A study of the reactions of methionine- and histidine-containing peptides with palladium(II) complexes: The key role of steric crowding on palladium(II) in the selective cleavage of the peptide bond

¹H NMR spectroscopy was applied to study the reactions of palladium(II) complexes, cis-[Pd(dpa)Cl₂] and cis-[Pd(dpa)(H₂O)₂]²⁺ (dpa is 2,2′-dipyridylamine acting as a bidentate ligand) with the dipeptides methionylglycine (Met-Gly) and histidylglycine (His-Gly), and the N-acetylated derivatives of these dipeptides, MeCOMet-Gly and MeCOHis-Gly. All reactions were carried out in the pH range 2.0–2.5 with equimolar amounts of the palladium(II) complex and the peptide at two different temperatures, 25 and 60 °C. In the reactions of cis-[Pd(dpa)Cl₂] and cis-[Pd(dpa)(H₂O)₂]²⁺ with Met-Gly and His-Gly, no hydrolysis of the peptide bond was observed. The final product in these reactions was the [Pd(dpa)₂]²⁺ complex. The square-planar structure of this complex was confirmed by X-ray analysis. The reaction of the cis-[Pd(dpa)(H₂O)₂]²⁺ complex with the MeCOHis-Gly and MeCOMet-Gly peptides under the previously mentioned experimental conditions was remarkably selective in the cleavage of the amide bond involving the carboxylic group of methionine in the side chain. The modes of coordination of cis-[Pd(dpa)Cl₂] and cis-[Pd(dpa)(H₂O)₂]²⁺ in the reactions with the non-acetylated peptides and the total steric inhibition of the hydrolytic reaction between cis-[Pd(dpa)(H₂O)₂]²⁺ and MeCOHis-Gly can be attributed to the steric bulk of the palladium(II) complex. This finding should be taken into consideration in designing new palladium(II) complexes for the regioselective cleavage of peptides and proteins.     

Theoretical study of metal ligand aromatic cation–π interactions of [Co(NH3)6]3+ with benzene

In this work, density functional theory calculations on geometries and energies of all possible conformers of the [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺–C₆H₆ cation–π complex are described. The calculations show that stationary points are several η₂ and the η₃ structures. The most stable η₃ structure has bonding energy, after basis set superposition error correction, of 32.18 kcal/mol. The energies of η₃ structures are similar; also, the energies of η₂ structures are similar while the difference in energy between η₃ and the η₂ structures is about 2 kcal/mol. This indicates a possibility for various orientations of the benzene ring with respect to interacting ligands in the case of metal ligand aromatic cation–π (MLACπ) interactions and a possibility for the existence of these interactions in different molecular systems. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

Stereodifferentiation in the formation and decay of the encounter complex in bimolecular electron transfer with photoactivated acceptors

Experimental evidence has been obtained for the involvement of encounter complexes between both enantiomers of a pi,pi* triplet excited ketone and a chiral phenol or indole. Determination of the pre-equilibrium constants (K(EC)) and the intrinsic decay rate constants (kd) indicates a significant stereodifferentiation in both steps of the quenching process.     

Reactions of platinum(II) complexes with sulfur- and histidine-containing peptides: a model for selective platination of peptides and proteins

The reactions between two monofunctional platinum complexes [Pt(Me₄dien)Cl]⁺ (Me₄dien = 1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-diethylenetriamine) and [Pt(Et₄dien)Cl]⁺ (Et₄dien = 1,1,7,7-tetraethyldiethylenetriamine) and the peptides, N-acetylated L-methionyl-L-histidine (MeCO–Met–His) and glutathione (GSH), have been investigated by ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy and u.v.–vis. spectrophotometry. The reactions of the platinum(II) complexes with MeCO–Met–His were carried out at room temperature and at pH 3.0 and 7.0, whereas with GSH the reactions were studied only at pH 3.0. No binding of these two platinum complexes to the sulfur atom of methionine or to nitrogen atoms of histidine residue of MeCO–Met–His was observed during the first 24 h. When the reaction was followed further, after 24 h very slow binding of [Pt(Me₄dien)Cl]⁺ to the N3 nitrogen atom of imidazole was observed. Both platinum complexes react with the sulfur atom of the cysteine residue in GSH. Kinetic data show that GSH reacts twice as fast with [Pt(Me₄dien)Cl]⁺ than with [Pt(Et₄dien)Cl]⁺. Our findings indicate that sterically crowded platinum(II) complexes are only capable of reacting with the sulfhydryl group of the cysteine residue. This influences the design of new platinum(II) complexes for selective covalent modification of peptides and proteins.     

Nucleation of Polypropylene Crystallization with Gold Nanoparticles. Part 2: Relation between Particle Morphology and Nucleation Activity

The influence of gold nanoparticle morphology on nucleation of isotactic polypropylene (PP) crystallization was investigated. Previous experiments indicated certain nucleation activity of gold nanoparticles, varying with their size. In this work, eight types of gold micro/nanoparticles were used: vacuum-sputtered nanostructures (nanoparticles, nanoislands, and nanolayers), chemically prepared isometric gold nanocrystals (5, 20, and 100 nm diameters), and two types of gold microcrystals with well-developed crystal facets [with (100) and (111) facets, respectively]. To minimize the effect of particle agglomeration, we used our recently introduced sandwich method, in which the nucleating agent was deposited between thin PP films and the nucleation was evaluated by polarized light microscopy (PLM), X-ray scattering (WAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The nucleation activity of Au particles in PP was lower than it might be expected from the previous studies and depended on their morphology. The nucleation activity of Au microcrystals with well-developed facets was higher than the activity of non-faceted Au nanocrystals.     

Electrochemical sensing platform based on the use of ZnONPs and MWCNTs as CPE modifiers for a selective and sensitive determination of polyamine spermine in the urine sample

A simple electroanalytical procedure has been developed for the determination of polyamine spermine using the ZnONPs-MWCNTs-CPE sensor. Spermine has been irreversibly oxidized on a modified electrode at a potential of +0.92 V versus Ag/AgCl (KCl, 3.5 mol L⁻¹). The developed sensor demonstrated a respective linear response in borate buffer pH 8.5 from 2 μmol L⁻¹ to 100 μmol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 0.300 μmol L⁻¹ and quantification limit of 0.998 μmol L⁻¹. The proposed sensor showed high reproducibility (RSD = 2.58 %), stability, robustness, and no obvious interference effects of several inorganic ions and organic molecules. The obtained results demonstrated excellent performance during the determination of the spermine in human urine samples with satisfactory recovery results (98.41–101.34 %), offering promising opportunities for practical clinical analysis.     

Transition metal complexes with thiosemicarbazide-based ligands. Part LVI: Nickel(II) complex with 1,3-diphenylpyrazole-4-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone and unusually deformed coordination geometry

Synthesis of a new nickel(II) complex, [Ni(Ph₂PzTSC-H)₂] with 1,3-diphenylpyrazole-4-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (Ph₂PzTSC), is described. The compounds have been characterized by elemental and thermal analysis, molar conductivity and spectral (UV–Vis, IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR) measurements. In the case of complex the magnetic measurement has been also performed. Crystal and molecular structures of both the free ligand and the complex have been determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. It was found that the ligand coordinates in a bidentate NS fashion, in its deprotonated thioenolato form. The cis-square-planar geometry of the complex is significantly distorted tetrahedrally. The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) study has been performed to obtain geometrical and structural informations on similar nickel(II) complexes in order to compare structural data.     

Constant current chronopotentiometric stripping of sulphated polysaccharides

We show that electrochemically inactive molecules of polysaccharide (PS), if carrying sulphated groups (e.g. ι-carrageenan and dextran sulphate) produce in buffered solutions two well-developed chronopotentiometric peaks H_PS and H′_PS (due to catalytic hydrogen evolution) at hanging mercury drop electrode. Peak H_PS of ι-carrageenan displayed a striking increase at negative accumulation potentials, which was tentatively explained by uncoiling the PS double-helical structure at these potentials. Nanomolar concentrations of ι-carrageenan can be determined at moderate accumulation times.     

Use of the sulfide minerals pyrite and chalcopyrite as electrochemical sensors in non-aqueous solutions. The potentiometric titration of weak acids in alcohols

Natural monocrystalline pyrite and chalcopyrite were examined as new indicator electrodes for the potentiometric titration of weak acids in tert-butanol and iso-propanol. The electrodes investigated demonstrated a linear dynamic response for p-toluenesulfonic acid concentrations in the range from 0.1 to 0.001 M, with a Nernstian slope of 48 mV per decade for pyrite in tert-butanol. Sodium methylate, potassium hydroxide and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) proved to be suitable titrating agents. The response time was less than 12 s and the lifetime of the electrodes was higher than 1 year. The advantages of the electrodes are long-term stability, rapid response, reproducibility, easy preparation and low cost.      

Substitution behaviour of novel dinuclear Pt(II) complexes with bio-relevant nucleophiles

The novel dinuclear Pt(II) complexes [{trans-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl}(2)(μ-pyrazine)](ClO(4))(2) (Pt1), [{trans-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl}(2)(μ-4,4'-bipyridyl)](ClO(4))(2)·DMF (Pt2), and [{trans-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl}(2)(μ-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane)](ClO(4))(2) (Pt3), were synthesized. Acid-base titrations, and temperature and concentration dependent kinetic measurements of the reactions with biologically relevant ligands such as thiourea (Tu), glutathione (GSH) and guanosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-GMP) were studied at pH 2.5 and 7.2. The reactions were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions by stopped-flow and UV-vis spectrophotometry. (1)H NMR spectroscopy was used to follow the substitution of chloride in the complex [{trans-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl}(2)(μ-4,4'-bipyridyl)](ClO(4))(2)·DMF by guanosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-GMP) under second-order conditions. The results indicate that the bridging ligand has an influence on the reactivity of the complexes towards nucleophiles. The order of reactivity of the investigated complexes is Pt1 > Pt2 > Pt3.