The role of hydroxo-bridged dinuclear species and the influence of “innocent” buffers in the reactivity of cis-[CoIII(cyclen)(H2O)2]3+ and [CoIII(tren)(H2O)2]3+ complexes with biologically relevant ligands at physiological pH

In view of the relevance of the reactivity of inert tetraamine CoIII complexes having two substitutionally active cis positions capable of interact with biologically relevant ligands, the study of the reaction of cis-[Co(cyclen)(H2O)2]3+ and [Co(tren)(H2O)2]3+ with chlorides, inorganic phosphate and 5’-CMP (5’-cytidinemonophosphate) has been pursued at physiological pH. The results indicate that, in addition to the actuation of the expected labilising conjugate-base mechanism, the formation of mono and inert bis hydroxo-bridged species is relevant for understanding their speciation and reactivity. The reactivity pattern observed also indicates the key role played by the “innocent” buffers frequently used in most in vitro studies, which can make the results unreliable in many cases. The differences between the reactivity of inorganic and biologically relevant phosphates has also been found to be remarkable, with outer-sphere hydrogen bonding interactions being a dominant factor for the process. While for the inorganic phosphate substitution process the formation of μ–η2-OPO2O represents the termination of the reactivity monitored, for 5’-CMP only the formation of η1-OPO3 species is observed, which evolve with time to the final dead-end bis hydroxo-bridged complexes. The promoted hydrolysis of the 5’-CMP phosphate has not been observed in any of the processes studied

Hydroxylated phosphines as ligands for chalcogenide clusters: self assembly, transformations and stabilization

This contribution is a documentation of recent advances in the chemistry of chalcogenide polynuclear transition metal complexes coordinated with mono- and di-phosphines functionalized with hydroxo groups. A survey of complexes containing tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine (THP) is presented. The influence of the alkyl chain in bidentate phosphines, bearing the P–(CH2)x–OH arms, is also analyzed. Finally, isolation and structure elucidation of the complexes with HP(OH)2, P(OH)3, As(OH)3, PhP(OH)2, stabilized by coordination to Ni(0) and Pd(0) centers embedded into chalcogenide clusters, is discussed

Influence of the Ligand Alkyl Chain Length on the Solubility, Aqueous Speciation, and Kinetics of Substitution Reactions of Water- Soluble M3S4 (M = Mo, W) Clusters Bearing Hydroxyalkyl Diphosphines

Water-soluble [M3S4X3(dhbupe)3]+ diphosphino complexes (dhbupe = 1,2-bis(bis(hydroxybutyl)phosphino)ethane), 1+ (M = Mo, X = Cl) and 2+ (M = W; X = Br), have been synthesized by extending the procedure used for the preparation of their hydroxypropyl analogues by reaction of the M3S4(PPh3)3X4(solvent)x molecular clusters with the corresponding 1,2-bis- (bishydroxyalkyl)diphosphine. The solid state structure of the [M3S4X3(dhbupe)3]+ cation possesses a C3 symmetry with a cuboidal M3S4 unit, and the outer positions are occupied by one halogen and two phosphorus atoms of the diphosphine ligand. At a basic pH, the halide ligands are substituted by hydroxo groups to afford the corresponding [Mo3S4(OH)3(dhbupe)3]+ (1OH +) and [W3S4(OH)3(dhbupe)3]+ (2OH +) complexes. This behavior is similar to that found in 1,2-bis(bis(hydroxymethyl)phosphino)ethane (dhmpe) complexes and differs from that observed for 1,2-bis(bis(hydroxypropyl)phosphino)ethane (dhprpe) derivatives. In the latter case, an alkylhydroxo group of the functionalized diphosphine replaces the chlorine ligands to afford Mo3S4 complexes in which the deprotonated dhprpe acts in a tridentate fashion. Detailed studies based on stopped-flow, 31P{1H} NMR, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry techniques have been carried out in order to understand the solution behavior and kinetics of interconversion between the different species formed in solution: 1 and 1OH + or 2 and 2OH +. On the basis of the kinetic results, a mechanism with two parallel reaction pathways involving water and OH− attacks is proposed for the formal substitution of halides by hydroxo ligands. On the other hand, reaction of the hydroxo clusters with HX acids occurs with protonation of the OH− ligands followed by substitution of coordinated water by X−

Copper(II) complexes of quinoline polyazamacrocyclic scorpiand-type ligands: X-ray, equilibrium and kinetic studies

The formation of Cu(II) complexes with two isomeric quinoline-containing scorpiand-type ligands has been studied. The ligands have a tetraazapyridinophane core appended with an ethylamino tail including 2-quinoline (L1) or 4-quinoline (L2) functionalities. Potentiometric studies indicate the formation of stable CuL2+ species with both ligands, the L1 complex being 3–4 log units more stable than the L2 complex. The crystal structure of [Cu(L1)](ClO4)2·H2O shows that the coordination geometry around the Cu2+ ions is distorted octahedral with significant axial elongation; the four Cu–N distances in the equatorial plane vary from 1.976 to 2.183 Å, while the axial distances are of 2.276 and 2.309 Å. The lower stability of the CuL22+ complex and its capability of forming protonated and hydroxo complexes suggest a penta-dentate coordination of the ligand, in agreement with the type of substitution at the quinoline ring. Kinetic studies on complex formation can be interpreted by considering that initial coordination of L1 and L2 takes place through the nitrogen atom in the quinoline ring. This is followed by coordination of the remaining nitrogen atoms, in a process that is faster in the L1 complex probably because substitution at the quinoline ring facilitates the reorganization. Kinetic studies on complex decomposition provide clear evidence on the occurrence of the molecular motion typical of scorpiands in the case of the L2 complex, for which decomposition starts with a very fast process (sub-millisecond timescale) that involves a shift in the absorption band from 643 to 690 nm

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on complex formation and decomposition and the movement of Cu2+metal ions within polytopic receptors

Potentiometric studies carried out on the interaction of two tritopic double-scorpiand receptors in which two equivalent 5-(2-aminoethyl)-2,5,8-triaza[9]-(2,6)-pyridinophane moieties are linked with 2,9- dimethylphenanthroline (L1) and 2,6-dimethylpyridine (L2) establish the formation of mono-, bi- and trinuclear Cu2+ complexes. The values of the stability constants and paramagnetic 1H NMR studies permit one to infer the most likely coordination modes of the various complexes formed. Kinetic studies on complex formation and decomposition have also been carried out. Complex formation occurs with polyphasic kinetics for both receptors, although a significant difference is found between both ligands with respect to the relative values of the rate constants for the metal coordination steps and the structural reorganizations following them. Complex decomposition occurs with two separate kinetic steps, the first one being so fast that it occurs within the stopped-flow mixing time, whereas the second one is slow enough to allow kinetic studies using a conventional spectrophotometer. As a whole, the kinetic experiments also provide information about the movement of the metal ion within the receptors. The differences observed between the different receptors can be interpreted in terms of changes in the network of hydrogen bonds formed in the different species

Fe(II) complexes of pyridine-substituted thiosemicarbazone ligands as catalysts for oxidations with hydrogen peroxide

La reacción de tres complejos [FeII(TSC)2], donde TSC es una ligando de tipo tiosemicarbazona sustituido por piridina, con H2O2 en acetonitrilo no permitía acumular los correspondientes complejos de Fe(III), [FeIII(TSC)2]+. En su lugar, se generaba una mezcla de especies de Fe(II) diamagnéticas de bajo espín. Según los espectros obtenidos por espectrometría de masas, estas especies eran el resultado de la adición secuencial de hasta cinco átomos de oxígeno al complejo. Esta capacidad para la adición de átomos de oxígeno sugirió que dichas especies podrían ser activas para la transferencia de átomos de oxígeno a sustratos externos. Por ello, se evaluó la capacidad de estos complejos para la oxidación de tioanisol y estireno empleando H2O2 como oxidante inicial. Los complejos fueron activos tanto en la oxidación de tioanisol a su sulfóxido como en la de estireno a benzaldehído, con escalas temporales que indicaban la participación de las especies intermedias que contenían los átomos de oxígeno añadidos. Curiosamente, los ligandos libres y el complejo [Zn(Dp44mT)2] también catalizaban la sulfoxidación selectiva del tioanisol, pero eran ineficaces para catalizar la oxidación del estireno a benzaldehído. Estos hallazgos abren nuevas vías para el desarrollo de catalizadores metálicos basados en tiosemicarbazonas en procesos de oxidación de gran interés

Correlation between the molecular structure and the kinetics of decomposition of azamacrocyclic copper(II) complexes

The formation of copper(II) complexes with symmetrical dinucleating macrocyclic ligands containing two either monomethylated (L1) or trimethylated (L2) diethylenetriamine (Medien or Me3dien) subunits linked by pyridine spacers has been studied by potentiometry. Potentiometric studies show that L1 has larger basicity than L2 as well as higher stability of its mono- and binuclear complexes. The crystal structures of L1·6HCl (1), [Cu2(L1)Cl2](CF3SO3)2 (2), [Cu2(L1)(OH)](ClO4)3·3H2O (3) and [Cu(L1)](ClO4)2 (4) show that L1 adopts different coordination modes when bound to copper(II). Whereas in 2, each copper(II) is bound to one Medien subunit and to one pyridine group, in 3 each metal center is coordinated to one 2,6-di(aminomethyl) pyridine moiety (damp) and to one aminomethyl group. The mononuclear complex 4 shows pseudo-octahedral coordination with two weakly coordinated axial nitrogens. Kinetic studies indicate that complex decomposition is strongly dependent on the coordination mode of L1. Upon addition of an acid excess, all the species except [Cu2(L1)]4+ convert very rapidly to an intermediate that decomposes more slowly to copper(II) and a protonated ligand. In contrast, [Cu2(L1)]4+ decomposes directly without the formation of any detectable intermediate. These results can be rationalized by considering that the crystal structures are maintained in solution and that the weakest Cu–N bonds are broken first, thus indicating that kinetic measurements on complex decomposition can be used to provide information about structural reorganizations in the complexes. In any case, complete decomposition of the L1 complexes takes place in a maximum of two kinetically resolvable steps. However, minor changes in the structure of the complexes can lead to drastic changes in the kinetics of decomposition and the L2 complexes decompose with polyphasic kinetics in which up to four different steps associated with the successive breaking of the different Cu–N bonds can be resolved

Benchmarking of DFTmethods using experimental free energies and volumes of activation for the cycloaddition of alkynes to cuboidalMo(3)S(4)clusters

Here, the kinetics of the concerted [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction between the [Mo3(μ3‐S)(μ‐S)3Cl3(dmen)3]+ (dmen = N,N′‐dimethyl‐ethylenediamine) ([1]+) cluster and various alkynes to form dithiolene derivatives is thoroughly studied, with measurements at different temperatures and pressures allowing the determination of the free energies and volumes of activation. These parameters, together with the available single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction structures, are used to test a number of commonly used density functional theory (DFT) methods from Jacob's ladder, as well as the effects associated with the size of the basis sets, the way in which solvent effects are taken into account, or the inclusion of dispersion effects. Overall, a protocol that leads to average deviations between experimental and computed ΔV‡ and ΔG‡ values similar to the uncertainty of the experimental measurements is obtained