Metallonitrosyl fragment as electron acceptor: intramolecular charge transfer, long range electronic coupling, and electrophilic reactivity in the trans-[NCRu(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO](3+) ion

The new complex trans-[NCRu(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO](PF(6))(3) (I) was synthesized. In acetonitrile solution, I shows an intense visible band (555 nm, epsilon = 5800 M(-1) cm(-1)) and other absorptions below 350 nm, associated with d(pi) --> pi(py) and pi(py) --> pi(py) transitions. The visible band is presently assigned as a donor-acceptor charge transfer (DACT) transition from the remote Ru(II) to the delocalized [Ru(II)-NO(+)] moiety. Photoinduced release of NO is observed upon irradiation at the DACT band. Application of the Hush model reveals strong electronic coupling, with H(DA) = approximately 2000 cm(-1). The difference between the optical absorption energy and redox potentials for the donor and acceptor sites (Ru(III,II), 1.40 V, and NO(+)/NO, 0.50 V, vs Ag/AgCl, 3 M KCl, respectively) (hnu - DeltaE(red)) is 1.33 eV, a large value which probably relates to the significant changes in distances and angles for the Ru-N-O moiety upon reduction. UV-vis absorptions, IR frequencies, and redox potentials are solvent-dependent. Controlled potential reduction (of NO(+)) and oxidation (of Ru(II) associated with the dicyano-chromophore) of I afford stable species, [NCRu(II)(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO](2+) (I(red)) and [NCRu(III)(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO](4+) (I(ox)), respectively, which are characterized by UV-vis and IR spectroscopies. I(red) shows an EPR spectrum characteristic of [Ru(II)-NO(*)] complexes. Compound I is electrophilically reactive in aqueous solution above pH 5: values of the equilibrium constant for the reaction [NCRu(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO](3+)+ 2 OH(-) <--> [NCRu(py)(4)(CN)Ru(py)(4)NO(2)](+) + H(2)O, K = 3.2 +/- 1.4 x 10(15) M(-2), and of the rate constant for the nucleophilic addition of OH(-), k = 9.2 +/- 0.2 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)(25 degrees C, I = 1 M), are obtained, with DeltaH = 90.7 +/- 3.8 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS = 135 +/- 13 J K(-1) mol(-1). The oxidized complex, I(ox), shows an enhanced electrophilic reactivity toward OH(-). This addition reaction is followed by irreversible processes, which most probably lead to disproportionation of bound nitrite and other products.     

Synthesis and structure of chiral-at-metal complexes with the ligand (S)-2-[(Sp)-2-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]-4-isopropyloxazoline

Half-sandwich complexes of formula [(ηⁿ-ring)MClL]PF₆ [L = (S)-2-[(S_p)-2-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]-4-isopropyloxazoline; (ηⁿ-ring)M = (η⁵-C₅Me₅)Rh; (η⁵-C₅Me₅)Ir; (η⁶-p-MeC₆H₄iPr)Ru; (η⁶-p-MeC₆H₄iPr)Os] have been prepared and spectroscopically characterised. The molecular structures of the rhodium and iridium compounds have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The related solvate complexes [(η⁵-C₅Me₅)ML(Me₂CO)]²⁺ (M = Rh, Ir) are active catalysts for the Diels-Alder reaction between methacrolein and cyclopentadiene.     

Voltammetric behavior of zaleplon and its differential pulse polarographic determination in capsules

In this work both the electrochemical behavior and the analysis of the hypnotic pyrazolopyrimidine derivative zaleplon were studied. Zaleplon in ethanol-0.1M Britton Robinson buffer solution (30-70) showed 2 irreversible, well-defined cathodic responses in the pH range of 2-12 using differential pulse polarography (DPP), tast polarography, and cyclic voltammetry. From chronocoulometric studies, it was possible to conclude that one electron was transferred in each reduction peak or wave. For analytical purposes, the DPP technique working at pH 4.5 for peak I was selected, which exhibited adequate repeatability, reproducibility, and selectivity. The recovery was 99.97 +/- 1.52%, and the detection and quantitation limits were 5.13 x 10(-7)M and 1.11 x 10(-6)M, respectively. The DPP method was applied successfully to the individual assay of capsules in order to verify the content uniformity of zaleplon. Treatment of the sample is not required because the excipients do not interfere, the method is not time consuming, and it is less expensive than column liquid chromatography.     

A DFT study of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between hindered thiocarbonyl ylides and tetracyanoethylene

The mechanism for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between the hindered thiocarbonyl ylide 1 and tetracyanoethylene 2 has been studied at the B3LYP/6-31G^∗ level. Formation of the [3+2] cycloadduct 4 takes place through a stepwise mechanism that is initiated by the nucleophilic attack of the thiocarbonyl ylide 1 to the ethylene derivative 2 to give a zwitterionic intermediate IN. The subsequent cyclization of IN yields a seven-membered cyclic ketene imine 6, which equilibrates with the thermodynamically more stable [3+2] cycloadduct 4. The computed free energies are in agreement with the experimental outcomes.     

The first immobilization of pyridine-bis(oxazoline) chiral ligands

[formula: see text] A chiral pyridine-bis(oxazoline) ligand, functionalized with a vinyl group in the pyridine ring, can be polymerized with styrene and divinylbenzene to obtain supported chiral ligands. As proof of the usefulness of this supported ligands, the corresponding ruthenium complexes are catalysts for the cyclopropanation reaction of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate with up to 85% ee.     

Engineering reactions in crystalline solids: predicting photochemical decarbonylation from calculated thermochemical parameters

A detailed thermochemical analysis of the alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation reactions of acetone and several ketodiesters was carried out with the B3LYP/6-31G* density functional method. The heats of formation of several ground-state ketones and radicals were calculated at 298 K to determine bond dissociation energies (BDE) and radical stabilization energies (RSE) as a function of substituents. Results show that the radical-stabilizing abilities of the ketone substituents play a very important role on the thermodynamics of the alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation steps. An excellent correlation between calculated values and previous experimental observations suggests that photochemical alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation in crystals should be predictable from knowledge of excitation energies and the RSE of the substituent.     

Colloidal aggregation induced by long range attractions

The structure of colloidal clusters formed by long-range attractive interactions under diluted conditions is studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. For a not-too-long attraction range, clusters show self-similar internal structure with lower density than that typical for diffusive aggregation. For long-range interactions, low kappa, nonfractal clusters are formed (dense at short scales but open at long ones). The dependence on the volume fraction shows that more-compact clusters are grown the higher the colloidal density for diffusive aggregation and attraction-driven aggregation in the fractal regime. The whole trend is explained in terms of the interpenetration among aggregates. In attraction-driven aggregations, the interpenetration of clusters competes with aggregation in the tips of the clusters, causing low-density clusters.     

Calorimetric unfolding of intramolecular triplexes: length dependence and incorporation of single AT --> TA substitutions in the duplex domain

DNA triplexes have been the subject of great interest due to their ability to interfere with gene expression. The inhibition of gene expression involves the design of stable triplexes under physiological conditions; therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of the energetic contributions controlling their stability. We have used a combination of UV spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) techniques to investigate the unfolding of intramolecular triplexes, d(A(n)C5T(n)C5T(n)), where n is 5-7, 9, and 11, and related triplexes with a single AT --> TA substitution in their duplex stem. Specifically, we obtain standard thermodynamic profiles for the unfolding of each triplex in buffer solutions containing 0.1 M or 1 M NaCl. The triplexes unfold in monophasic or biphasic transitions (triplex --> duplex --> coil) depending on the concentration of salt used and position of the substitution, and their transition temperatures are independent of strand concentration. The DSC curves of the unsubstituted triplexes yielded an unfolding heat of 13.9 kcal/mol for a TAT/TAT base-triplet stack and a heat capacity of 505 cal/ degrees C.mol. The incorporation of a single substitution destabilizes triplex formation (association of the third strand) to a larger extent in 0.1 M NaCl, and the magnitude of the effects also depends on the position of the substitution. The combined results show that a single AT --> TA substitution in a homopurine/homopyrimidine duplex does not allow triplex formation of the neighboring five TAT base triplets, indicating that the in vivo formation of triplexes, such as H-DNA, is exclusive to homopurine/homopyrimidine sequences.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of sulfur inversion in bis(cyclopentadienyl)-molybdenum and -tungsten complexes with dithioethers

The metallocene thioether derivatives [Cp₂M(MeSCH₂CH₂SMe)][PF₆]₂ (1, M = MO; 2, M = W), [Cp₂Mo(SCH₂CH₂SMe)][PF₆] (3) and [Cp₂M(SCH₂CH₂S)] (4, M = Mo; 5, M = W) exhibit temperature-dependent fluxional behavior in solution, owing to the pyramidal sulfur inversion process. The activation energies for this process were determined from proton band-shape analysis in the cases of 1 (54.9 ± 2 kJ mol⁻¹), 2 (51.2 ± 4.6 kJ mol⁻¹) and 3 (30.0 ± 3.1 kJ mol⁻¹). Extended Hückel calculations on related model complexes suggest that local inversion at the sulfur atoms, rather that an inversion of the complete S---C---C---S chain, is responsible for the observed fluxional behaviour.     

Flow injection determination of bismuth in urine by successive retention of Bi(III) and tetrahydroborate(III) on an anion-exchange resin and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Bismuth as BiCl₄⁻ and BH₄⁻ ware successively retained in a column (150 mm × 4 mm, length × i.d.) packed with Amberlite IRA-410 (strong anion-exchange resin). This was followed by passage of an injected slug of hydrochloric acid resulting in bismuthine generation (BiH₃). BiH₃ was stripped from the eluent solution by the addition of a nitrogen flow and the bulk phases were separated in a gas–liquid separator. Finally, bismutine was atomized in a quartz tube for the subsequent detection of bismuth by atomic absorption spectrometry. Different halide complexes of bismuth (namely, BiBr₄⁻, BiI₄⁻ and BiCl₄⁻) were tested for its pre-concentration, being the chloride complexes which produced the best results. Therefore, a concentration of 0.3 mol l⁻¹ of HCl was added to the samples and calibration solutions. A linear response was obtained between the detection limit (3σ) of 0.225 and 80 μg l⁻¹. The R.S.D.% (n = 10) for a solution containing 50 μg l⁻¹ of Bi was 0.85%. The tolerance of the system to interferences was evaluated by investigating the effect of the following ions: Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe³⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Mg²⁺. The most severe depression was caused by Hg²⁺, which at 60 mg l⁻¹ caused a 5% depression on the signal. For the other cations, concentrations between 1000 and 10,000 mg l⁻¹ could be tolerated. The system was applied to the determination of Bi in urine of patients under therapy with bismuth subcitrate. The recovery of spikes of 5 and 50 μg l⁻¹ of Bi added to the samples prior to digestion with HNO₃ and H₂O₂ was in satisfactory ranges from 95.0 to 101.0%. The concentrations of bismuth found in six selected samples using this procedure were in good agreement with those obtained by an alternative technique (ETAAS). Finally, the concentration of Bi determined in urine before and after 3 days of treatment were 1.94 ± 1.26 and 9.02 ± 5.82 μg l⁻¹, respectively.