Mononuclear and polynuclear copper(I) complexes with a new N,N',S-donor ligand and with structural analogies to the copper thionein core

The N,N',S-donor ligand 4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-((3-(2-(methylthio)phenyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridine (L) was prepared from 2-(chloromethyl)-4-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyridine hydrochloride and 3-(2-(methylthio)phenyl)-1H-pyrazole. The Cu(I) complexes [Cu2(L)2CH3CN][Cu(L)CH3CN](BF4)3 (1), [Cu(L)PPh3]BF4 (2), and [Cu6(L)2(C6F5S)6] (3) were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography (PPh3=triphenylphosphine, C6F5S-=pentafluorothiophenolate). The unit cell of compound 1 consists of cocrystallized mononuclear and dinuclear entities in which all of the copper atoms exhibit distorted tetrahedral coordination. Compound 2 is monomeric with L bound in the kappa3-N,N',S mode and a PPh3 molecule that completes the coordination environment. Compound 2 presents a fluxional behavior in CDCl3 solution due to the boat inversion of the six-membered N,N' chelate ring (DeltaH=+43.6(3) kJ mol(-1), DeltaS=-16(1) J mol(-1) K(-1)). Crystallization of 3 in acetonitrile leads to a polynuclear structure that contains a CH3CN molecule coordinated to one of the copper atoms: [Cu6(L)2(C6F5S)6CH3CN] (3a). The core of 3a partially resembles a {Cu4S6} adamantane-like moiety, the only difference being that the Cu-NCCH3 interaction leads to the opening of the cluster by disrupting a Cu-Cu interaction. Part of this assembly is found in the yeast metallothionein copper(I)-cysteinate core whose crystal structure has recently been reported. Two additional [Cu(L)]+ peripheral moieties interact with the cluster by means of bridging thiolates. ESI-mass spectrometry, conductivity measurements, and 1H/19F pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) NMR experiments suggest that 3a dissociates in acetonitrile solution: 3a+CH3CN-->[Cu4(C6F5S)6]2-+2[Cu(L)CH3CN]+. The stability of the cluster with respect to the hypothetical mononuclear species, [Cu(L)(C6F5S)], is confirmed by DFT calculations (B3LYP), which illustrate the exergonic character of the reaction: 6[Cu(L')(C6H5S)]-->[Cu6(L')2(C6H5S)6]+4L' (DeltaG298=-58.6 kJ mol(-1), where L' and C6H5S- are simplified models for L and C6F5S-, respectively). The energetics pertinent to the ionic dissociation of the cluster in acetonitrile is computed using the polarizable continuum model (PCM) approach.     

Evidence of the facile hydride and enolate addition to the imine bond of an aluminum-salophen complex

The isolation of complexes 2 and 3, unambiguously characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, demonstrates that nucleophilic additions to the aluminum-coordinated imino bond of salophen complex 1 can be achieved under very mild conditions.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of substituted N-arenesulfonyl azetidines from gamma-(phenylseleno)alkyl arylsulfonamides

Different synthetic methodologies for the stereocontrolled synthesis of substituted azetidines are reported. The approach utilizes an optimized oxidation reaction of gamma-(phenylseleno)alkyl arylsulfonamides, followed by the intramolecular substitution of the resulting phenylselenonyl group by the nitrogen atom.     

An atomistic study of a poly(styrene sulfonate)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium) bilayer: the role of surface properties and charge reversal

In this work, we present the first molecular dynamics simulation on the formation of a polyelectrolyte bilayer resolved in atomistic detail, extending a previous study of the adsorption of poly(styrene sulfonate) [B. Qiao, J. J. Cerdà and C. Holm, Macromolecules, 2011, 44, 1707-1718.] to the formation of a poly(styrene sulfonate)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium) bilayer. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the adsorption process on different substrates (hydrophilic/hydrophobic, charged/neutral) were performed. Our results seem to indicate that a high enough surface charge density (0.164 C m(-2) here) may be required to achieve a multilayer linear growth in the framework of the electrostatic driven mechanism for PEM growth. We furthermore demonstrate that the use of stiff hydroxyl groups for creating a hydrophilic surface from a hydrophilic one can lead to severe simulation artifacts, and we discuss a simple remedy for this problem.     

Use of HPLC in the Determination of the Molar Absorptivity of 4��-Geranyloxyferulic Acid and Boropinic Acid

Natural prenyloxycinnamic acids were shown to exert in vitro and in vivo remarkable and valuable anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Among these, 4??-geranyloxyferulic acid [3-(4??-geranyloxy-3??-methoxyphenyl)-2-trans-propenoic acid] was discovered as an efficient orally active chemopreventive agent of several types of cancer, and its structural analogue boropinic acid was shown to exert a valuable inhibitory effect both in vitro and in vivo against the growth of Helicobacter pylori. As a continuation of our chemical, chemico-physical, and pharmacological studies on these secondary metabolites, we report herein the comparison between traditional UV/Vis assays and HPLC?CDAD methods for the determination of the molar absorptivity coefficient of 4??-geranyloxyferulic acid (?? ₃₁₀ = 12,950 and ?? ₂₈₈ = 11,910 L mol^?1 cm^?1) and boropinic acid (?? ₃₁₀ = 13,510 and ?? ₂₈₈ = 12,350 L mol^?1 cm^?1). Ferulic acid was merely used as a reference standard to test the possibility of the application of these two assays to the oxyprenylated compounds. The data reported in the present study will represent an essential aid for future studies aimed to better define the pharmacological profile and the mechanism of action of these compounds and are an important starting point to evaluate other natural products where standard powders are not available.     

Comprehensive analysis of maté (Ilex paraguariensis) compounds: development of chemical strategies for matesaponin analysis by mass spectrometry

Ilex paraguariensis (maté) is an important plant from southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, where its leaves are widely used in hot or cold beverages. We now present a comprehensive ULPC-PDA-MS analysis of the compounds found in its leaves. The analysis was rapid, less than 13 min and many compounds were identified, among these, the chlorogenic acid series, and other quinic acid derivatives, xanthines, and several saponins, many of which have not been previously described, including many isomers. The isomerism could occur in the aglycone moiety, namely ursolic or oleanolic acid, or in the carbohydrate moiety. Additionally, many acetylated saponins were detected. The structure of known and novel saponins was determined using per-O-methylation with ESI-MS analysis, as well as with GC-MS of their partially O-methylated alditol acetate (PMAA) derivatives, along with ESI-MS analysis of the O-isopropylidene (IPP) derivatives provided fundamental information on interglycosidic linkages, avoiding the purification steps.     

Self-assembly of gold nanoparticles on functional organic molecular crystals

The utilization of metal nanoparticles (NPs) to fabricate metal electrodes under mild conditions is one of the most studied topic in recent years. In this work, colloidal Au NPs were deposited on two isostructural molecular crystals, namely 1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro-7-thiomethyl-acridine (MeSAcr) and 1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro-7-methoxy-acridine (MeOAcr), exposing S atoms and O atoms, respectively, at their largest crystal faces. The depositions were carried out mainly by drop casting under ambient conditions, increasing the contact time from 1 to 120 min, and the samples were then analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to evaluate the coverage. Thanks to the affinity between S and Au atoms, Au NPs are observed to adhere on the MeSAcr surface within 1-min contact time, whereas at least 1h is required to find NPs on the MeOAcr surface. NP adsorption is also affected by the substrate surface morphology; indeed, step edges represent preferential adsorption sites even in the absence of Au-S interaction. Experiments under different conditions were performed to maximize the coverage on MeSAcr, reaching values up to 13%. AFM equipped with fluid cell was also employed to simultaneously depositing and imaging NPs, achieving a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism.     

sp hybridization in free carbon nanoparticles--presence and stability observed by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

The presence and stability of sp hybridized atoms in free carbon nanoparticles was investigated by NEXAFS spectroscopy. The experiments show that a predominant fraction of carbon atoms is found in linear sp-chains and that conversion into sp(2) structures proceeds already at low temperature and in the gas phase.     

Rhenium(IV) compounds inducing apoptosis in cancer cells

The anticancer properties of a series of mononuclear Re(IV) compounds of formula ReCl(4)L (where L is bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; bpym = 2,2'-bipyrimidine; dmbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were investigated for the first time. All compounds displayed potent in vitro antiproliferative activity against selected cancer cells.     

Extreme events and entropy: A multiple quantile utility model

This paper introduces a multiple quantile utility model of Cumulative Prospect Theory in an ambiguous setting. We show a representation theorem in which a prospect is valued by a composite value function. The composite value function is able to represent asymmetric attitude on extreme events and a rational prudence on ordinary events.