Factors influencing tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid vs dinuclear side-by-side structures for silver(I) complexes of pyridazine-based bis-bidentate ligands

Silver(I) complexes of five bis-bidentate Schiff-base ligands, derived from 3,6-diformylpyridazine and substituted anilines (2,4-dimethylaniline L ( o,p - Me ); 3,5-dichloroaniline L ( m,m - Cl ); 2-aminobiphenyl L ( o - Ph ); p-toluidine L ( p - Me ); 4-aminophenol L ( p - OH ); p-anisidine L ( p - OMe )), have been prepared. The ligands have a wide range of steric and electronic properties due to variation in the extent and nature of the substitution of the aniline rings. Four of the resulting complexes were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography: three of the four, [Ag 2( L ( o,p - Me )) 2](BF 4) 2, [Ag 2( L ( m,m - Cl )) 2](BF 4) 2 and [Ag 2( L ( o - Ph )) 2](BF 4) 2 formed dinuclear side-by-side complexes, while [Ag 4( L ( p - Me )) 4](BF 4) 4 gave a tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid. The previously reported tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid [Ag 4( L ( p - OMe )) 4](BF 4) 4 was recrystallized in the presence of benzene to see if this would alter the architecture of this complex. It did not: the [2 x 2] grid architecture was retained despite the benzene molecules of solvation. Given the flexibility of silver(I) with regard to coordination geometry, the molecular structure of these complexes is influenced mostly by the ligand rather than the metal ion. In each case, the factors which influence the molecular architecture are presented and discussed. Substituent effects on the electrostatics of the intramolecular ligand-ligand pi-pi interactions (XED2.8) account for some of the differences observed in the structures.     

Estimating Sun Exposure of Children in Day Care Nurseries in South Oxfordshire,UK

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation and sunburn during childhood and adolescence is linked to increased risks of melanoma and basal cell carcinoma later in life. Infants and toddlers are thought to be unusually vulnerable to UVR because of lower levels of melanin, a thinner stratum corneum and a higher surface area/body mass ratio. The aim of this study was to assess variations in the available erythema effective radiant doses to young children in day care nurseries in South Oxfordshire, UK over 7 years between 2008 and 2014. The data were analyzed in three distinct seasons according to a series of realistic exposure scenarios taking into account nursery routines. The results indicate the time of year when high doses are to be expected and provide strong support for arguments in favor of raising public awareness of sun protection earlier in the year.     

Carbonic acid: from polyamorphism to polymorphism

Layers of glassy methanolic (aqueous) solutions of KHCO3 and HCl were deposited sequentially at 78 K on a CsI window, and their reaction on heating in vacuo in steps from 78 to 230 K was followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. After removal of solvent and excess HCl, IR spectra revealed formation of two distinct states of amorphous carbonic acid (H2CO3), depending on whether KHCO3 and HCl had been dissolved in methanol or in water, and of their phase transition to either crystalline alpha- or beta-H2CO3. The main spectral features in the IR spectra of alpha- and beta-H2CO3 are observable already in those of the two amorphous H2CO3 forms. This indicates that H-bond connectivity or conformational state in the two crystalline phases is on the whole already developed in the two amorphous forms. The amorphous nature of the precursors to the two crystalline polymorphs is confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction. These diffractograms also show that alpha- and beta-amorphous H2CO3 are two distinct structural states. The variety of structural motifs found within a few kJ/mol in a computational search for possible crystal structures provides a plausible rationalization for (a) the observation of more than one amorphous form and (b) the retention of the motif observed in the amorphous form in the corresponding crystalline form. The polyamorphism inferred for carbonic acid from our FTIR spectroscopic and powder X-ray diffraction studies is special since two different crystalline states are linked to two distinct amorphous states. We surmise that the two amorphous states of H2CO3 are connected by a first-order-like phase transition.     

CD and MCD of CytC3 and taurine dioxygenase: role of the facial triad in alpha-KG-dependent oxygenases

The alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG)-dependent oxygenases are a large and diverse class of mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes that require FeII, alpha-KG, and dioxygen for catalysis with the alpha-KG cosubstrate supplying the additional reducing equivalents for oxygen activation. While these systems exhibit a diverse array of reactivities (i.e., hydroxylation, desaturation, ring closure, etc.), they all share a common structural motif at the FeII active site, termed the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad. Recently, a new subclass of alpha-KG-dependent oxygenases has been identified that exhibits novel reactivity, the oxidative halogenation of unactivated carbon centers. These enzymes are also structurally unique in that they do not contain the standard facial triad, as a Cl- ligand is coordinated in place of the carboxylate. An FeII methodology involving CD, MCD, and VTVH MCD spectroscopies was applied to CytC3 to elucidate the active-site structural effects of this perturbation of the coordination sphere. A significant decrease in the affinity of FeII for apo-CytC3 was observed, supporting the necessity of the facial triad for iron coordination to form the resting site. In addition, interesting differences observed in the FeII/alpha-KG complex relative to the cognate complex in other alpha-KG-dependent oxygenases indicate the presence of a distorted 6C site with a weak water ligand. Combined with parallel studies of taurine dioxygenase and past studies of clavaminate synthase, these results define a role of the carboxylate ligand of the facial triad in stabilizing water coordination via a H-bonding interaction between the noncoordinating oxygen of the carboxylate and the coordinated water. These studies provide initial insight into the active-site features that favor chlorination by CytC3 over the hydroxylation reactions occurring in related enzymes.     

Using calibration approaches to compensate for remaining matrix effects in quantitative liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometric analysis of phytoestrogens in aqueous environmental samples

Signal suppression is a common problem in quantitative liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometric (LC/ESI-MS(n)) analysis in environment samples, especially in highly loaded wastewater samples with highly complex matrix. Optimization of sample preparation and improvement of chromatographic separation are prerequisite to improve reproducibility and selectivity. Matrix components are reduced if not eliminated by optimization of sample preparation steps. However, extensive sample preparation may be time-consuming and risk the significant loss of some trace analytes. The best way to further compensate matrix effects is the use of an internal standard for each analyte. However, in a multi-component analysis, finding appropriate internal standards for every analyte is often difficult. In this present study, a more practical alternative option was sought. Matrix effects were assessed using the post-extraction addition method. By comparison of three different calibration approaches, it was found that matrix-matched calibration combined with one internal standard provides a satisfactory method for compensating for any residual matrix effects on all the analytes. Validating experiments on different sewage treatment plant (STP) influent samples analyzing for a range of phytoestrogens showed that this calibration method provided satisfactory results with concentration ratio 96.1-105.7% compared to those by standard addition.     

Influence of the chelate ligand structure on the amide methanolysis reactivity of mononuclear zinc complexes

Zinc complexes of three new amide-appended ligands have been prepared and isolated. These complexes, [(dpppa)Zn](ClO4)2 (4(ClO4)2; dpppa = N-((N,N-diethylamino)ethyl)-N-((6-pivaloylamido-2-pyridyl)methyl)-N-((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine), [(bdppa)Zn](ClO4)2 (6(ClO4)2; bdppa = N,N-bis((N,N-diethylamino)ethyl)-N-((6-pivaloylamido-2-pyridyl)methyl)amine), and [(epppa)Zn](ClO4)2 (8(ClO4)2; epppa = N-((2-ethylthio)ethyl)-N-((6-pivaloylamido-2-pyridyl)methyl)-N-((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine), have been characterized by X-ray crystallography (4(ClO4)2 and 8(ClO4)2), 1H and 13C NMR, IR, and elemental analysis. Treatment of 4(ClO4)2 or 8(ClO4)2 with 1 equiv of Me4NOH.5H2O in methanol-acetonitrile (5:3) results in amide methanolysis, as determined by the recovery of primary amine-appended forms of the chelate ligand following removal of the zinc ion. These reactions proceed via the initial formation of a deprotonated amide intermediate ([(dpppa-)Zn]ClO4 (5) and [(epppa-)Zn]ClO4 (9)) which in each case has been isolated and characterized (1H and 13C NMR, IR, elemental analysis). Treatment of 6(ClO4)2 with Me4NOH.5H2O in methanol-acetonitrile results in the formation of a deprotonated amide complex, [(bdppa-)Zn]ClO4 (7), which was isolated and characterized. This complex does not undergo amide methanolysis after prolonged heating in a methanol-acetonitrile mixture. Kinetic studies and construction of Eyring plots for the amide methanolysis reactions of 4(ClO4)2 and 8(ClO4)2 yielded thermodynamic parameters that provide a rationale for the relative rates of the amide methanolysis reactions. Overall, we propose that the mechanistic pathway for these amide methanolysis reactions involves reaction of the deprotonated amide complex with methanol to produce a zinc methoxide species, the reactivity of which depends, at least in part, on the steric hindrance imparted by the supporting chelate ligand. Amide methanolysis involving a zinc complex supported by a N2S2 donor chelate ligand (3(ClO4)2) is more complicated, as in addition to the formation of a deprotonated amide intermediate free chelate ligand is present in the reaction mixture.     

Development of structural order during supercooling of a fragile oxide melt

The authors have studied the structural evolution of the fragile glass-forming liquid CaAl2O4 during supercooling from the stable liquid phase to the cold glass below Tg. The evolution is characterized by a sharpening of the first diffraction peak and a shortening of the average nearest-neighbor bond length around 1.25Tg, indicating an increase in the degree of both intermediate-range and short-range orders occurring close to the dynamical crossover temperature. The cooling curve developed a kink at this temperature, indicating a simultaneous change in thermodynamic properties.     

Amidates as leaving groups: structure/reactivity correlation of the hydroxide-dependent E1cB-like breakdown of carbinolamides in aqueous solution

The kinetic study of the aqueous reaction, between pH 10 and 14, of eight N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide derivatives in water at 25 degrees C, I = 1.0 M (KCl), has been performed. In all cases, the reaction proceeds via a specific-base-catalyzed deprotonation of the hydroxyl group followed by rate-limiting breakdown of the alkoxide to form aldehyde and amidate (E1cB-like). Such a mechanism was supported by the lack of general buffer catalysis and the first-order dependence of the rate of reaction at low hydroxide concentrations and the transition to zero-order dependence on hydroxide at high concentration. A rho-value of 0.67 was found for the Hammett correlation between the maximum rate for the hydroxide independent breakdown of the deprotonated carbinolamide (k1) and the substituent on the aromatic ring of the title compounds. Conversely, the substituents on the aromatic ring of the amide portion of the carbinolamide had only a small effect on the Ka of the hydroxyl group indicating that the amide group does not strongly transmit the electronic information of the substituents. These observations led to the conclusion that the major effect of electronic changes on the amide of carbinolamides is reflected in the nucleofugality of the amidate once the alkoxide is formed and not in the pKa of the hydroxyl group of the carbinolamide.     

Pyridazine-bridged copper(I) complexes of bis-bidentate ligands: tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid versus dinuclear side-by-side architectures as a function of ligand substituents

Eight bis-bidentate Schiff-base ligands, derived from 3,6-diformylpyridazine and substituted amino-benzenes, have been prepared. A variety of electron donating/withdrawing and/or sterically demanding/undemanding substituents were employed. Two ligands and five of the six pure copper(I) complexes have been structurally characterised. The sterically unhindered ligand derived from 3,5-difluoroaniline, (m,m-F), was almost completely flat whereas the very sterically hindered ligand derived from trimethylaniline, (o,o,p-Me), was severely twisted. The only dinuclear side-by-side complex obtained, [Cu(I)(2)((o-Ph))(2)](PF(6))(2), was of the ligand derived from 2-aminobiphenyl. All five of the other complexes are believed to be [2 x 2] tetranuclear grid complexes, and this was unequivocally shown to be the case for four of these complexes, [Cu(I)(4)((p-Me))(4)](PF(6))(4), [Cu(I)(4)((o,p-Me))(4)](PF(6))(4), [Cu(I)(4)((m,m-F))(4)](PF(6))(4) and [Cu(I)(4)((m,m-Cl))(4)](PF(6))(4). In all cases the copper(I) centres are substantially distorted from tetrahedral, with the most severe distortion present in the side-by-side complex. In the absence of any special effects, tetracopper(I) [2 x 2] grid architectures are observed to be the favored outcome for 1 : 1 reactions of these bis-bidentate ligands with copper(I) ions. Only when the aromaticity of the ligand was extended by employing a phenyl substituent on the phenyl rings, (o-Ph), did a dicopper(I) side-by-side architecture result. Cyclic voltammetry in acetone revealed that the free ligands did not undergo reduction until potentials below -0.8 V, whereas between three and four reversible one electron reductions were observed, between +0.16 and -0.71 vs. AgCl/Ag, for the tetranuclear copper(I) [2 x 2] grid complexes. The redox potentials observed for these complexes are highly dependent on the nature of the ligand phenyl ring substituent(s). The side-by-side complex had one irreversible reduction process, E(pc)ca.-0.5 V.