Synthesis and Characterization of a Cu14 Hydride Cluster Supported by Neutral Donor Ligands

The copper hydride clusters [Cu₁₄H₁₂(phen)₆(PPh₃)₄][X]₂ (X=Cl or OTf; OTf=trifluoromethanesulfonate, phen=1,10‐phenanthroline) are obtained in good yields by the reaction of [(Ph₃P)CuH]₆ with phen, in the presence of a halide or pseudohalide source. The complex [Cu₁₄H₁₂(phen)₆(PPh₃)₄][Cl]₂ reacts with CO₂ in CH₂Cl₂, in the presence of excess Ph₃P, to form the formate complex [(Ph₃P)₂Cu(κ²‐O₂CH)], along with [(phen)(Ph₃P)CuCl].     

Enzymatic Insertion of Lipids Increases Membrane Tension for Inhibiting Drug Resistant Cancer Cells

Although lipids contribute to cancer drug resistance, it is challenging to target diverse range of lipids. Here, we show enzymatically inserting exceedingly simple synthetic lipids into membranes for increasing membrane tension and selectively inhibiting drug resistant cancer cells. The lipid, formed by conjugating dodecylamine to d -phosphotyrosine, self-assembles to form micelles. Enzymatic dephosphorylation of the micelles inserts the lipids into membranes and increases membrane tension. The micelles effectively inhibit a drug resistant glioblastoma cell (T98G) or a triple-negative breast cancer cell (HCC1937), without inducing acquired drug resistance. Moreover, the enzymatic reaction of the micelles promotes the accumulation of the lipids in the membranes of subcellular organelles (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, and mitochondria), thus activating multiple regulated cell death pathways. This work, in which for the first time membrane tension is increased to inhibit cancer cells, illustrates a new and powerful supramolecular approach for antagonizing difficult drug targets.     

Counterion-Trapped-Molecules: From High Polarity and Enriched IR Spectra to Induced Isomerization

We report extensive computational studies of some novel intermolecular systems and their properties. Recombination of alkali-halide counterions separated by a noncovalently trapped hydrocarbon molecule is prevented by significant potential energy barriers, resulting in unusual metastable insertion complexes. These systems are extremely polar, while the inserted molecule is strongly counter-polarized, leading to significant cooperative nonadditivity effects. The compression and electric field produced by the counterions favours isomerization of the trapped molecule via a significant reduction of the barriers to bond rearrangement, in a field-induced mechanochemical process. The predicted IR intensity spectra clearly reflect (1) formation of the insertion complex, rather than simple attachment of alkali halide, and (2) isomerization of the trapped molecule, thus allowing experimental access to these events.     

Stereoselectivity and nonmigratory insertion mechanism of dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate into metallocene-hydride of Cp2M(L)H [Cp = η5-C5H5; M = Nb,V; L = CO,P (OMe)3]: A DFT study

The insertion of an alkyne into transition metal–hydrogen bonds is a key elementary step in catalytic polymerization and hydrogenation processes. It was found that a (Z)- or (E)-type alkyenyl complex can be formed through trans/cis stereospecific processes. In this work, the reaction mechanism of Cp₂M(L)H [Cp = η⁵-C₅H₅; M = Nb, V; L = CO, P (OMe)₃] with dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD), and the factors influencing the stereoselectivity have been investigated based on density functional theory calculations. The calculated results show that all of the reactions are exothermic. For L = CO, the Z-isomer product forms first even at low temperatures because of the low Gibbs free energy barrier (ΔG^#). Then the Z-pro converts to E-pro , while for L = P (OMe)₃, the exclusive product is the E-isomer. For different metal centers, the reaction mechanisms of the Cp₂M(CO)H + DMAD (M = Nb and V) reaction are similar, while their products are different at room temperature. For M = Nb, because the energy barrier of the isomerization from Z-pro to E-pro is low and the relative free energies of Z-pro and E-pro are almost equal, both Z-pro and E-pro can be obtained. While for the Cp₂V(CO)H + DMAD reaction, only the Z-pro can be obtained under mild conditions, E-pro can be obtained only at high temperatures. For the Cp₂M(CO)H+DMAD(M=V and Nb) reactions, the formation of E-isomer products proceeds via two five-membered ring transition states. The calculated results provide an reasonable explanation for the experimental results and predict a new insertion reaction.     

First C-C bond formation in the Pauson-Khand reaction: Influence of carbon-carbon triple bond polarization on regiochemistry: A density functional theory study

The influence of carbon-carbon triple bond polarization on the regiochemistry of the Pauson-Khand reaction has been studied with the B3LYP functional. The regiochemistry determining step of this reaction, i.e., olefin insertion leading to cobaltacycle formation, has been examined with ethylene as the olefin and propyne, methyl 2-butynoate, and methyl propiolate as the acetylenes. From this study, it has been concluded that, in absence of overwhelming steric effects of an acetylene substituent, the regiochemistry is influenced by the polarization of the acetylenic bond, which arises from the different substituents. The initial C-C bond is preferentially formed with the acetylenic carbon that has the greater electron density: with propyne, this leads to a cyclopentenone having the methyl group in the α-position; with methyl 2-butynoate, to a cyclopentenone with the CO₂Me in the β-position; with methyl propiolate, which is virtually unpolarized in the complex, to a cyclopentenone with the CO₂Me in the α-position (a result of steric effects). These theoretical results are concordant with those observed experimentally with norbornene. The question of axial versus equatorial reactive positions for the coordinated olefin is also addressed and a kinetic simulation is presented.     

Photoinduced Fe-Cp bond cleavage and insertion reactions of strained silicon- and sulphur-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes in the presence of transition-metal carbonyls

The photochemical reactions of the moderately strained sila[1]ferrocenophane [Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)SiPh(2)] (1) and the highly strained thia[1]ferrocenophane [Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)S] (8) with transition-metal carbonyls ([Fe(CO)(5)], [Fe(2)(CO)(9)] and [Co(2)(CO)(8)]) have been studied. The use of metal carbonyls has allowed the products of photochemically induced Fe-cyclopentadienyl (Cp) bond cleavage reactions in the [1]ferrocenophanes to be trapped as stable, characterisable products. During the course of these studies the synthesis of 8 from [Fe(eta-C(5)H(4)Li)(2)TMEDA] (TMEDA=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) and S(SO(2)Ph)(2) has been significantly improved by a change of reaction solvent and temperature. Photochemical reaction of 1 with excess [Fe(CO)(5)] in THF gave the dinuclear complex [Fe(2)(CO)(2)(mu-CO)(2)(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)SiPh(2)] (9). The analogous photolytic reaction of 8 with [Fe(CO)(5)] in THF gave cyclic dimer [Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)S](2) (10) and [Fe(2)(CO)(2)(mu-CO)(2)(eta-C(5)H(4))(2)S] (11), with the former being the major product. Photolysis of 1 with [Co(2)(CO)(8)] afforded the remarkable tetrametallic dimer [(CO)(2)Co(eta-C(5)H(4))SiPh(2)(eta-C(5)H(4))Fe(CO)(2)](2) (13). The corresponding photochemical reaction of 8 with [Co(2)(CO)(8)] gave a trimetallic insertion product in high conversion, [Co(CO)(4)(CO)(2)Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))S(eta-C(5)H(4))Co(CO)(2)] (14). These reactivity studies show that UV light promotes Fe-Cp bond cleavage reactions of both of the [1]ferrocenophanes 1 and 8. We have found that, whereas the less strained sila[1]ferrocenophane 1 requires photoactivation for Fe-Cp bond insertions to occur, the highly strained thia[1]ferrocenophane 8 undergoes both irradiative and non-irradiative insertions, although the latter occur at a slower rate. Our results suggest that such photoinduced bond cleavage reactions may be general and applicable to other related strained organometallic rings with pi-hydrocarbon ligands.     

α-Telluration of 2-acetylthiophene: Electronic influence of the heteroaromatic moiety on solid state structures

Room temperature oxidative addition of α-bromo-2-acetylthiophene to elemental tellurium and aryltellurium(II) bromide provides direct routes to (2-thiophenoylmethyl)tellurium(IV) dibromides, (2-(C₄H₃S)COCH₂)₂TeBr₂ (1b) and 2-(C₄H₃S)COCH₂ArTeBr₂ (Ar = 1-C₁₀H₇, Npl, 2b; 2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂, Mes, 3b). The chloro analogues, 2-(C₄H₃S)COCH₂ArTeCl₂ (Ar = Npl, 2a; Mes, 3a) were prepared by the condensation reaction of the parent methyl ketone with NplTeCl₃ or MesTeCl₃. Metathesis of these products with an alkali iodide affords the iodo analogues 1c, 2c and 3c. These diorganotellurium dihalides are reduced with aqueous bisulfite to diorganotellurides 1-3, which can be oxidized readily with dihalogens to the desired diorganotellurium(IV) dihalides. Compound 1 is a rare example of a symmetrical telluroether with C_sp3-Te-C_sp3 grouping that has been characterized by single-crystal diffraction techniques. Preference of the 2-thiophenoylmethyl ligand for small-bite (C, O) chelation over less strained (C, S) coordination is evident in the crystal structures of the Te(IV) compounds 1b, 2a, 2b and 3a. The unexpected transoidal orientation of the two acylmethyl ligands in the solid state molecular configuration of symmetrical diorganotellurium(IV) dibromide 1b appears to be a combined effect of electronic repulsion due to the thiophene moieties and steric repulsion of bromo ligands.     

Azidoacetone as a complexing agent of transition metals Ni2+/Co2+ promoted dissociation of the C-C bond in azidoacetone

The relevance of metal interactions with azides has led us to the study of the complexation of some transition metals, nickel and cobalt, by azidoacetone by means of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Complexes were obtained from solutions of NiCl(2) and CoCl(2) , in methanol/water. Nickel was electrosprayed with other counter ion, bromide (Br), as well as other solvent (ethanol/water). For nickel and cobalt, the complexes detected were single positively charged, with various stoichiometries, some resulted from the fragmentation of the ligand, the loss of N(2) being quite common. The most abundant species were [Ni(II)Az(2)X](+) where X = Cl, Br and Az = azidoacetone. Some of the complexes showed solvation with the solvent components. Metal reduction was observed in complexes where a radical was lost, resulting from the homolytic cleavage of a metal coordination bond. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments followed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) analysis were not absolutely conclusive about the coordination site. However, terminal ions of the fragmentation routes were explained by a gas-phase mechanism proposed where a C-C bond was activated and the metal inserted subsequently. Density functional theory calculations provided structures for some complexes. In [Ni(II)Az(2)X](+) species, one azidoacetone ligand is monodentate and the dominant binding location is the alkylated nitrogen and not the carbonyl group. The other azidoacetone ligand is bidentate showing coordination through alkylated nitrogen and the carbonyl group. These are also the preferential binding sites for the most stable isomer of [Ni(II)AzX](+) species.     

Tin(II) Halide Insertion or Halogen Exchange in the Reactions of Dihaloplatinum(II) Complexes with Tin(II) Halide

Reactions of SnCl₂ with the complexes cis‐[PtCl₂(P₂)] (P₂=dppf (1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene), dppp (1,3‐bis(diphenylphosphino)propane=1,1′‐(propane‐1,3‐diyl)bis[1,1‐diphenylphosphine]), dppb (1,4‐bis(diphenylphosphino)butane=1,1′‐(butane‐1,4‐diyl)bis[1,1‐diphenylphosphine]), and dpppe (1,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane=1,1′‐(pentane‐1,5‐diyl)bis[1,1‐diphenylphosphine])) resulted in the insertion of SnCl₂ into the Pt? Cl bond to afford the cis‐[PtCl(SnCl₃)(P₂)] complexes. However, the reaction of the complexes cis‐[PtCl₂(P₂)] (P₂=dppf, dppm (bis(diphenylphosphino)methane=1,1′‐methylenebis[1,1‐diphenylphosphine]), dppe (1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane=1,1′‐(ethane‐1,2‐diyl)bis[1,1‐diphenylphosphine]), dppp, dppb, and dpppe; P=Ph₃P and (MeO)₃P) with SnX₂ (X=Br or I) resulted in the halogen exchange to yield the complexes [PtX₂(P₂)]. In contrast, treatment of cis‐[PtBr₂(dppm)] with SnBr₂ resulted in the insertion of SnBr₂ into the Pt? Br bond to form cis‐[Pt(SnBr₃)₂(dppm)], and this product was in equilibrium with the starting complex cis‐[PtBr₂(dppm)]. Moreover, the reaction of cis‐[PtCl₂(dppb)] with a mixture SnCl₂/SnI₂ in a 2 : 1 mol ratio resulted in the formation of cis‐[PtI₂(dppb)] as a consequence of the selective halogen‐exchange reaction. ³¹P‐NMR Data for all complexes are reported, and a correlation between the chemical shifts and the coupling constants was established for mono‐ and bis(trichlorostannyl)platinum complexes. The effect of the alkane chain length of the ligand and Sn^II halide is described.