphine)[N-methylimino(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)methanethiolato]copper(I) (4) is possible. Crystal data for 4: triclinic P&onemacr;, a = 10.088(2) ?, b = 11.302(1) ?, c = 17.990(2) ?, alpha = 94.06(1) degrees, beta = 95.22(2) degrees, gamma = 103.94(1) degrees, Z = 2, V = 1974.4(7) ?(3), R = 0.0361. In the presence of of PPh(3), the insertion reaction becomes reversible. This allows the exchange of the heterocumulene MeNCS or the aryloxy group in these molecules with another heterocumulene or a phenol, respectively, when catalytic amounts of PPh(3) are added. Oligomers with exchanged heterocumulmes and phenols could be characterized by independent synthesis.     

Metal-assisted red light-induced DNA cleavage by ternary L-methionine copper(II) complexes of planar heterocyclic bases

Ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(l-met)B(Solv)](ClO4) (1-4), where B is a N,N-donor heterocyclic base like 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 1), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 2), dipyrido[3,2-d:2',3'-f]quinoxaline (dpq, 3) and dipyrido[3,2-a:2'],3'-c]phenazene (dppz, 4), are prepared and their DNA binding and photo-induced DNA cleavage activity studied (L-Hmet =L-methionine). Complex 2, structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, shows a square pyramidal (4 + 1) coordination geometry in which the N,O-donor L-methionine and N,N-donor heterocyclic base bind at the basal plane and a solvent molecule is coordinated at the axial site. The complexes display a d-d band at approximately 600 nm in DMF and exhibit a cyclic voltammetric response due to the Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple near -0.1 V in DMF-Tris-HCl buffer. The complexes display significant binding propensity to the calf thymus DNA in the order: 4(dppz) > 3(dpq) > 2(phen> 1(bpy). Control cleavage experiments using pUC19 supercoiled DNA and distamycin suggest major groove binding for the dppz and minor groove binding for the other complexes. Complexes 2-4 show efficient DNA cleavage activity on UV (365 nm) or red light (632.8 nm) irradiation via a mechanistic pathway involving formation of singlet oxygen as the reactive species. The DNA cleavage activity of the dpq complex is found to be significantly more than its dppz and phen analogues.     

Steric protection of a photosensitizer in a N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine-copper(II) bowl that enhances red light-induced DNA cleavage activity

Ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(py2phe)B](ClO4)2 (1-3), where py2phe is a tripodal ligand N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine and B is a heterocyclic base (viz., 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 1), dipyrido[3,2-d:2',3'-f]quinoxaline (dpq, 2), or dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz, 3)), are prepared and their DNA-binding and photoinduced DNA-cleavage activities are studied. Complex 1 has been structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The molecular structure shows an axially elongated square-pyramidal (4 + 1) coordination geometry in which the phen ligand binds at the basal plane. The tripodal ligand py2phe displays an axial-equatorial binding mode with the amine nitrogen bonded at the axial site. A chemically significant CH-pi interaction involving the CH moiety of the phenyl group of the tripodal ligand and the aromatic ring of phen is observed. The complexes display good binding propensity to calf thymus DNA giving a relative order of 3 (dppz) > 2 (dpq) > 1 (phen). The DNA binding constants (K(b)) for 1-3, determined from absorption spectral studies, are 6.2 x 10(3), 1.0 x 10(4), and 5.7 x 10(4) M(-1), respectively. The complexes show chemical nuclease activity in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a reducing agent forming hydroxyl radicals as the cleavage active species. The photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity of the complexes has been studied using UV radiation of 365 nm and red light of 632.8 and 694 nm. The phen complex in absence of any photosensitizing moiety does not show any DNA cleavage upon photoirradiation. The dpq and dppz ligands with their photoactive quinoxaline and phenazine moieties display significant photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity. The dppz complex is more active than its dpq analogue because of the better steric protection of the DNA-bound photosensitizing dppz ligand from the solvent molecules. Control experiments reveal the formation of singlet oxygen in the light-induced DNA-cleavage reactions. The observed efficient photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity of 2 and 3 is akin to the "light switch" effect known for the tris-chelates of ruthenium(II).     

Dynamics of a cis-dihydrogen/hydride complex of iridium

Insertion of CS2 into one of the Ir-H bonds of [Ir(H)5(PCy3)2] takes place to afford the dihydrido dithioformate complex cis-[Ir(H)2(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2] accompanied by the elimination of H2. Protonation of the dithioformate complex using HBF4.Et2O gives cis-[Ir(H)(eta2-H2)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][BF4] wherein the H atom undergoes site exchange between the dihydrogen and the hydride ligands. The dynamics was found to be so extremely rapid with respect to the NMR time scale that the barrier to exchange could not be measured. Partial deuteration of the hydride ligands resulted in a J(H,D) of 6.5 and 7.7 Hz for the H2D and the HD2 isotopomers of cis-[Ir(H)(eta2-H2)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][BF4], respectively. The H-H distance (d(HH)) for this complex has been calculated to be 1.05 A, which can be categorized under the class of elongated dihydrogen complexes. The cis-[Ir(H)(eta2-H2)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][BF4] complex undergoes substitution of the bound H2 moiety with CH(3)CN and CO resulting in new hydride derivatives, cis-[Ir(H)(L)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][BF4] (L = CH3CN, CO). Reaction of cis-[Ir(H)2(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2] with electrophilic reagents such as MeOTf and Me3SiOTf afforded a new hydride aquo complex cis-[Ir(H)(H2O)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][OTf] via the elimination of CH4 and Me3SiH, respectively, followed by the binding of a water molecule (present in trace quantities in the solvent) to the iridium center. The X-ray crystal structures of cis-[Ir(H)2(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2] and cis-[Ir(H)(H2O)(eta2-S2CH)(PCy3)2][OTf] have been determined.     

Synthetic analogue approach for the functional domains of copper(II) bleomycins and its DNA cleavage activity

The dicopper(II) complex [Cu2(R'SSR)2(SO4)2] (1), where R'SSR is a Schiff base, has been prepared from the reaction of CuSO4.5H2O with the Schiff base N,N'-1,1'-dithiobis(ethylenesalicylaldimine)(H2RSSR) and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The crystal structure of 1 shows two {Cu(R'SSR)}2+ units linked by two sulfate ligands each showing a eta3,mu2-binding mode. The Cu...Cu distance is 4.562(2)A with each copper having a square pyramidal (4 + 1) CuNO4 coordination geometry. The monoanionic Schiff base R'SSR has a pendant cationic amine -SCH2CH2NH3+ group which is presumably formed from the hydrolysis of one imine bond of H2RSSR. Complex 1 models the N- and C-terminus domains of bleomycins. The metal centers in 1 are essentially magnetically non-interacting giving a -2J value of 3 cm(-1) with the singlet as the ground state. Using complex 1 as a precursor, ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(R'SSR)B(SO4)] (2-4)- are prepared, characterized and their DNA binding and cleavage properties studied (B: kanamycin A, 2; 2,2'-bipyridine, 3; 1,10-phenanthroline, 4). IR spectral data suggest a square pyramidal (4 + 1) geometry for the one-electron paramagnetic ternary complexes with the sulfate bound to copper. The complexes are non-conducting in DMF but show conductivity in aqueous medium due to dissociation of the sulfate ligand. They bind to calf thymus DNA in the minor groove giving the relative order: 4 > 2 > 1 approximately 3 (Kapp= 5.4 x 10(5) M(-1) for 4). The precursor complex 1 does not show any apparent chemical nuclease activity when treated with supercoiled (SC) DNA in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The kanamycin A and phen adducts as such or generated under in situ reaction conditions using 1 nd the ligand display efficient chemical nuclease activity in the presence of MPA, while the bpy species shows poor cleavage activity. The ternary kanamycin A complex presents the first synthetic model for three functional domains of bleomycins.