pH-sensitive modulation of the second hydration sphere in lanthanide(III) tetraamide-DOTA complexes: a novel approach to smart MR contrast media

The lanthanide(III) complexes of three tetraamide DOTA bearing pyridyl, phenolic and hydroxypyridyl substituents have been studied by NMR, luminescence and cyclic voltammetry. The relaxivity profiles of the gadolinium complexes of the pyridyl and phenolic ligands were flat and essentially the same between pH 2 and 8. The hydroxypyridyl ligand, however, exhibited two regions of enhanced relaxivity. The small relaxivity enhancement (25 %) at lower pH (pH 2-4) has been attributed to an increase in the prototropic exchange of the coordinated water molecule while the slightly larger enhancement (84 %) at higher pH (pH 6-9) reflects deprotonation of the ligand amide protons. Deprotonation of the amides results in the formation of an intramolecular acid-base pair interaction with the phenolic protons and this, in turn, causes a highly organized second hydration sphere to come into effect, thereby increasing the relaxivity. The water relaxivity of the Gd(3+)-hydroxypyridyl complex is further enhanced upon binding to serum albumin.     

Synthesis of new macrocyclic aminomethylphosphines based on 4,4"-diaminodiphenylmethane and its derivatives

The reaction of bis(hydroxymethyl)phenylphosphine with 4,4"-diaminodiphenylmethane in DMF afforded 1,1",5,5"-bis[methylenedi(p-phenylene)]di(3,7-diphenyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane) (1) whose structure was established by X-ray diffraction analysis. Sulfurization and oxidation of macrocyclic tetraphosphine 1 gave rise to products 2 and 3, respectively, compound 3 being obtained as a stable hexahydrate. The reaction of bis(hydroxymethyl)phenylphosphine with bis(4-N-methylaminophenyl)methane in DMF followed by sulfurization yielded monocyclic bis{methylenedi[p-phenylene(N-methyl)aminomethyl]}di(P-phenyl)phosphine sulfide (4).     

Complexes of tri- and tetra-protonated forms of 1,4,8,12-tetraazacyclopentadecane with chloride,nitrate, iodate,and sulfate ions in aqueous media: I. Formation constants,thermodynamic properties,and bonding mechanisms

Complexation stoichiometries and formation constants of tri- and tetra-protonated forms of 1,4,8,12-tetraazacyclopentadecane with NO ₃ ^– , Cl^–, IO ₃ ^– and SO ₄ ^2– ions are determined by pH potentiometric and¹³C NMR spectrometric measurements. Estimates of H and S are obtained from the values of the temperature dependent formation constants and acid dissociation constants. All four anions form only 1 : 1 complexes with the triprotonated amine species. NO ₃ ^– and Cl^– form 1 : 1 complexes only with the tetraprotonated amine, while IO ₃ ^– and SO ₄ ^2– form both 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 complexes. The complexation behavior is interpreted in terms of solvation and internal hydrogen bonding interactions.     

四氮大环-金属配合物与DNA作用的电化学及谱学研究

Mononuclear copper（Ⅱ）, nickel（Ⅱ） and cobalt（Ⅲ） tetracoordinate macrocyclic complexes were synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. The crystal structure of the three compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography. The electrochemical experimental results indicate that the three complexes could interact with DNA mainly by electrostatic interaction. The interaction of tetracoordinate macrocyclic cobalt（Ⅲ） complex with DNA was studied by cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal that tetracoordinate macrocyc- lic cobalt（Ⅲ） complex could interact with DNA by electrostatic interaction to form a 1 ： 1 DNA association complex with a binding constant of 7.50 ×10^3 L·mol^-1.     

Synthesis and characterization of macrocyclic vinyl aromatic polymers

The synthesis and characterization by size exclusion chromatography, liquid chromatography, NMR, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization, thermal analysis, and other techniques of well‐defined and narrow molecular weight distribution macrocyclic polystyrene (PS), poly(2‐vinylpyridine), poly(α‐methylstyrene), poly (2‐vinyl‐naphthalene) (P2VN), and poly(9,9‐dimethyl‐2‐vinylfluorene) (PDMVF) containing a single 1,4‐benzylidene, methylidene, or 9,10‐anthracenylidene unit are reviewed. The absorption and emission spectroscopy of PS, P2VN, and PDMVF is also discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2139–2155, 2006     

Electronic structures of zinc and palladium tetraazaporphyrin derivatives controlled by fused benzo rings

Zinc and palladium tetracyclic aromatic complexes lying structurally between tetraazaporphyrin (TAP) and phthalocyanine (Pc), that is, monobenzo-, adjacently dibenzo-, oppositely dibenzo-, and tribenzo-fused TAPs, have been prepared, and their electronic structures investigated by electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), fluorescence, phosphorescence, and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry. The last-named indicated that the first oxidation potentials shift to more negative values with increasing number of the fused benzo rings, but also suggested that the first reduction potential apparently has no correlation with the size and symmetry of the pi-conjugated systems. However, this latter behavior is reasonably interpreted by the finding that the effect of the fused benzo rings on destabilization of the LUMO depends on the orbital to which they are fused (i.e., whether it is an egx or egy orbital), since the LUMOs of TAP complexes are degenerate with D4h symmetry. The energy splitting of the LUMOs, that is, DeltaLUMO, was evaluated experimentally for the first time by analyzing the relationship between the first reduction potential and the size and shape of the pi-conjugated system. Electronic absorption and MCD measurements indicate that the lowest excited singlet states are split in the case of the low-symmetry TAP derivatives, although these excited states are degenerate for Pc and TAP with D4h symmetry. These energy splittings DeltaE(SS) correlate well with the DeltaLUMO values. To investigate the electronic structures in the lowest excited triplet state, zero-field splitting (zfs) was analyzed by time-resolved EPR (TREPR) spectroscopy. The energy splitting in the lowest excited triplet state, DeltaE(TT) was quantitatively evaluated from the temperature dependence of the zfs or spin-orbit coupling of the Pd complexes. Consequently, it is demonstrated that DeltaLUMO, DeltaE(SS), and DeltaE(TT) values exhibiting a mutually good relationship can be determined experimentally.     

High thermodynamic stability and extraordinary kinetic inertness of copper(II) complexes with 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid): example of a rare isomerism between kinetically inert penta- and hexacoordinated copper(II) complexes

In an aqueous solution at room temperature, 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid) (H(4)L(1)) and Cu(I) (I) form a pentacoordinated (pc) complex, pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), exhibiting conformation I of the cyclam ring. At high temperature, the complex isomerises to a hexacoordinated isomer, trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-), with a trans-III conformation of the cyclam ring. In pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), four ring nitrogen atoms and one phosphonate oxygen atom are arranged around Cu(I) (I) in a structure that is half-way between a trigonal bipyramid and a tetragonal pyramid, with one phosphonic acid group uncoordinated. In the trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-) isomer, the nitrogen atoms form a plane and the phosphonic acid groups are in a mutually trans configuration. A structurally very similar ligand, 4-methyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid) (H(4)L(2)), forms an analogous pentacoordinated complex, pc-[Cu(L(2))](2-), at room temperature. However, the complex does not isomerise to the octahedral complex analogous to trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-). Because of the high thermodynamic stability of pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), (logbeta=25.40(4), 25 degrees C, I=0.1 mol dm(-3) KNO(3)) and the formation of protonated species, Cu(I) (I) is fully complexed in acidic solution (-log [H(+)] approximately 3). Acid-assisted decomplexation of both of the isomers of [Cu(H(2)L(1))] takes place only after protonation of both uncoordinated oxygen atoms of each phosphonate moiety and at least one nitrogen atom of the cycle. The exceptional kinetic inertness of both isomers is illustrated by their half-lives tau(1/2)=19.7 min for pc-[Cu(H(2)L(1))] and tau(1/2) about seven months for trans-O,O-[Cu(H(2)L(1))] for decomplexation in 5 M HClO(4) at 25 degrees C. The mechanism of formation of pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-) is similar to those observed for other macrocyclic complexes.     

Structural Relationships between the Hemiporphyrazine Macrocyclic Ligand and its Metal Complexes. II.: Planar Neutral Ligand,C26H16N8, and Four Isomorphous Metal Complexes, [M(C26H16N8)(H2O)], M=Mn(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)

Crystal and molecular structures of the planar neutral ligand, C₂₆H₁₆N₈, and the four isomorphous five-coordinated metal complexes, [M(C₂₆H₁₆N₈)(H₂O)], M = Mn(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), have been determined from three-dimensional X-ray diffraction data. The free ligand hpH₂, C₂₆H₁₆N₈, belongs to the P 2₁/c space group with Z=2, a=4.142(3), b=23.736(6), c=10.338(3) Ä, β=94.66(6)°. The metal complexes monohydrate Mhp-H₂O all belong to the orthorhombic Pcab space group with Z=8. The dimensions are roughly 8.8×19.3×23.7 ų. In each structure, the macrocyclic ligand has an almost planar conformation which differs from the saddle shaped ligand hydrate (hpH₂·H₂O) and the nickel complex [Nihp]⁵. The distances from the center of the macrocyclic ring to the nitrogen atom of the free ligand are 1.907(6) and 2.245(6)Å. The coordination geometry in these four complexes is square pyramidal with a water molecule as an axial ligand. The bond distances of M(II)-O(H₂O), M(II)-N1 (imine), M(II)-N3 (pyridine) are: 2.19(1), 2.00(2), 2.27(2)Å respectively for the manganese complex; 2.08(1), 1.97(1), 2.23(1)Å for the cobalt complex; 2.33(1), 1.92(3), 2.18(1)Å for the copper complex; 2.110(5), 1.964(6), 2.252(6)Å for the zinc complex. The variation of metal-ligand distances can be correlated to the metal d orbital occupancy. A comparison with similar ligands will be presented.     

Highly stretchable and self-healing hydrogels based on poly(acrylic acid) and functional POSS

Herein, we present a novel way for the production of self-healing hydrogels with stretch beyond 4200% than their initial length and relatively high tensile strength(0.1?0.25 MPa). Furthermore, the hydrogel was insensitive to notch. Even for the samples containing V-notches, a stretch of 2300% was demonstrated. The hydrogels were developed by in situ crosslinking of the self-assembled colloidal poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)/functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane(POSS) micelles. This was achieved by the addition of functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with tertiary amines and hydroxyls(POSS-AH) into the PAA reaction solution. The POSS-AH led to micellar growth, then the dualcrosslinked network was constructed. One type of crosslink was formed by hydrogen-bonding and ionic interactions between PAA chains and POSS-AH, the other type of crosslink was formed by covalent bonds between PAA and bis(N,N'-methylenebis-acrylamide).     

Noria: A Highly Xe‐Selective Nanoporous Organic Solid

Separation of xenon and krypton is of industrial and environmental concern; the existing technologies use cryogenic distillation. Thus, a cost‐effective, alternative technology for the separation of Xe and Kr and their capture from air is of significant importance. Herein, we report the selective Xe uptake in a crystalline porous organic oligomeric molecule, noria, and its structural analogue, PgC‐noria, under ambient conditions. The selectivity of noria towards Xe arises from its tailored pore size and small cavities, which allows a directed non‐bonding interaction of Xe atoms with a large number of carbon atoms of the noria molecular wheel in a confined space.