Antitumour activity of [1,2-di(cyclopentadienyl)-1,2-di(p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-ethanediyl] titanium dichloride in xenografted Ehrlich's ascites tumour

The effects of a new titanocene compound with an ansa ligand in the cyclopentadienyl rings, the 1,2-di(cyclopentadienyl)-1,2-di(p-NNdimethylaminophenyl)-ethanediyl] titanium dichloride (TITANOCENE X), on the growth and differentiation of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells [colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM)] and Natural killer (NK) cell activity in Ehrlich's ascites tumour (EAT)-bearing mice were studied. Myelosuppression concomitant with increased numbers of spleen CFU-GM was observed in tumour-bearing mice. Treatment of these animals with TITANOCENE X (2.5-50mg/kg/day) produced an increase in myelopoicsis, in a dose-dependent manner, and reduced spleen colony formation. In addition, the treatment of EAT-bearing mice with 3 doses of 20 or 50 mg/kg TITANOCENE X restored to normal values the reduced Natural killer cell function observed during tumour growth. In parallel, TITANOCENE X prolonged, in a dose-dependent manner, the survival of mice inoculated with Ehrlich's ascites tumour. The highest dose of 50 mg/kg prolonged in 50% the survival time of EAT-bearing mice, compared to non-treated tumour-bearing controls. In comparison with previous results from our laboratory addressing the effects of titanocenes on haematopoiesis, we observed with TITANOCENE X a similar effective profile as for bis(cyclopentadienyl) dithiocyanate titanium(IV), being both less effective than di(cyclopentadienyl) dichloro titanium(IV), since the latter not only prolonged, but also increased the rate of survival. These differences in efficacy may be due to the nature of the ansa-cyclopentadienyl ligand used in TITANOCENE X, since the C, bridge between the two cyclopentadienyl groups will increase the hydrolytic stability by an organometallic chelate effect. Also, the introduction of two dimethylamino substituents increases the water solubility of TITANOCENE X when compared to titanocene dichloride itself (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of an ancillary ligand on single helix-double helix interconversion in copper complexes. Copper(I)-water bond

Reaction of Cu(ClO(4))(2)center dot 6H(2)O with the 1:2 condensate of benzildihydrazone and 2-acetylpyridine, in methanol in equimolar ratio yields a green compound which upon recrystallisation from 1:1 CH(2)Cl(2)-C(6)H(6) mixture affords [CuL(H(2)O)](ClO(4))(2)center dot 1/2C(6)H(6). The complex crystallises in the space group P-1 with a = 8.028(11) angstrom, b = 12.316(17) angstrom, c = 18.14(3) angstrom, alpha = 97.191(10)degrees, beta = 94.657(10)degrees and gamma = 108.039(10)degrees. It is single helical with the metal having a distorted trigonal bipyramidal N(4)O coordination sphere. The acid dissociation constant of the Cu(I) complex in CH(3)CN is 3.34 +/- 0.19. The X band EPR spectrum of the compound is rhombic with g(1) = 2.43, g(2) = 2.10 g(3) = 2.02 and A(1) = 79.3 x 10(-4) cm(-1). The Cu(II/I) potential of the complex in CH(2)Cl(2) at a glassy carbon electrode is 0.43 V vs SCE. It is argued that the copper-water bond persists in the corresponding copper(I) species. Its implications on the single helix-double helix interconversion in copper helicates are discussed. DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-311G** level shows that the binding energy of water in the single helicol live-coordinate copper(I) species [CuL(H(2)O)](+) is similar to 40 kJ mol(-1).

Effect of a methyl group on the spontaneous resolution of a square-pyramidal coordination compound: crystal packing and conglomerate formation

Reaction of [Cu(pic)2]·2H2O (where pic stands for 2-picolinato) with 2-({[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amino}methyl)phenol (HL1) produces the square-pyramidal complex [CuL1(pic)] (1), which crystallizes as a conglomerate (namely a mixture of optically pure crystals) in the Sohncke space group P212121. The use of the methylated ligand at the benzylic position, i.e. (±)-2-(1-{[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amino}ethyl)phenol (HL2), yields the analogous five-coordinate complex [CuL2(pic)] (2) that crystallizes as a true racemate (namely the crystals contain both enantiomers) in the centrosymmetric space group P21/c. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the presence of the methyl group indeed leads to a distinct crystallization behaviour, not only by intramolecular steric effects, but also because its involvement in non-covalent C–H···π and hydrophobic intermolecular contacts appears to be an important factor contributing to the crystal-lattice (stabilizing) energy of 2

Effect of H-bonding on the ambivalence of SCN- towards copper(II)

Condensations of 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine with 4-methylimidazole-5-carboxaldehyde and 1-methyl-2-imidazolecarboxaldehyde generate the tridentate N donor ligands L and L' respectively. Reactions of Cu(NCS)(2) with L and L' yield respectively CuL(SCN)(NCS) (1) containing a CuN4S core and CuL'(NCS)(2) (2) having a CuN5 core. Both the cores are square pyramidal with SCN bound in 1 at the axial position through the S end. This differential behaviour of SCN in the two complexes despite the ligands being very similar, is investigated by DFT calculations at the B3LYP/TZV level. It is found that DFT calculations predict isolation of the Cu(ligand)(NCS)(2) species for both the ligands L and L'. Presence of an offsetting intermolecular H-bonding between the N atom of the thiocyanate and the N-H proton of the ligand L of an adjacent molecule makes the binding of SCN via the S end feasible in 1 resulting in the H-bonded-dimer Cu2L2(SCN)(2)(NCS)(2). The strength of the H-bond is estimated as 27.1 kJ mol (1) from the DFT calculations. The question of such H-bonding does not arise with L' as it lacks in a similar H atom. Dimeric 1 represents a case of two non-interacting spins. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Consequences of N,C,N '- and C,N,N '-coordination modes on electronic and photophysical properties of cyclometalated aryl ruthenium(II) complexes

The effects of isoelectronic replacement of a neutral nitrogen donor atom by an anionic carbon atom in terpyridine ruthenium(II) complexes on the electronic and photophysical properties of the resulting N,C,N'- and C,N,N'-cyclometalated aryl ruthenium(II) complexes were investigated. To this end, a series of complexes was prepared either with ligands containing exclusively nitrogen donor atoms, that is, [Ru(R-1-tpy)(R-2-tpy)](2+) (R-1, R-2 = H, CO2Et), or bearing either one N,C,N'- or C,N,N'-cyclometalated ligand and one tpy ligand, that is, [Ru(R-1-(NCN)-C-Lambda-N-Lambda)(R-2-tpy)](+) and [Ru(R-1-(CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)(R-2-tpy)](+), respectively. Single-crystal X-ray structure determinations showed that cyclometalation does not significantly alter the overall geometry of the complexes but does change the bond lengths around the ruthenium(II) center, especially the nitrogen-to-ruthenium bond length trans to the carbanion. Substitution of either of the ligands with electron-withdrawing ester functionalities fine-tuned the electronic properties and resulted in the presence of an IR probe. Using trends obtained from redox potentials, emission energies, IR spectroelectrochemical responses, and the character of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals from DFT studies, it is shown that the first reduction process and luminescence are associated with the ester-substituted C,N,N'-cyclometalated ligand in [Ru(EtO2C-(CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)(tpy)](+). Cyclometalation in an N,C,N'-bonding motif changed the energetic order of the ruthenium d(zx), d(yz), and d(xy) orbitals. The red-shifted absorption in the N,C,N'-cyclometalated complexes is assigned to MLCT transitions to the tpy ligand. The red shift observed upon introduction of the ester moiety is associated with an increase in intensity of low-energy transitions, rather than a red shift of the main transition. Cyclometalation in the C,N,N'-binding motif also red-shifts the absorption, but the corresponding transition is associated with both ligand types. Luminescence of the cyclometalated complexes is relatively independent of the mode of cyclometalation, obeying the energy gap law within each individual series.

Electronic transitions and bonding properties in a series of five-coordinate “16-electron” complexes [Mn(CO)3(L2)]− (L2=chelating redox-active π-donor ligand)

In this article we present for the first time accurate density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD) DFT data for a series of electronically unsaturated five-coordinate complexes [Mn(CO)(3)(L-2)](-), where L-2 stands for a chelating strong pi-donor ligand represented by catecholate, dithiolate, amidothiolate, reduced alpha-diimine (1,4-dialkyl-1,4-diazabutadiene (R-DAB), 2,2'-bipyridine) and reduced 2,2'-biphosphinine types. The single-crystal X-ray structure of the unusual compound [Na(BPY)][Mn(CO)(3)(BPY)]center dot Et2O and the electronic absorption spectrum of the anion [Mn(CO)(3)(BPY)](-) are new in the literature. The nature of the bidentate ligand determines the bonding in the complexes, which varies between two limiting forms: from completely pi-delocalized diamagnetic {(CO)(3)Mn-L-2}(-) for L-2 = alpha-diimine or biphosphinine, to largely valence-trapped {(CO)(3)Mn-1-L-2(2-)}(-) for L-2(2-) = catecholate, where the formal oxidation states of Mn and L-2 can be assigned. The variable degree of the pi-delocalization in the Mn(L-2) chelate ring is indicated by experimental resonance Raman spectra of [Mn(CO)(3)(L-2)](-) (L-2=3,5-di-tBu-catecholate and iPr-DAB), where accurate assignments of the diagnostically important Raman bands have been aided by vibrational analysis. The L-2 = catecholate type of complexes is known to react with Lewis bases (CO substitution, formation of six-coordinate adducts) while the strongly pi-delocalized complexes are inert. The five-coordinate complexes adopt usually a distorted square pyramidal geometry in the solid state, even though transitions to a trigonal bipyramid are also not rare. The experimental structural data and the corresponding DFT-computed values of bond lengths and angles are in a very good agreement. TD-DFT calculations of electronic absorption spectra of the studied Mn complexes and the strongly pi-delocalized reference compound [Fe(CO)(3)(Me-DAB)] have reproduced qualitatively well the experimental spectra. Analyses of the computed electronic transitions in the visible spectroscopic region show that the lowest-energy absorption band always contains a dominant (in some cases almost exclusive) contribution from a pi(HOMO) -> pi*(LUMO) transition within the MnL2 metallacycle. The character of this optical excitation depends strongly on the composition of the frontier orbitals, varying from a partial L-2 -> Mn charge transfer (LMCT) through a fully delocalized pi(MnL2) -> pi*(MnL2) situation to a mixed (CO)Mn -> L-2 charge transfer (LLCT/MLCT). The latter character is most apparent in the case of the reference complex [Fe(CO)(3)(Me-DAB)]. The higher-lying, usually strongly mixed electronic transitions in the visible absorption region originate in the three lower-lying occupied orbitals, HOMO - 1 to HOMO - 3, with significant metal-d contributions. Assignment of these optical excitations to electronic transitions of a specific type is difficult. A partial LLCT/MLCT character is encountered most frequently. The electronic absorption spectra become more complex when the chelating ligand L-2, such as 2,2'-bipyridine, features two or more closely spaced low-lying empty pi* orbitals.

Coordination behavior of pyridylmethylthioether system with cupric chloride and cupric bromide: CS bond cleavage and crystal structures

The coordination behavior of pyridylmethylthioether type of organic moieties having N2S2 donor set [L-1=1,2-bis(2-pyridylmethylthio)ethane, L-2 = 1,3-bis(2-pyridylmethyl-thio)propane and L-3 = 1,4-bis(2-pyridylmethylthio)butane] with copper(II) chloride and copper(II) bromide have been studied in different chemical environments. Copper(II) chloride assisted C-S bond cleavage of the organic moieties leading to the formation of copper(II) picolinate derivatives, whereas, under similar experimental conditions, no C-S bond cleavage was observed in the reaction with copper(II) bromide. The resulted copper(II) complexes isolated from the different mediums have been characterized by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic tools.

Spectro-electrochemical and DFT studies of a planar Cu(II)–phenolate complex active in the aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols

A square-planar compound [Cu(pyrimol)Cl] (pyrimol = 4-methyl-2-N-(2-pyridylmethylene)aminophenolate) abbreviated as CuL–Cl) is described as a biomimetic model of the enzyme galactose oxidase (GOase). This copper(II) compound is capable of stoichiometric aerobic oxidation of activated primary alcohols in acetonitrile/water to the corresponding aldehydes. It can be obtained either from Hpyrimol (HL) or its reduced/hydrogenated form Hpyramol (4-methyl-2-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminophenol; H2L) readily converting to pyrimol (L-) on coordination to the copper(II) ion. Crystalline CuL–Cl and its bromide derivative exhibit a perfect square-planar geometry with Cu–O(phenolate) bond lengths of 1.944(2) and 1.938(2) Å. The cyclic voltammogram of CuL–Cl exhibits an irreversible anodic wave at +0.50 and +0.57 V versus ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc+) in dry dichloromethane and acetonitrile, respectively, corresponding to oxidation of the phenolate ligand to the corresponding phenoxyl radical. In the strongly donating acetonitrile the oxidation path involves reversible solvent coordination at the Cu(II) centre. The presence of the dominant CuII–L. chromophore in the electrochemically and chemically oxidised species is evident from a new fairly intense electronic absorption at 400–480 nm ascribed to a several electronic transitions having a mixed pi-pi(L.) intraligand and Cu–Cl -> L. charge transfer character. The EPR signal of CuL–Cl disappears on oxidation due to strong intramolecular antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the phenoxyl radical ligand (L.) and the copper(II) centre, giving rise to a singlet ground state (S = 0). The key step in the mechanism of the primary alcohol oxidation by CuL–Cl is probably the alpha-hydrogen abstraction from the equatorially bound alcoholate by the phenoxyl moiety in the oxidised pyrimol ligand, Cu–L., through a five-membered cyclic transition state.

The power of the bond between cause and effect

This article presents a treatment of Jay Wright Forrester's life and achievements. The concentration is on the intellectual provenance, emergence and growth of system dynamics.

Chemoselective catalytic hydrogenation of acrolein on Ag(111): effect of molecular orientation on reaction selectivity

The adsorption and hydrogenation of acrolein on the Ag(111) surface has been investigated by high resolution synchrotron XPS, NEXAFS, and temperature programmed reaction. The molecule adsorbs intact at all coverages and its adsorption geometry is critically important in determining chemoselectivity toward the formation of allyl alcohol, the desired but thermodynamically disfavored product. In the absence of hydrogen adatoms (H(a)), acrolein lies almost parallel to the metal surface; high coverages force the C=C bond to tilt markedly, likely rendering it less vulnerable toward reaction with hydrogen adatoms. Reaction with coadsorbed H(a) yields allyl alcohol, propionaldehyde, and propanol, consistent with the behavior of practical dispersed Ag catalysts operated at atmospheric pressure: formation of all three hydrogenation products is surface reaction rate limited. Overall chemoselectivity is strongly influenced by secondary reactions of allyl alcohol. At low H(a) coverages, the C=C bond in the newly formed allyl alcohol molecule is strongly tilted with respect to the surface, rendering it immune to attack by H(a) and leading to desorption of the unsaturated alcohol. In contrast with this, at high H(a) coverages, the C=C bond in allyl alcohol lies almost parallel to the surface, undergoes hydrogenation by H(a), and the saturated alcohol (propanol) desorbs.

A DFT study of free radicals formed from artemisinin and related compounds

Ab initio calculations using density functional theory have shown that the reactions that occur between artemisinin, 1, a cyclic trioxane active against malaria, and some metal ions and complexes lead to a series of radicals which are probably responsible for its therapeutic activity. In particular it has been shown that the interaction of Fe(H) with artemisinin causes the O-O bond to be broken as indeed does Fe(III) and Cu(I), while Zn(II) does not. Calculations were carried out with Fe(II) in several different forms including the bare ion, [Fe(H2O)(5)](2+) and [FeP(Im)] (P, porphyrin; Im, imadazole) and similar results were obtained. The resulting oxygen-based radicals are readily converted to more stable carbon-based radicals and/or. stable products. Similar radicals and products are also formed from two simple model trioxanes 2 and 3 that show little or no therapeutic action against malaria although some subtle differences were obtained. This suggests that the scaffold surrounding the pharmacophore may be involved in molecular recognition events allowing efficient uptake of this trioxane warhead into the parasite. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimalarial drugs based on artemisinin: DFT calculations on the principal reactions

Theoretical calculations have been carried out on the interactions of several endoperoxides which are potential antimalarials, including the clinically useful artemisinin, with two possible sources of iron in the parasite, namely the hexa-aquo ferrous ion [Fe(H2O)(6)](2+) and haeme. DFT calculations show that the reactions of all endoperoxides considered, with both sources of iron, initially generate a Fe-O bond followed by cleavage of the O-O bond to oxygen radical species. Subsequently, they can be transformed into carbon-centred radicals of greater stability. However, with [Fe(H2O)(6)](2+) as the iron source, the oxygen-centred radical species are more likely to react further akin to Fenton's reagent, whereby iron salts encourage hydrogen peroxide to act as an oxidizing agent, and that solvent plays a major role. In contrast, when reacting with haeme, the oxygen-centred radicals interconvert to more stable carbon-centred radicals, which can then alkylate haeme. Subsequent cleavage of the Fe-O bond leads to stable and inactive antimalarial products. These results indicate that the reactivity of the endoperoxides as antimalarials is greater with iron hexahydrates for radical-mediated damage as opposed to haeme, which leads to unreactive species. Since only nanomolar quantities of hydrated metal ions could catalyse the reactions leading to damage to the parasites, this could be an alternative or competitive reaction responsible for the antimalarial activity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, structure, solution chemistry and the electronic effect of para substituents on the vanadium center in a family of mixed-ligand [(VO)-O-V(ONO)(ON)] compexes

Four tridentate dibasic ONO donor hydrazone ligands derived from the condensation of benzoylhydrazine with either 2-hydroxyacetophenone or its para substituted derivatives (H2L1-4, general abbreviation H2L) have been used as primary ligands and 8-hydroxyquinoline (Hhq, a bidentate monobasic ON donor species) has been used as auxiliary ligand. The reaction of [(VO)-O-IV(acac)21 with H2L in methanol followed by the addition of Hhq in equimolar ratio under aerobic condition afforded the mixed-ligand oxovanadium(V) complexes of the type [(VO)-O-V(L)(hq)] (1-4) in excellent yield. The X-ray structure of the compound [(VO)-O-V(L-4)(hq)] (4) indicates that the H2L4 ligand is bonded with vanadium meridionally in a tridentate dinegative fashion through its deprotonated phenolic-O, deprotonated enolic-O and imine-N atoms. The V-O bond length order is: oxo < phenolato < enolato. H-1 NMR spectra of 4 in CDCl3 solution indicates that it's solid-state structure is retained in solution. Complexes are diamagnetic and exhibit only ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) transition band near 530 nm in CH2Cl2 solution in addition to intra-ligand pi-pi* transition band near 335 rim and they display quasi-reversible one electron reduction peak near -0.10 V versus SCE in CH2Cl2 solution. lambda(max) (for LMCT transition) and the reduction peak potential (E-p(c)) values of the complexes are found to be linearly related with the Hammett (sigma) constants of the substituents in the aryloxy ring of the hydrazone ligands. lambda(max) and E-p(c) values show large dependence d lambda(max)/d sigma = 32.54 nm and dE(p)(c)/d sigma = 0.19 V, respectively, on the Hammett constant. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, structural analysis, and magnetic behaviour of three fumarate bridged coordination polymers: five-fold interpenetrated diamond-like net of Ni-II, sheets of Ni-II and Co-II

The hydrothermal reactions of Ni(NO3)(2).6H(2)O, disodium fumarate (fum) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe)/1,3-bis(4-pyridyl) propane (bpp) in aqueous-methanol medium yield one 3-D and one 2-D metal-organic hybrid material, [Ni(fum)(bpe)] (1) and [Ni(fum)(bpp)(H2O)] (2), respectively. Complex 1 possesses a novel unprecedented structure, the first example of an "unusual mode" of a five-fold distorted interpenetrated network with metal-ligand linkages where the four six-membered windows in each adamantane-type cage are different. The structural characterization of complex 2 evidences a buckled sheet where nickel ions are in a distorted octahedral geometry, with two carboxylic groups, one acting as a bis-chelate, the other as a bis-monodentate ligand. The metal ion completes the coordination sphere through one water molecule and two bpp nitrogens in cis position. Variable-temperature magnetic measurements of complexes 1 and 2 reveal the existence of very weak antiferromagnetic intramolecular interactions and/or the presence of single-ion zero field splitting (D) of isolated Ni-II ions in both the compounds. Experimentally, both the J parameters are close, comparable and very small. Considering zero-field splitting of Ni-II, the calculated D values are in agreement with values reported in the literature for Ni-II ions. Complex 3, [{Co(phen)}(2)(fum)(2)] (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) is obtained by diffusing methanolic solution of 1,10-phenanthroline on an aqueous layer of disodium fumarate and Co(NO3)(2).6H(2)O. It consists of dimeric Co-II(phen) units, doubly bridged by carboxylate groups in a distorted syn-syn fashion. These fumarate anions act as bis-chelates to form corrugated sheets. The 2D layer has a (4,4) topology, with the nodes represented by the centres of the dimers. The magnetic data were fitted ignoring the very weak coupling through the fumarate pathway and using a dimer model.

Ag(I) and Cu(I) complexes of tetramethyldiphosphinedisulfide: synthesis and structure

Reaction of [M(NCCH3)(4)][PF6] (M = Ag, Cu) with the S2P2Me4 ligand in dichloromethane solution led to substitution of all the nitrile ligands by two molecules of the sulfur ligand, affording the new species [Ag(S2P2Me4)(2)][PF6] (1) and [Cu(S2P2Me4)(2)][PF6] (2). The structures of these complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. showing the expected tetrahedral coordination around each metal. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed the different geometries and energies of the free and coordinated ligand, and provided a very good reproduction of the experimental structures, both for Ag and Cu. The lengths of the S=P bonds are barely affected by coordination, indicating that the pi bond is not important in binding to the metal. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.