Electron Transfer Catalysis of The Hydrogenolysis of Acyl Dicarbonyl Cyclopentadienyliron Complexes by Tributyltin Hydride

The conversion of acyl dicarbonyl cyclopentadienyliron compounds Cp(CO)2Fe(COR) into aldehydes is not straightforward. It is shown here, mainly from electrochemical results, that the hydrogenolysis of the metal acyl bond can be efficiently achieved by trialkytin hydrides under very mild conditions, according to a chain reaction process initiated by an electron transfer to the acyl complex. The expected aldehyde is formed together with the heterobinuclear iron-tin complex

Electron Transfer Catalysis of The Hydrogenolysis of Acyl Dicarbonyl Cyclopentadienyliron Complexes by Tributyltin Hydride

The conversion of acyl dicarbonyl cyclopentadienyliron compounds Cp(CO)2Fe(COR) into aldehydes is not straightforward. It is shown here, mainly from electrochemical results, that the hydrogenolysis of the metal acyl bond can be efficiently achieved by trialkytin hydrides under very mild conditions, according to a chain reaction process initiated by an electron transfer to the acyl complex. The expected aldehyde is formed together with the heterobinuclear iron-tin complex

Electrochemical attachment of a conjugated amino-ferrocifen complex onto carbon and metal surfaces

International audienceThe attachment of a pi-conjugated amino-ferrocifen complex was electrochemically achieved either by direct oxidation of the amino group or via the oxidation of the ferrocene moiety. In the first case, the modification consists in oxidizing, at +0.70V/SCE, the amino moiety to its radical cation, which upon deprotonation from the amino group, yields all aminyl radical that may add onto the electrode surface. Alternatively, it is demonstrated that the amine moiety can be indirectly oxidized through an intramolecular electron transfer from the amino moiety to the ferrocenyl group after oxidation of the ferrocene part at +0.40 V. This can occur thanks to the conjugated pi system of the complex. More importantly. it is demonstrated that the covalent attachment of the complex can be achieved on glassy carbon, gold, and platinum surfaces whatever the approach used. The possible mechanisms for the covalent attachment are discussed. Interestingly, it is also shown that the amino-ferrocene compound adsorbs very well likely via pi stacking between grafted and non-grafted molecules. Nevertheless, the adsorbed molecules could be easily removed after passing the electrode in an ultrasonic bath. The electrode coverage was determined under various conditions by integration of the corresponding voltammograms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A [3]Ferrocenophane polyphenol showing a remarkable antiproliferative activity on breast and prostate cancer cell lines

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The replacement of a phenol group by an aniline or acetanilide group enhances the cytotoxicity of 2-ferrocenyl-1,1-diphenyl-but-1-ene compounds against breast cancer cells

International audienceWe have previously shown that conjugated ferrocenyl p-phenols show strong cytotoxic effects against both the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, possibly via oxidative quinone methide formation. We now present a series of analogous amine and acetamide compounds: 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-2), 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-N-acetylaminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z-3), and their corresponding organic molecules 1-(4-aminophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-4) and 1-(4-N-acetamidophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-5). All of the compounds have adequate relative binding affinity values for the estrogen receptor; between 2.8% and 5.7% for ERα, and between 0.18% and 15.5% for ERβ, as well as exothermic ligand binding in in silico ER docking experiments. Compounds 2 and 3 show dual estrogenic/cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 cell line; they are proliferative at low concentrations (0.1 μM) and antiproliferative at high concentrations (10 μM). On the MDA-MB-231 cell line, the ferrocenyl complexes 2 and 3 are antiproliferative with IC50 values of 0.8 μM for 2 and 0.65 μM for 3, while the purely organic molecules 4 and 5 show no effect. Electrochemical experiments suggest that both 2 and 3 can be transformed to oxidized quinoid-type species, analogous to what had previously been observed for the ferrocene phenols

The replacement of a phenol group by an aniline or acetanilide group enhances the cytotoxicity of 2-ferrocenyl-1,1-diphenyl-but-1-ene compounds against breast cancer cells

International audienceWe have previously shown that conjugated ferrocenyl p-phenols show strong cytotoxic effects against both the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, possibly via oxidative quinone methide formation. We now present a series of analogous amine and acetamide compounds: 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-2), 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-N-acetylaminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z-3), and their corresponding organic molecules 1-(4-aminophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-4) and 1-(4-N-acetamidophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-5). All of the compounds have adequate relative binding affinity values for the estrogen receptor; between 2.8% and 5.7% for ERα, and between 0.18% and 15.5% for ERβ, as well as exothermic ligand binding in in silico ER docking experiments. Compounds 2 and 3 show dual estrogenic/cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 cell line; they are proliferative at low concentrations (0.1 μM) and antiproliferative at high concentrations (10 μM). On the MDA-MB-231 cell line, the ferrocenyl complexes 2 and 3 are antiproliferative with IC50 values of 0.8 μM for 2 and 0.65 μM for 3, while the purely organic molecules 4 and 5 show no effect. Electrochemical experiments suggest that both 2 and 3 can be transformed to oxidized quinoid-type species, analogous to what had previously been observed for the ferrocene phenols

Tailoring Au-core Pd-shell Pt-cluster nanoparticles for enhanced electrocatalytic activity

We have rationally synthesized and optimized catalytic nanoparticles consisting of a gold core, covered by a palladium shell, onto which platinum clusters are deposited (Au@Pd@Pt NPs). The amount of Pt and Pd used is extremely small, yet they show unusually high activity for electrooxidation of formic acid. The optimized structure has only 2 atomic layers of Pd and a half-monolayer equivalent of Pt (theta(Pt) approximate to 0.5) but a further increase in the loading of Pd or Pt will actually reduce catalytic activity, inferring that a synergistic effect exists between the three different nanostructure components (sphere, shell and islands). A combined electrochemical, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and density functional theory (DFT) study of formic acid and CO oxidation reveals that our core-shell-cluster trimetallic nanostructure has some unique electronic and morphological properties, and that it could be the first in a new family of nanocatalysts possessing unusually high chemical reactivity. Our results are immediately applicable to the design of catalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs).NSFC[20620130427]; MOST[2007DFC40440]; 973 Program[2009CB930703, 2007CB815303]; ENS; CNRS (UMR, LIA XiamENS)[8640

The fundamental input of analytical electrochemistry in the determination of intermediates and reaction mechanisms in electrosynthetic processes

International audienceElectroanalytical techniques like cyclic voltammetry allow convenient and fast identification of the redox status and stability of intermediates generated at electrodes in electrosynthetic processes. Accordingly, reliable mechanistic features can also be derived from the electrochemical characterization of the reactive species, and in some cases, complete and complex mechanisms can be disclosed. This Minireview highlights some representative examples taken from metal‐catalyzed electro‐reductive processes where simple electrochemical approaches provide essential information on the nature and the fate of the species formed. A special focus is made on cobalt‐promoted electrosynthetic processes, owing to the broad range of situations they display towards the stability of electrogenerated species, their reactivity, and the possible follow‐up reactions

An Electrochemical Study of Bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV) Dichloride in the Presence of Magnesium Ions, Amides or Alkynes

International audienceIn tetrahydrofuran, the electrochemical reduction of Cp2TiIVCl2 (2 mM) generated three titanium(III) complexes which were in equilibrium: [Cp2TiCl2]•−, [Cp2TiCl]• and (Cp2TiCl)2. Although the anion radical [Cp2TiCl2]•− was the main species produced under these conditions, cyclic voltammetry investigations clearly showed that the proportion of the three electrogenerated TiIII complexes can be modified as a function of the amounts of chloride ion present in the solution. Accordingly, the presence of Mg2+ ions, which led to the consumption of chloride ions through the formation of MgCl2, favoured the formation of [Cp2TiCl]• and, consequently, of the corresponding dimer (Cp2TiCl)2. The electrochemical behaviours of Cp2TiIVCl2 and of the electrogenerated low-valent Ti complexes were also investigated in the presence of amide and alkyne derivatives. Under these conditions, titanium complexes could not only interact with the amide carbonyl group, but also with the alkyne triple bond, provided the latter was not sterically hindered. Interestingly, the carbonyl group and the triple bond had antagonist effects on redox properties of titanium(III) complexes