Synthesis of substituted 1,1′-diaminoferrocenes from cyclo-2-pentene imines

Condensation of anilines and primary aliphatic amines with 3,4-diphenylcyclo-2-pentenone leads to the corresponding diphenylcyclopentene imines in good yields of 72-90%. Deprotonation of these aminocyclopentadiene tautomers and reaction with FeCl₂ leads to the synthesis of the respective 1,1′-diamino-3,3′,4,4′-tetraphenylferrocenes. Yields increase from 33% to 65% with a decrease in the steric bulk of the amine substituent. The observation that a successful conversion requires two equivalents of base is conceived on the basis of the discussed reaction mechanism. The molecular structure of 1,1′-dianilino-3,3′,4,4′-tetraphenylferrocene (3a), which was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis reveals a trans coordination of the two amine moieties with respect to the central Cp-Fe-Cp axis of the ferrocenyl backbone.     

A Lock-and-Kill Anticancer Photoactivated Chemotherapy Agent†

Photosubstitutionally active ruthenium complexes show high potential as prodrugs for the photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) treatment of tumors. One of the problems in PACT is that the localization of the ruthenium compound is hard to trace. Here, a ruthenium PACT prodrug, [Ru(3)(biq)(STF-31)](PF₆)₂ (where 3 = 3-(([2,2′:6′,2″-ter- pyridin]-4′-yloxy)propyl-4-(pyren-1-yl)butanoate) and biq = 2,2′-biquinoline), has been prepared, in which a pyrene tracker is attached via an ester bond. The proximity between the fluorophore and the ruthenium center leads to fluorescence quenching. Upon intracellular hydrolysis of the ester linkage, however, the fluorescence of the pyrene moiety is recovered, thus demonstrating prodrug cellular uptake. Further light irradiation of this molecule liberates by photosubstitution STF-31, a known cytotoxic nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibitor, as well as singlet oxygen via excitation of the free pyrene chromophore. The dark and light cytotoxicity of the prodrug, embedded in liposomes, as well as the appearance of blue emission upon uptake, were evaluated in A375 human skin melanoma cells. The cytotoxicity of the liposome-embedded prodrug was indeed increased by light irradiation. This work realizes an in vitro proof-of-concept of the lock-and-kill principle, which may ultimately be used to design strategies aimed at knowing where and when light irradiation should be realized in vivo.     

Neutralizing the Impact of the Virulence Factor LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Human Cells with New Glycomimetic Inhibitors

Bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation and host cell invasion of the ESKAPE pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa require the tetravalent lectins LecA and LecB, which are therefore drug targets to fight these infections. Recently, we have reported highly potent divalent galactosides as specific LecA inhibitors. However, they suffered from very low solubility and an intrinsic chemical instability due to two acylhydrazone motifs, which precluded further biological evaluation. Here, we isosterically substituted the acylhydrazones and systematically varied linker identity and length between the two galactosides necessary for LecA binding. The optimized divalent LecA ligands showed improved stability and were up to 1000-fold more soluble. Importantly, these properties now enabled their biological characterization. The lead compound L2 potently inhibited LecA binding to lung epithelial cells, restored wound closure in a scratch assay and reduced the invasiveness of P. aeruginosa into host cells.     

Improved thermal stability of an organic zeolite by fluorination

The thermal stability of an organic zeolite material, namely 2,4,6-tris(4-bromo-3,5-difluorphenoxy)-1,3,5-triazin (Br-3,5-DFPOT), was improved by fluorination of 2,4,6-tris(4-bromophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazin (BrPOT). The open pore structure (van der Waals diameter of 10.5 Å) of the modified zeolite was observed up to 110 °C in comparison to 70 °C for BrPOT. Nitrogen sorption at low temperature showed a type I isotherm and derived pore volumes thereof are in agreement with structural data. It was observed here that Br-3,5-DFPOT crystals preserving the open pore structure could only be obtained below a typical size of about 50 μm. The improved thermal stability of the fluorinated system is attributed to an enhancement of the strength of the Br₃-synthon.     

T-shaped platinum boryl complexes: synthesis and structure

A series of cationic T-shaped 14-electron boryl complexes of the type trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt{B(X)X'}](+) (X=Br; X'=ortho-tolyl, tBu, NMe(2), piperidyl, Br; XX'=(NMe(2))(2), catecholato) were synthesized by halide abstraction from trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt(Br){B(X)X'}] (Cy=cyclohexyl) with Na[BAr(f) (4)] (Ar(f)=3,5-(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3)), K[B(C(6)F(5))(4)], or Na[BPh(4)]. X-ray diffraction studies were performed on all compounds, revealing a subtle correlation between the trans-influence of the boryl moiety and the Pt--H and Pt--C separations. However, no notable agostic C--H interaction with the platinum center was detected. trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt(BCat)](+) (Cat=catecholato), the complex with the shortest Pt--H and Pt--C distances, was treated with Lewis bases (L), forming compounds of the type trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt(L)(BCat)](+), thus proving a decisive influence of the degree of trans-influence exerted by the boryl ligands on the chemical reactivity of the title complexes. Another point that was investigated and clarified is the different behavior of trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt(Br){B(Br)Mes}] (Mes=mesityl) towards K[B(C(6)F(5))(4)] with formation of the borylene species trans-[(Cy(3)P)(2)Pt(Br)(BMes)](+).     

Aqueous uranium(VI) hydrolysis species characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

The speciation of uranium(VI) in micromolar aqueous solutions at ambient atmosphere was studied by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy and by speciation modeling applying the updated NEA thermodynamic database. It can be shown that reliable infrared spectra of micromolar U(VI) solutions are obtained abolishing the restrictions of previous spectroscopic investigations to millimolar concentrations and, consequently, to the acidic pH range. A significant change of the U(VI) speciation can be derived from the spectral alterations of the absorption band representing the antisymmetric stretching mode (nu3) of the UO2(2+) ion observed upon lowering the U(VI) concentration from the milli- to the micromolar range at a constant pH 4 value. The acquisition of spectra of diluted U(VI) solutions allows the increase of the pH up to 8.5 without the risk of formation of colloidal or solid phases. The infrared spectra are compared to the results of the computed speciation patterns. Although a complete interpretation of the spectra can not be given at this state of knowledge, the spectral data strongly suggest the presence of monomeric U(VI) hydroxo species already showing up at a pH value > or = 2.5 and dominating the speciation at pH 3. This is in contradiction to the predicted speciation where the fully hydrated UO2(2+) is expected to represent the main species at pH values below 4. At ambient pH, a more complex speciation is suggested compared to the results of the computational modeling technique. The predicted dominance of the UO2(CO3)3(4-) complex at pH > or = 8 was not confirmed by the infrared data. However, the infrared spectra indicate the formation of hydroxo complexes obviously containing carbonate ligands.     

Structural Design Principle of Small‐Molecule Organic Semiconductors for Metal‐Free,Visible‐Light‐Promoted Photocatalysis

Herein, we report on the structural design principle of small‐molecule organic semiconductors as metal‐free, pure organic and visible light‐active photocatalysts. Two series of electron‐donor and acceptor‐type organic semiconductor molecules were synthesized to meet crucial requirements, such as 1) absorption range in the visible region, 2) sufficient photoredox potential, and 3) long lifetime of photogenerated excitons. The photocatalytic activity was demonstrated in the intermolecular C?H functionalization of electron‐rich heteroaromates with malonate derivatives. A mechanistic study of the light‐induced electron transport between the organic photocatalyst, substrate, and the sacrificial agent are described. With their tunable absorption range and defined energy‐band structure, the small‐molecule organic semiconductors could offer a new class of metal‐free and visible light‐active photocatalysts for chemical reactions.     

Further Results for kth order Kantorovich Modification of Linking Baskakov Type Operators

In this paper we consider a non-trivial link between Baskakov type operators and their genuine Durrmeyer type modification as well as the kth order Kantorovich variant. Recursion formulas for the moments and the images of monomials are proved in order to derive asymptotic expansions. Furthermore we investigate convexity properties of the linking operators and the limiting behavior for certain function spaces.