Solvent-dependent host–guest complexation of two homologous merocyanines by a water-soluble calix[8]arene: Spectroscopic analysis and structural calculations

The sulfonated calixarene I₈C₁₂ acts as a host for homologous merocyanines Mc1 and Mc2 in organic solvents, exhibiting neither selectivity towards the guest dyes nor solvent dependence of the complexation equilibria. In water, on the contrary, only the lower homologue, Mc1, is solubilized in the presence of the calixarene. A combination of UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopic and photophysical analysis and MD structural simulation of the calixarene-dye complexes was employed to account for the observations, and suggests that a radical change in the complexation mode occurs upon moving from an organic to an aqueous environment.     

Finite-Type Invariants of Cubic Complexes

The paper is for a general audience and may serve as a preliminary introduction to the theory of finite-type invariants.     

Effect of the environment on the stability of surfactant–polypeptide self‐assembled complexes: Molecular dynamics simulations of stoichiometric complexes formed by N‐dodecyltrimethylammonium and poly(α,L‐glutamate) in chloroform,methanol, and water

A series of molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study the supramolecular structure of self‐assembled complexes formed by N‐dodecyltrimethylammonium cations and the synthetic polypeptide poly(α,L ‐glutamate). The influence of the type of solvent has been investigated, considering explicit environments of chloroform, water, and methanol on a stoichiometric complex containing 15 residues. In chloroform, the complex stabilizes in a regular structure: the polypeptide adopts an α‐helix conformation that is regularly surrounded by surfactant molecules to form electrostatic interactions through a multiple interaction pattern. However, this structure destabilizes in methanol and water: (a) the α‐helix unfolds in the two solvents and (b) the electrostatic links between the surfactant molecules and the polyanion are disrupted in aqueous solution, although these interactions are still preserved in methanol. The role of the solvent environment in stabilizing or destabilizing the polypeptide secondary structure, the organization of the surfactant molecules, and predominantly the surfactant–polypeptide supramolecular organization is discussed in detail. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1122–1133, 2006     

Structural studies on ruthenium(II) complexes used in interphase catalysis for the hydrogenation of ketones

Structural studies were performed on catalytically active ruthenium(II) complexes used in interphases, by means of XAFS spectroscopy. The EXAFS investigations indicate that the complexes retain their structural integrity when they are embedded on polysiloxane matrices to form stationary phase materials. The AXAFS studies reveal that the variations in the catalytic activity of the complexes with different ligands can be correlated to the differences in the electronic structure around the active ruthenium center. The EXAFS investigations show that, in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions catalysed by ruthenium(II) complexes, the co‐catalyst plays a crucial role not only in enhancing the catalytic activity, but also in determining the structure of the intermediate species. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1,3-diallyl-5-[ω-(diphenylphosphino)alkyl] isocyanurates in reactions of complex formation with palladium(ii) dichloride

The reactions of phosphine derivatives of diallyl isocyanurates with palladium(ii) dichloride lead to the formation of complexes, whose structure, composition, and stability depend on the length of the methylene chain between the isocyanurate and diphenylphosphine fragments in the ligand. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[5′-(diphenylphosphino)pentyl and 10′-(diphenyl-phosphino)decyl] isocyanurates with PdCl₂ form monomeric L₂PdCl₂ trans-complexes in which P atoms of the ligands participate in coordination with the metal. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ forms a dimeric (LPdCl₂)₂ complex, which decomposes in a solution to the monomer including solvent molecule into the coordination sphere of the metal. The reactions of 1,3-diallyl-5-[4′-(diphenylphosphino)butyl] isocyanurate and 1,3-diallyl-5-[6′-(diphenylphosphino)hexyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ give monomeric chelate LPdCl₂ complexes in which one of the allyl groups of the isocyanurate cycle participates in coordination with the central ion along with the phosphorus atom. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1859–1865, September, 1998.     

Antimicorbial effects of newly synthesized organotin(IV) and organolead(IV) derivatives

Triorganotin(IV) and triorganolead(IV) derivatives of the types Me₃Sn(SCZ) and Ph₃Pb(SCZ) (where SCZ^? is the anion of a semicarbanzone ligand) have been synthesized by substitution reactions of trimethyltin chloride and triphenyl-lead chloride with semicarbazones derived from heterocyclic ketones. The resulting complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, molecualr weight determinations and conductivity measurements. The mode of bonding has been established on the basis of infrared and ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopic studies. Some respresentative complexes have also been evaluated for their antimicrobial effects on different species of pathogenic fungi and bacteria; the results of these investigations have been reported in the present paper.     

Asymmetric Baeyer—Villiger oxidation: control of stereoelectronic demand

The recent development of asymmetric Baeyer—Villiger oxidation of prochiral and racemic ketones is briefly summarized, focusing on the regio- and stereocontrol of the oxidation attained by regulating the stereoelectronic demand in the step of rearrangement of the Criegee intermediate.Based on the report presented at the International Conference Modern Trends in Organoelement and Polymer Chemistry dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, May 30–June 4, 2004).Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1784–1794, September, 2004.     

Dicopper(I) oxalate complexes as molecular precursors for the deposition of copper compounds

The synthesis, characterization, and thermal decomposition behavior of dicopper(I) oxalato complexes L₄Cu₂(C₂O₄) (L = CNtBu (2a), CNCMe₂CH₂tBu (2b), CNC₆H₃Me₂-2,6 (2c)) is reported. 2c can be prepared in a straightforward manner by the reaction of stoichiometric amounts of Cu₂O and oxalic acid with four equivalents of CNC₆H₃Me₂-2,6, while those complexes with aliphatic isocyanides are better prepared from a copper(I) oxalato complex with alkine capping ligands (Me₃SiCCSiMe₃)₂Cu₂(C₂O₄) (1) via ligand exchange. Crystallographic and spectroscopic evidence for 2a-c confirms the anticipated dinuclear structure with the oxalate in a μ-1,2,3,4 bridging mode and an essentially σ-character of the terminal isocyanides. In solid form the complexes are stable at room temperature and can be handled in air for some time. Their decomposition was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry, and the degradation pathway was shown to depend on the type of isocyanide capping ligand. Decomposition of 2a,b takes place between 150 and 200 °C to give CuCN in a clean process that involves isobutene elimination from the terminal ligands, with elimination of (CN)₂ and conversion to elemental copper at higher temperatures. Heating of 2c leads to CuO (and then to Cu₂O) via release of the intact isocyanide, CO₂, and CO in a well-behaved thermal process around 200-280 °C.     

First example of the formation of bipolar spiro σ-complexes from 6-bromo-5,7-dinitrobenzo[e]-1,2,3,4-tetrazine 1,3-di-N-oxide

The reactions of 3,5,7-trimethyltropolone and 2-(N-benzylamino)tropone with 6-bromo-5,7-dinitrobenzo[e]-1,2,3,4-tetrazine 1,3-di-N-oxide afforded novel bipolar spiro -complexes. The kinetic and activation parameters of the R,S-enantiotopomerization of a chiral spiro -complex of 2-(N-benzylamino)tropone were determined using dynamic ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

The preparation of nano‐scope chitosan‐oligomer copper complexes and their interaction with DNA

Water‐soluble low molecular weight chitosan of nanometer level and its copper complexes were prepared, and characterized by IR spectra, elemental analysis and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The modes and mechanism of these copper complexes interaction with DNA were studied by a fluorescent probe method and electrophoresis analysis. It is suggested that there are electrostatic and intercalation modes of copper complexes interacting with DNA. At first, the cationic complex electrostaticly binds to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA, and then a portion of the complex intercalates between the base pairs on the DNA duplex strand. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.