Further studies on dppm-stabilized mixed-metal clusters: X-ray structure of PdPtCoCl(CO)3(μ-dppm)2 1

The metalloligated mixed-metal cluster [PdPtCo₂(CO)₇(-dppm)₂] (2) (dppm = -Ph₂PCH₂PPh₂) possesses numerous potential reaction centers (e.g., metal(s), metal-metal bonds, CO, and dppm ligands) and this has previously led to an investigation of the site selectivity of reactions with nucleophiles. The exocyclic CO(CO)₄ fragment was substituted with a chloride ligand and the resulting chiral, triangular cluster PdPtCoCl(CO)₃(-dppm)₂ (4) has been structurally characterized. The Pd-Co and Pt-Co edges of this almost equilateral triangle are bridged by a dppm ligand, and two of the three carbonyls borne by the Co atom are semi-triply bridging above and below the plane of the metals. The Co(CO)₃P fragment behaves as an anionic 4-electron donor organometallic bridging group toward thed ⁹-d ⁹ Pd(I)-Pt(I) unit. Crystal data for4, monoclinic space groupP2₁/n with Z=4 in a unit cell of dimensionsa=12.291(3),b=19.321(4),c=23.680(5) Å,=100.05(2)°. The structure has been solved from diffractometer data by Patterson, Fourier methods and refined by full-matrix least squares on the basis of 3512 observed reflections (l>3) toR(F) andR _w(F) values of 0.059 and 0.061.Dedicated to Professor L. F. Dahl on the occasion of his 65th birthday, with our sincere congratulations and best wishes.     

Polygermoxanes suitable for biochemical purposes: II Linear trigermoxanes (high-viscosity oils)

Linear trigermoxanes, R¹ RGeOGe(R³)₂OGeRR¹, a new series of organogermanium compounds, were synthesized by reaction of a lithium organogermanolate with a suitable organogermanium dihalide. With alkyl or phenyl substituents, these trigermoxanes are structurally unstable viscous oils, due to redistribution reactions. When R³ substituents are bulky groups, such as mesityl, trigermoxanes are thermally and structurally stable oils; depending on the R¹ and R² substituents their viscosities lie in the range 240 to more than 1500 cPo (mPa s) at 20°C. When both terminal germanium atoms are substituted with two mesityl groups, trigermoxanes are stable glassy solids.     

Tricoordinated phosphorus-containing macrocycles: New synthetic strategies

Phosphorus dialdehydes RP (OC₆H₄CHO)₂ (R = Ph, Me₂N) react with phosphodihydrazides PhP(Y)-[N(CH₃)NH₂]₂ (Y = S, O) to give macrocycles 6a–c arising from [2 + 2] cyclocondensation reactions. Treatment of phosphodihydrazone PhP(S) [OC₆H₄CH N–N(Me)H]₂ 7 with phenyldichlorophosphine affords macrocycle 8 possessing tri and tetracoordinated phosphorus atoms. Clean desulfurization of thiophosphorus macrocycles 9 and 12 gives rise selectively to new tricoordinated phosphorus containing macrocycles 11 and 13 .     

Stepwise synthesis of a hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complex featuring mixed NHC/abnormal NHC ligands

We describe a stepwise synthesis of the hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complex [Ir(H)I(C(NHC)CC(aNHC))(NCMe)] (3) which features a combination of normal and abnormal NHC ligands. The reaction of the bis(imidazolium) diiodide [(CH(imid)CHCH(imid))]I(2) (1) with [Ir(μ-Cl)(cod)](2) afforded first the mono-NHC Ir(I) complex [IrI(cod)(CH(imid)CHC(NHC))]I (2), which was then reacted with 2 equiv. of Cs(2)CO(3) in acetonitrile at 60 °C for 40 h to yield 3. These observations support our previously proposed mechanism for the formation of hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complexes from the reaction of bis(imidazolium) salts with weak bases involving a mono-NHC Ir(I) intermediate. We describe the reactivity of the mono-NHC Ir(I) complex 2 under various conditions. By changing the reaction solvent from MeCN to toluene, we observed the cleavage of the imidazol-2-ylidene ring and the formation of an iminoformamide-containing mono-NHC Ir(I) complex [IrI(cod){[NHCH=CHN(Ad)CHO]CHC(NHC)}] (4). Complex 4 was also prepared in high yield from the reaction of 2 with strong bases (potassium tert-butoxide or potassium hexamethyldisilazane), via the initial formation of the complex [IrI(cod)(CH(NHC)CHC(NHC))] (5), which contains a coordinated NHC moiety and a free carbene arm, followed by subsequent hydrolysis of the latter. The bis(imidazolium) salt 1 can be deprotonated by strong bases to form the bis(carbene) ligand C(NHC)CHC(NHC) (6), which readily reacts with [Ir(μ-Cl)(cod)](2) to give the dinuclear complex [{IrI(cod)}(2)(μ-C(NHC)CHC(NHC))] (7), in which the N-heterocyclic bis(carbene) ligand bridges the two metals through the carbene carbon atoms.     

Cancerous cell death from sensitizer free photoactivation of singlet oxygen

Singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) is an electronic state of molecular oxygen which plays a major role in many chemical and biological photo-oxidation processes. It has a high chemical reactivity which is commonly harnessed for therapeutic issues. Indeed, (1)O(2) is believed to be the major cytotoxic agent in photodynamic therapy. In this treatment of cancer, (1)O(2) is created, among other reactive species, by an indirect transfer of energy from light to molecular oxygen via excitation of a photosensitizer (PS). This PS is believed to be necessary to obtain an efficient (1)O(2) production. In this paper, we demonstrate that production of (1)O(2) is achieved in living cells from PS-free 1270 nm laser excitation of molecular oxygen. The quantity of (1)O(2) produced in this way is sufficient to induce an oxidative stress leading to cell death. Other effects such as thermal stress are discriminated and we conclude that cell death is only due to (1)O(2) creation. This new simplified scheme of (1)O(2) activation can be seen as a breakthrough for phototherapies of malignant diseases and/or as a noninvasive possibility to generate reactive oxygen species in a tightly controlled manner.     

Magnetic nanocarriers of doxorubicin coated with poly(ethylene glycol) and folic acid: relation between coating structure, surface properties, colloidal stability, and cancer cell targeting

We report the efficient one-step synthesis and detailed physicochemical evaluation of novel biocompatible nanosystems useful for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics (theranostics). These systems are the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) carrying the anticancer drug doxorubicin and coated with the covalently bonded biocompatible polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), native and modified with the biological cancer targeting ligand folic acid (PEG-FA). These multifunctional nanoparticles (SPION-DOX-PEG-FA) are designed to rationally combine multilevel mechanisms of cancer cell targeting (magnetic and biological), bimodal cancer cell imaging (by means of MRI and fluorescence), and bimodal cancer treatment (by targeted drug delivery and by hyperthermia effect). Nevertheless, for these concepts to work together, the choice of ingredients and particle structure are critically important. Therefore, in the present work, a detailed physicochemical characterization of the organic coating of the hybrid nanoparticles is performed by several surface-specific instrumental methods, including surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). We demonstrate that the anticancer drug doxorubicin is attached to the iron oxide surface and buried under the polymer layers, while folic acid is located on the extreme surface of the organic coating. Interestingly, the moderate presence of folic acid on the particle surface does not increase the particle surface potential, while it is sufficient to increase the particle uptake by MCF-7 cancer cells. All of these original results contribute to the better understanding of the structure-activity relationship for hybrid biocompatible nanosystems and are encouraging for the applications in cancer theranostics.     

Cyto-mechanoresponsive polyelectrolyte multilayer films

Cell adhesion processes take place through mechanotransduction mechanisms where stretching of proteins results in biological responses. In this work, we present the first cyto-mechanoresponsive surface that mimics such behavior by becoming cell-adhesive through exhibition of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) adhesion peptides under stretching. This mechanoresponsive surface is based on polyelectrolyte multilayer films built on a silicone sheet and where RGD-grafted polyelectrolytes are embedded under antifouling phosphorylcholine-grafted polyelectrolytes. The stretching of this film induces an increase in fibroblast cell viability and adhesion.