Magnetic coupling in EE and EO azido-bridged binuclear copper complexes: Synthesis,structure and magnetic studies

Four azide bridged dinuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu₂(L^X)₂(N₃)₂](ClO₄)₂, with L^X = substituted N,N-bis[(3,5-dimethylpyrazole-1-yl)-methyl]benzylamine, [X = H (1), OMe (2), Me (3) and Cl (4)] have been synthesized, out of which complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized structurally. In Complex 1 the two bridging azide ligands have connected the two metal centers in an end-on (EO) fashion with aSP (asymmetric Square Pyramidal) geometry and showed an weak antiferromagnetic interaction (J = −3.34 cm⁻¹). On the contrary, in complex 2, the two metal centers have been connected in end-to-end (EE) fashion exhibiting moderately strong ferromagnetic interaction (J = +19.7 cm⁻¹). Cyclic voltammetric studies performed on all the four complexes show a reasonably good correlations when E_1/2 for Cu^IICu^II → Cu^IICu^III and Cu^IICu^III → Cu^IIICu^III oxidations are plotted against σ (substituent constants) with ρ = −0.182 (R² = 0.92) and −0.684 (R² = 0.99) respectively.     

Distribution of chondroitin sulfate in human endometrium

Sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composition was characterized in the human endometrium during proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle. Sulfated GAGs were analyzed in endometrium tissue using metachromatic staining, biochemical analysis including electrophoresis before and after specific enzymatic or chemical degradations, and immunostaining with an antibody against chondroitin sulfate (CS). Our results showed that CS was the main sulfated GAG species detected, accompanied by small amounts of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate. CS was distributed overall the connective stroma, around arteriole vessels and glands, and there was no important difference in the immunostaining between the proliferative and secretory endometrium phases. Our findings extend previous observations on the GAG composition in the human endometrium providing new information regarding the tissue distribution and location of endometrial CS.     

Improvement of enzyme carbon paste-based biosensor using carbon nanotubes for determination of water-soluble analogue of vitamin E

The catalytic oxidation of a synthetic water-soluble analogue of vitamin E (α-tocopherol, Trolox) by tyrosinase enzyme in the presence of molecular oxygen was studied using electrochemical techniques. This specific enzymatic reaction was exploited for the preparation of a biosensor based on the amperometric reduction of the electroactive product (α-tocoquinone) formed. An electroactive surface of the transducers used was covered with a thin conductive layer of Nafion containing tyrosinase. Significant progress in sensitivity towards polyphenolic compounds such as Trolox was achieved at CPE with carbon nanotubes immobilised on its surface (CPE/CNTs) as electric transducers. The biosensor so developed can be used for the direct determination of total phenolic content (TPC). This important nutrition value can be expressed as the mass equivalent of Trolox, i.e. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), which could be used as an alternative to the evaluations currently used based on spectrophotometric methods such as total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) or 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl spectrometric assay (DPPH). The effects of the enzyme amount in the Nafion layer (3.0 µg), the influence of the nanoparticles present, the optimal pH value suitable for enzymatic activity (7.0), and the kinetics of enzymatic and electrochemical reactions were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The determination of optimal conditions for amperometry in batch configuration (working potential, speed of stirring, volume of sample, calibration curve, etc.) was not a target of this electrochemical study.     

Tuning of the critical temperature in iron(II) spin-crossover materials based on bridging polycyanidometallates: pentacyanidonitrosylferrate(II) and hexacyanidoplatinate(IV)

The reactions of iron(II) sulfate, 4-amino-3,5-di-2-pyridyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole (abpt), and pentacyanidonitrosylferrate(II) or hexacyanidoplatinate(IV) resulted in the formation of one-dimensional iron(II) spin-crossover compounds [Fe(abpt)(2)(μ-Fe(CN)(5)(NO))](n) (1) and [Fe(abpt)(2)(μ-Pt(CN)(6))](n) (2) with the spin-transition critical temperature near or above room temperature accompanied by thermochromism. Furthermore, it has been proven that the critical temperature T(c) is influenced by the type of dianionic polycyanidometallate within the series of discussed systems, and it changes in the sequence of [Fe(CN)(5)(NO)](2-) < [Pt(CN)(6))](2-) < [Ni(CN)(4))](2-) ≈ [Pd(CN)(4))](2-) ≈ [Pt(CN)(4))](2-).     

Tuning of spin crossover behaviour in iron(III) complexes involving pentadentate Schiff bases and pseudohalides

Investigations on a series of eight novel mononuclear iron(III) Schiff base complexes with the general formula [Fe(L(5))(L(1))]·S (where H(2)L(5) = pentadentate Schiff-base ligand, L(1) = a pseudohalido ligand, and S is a solvent molecule) are reported. Several different aromatic 2-hydroxyaldehyde derivatives were used in combination with a non-symmetrical triamine 1,6-diamino-4-azahexane to synthesize the H(2)L(5) Schiff base ligands. The consecutive reaction with iron(III) chloride resulted in the preparation of the [Fe(L(5))Cl] precursor complexes which were left to react with a wide range of the L(1) pseudohalido ligands. The low-spin compounds were prepared using the cyanido ligand: [Fe(3m-salpet)(CN)]·CH(3)OH (1a), [Fe(3e-salpet)(CN)]·H(2)O (1b), while the high-spin compounds were obtained by the reaction of the pseudohalido (other than cyanido) ligands with the [Fe(L(5))Cl] complex arising from salicylaldehyde derivatives: [Fe(3Bu5Me-salpet)(NCS)] (2a), [Fe(3m-salpet)(NCO)]·CH(3)OH (2b) and [Fe(3m-salpet)(N(3))] (2c). The compounds exhibiting spin-crossover phenomena were prepared only when L(5) arose from 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (H(2)L(5) = H(2)napet): [Fe(napet)(NCS)]·CH(3)CN (3a, T(1/2) = 151 K), [Fe(napet)(NCSe)]·CH(3)CN (3b, T(1/2) = 170 K), [Fe(napet)(NCO)] (3c, T(1/2) = 155 K) and [Fe(napet)(N(3))], which, moreover, exhibits thermal hysteresis (3d, T(1/2)↑ = 122 K, T(1/2)↓ = 117 K). These compounds are the first examples of octahedral iron(III) spin-crossover compounds with the coordinated pseudohalides. We report the structure and magnetic properties of these complexes. The magnetic data of all the compounds were analysed using the spin Hamiltonian formalism including the ZFS term and in the case of spin-crossover, the Ising-like model was also applied.     

Synthesis, characterization, DNA interaction and cleavage, and in vitro cytotoxicity of copper(II) mixed-ligand complexes with 2-phenyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolinone

A series of mixed-ligand complexes [Cu(qui)(L)]NO(3)·xH(2)O (1-6), where Hqui = 2-phenyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolinone, L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) (1), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) (2), bis(2-pyridyl)amine (ambpy) (3), 5-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline (mphen) (4), 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (nphen) (5) and bathophenanthroline (bphen) (6), have been synthesized and fully characterized. The X-ray structures of [Cu(qui)(phen)]NO(3)·H(2)O (2) and [Cu(qui)(ambpy)]NO(3) (3a) show a slightly distorted square-planar geometry in the vicinity of the central copper(II) atom. An in vitro cytotoxicity study of the complexes found significant activity against human osteosarcoma (HOS) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cell lines, with the best results for complex 6, where IC(50) equals to 2.1 ± 0.2 μM, and 2.2 ± 0.4 μM, respectively. The strong interactions of the complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and high ability to cleave pUC19 DNA plasmid were found. A correlation has been found between the in vitro cytotoxicity and DNA cleavage studies of the complexes.     

Optimization of a pentagonal cross section of the truck crane boom using Lagrange’s multipliers and differential evolution algorithm

The cross sections of truck crane booms are complex box-like cross sections which should provide continuous stress distribution. It is difficult to analytically determine the optimal relations among geometric parameters of such cross sections. The paper deals with the method for determination of relations among geometric parameters in order to reach the optimal shape of the cross section. The method is based on Lagrange’s multipliers used for determination of extreme values. The optimization of geometric parameters has been also done by the algorithm of Differential Evolution (DE). The optimization of cross section is based on the strength criterion. The results of applied methods have been verified by means of numerical example for an existing solution. The comparative analysis of the results of both methods has been done, too.