On the origin and early evolution of biological catalysis and other studies on chemical evolution

One of the lines of research in molecular evolution which we have developed for the past three years is related to the experimental and theoretical study of the origin and early evolution of biological catalysis. In an attempt to understand the nature of the first peptidic catalysts and coenzymes, we have achieved the non-enzymatic synthesis of the coenzymes ADPG, GDPG, and CDP-ethanolamine, under conditions considered to have been prevalent on the primitive Earth. We have also accomplished the prebiotic synthesis of histidine, as well as histidyl-histidine, and we have measured the enhancing effects of this catalytic dipeptide on the dephosphorylation of deoxyribonucleotide monophosphates, the hydrolysis of oligo A, and the oligomerization 2', 3' cAMP. We reviewed and further developed the hypothesis that RNA preceded double stranded DNA molecules as a reservoir of cellular genetic information. This led us to undertake the study of extant RNA polymerases in an attempt to discover vestigial sequences preserved from early Archean times. In addition, we continued our studies of on the chemical evolution of organic compounds in the solar system and beyond

Gas Chromatograph-quadrupole Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Organic Compounds

Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of acetonitrile, furan, pyrrole, paraffins, and other aromatic organic compounds of biological significanc

Celebratory Symposium A – Catalysis and the Periodic Table Mechanistic Studies on Rhodium and Iridium Homogeneous Catalysts

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chiral transition-metal complexes as Brønsted-acid catalysts for the asymmetric Friedel-Crafts hydroxyalkylation of indoles.

The Friedel-Crafts reaction between 3,3,3-trifluoropyruvates and indoles is efficiently catalysed by the iridium complex [(η5-C 5Me5)Ir{(R)-Prophos}(H2O)][SbF 6]2 (1) with up to 84% ee. Experimental data and theoretical calculations support a mechanism involving the Brønsted-acid activation of the pyruvate carbonyl by the protons of the coordinated water molecule in 1. Water is not dissociated during the process and, therefore, the catalytic reaction occurs with no direct interaction between the substrates and the metal. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.The authors acknowledge the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, Grants CTQ2006-03030/BQU, CTQ2009-10303/BQU, CTQ2011-27033 and Consolider Ingenio 2010 CSD2006-003), Gobierno de Aragón (Grupo Consolidado: Catálisis Homogénea Enantioselectiva), Generalitat de Catalunya (2009SGR0259) and the ICIQ foundation for financial support. A. S. and R. R. acknowledge MINECO for predoctoral fellowships. S. D.-G. acknowledges MINECO for a “Torres Quevedo” contract.Peer Reviewe

Intramolecular C-H oxidative addition to iridium(I) triggered by trimethyl phosphite in N,N′-diphosphanesilanediamine complexes

The reaction of [Ir(SiNP)(cod)][PF] ([1][PF]) and of IrCl(SiNP)(cod) (5) (SiNP = SiMe{N(4-CHCH)PPh}) with trimethyl phosphite affords the iridium(iii) derivatives of the formula [IrHCl(SiNP-H){P(OMe)}] (x = 0, 3; x = 1, 6) containing the κC,P,P′-coordinated SiNP-H ligand (SiNP-H = Si(CH)(CH){N(4-CHCH)PPh}). The thermally unstable pentacoordinated cation [Ir(SiNP){P(OMe)}(cod)] (2) has been detected as an intermediate of the reaction and has been fully characterised in solution. Also, the mechanism of the C-H oxidative addition has been elucidated by DFT calculations showing that the square planar iridium(i) complexes of the formula [IrCl(SiNP){P(OMe)}] (x = 0, 4; x = 1, 7) should be firstly obtained from 2 and finally should undergo the C-H oxidative addition to iridium(i) via a concerted intramolecular mechanism. The influence of the counterion of 2 on the outcome of the C-H oxidative addition reaction has also been investigated.Financial support from Spanish “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” (CTQ2013–42532–P), “Diputación General de Aragón” (Group E07) and University of Zaragoza (UZCUD2014–CIE–13) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Intramolecular C-H oxidative addition to iridium(I) in complexes containing a N,N'-diphosphanosilanediamine ligand

The iridium(I) complexes of formula Ir(cod)(SiNP)+ (1+) and IrCl(cod)(SiNP) (2) are easily obtained from the reaction of SiMe2{N(4-C6H4CH3)PPh2}2 (SiNP) with [Ir(cod)(CH3CN)2]+ or [IrCl(cod)]2, respectively. The carbonylation of [1][PF6] affords the cationic pentacoordinated complex [Ir(CO)(cod)(SiNP)]+ (3+), while the treatment 2 with CO gives the cation 3+ as an intermediate, finally affording an equilibrium mixture of IrCl(CO)(SiNP) (4) and the hydride derivative of formula IrHCl(CO)(SiNP–H) (5) resulting from the intramolecular oxidative addition of the C–H bond of the SiCH3 moiety to the iridium(I) center. Furthermore, the prolonged exposure of [3]Cl or 2 to CO resulted in the formation of the iridium(I) pentacoordinated complex Ir(SiNP–H)(CO)2 (6). The unprecedented κ3C,P,P′ coordination mode of the [SiNP–H] ligand observed in 5 and 6 has been fully characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the single-crystal X-ray structure of 6 is reported.Financial support from Spanish “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” (CTQ2010– 15221) and “Diputación General de Aragón” (Group E07) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

La química española en el año internacional de la química

No availableNo disponibl

Isotopic carbon analysis of meteoritic organic matter

Isotopic carbon analysis of meteoritic organic matte

Tetranuclear [Rh4(μ-PyS2) 2(diolefin)4] complexes as building blocks for new inorganic architectures: Synthesis of coordination polymers and heteropolynuclear complexes with electrophilic d8 and d10 metal fragments

The reaction of [Rh4(μ-PyS2)2(cod) 4] (PYS2 = 2,6-pyridinedithiolate, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with CF3SO3Me gave the cationic complex [Rh4(μ-PyS2Me)2(cod) 4][CF3SO3]2 (1) with two 6-(thiomethyl)pyridine-2-thiolate bridging ligands from the attack of Me+ at the terminal sulfur atoms of the starting material. Under identical conditions [Rh4(μ-PyS2)2(tfbb)4] (tfbb = tetrafluorobenzobarrelene) reacted with CF3SO3Me to give the mixed-ligand complex [Rh4(μ-PyS2)(μ-PyS 2Me)(tfbb)4][CF3SO3] (2). The nucleophilicity of the bridging ligands in the complexes [Rh4(μ -PyS2)2(diolefin)4] was exploited to prepare heteropolynuclear species. Reactions with [Au(PPh3)(Me 2CO)][ClO4] gave the hexanuclear complexes [(PPh 3)2Au2Rh4(μ-PyS2) 2(diolefin)4][ClO4]2 (diolefin = cod (3), tfbb (4)). The structure of 4, solved by X-ray diffraction methods, showed the coordination of the [Au(PPh3)]+ fragments to the peripheral sulfur atoms in [Rh4(μ-PyS2) 2(diolefin)4 along with their interaction with the neighbor rhodium atoms. Neutral coordination polymers of formula [CIMRh 4(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] n (M = Cu (5, 6), Au (7)) result from the self-assembly of alternating [Rh4(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin) 4] ([Rh4]) blocks and MCI linkers. The formation of the infinite polymetallic chains was found to be chiroselective for M = Cu; one particular chain contains exclusively homochiral [Rh4] complexes. Cationic heterometallic coordination polymers of formula [MRh 4(μ-PyS2)2(diolefin)4] n (M = Ag (8, 9), Cu (10, 11)) and [Rh5(μ-PyS 2)2(diolefin)5]n[BF 4]n (12, 13) result from the reactions of [Rh 4] with [Cu(CH3CN)4]BF4, AgBF 4, and [Rh(diolefin)(Me2CO)2]BF4, respectively. The heterometallic coordination polymers exhibit a weak electric conductivity in the solid state in the range (1.2-2.8) × 10-7 S cm-1.The financial support from Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MCyT(DGI)/FEDER, Projects BQU2002-00074 and BQU2000-1170) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe