Axial Ligand Exchange Research Articles

Tuning the visible colour of octahedral manganese(III) phthalocyanines via axial ligand exchange.

A series of [PcMnL2]SbF6 complexes (Pc = phthalocyanine) was synthesized and structurally characterized by stripping the chloride from PcMnCl with AgSbF6 in o-dichlorobenzene and adding a range of donor ligands (L = THF, pyridine, p-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), Ph3PO, N-methylimidazole (MeIm), MeCN) to the resulting solution. Addition of or exposure to water where L = heterocyclic amines yielded μ-oxo complexes of the form [PcMnL]2O, which were structurally characterized for L = DMAP and MeIm. The [PcMnL2]SbF6 complexes have an increased solubility in organic solvents, where the axial ligands inhibit the characteristic ring π-π aggregation of PcM complexes. A variety of colours were observed (blue/green to red/purple), with Q-band absorptions (excluding the μ-oxo species) spanning from 715-761 nm and LMCT-bands from 497-574 nm. The combination of the ligand-induced absorption shifts coupled with their relative intensities in the visible region is responsible for the observed colour range and illustrates that facile ligand exchange is a useful tool in producing materials with a variety of colours from PcMnCl.

Dinuclear nitrido-bridged osmium complexes inhibit the mitochondrial calcium uniporter and protect cortical neurons against lethal oxygen-glucose deprivation.

Dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium uptake mediated by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is implicated in several pathophysiological conditions. Dinuclear ruthenium complexes are effective inhibitors of the MCU and have been leveraged as both tools to study mitochondrial calcium dynamics and potential therapeutic agents. In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of Os245 ([Os2(μ-N)(NH3)8Cl2]3+) which is the osmium-containing analogue of our previously reported ruthenium-based inhibitor Ru265. This complex and its aqua-capped analogue Os245' ([Os2(μ-N)(NH3)8(OH2)2]5+) are both effective inhibitors of the MCU in permeabilized and intact cells. In comparison to the ruthenium-based inhibitor Ru265 (k obs = 4.92 × 10-3 s-1), the axial ligand exchange kinetics of Os245 are two orders of magnitude slower (k obs = 1.63 × 10-5 s-1) at 37 °C. The MCU-inhibitory properties of Os245 and Os245' are different (Os245 IC50 for MCU inhibition = 103 nM; Os245' IC50 for MCU inhibition = 2.3 nM), indicating that the axial ligands play an important role in their interactions with this channel. We further show that inhibition of the MCU by these complexes protects primary cortical neurons against lethal oxygen-glucose deprivation. When administered in vivo to mice (10 mg kg-1), Os245 and Os245' induce seizure-like behaviors in a manner similar to the ruthenium-based inhibitors. However, the onset of these seizures is delayed, a possible consequence of the slower ligand substitution kinetics for these osmium complexes. These findings support previous studies that demonstrate inhibition of the MCU is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke, but also highlight the need for improved drug delivery strategies to mitigate the pro-convulsant effects of this class of complexes before they can be implemented as therapeutic agents. Furthermore, the slower ligand substitution kinetics of the osmium analogues may afford new strategies for the development and modification of this class of MCU inhibitors.

Tetranuclear Pd4, PtnPd4‐n (n=1–3), and Pt4 Chains Supported by rac‐ and meso‐Ph2PCH2P(Ph)N(Ar)P(Ph)CH2PPh2 Tuned by Changing N‐Substituents, P‐Configuration, and Terminal Ligands

AbstractWith the hope of tuning structural and electronic properties of the metal chains by changing the N‐substituent group and P‐chiral configurations, a series of PNP bridged tetraphosphines, rac‐ and meso‐Ph2PCH2P(Ph)N(Ar)P(Ph)CH2PPh2 (Ar=4‐RC6H4, R=F (rac‐dpmppanF), CH3 (rac‐dpmppanMe), H (meso‐dpmppan), OMe (meso‐dpmppanOMe); Ar=2,4‐xylyl (rac‐dpmppanMe2)), were synthesized, and utilized to prepare the Pd4 and Pt2Pd2 chains with XylNC terminal ligands, [M4(rac‐dpmppanR)2(XylNC)2](PF6)2 (M4=Pd4, R=F (1F), Me (1Me); M4=Pt2Pd2, R=F (4F), Me (4Me)) and [M4(meso‐dpmppanR)2(XylNC)2](PF6)2 (M4=Pd4, R=H (6), OMe (6OMe); M4=PdPt2Pd, R=OMe (9OMe)). While the M4 metal chains with rac‐dpmppanR (R=H, F, Me) ligands showed only marginal effects on the tetranuclear metal chains, the meso stereoisomer of meso‐dpmppanOMe afforded a new series of Pd4 (6OMe), PtPd3 (7OMe), PtPd2Pt (8OMe), PdPt2Pd (9OMe), Pt3Pd (10OMe), and Pt4 (11OMe) chains that exhibited a characteristic electronic absorption band tunable by the number and positions of incorporated Pt atoms from 628 nm to 473 nm. Especially, 11OMe is the first example of Pt4 chains supported by tetraphosphines. The coordinatively unsaturated Pd4 strings, [Pd4(rac‐dpmppan)2(CH3CN)](BF4)2 (12) and [Pd4(meso‐dpmppanOMe)2](BF4)2 (13), were also synthesized and 12 was utilized in axial ligand exchange reactions with PPh2Me, and PPh3 to disclose their successive incorporation into [Pd4(rac‐dpmppan)2(L)2](BF4)2 (L=PPh2Me (14 a), PPh3 (14 b)) and remarkable red‐shift (713–718 nm) of the HOMO‐LUMO transition of the Pd4 chains. The linear Pd4, PtnPd4‐n (n=1–3), and Pt4 complexes obtained in the present study could be useful 1D building blocks for assembling through metal−metal interaction.

Anion-Responsive Manganese Porphyrin Facilitates Chloride Transport and Induces Immunogenic Cell Death

Anion-Responsive Manganese Porphyrin Facilitates Chloride Transport and Induces Immunogenic Cell Death

Zinc- and Cadmium meso-Aryl-Isoporphyrins: Non-Aromatic NIR Dyes with Distinct Conformational Features.

A series of pyrrolyl and dipyrrinyl isoporphyrins carrying different phenyl and thienyl groups is reported. The compounds are obtained by a one‐pot approach in the presence of a template reagent. Thienyl derivatives gave better yields, and were the only subclass to form with steric hindrance. The structural analyses carried out on compounds 1 and 14 revealed distinct conformational differences which are likely to result from an intramolecular NH…Cl hydrogen bridge of the pyrrolyl subclass. In addition, this hydrogen bridge strongly favors one of the two possible atropisomers. Hindered rotation of the meso‐aryl groups is observed only in the cases of methylbenzothienyl derivatives 10 and 15 and leads to the observation of several diastereomers. NIR absorptions up to 923 nm are found throughout. Electrochemical investigations into the 1e− and 2e− reduced species unravel axial ligand exchange dynamics for the zinc isoporphyrin radical, and the probable formation of a zinc phlorinate.

Cation-Induced Dimerization of Crown-Substituted Gallium Phthalocyanine by Complexing with Alkali Metals: The Crucial Role of a Central Metal.

The single-crystal X-ray diffraction characterization of cation-induced supramolecular assembly of the gallium(III) tetra(15-crown-5)phthalocyaninate [(HO)Ga(15C5)4Pc] (1Ga) is reported. The structures of two crystalline dimers, {[(1Ga)2Rb4]4+(iNic-)4}·10CDCl3 and {[(2Ga)2Rb4]4+(OH-)2(Piv-)2}·16CDCl3 (2Ga-[(Piv)Ga(15C5)4Pc]), as well as UV-vis and NMR studies of the soluble supramolecular dimers formed by 1Ga and K+, Rb+, and Cs+ salts are provided. In contrast to the previously reported aluminum complex where the Al-O-Al bond was formed, no μ-oxo bridge was observed between the gallium atoms in the supramolecular dimers under similar conditions, despite the fact that aluminum and gallium belong to the same group of the periodic table. The detailed investigation of the cation-induced dimers of 1Ga confirms the uniformity of their structure for all large alkali cations, where two molecules of crown-substituted gallium phthalocyaninate are 4-fold bound by K+, Rb+, or Cs+. The gallium(III) coordination sphere is labile, and the nature of the solvent during supramolecular dimerization has an effect on the axial ligand exchange: Piv- in nonpolar CHCl3 replaces the initial OH- in 1Ga, while such a process is not observed in CHCl3/CH3OH media.

Surface molecular engineering of axial-exchanged Fe(III)Cl- and Mn(III)Cl-porphyrins towards enhanced electrocatalytic ORRs and OERs

Herein, pyrene-pyridine (Pyr-Py) molecule was applied as the axial exchanged ligand to bridge Fe(III) and Mn(III)porphyrin immobilized on rGO. These axially exchanged metalloporphyrin functionalized nanocomposites revealed enhanced electrochemically catalyzed oxygen reductions and evolutions that demonstrated the surface molecular engineering through axial ligand exchange is an effective strategy to enhance the catalytic efficiency.

Monomeric and dimeric nitrate lanthanide(III) and yttrium(III) coordination compounds of (2 + 2) imine macrocycle derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine and trans-1,2-diaminocyclopentane

Monomeric nitrate coordination compounds [Ln(L1)](NO3)3·nH2O (Ln = Y(III), Tm(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III)); n = 0, 0.75 or 3)11For simplicity of description we included the Y(III) in the abbreviation of Ln(III), commonly reserved for lanthanide(III) ions. It is well known that although yttrium does not belong to the lanthanides, the ionic radius of the Y(III) cation is similar to ionic radii of lanthanide(III) cations. Y(III) coordination compounds resemble very much in their chemical properties those of the respective lanthanide(III) coordination compounds. of the chiral macrocyclic (2 + 2) imine L1 (L1RRRR, L1SSSS and/or L1rac), derived from enantiomerically pure or racemic trans-1,2-diaminocyclopentane (DACP) and 2,6-diformylpyridine (DFP), have been synthesized in the templated condensation of precursors in the presence of appropriate metal salts. From these monomers their homochiral μ-hydroxodimers [Ln2(L1)2(μ-OH)2](NO3)4·nH2O (Ln = Y(III), Tm(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III)); n = 4, 5 or 7) have been obtained and isolated by addition of NaOH to the respective monomeric form of coordination compound solution. All synthesized coordination compounds have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analyses and/or circular dichroism (CD). 1H NMR signals of CDCl3/CD3OD solutions of the diamagnetic Y(III) and Lu(III) monomers have been assigned on the basis of their COSY and HMQC spectra, and for the remaining paramagnetic lanthanide coordination compounds (Tm(III) and Yb(III)) the signals were tentatively assigned on the basis of linewidths analyses. 1H NMR signals of D2O solutions of diamagnetic Y(III) and Lu(III) representatives of dimeric species have been established taking into account their COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY spectra. The NOESY spectra confirm that the structure of the dimmers observed in solids is also maintained in a solution.The axial ligand exchange in all monomeric coordination compounds was investigated by 1H NMR titration experiments with acetate and chloride anions in organic solvents as well as with hydroxide anion in D2O. The formation of homochiral heterobimetallic μ-hydroxodimers [Ln’Ln”(L1)2(μ-OH)2](NO3)4 was investigated in a solution by mixing the solutions of two different [Ln’2(L1)2(μ-OH)2](NO3)4·nH2O and [Ln”2(L1)2(μ-OH)2](NO3)4·nH2O homochiral homobimetallic precursors. This experiment proves the chiral recognition between two macrocyclic units of the same chirality in a solution. The μ-hydroxodimers may convert with time to the corresponding peroxo-dimers of the general formula [Ln2(L1)2(μ-η2: η2-O2)](NO3)4.The X-ray crystal structures of the representative monomeric and dimeric coordination compounds [Yb(L1RRRR)(NO3)2]NO3, [Yb2(L1SSSS)2(OH)2(H2O)2](NO3)4·2MeOH·2H2O, [Yb2(L1RRRR)2(OH)2(H2O)2][Yb2(L1SSSS)2(OH)2(H2O)2](NO3)8·1.5MeOH·5H2O and [Y2(L1SSSS)2(O2)(NO3)2](NO3)2·2MeOH with enantiomerically pure or racemic ligand L1 have been determined. The structure of [Yb2(L1RRRR)2(OH)2(H2O)2][Yb2(L1SSSS)2(OH)2(H2O)2] (NO3)8·1.5MeOH·5H2O crystal confirms chiral recognition of macrocyclic units of the same chirality in solids.

Trends in trigonal prismatic Ln-[1]ferrocenophane complexes and discovery of a Ho3+ single-molecule magnet.

Lanthanide metallocenophanes are an intriguing class of organometallic complexes that feature rare six-coordinate trigonal prismatic coordination environments of 4f elements with close intramolecular proximity to transition metal ions. Herein, we present a systematic study of the structural and magnetic properties of the ferrocenophanes, [LnFc3(THF)2Li2]−, of the late trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln = Gd (1), Ho (2), Er (3), Tm (4), Yb (5), Lu (6)). One major structural trend within this class of complexes is the increasing diferrocenyl (Fc2−) average twist angle with decreasing ionic radius (rion) of the central Ln ion, resulting in the largest average Fc2− twist angles for the Lu3+ compound 6. Such high sensitivity of the twist angle to changes in rion is unique to the here presented ferrocenophane complexes and likely due to the large trigonal plane separation enforced by the ligand (>3.2 Å). This geometry also allows the non-Kramers ion Ho3+ to exhibit slow magnetic relaxation in the absence of applied dc fields, rendering compound 2 a rare example of a Ho-based single-molecule magnet (SMM) with barriers to magnetization reversal (U) of 110–131 cm−1. In contrast, compounds featuring Ln ions with prolate electron density (3–5) don't show slow magnetization dynamics under the same conditions. The observed trends in magnetic properties of 2–5 are supported by state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Finally, the magneto-structural relationship of the trigonal prismatic Ho-[1]ferrocenophane motif was further investigated by axial ligand (THF in 2) exchange to yield [HoFc3(THF*)2Li2]− (2-THF*) and [HoFc3(py)2Li2]− (2-py) motifs. We find that larger average Fc2− twist angles (in 2-THF* and 2-py as compared to in 2) result in faster magnetic relaxation times at a given temperature.

Trinuclear and Hexanuclear Lanthanide(III) Complexes of the Chiral 3+3 Macrocycle: X-ray Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties

A new triphenolic hexaaza chiral macrocyclic amine L forms trinuclear complexes 1-3 with rare earth metal lanthanide(III) ions (Ln = Dy, Eu, and Y) with the general formula [Ln3L(μ3-OH)2(NO3)4(H2O)2]· xCH3OH. The crystal structures of the nitrate derivatives of this type reveal the presence of a {Ln3(μ3-OH)2} core within the macrocycle. For the chloride derivative of dysprosium(III) 4, a duplex of the trinuclear compound is formed to give the hexanuclear [Dy6L2(μ3-OH)3(μ3-O)(μ2-Cl)3Cl4(H2O)2] compound, in which two trinuclear macrocyclic units are linked by bridging chloride anions, supplemented by a hydrogen bond connecting the central oxo and hydroxo bridges as well as by weak interactions at the periphery of the macrocycle. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of these complexes reveal a dynamic behavior in solution related to exchange of axial ligands and hindered rotation of phenyl substituents. Magnetic studies of the nitrate (1-3) and chloride (4) dysprosium(III) complexes suggest the presence of weak ferromagnetic interactions between neighboring metal centers. The interaction is strongest for compound 1, and for the related duplex compound 4, it appears to be somewhat weaker. The ac susceptibility measurements for complexes 1 and 4 confirm their field-induced single-molecule magnet behavior with the following characteristics: Ueff = 10.6 cm-1 (15.2 K), τ0 = 2.05 × 10-4 s under 2500 Oe dc fields for 1; Ueff = 7.9 cm-1 (11.4 K), τ0 = 1.68 × 10-4 s under a 3000 Oe dc field for 4.

Facile tuning of strong near-IR absorption wavelengths in manganese(iii) phthalocyanines via axial ligand exchange

The facile tuning of near-infrared absorption of manganese(iii) phthalocyanines was accomplished by changing the nature and number of bound axial ligands. For a series of axial ligands on manganese α-octabutoxyphthalocyanine and α-octakis-(isopropylthio)phthalocyanine, the electron density on the metal and its displacement from the Pc-ring plane both control the position of the complex's Q-band. For these two macrocycles, this strong absorption band could be tuned over a λmax range of 815-948 nm by axial ligand exchange.

Lanthanide(III) and yttrium(III) coordination compounds of diastereomeric (2+2) macrocyclic imines derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine and trans-1,2-diaminocyclopentane

The enantiopure mononuclear coordination compounds [Ln(L1)]Cl3·nH2O (Ln = Y(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III), Yb(III)) of the chiral macrocyclic (2+2) imine L1 (L1RRRR and L1SSSS), derived from (1R,2R) and (1S,2S)-1,2-diaminocyclopentane (DACP) and 2,6-diformylpyridine (DFP), have been synthesized in the templated condensation of the precursors in the presence of the appropriate metal salts. From the racemic trans-DACP and DFP in the templated condensation, a series of racemic mononuclear coordination compounds [Ln(L1rac)]Cl3·nH2O (Ln = Y(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III), Yb(III)) have been obtained. In the absence of metal salt, the condensation of the achiral precursors leads to a meso type Schiff base L2, which in the presence of lanthanide(III) salts produced the mononuclear coordination compounds [Ln(L2)]Cl3·nH2O (Ln = Y(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III)). The mononuclear coordination compounds with the L1 and L2 ligands have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analyses and/or circular dichroism (CD). 1H NMR signals of CDCl3/CD3OD solutions of the Y(III), Nd(III), Sm(III) and Eu(III) coordination compounds have been assigned on the basis of their COSY and HMQC spectra, and for the remaining lanthanide coordination compounds (Tb(III) and Yb(III)) the signals were tentatively assigned on the basis of linewidths analyses. The properties and stability of the lanthanide(III) and yttrium(II) coordination compounds of the racemic macrocycle L1rac have been compared with those of the isomeric meso type macrocycle L2 in organic solvents and water. Axial ligand exchange for several coordination compounds was investigated by 1H NMR titration experiments in organic solvents. The X-ray crystal structures of the representative mononuclear coordination compounds [Nd(L1RRRR)Cl(H2O)2]Cl2·0.5MeOH·H2O, [Nd(L1rac)Cl(H2O)2]Cl2·1.6MeOH·0.2H2O, [Y(L1rac)Cl(H2O)2]Cl2·3.5H2O, [Y(L1rac)Cl(H2O)2][Y(L1rac)(H2O)3]Cl5·6.8H2O and [Nd(L2)Cl2(H2O)]Cl with the diastereomeric ligands L1 and L2 have been determined.

Octahedral Co(III) salen complexes: the role of peripheral ligand electronics on axial ligand release upon reduction

A series of octahedral CoIII salen complexes (where salen represents a N2O2 bis-Schiff-base bis-phenolate framework) were prepared with axial imidazole ligating groups. When using 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm) axial ligands, the CoIII/CoII reduction potential could be altered by 220 mV via variation of the electron-donating ability of the para-ring substituents (R = H (1), OMe (2), tBu (3), Br (4), NO2 (5), and CF3 (6)). In addition, the irreversibility of the reduction process suggested substantial geometrical changes and axial ligand exchange upon reduction to the more labile CoII oxidation state. Installing an imidazole-coumarin conjugate as the axial ligands resulted in fluorescence quenching when bound to the CoIII centre (R = H (7), OMe (8), and CF3 (9)). The redox properties and fluorescence increase upon ligand release for 7–9 were studied under reducing conditions and in the presence of excess competing ligand (1-MeIm). It was determined that the Lewis acidity of the CoIII centre was the dominant factor in controlling axial ligand exchange for this series of complexes.

Redox-dependent axial ligand replacement and its functional significance in heme-bound iron regulatory proteins

Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs), regulators of iron metabolism in mammalian cells, control the translation of proteins involved in iron uptake, storage and utilization by binding to specific iron-responsive element (IRE) sequences of mRNAs. Two homologs of IRPs (IRP1 and IRP2) have a typical heme regulatory motif (HRM), a consensus sequence found in “heme-regulated proteins”. However, specific heme binding to HRM has been reported only for IRP2, which is essential for oxidative modification and loss of binding to target mRNAs. In this paper, we confirmed that IRP1 also specifically binds two molar equivalents of heme, and found that the absorption and resonance Raman spectra of heme-bound IRP1 were quite similar to those of heme-bound IRP2. This shows that the heme environmental structures in IRP1 are close to those of proteins using heme as a regulatory molecule. Pulse radiolysis experiments, however, clearly revealed an axial ligand exchange from Cys to His immediately after the reduction of the heme iron to form a 5-coordinate His-ligated heme in heme-bound IRP2, whereas the 5-coordinate His-ligated heme was not observed after the reduction of heme-bound IRP1. Considering that the oxidative modification is only observed in heme-bound IRP2, but not IRP1, probably owing to the structural flexibility of IRP2, we propose that the transient 5-coordinate His-ligated heme is a prerequisite for oxidative modification of heme-bound IRP2, which functionally differentiates heme binding of IRP2 from that of IRP1.

A Highly Emissive Water-Soluble Phosphorus Corrole.

The synthesis, spectroscopic, and optical properties of the water-soluble phosphorus complex of a 2-sulfonato-10-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-5,15-dimesitylcorrole have been investigated. The compound was prepared by adopting a novel strategy for the corrole sulfonation, leading to the regioselective isomer in an almost quantitative yield. The phosphorus coordination has a key role in determining the corrole substitution pattern, limiting the formation of poly-substituted species, which affected the reaction of the corrole free base. The resulting complex shows excellent optical properties in terms of emission quantum yield, also in polar protic solvents, including water. 31 P NMR spectroscopy in CD3 OD indicates that the P sulfonate complex has been isolated in a hexacoordinated geometry with two different ligands (L1=-OH, L2=-OCH3 ), and it is prone to axial ligand exchange with methanol, with no evidence of intermediate pentacoordinated species. The morphological characterization of thin layers of the P corrole deposited onto an Au(111) surface showed that the addition of an intermediate layer of reduced graphene oxide allows for a better control of corrole aggregation, inducing also transformation of the Au(111) reconstructed surface.

Crystal Structures and Coordination Behavior of Aqua- and Cyano-Co(III) Tetradehydrocorrins in the Heme Pocket of Myoglobin.

Myoglobins reconstituted with aqua- and cyano-Co(III) tetradehydrocorrins, rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)), respectively, were prepared and investigated as models of a cobalamin-dependent enzyme. The former protein was obtained by oxidation of rMb(Co(II)(TDHC)) with K3[Fe(CN)6]. The cyanide-coordinated Co(III) species in the latter protein was prepared by ligand exchange of rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) with exogenous cyanide upon addition of KCN. The X-ray crystallographic study reveals the hexacoordinated structures of rMb(Co(III)(OH)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) at 1.20 and 1.40 Å resolution, respectively. The (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the cyanide in rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) were determined to be 108.6 and 110.6 ppm. IR measurements show that the cyanide of rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) has a stretching frequency peak at 2151 cm(-1) which is higher than that of cyanocobalamin. The (13)C NMR and IR measurements indicate weaker coordination of the cyanide to Co(III)(TDHC) relative to cobalamin, a vitamin B12 derivative. Thus, the extent of π-back-donation from the cobalt ion to the cyanide ion is lower in rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)). Furthermore, the pK(1/2) values of rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) were determined by a pH titration experiment to be 3.2 and 5.5, respectively, indicating that the cyanide ligation weakens the Co-N(His93) bond. Theoretical calculations also demonstrate that the axial ligand exchange from water to cyanide elongates the Co-N(axial) bond with a decrease in the bond dissociation energy. Taken together, the cyano-Co(III) tetradehydrocorrin in myoglobin is appropriate for investigation as a structural analogue of methylcobalamin, a key intermediate in methionine synthase reaction.

Direct Access to Axially Substituted Subphthalocyanines from Trimethylsilyl-Protected Nucleophiles.

A new synthetic one-step approach to perform the axial ligand exchange reaction in subphthalocyanines that employs trimethylsilyl-protected nucleophiles as starting materials is reported. Theoretical calculations indicate that the exchange reaction proceeds through a similar 4-centered σ-bond metathesis transition state as the substitution with phenols. This direct method allowed us to synthesize new axial derivatives of singular importance within the chemistry of subphthalocyanines, for which the reactivity and X-ray crystalline structure were studied.

Tuning cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes as activated protein inhibitors.

Cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes ([Co(acacen)(L)2](+), where L = NH3) inhibit histidine-containing proteins through dissociative exchange of the labile axial ligands (L). This work investigates axial ligand exchange dynamics of [Co(acacen)(L)2](+) complexes toward the development of protein inhibitors that are activated by external triggers such as light irradiation. We sought to investigate ligand exchange dynamics to design a Co(III) complex that is substitutionally inert under normal physiological conditions for selective activation. Fluorescent imidazoles (C3Im) were prepared as axial ligands in [Co(acacen)(L)2](+) to produce complexes (CoC3Im) that could report on ligand exchange and, thus, complex stability. These fluorescent imidazole reporters guided the design of a new dinuclear Co(III) Schiff base complex containing bridging diimidazole ligands, which exhibits enhanced stability to ligand exchange with competing imidazoles and to hydrolysis within a biologically relevant pH range. These studies inform the design of biocompatible Co(III) Schiff base complexes that can be selectively activated for protein inhibition with spatial and temporal specificity.

Making oxidation potentials predictable: coordination of additives applied to the electronic fine tuning of an iron(II) complex.

This work examines the impact of axially coordinating additives on the electronic structure of a bioinspired octahedral low-spin iron(II) N-heterocyclic carbene (Fe-NHC) complex. Bearing two labile trans-acetonitrile ligands, the Fe-NHC complex, which is also an excellent oxidation catalyst, is prone to axial ligand exchange. Phosphine- and pyridine-based additives are used for substitution of the acetonitrile ligands. On the basis of the resulting defined complexes, predictability of the oxidation potentials is demonstrated, based on a correlation between cyclic voltammetry experiments and density functional theory calculated molecular orbital energies. Fundamental insights into changes of the electronic properties upon axial ligand exchange and the impact on related attributes will finally lead to target-oriented manipulation of the electronic properties and consequently to the effective tuning of the reactivity of bioinspired systems.

Regarding initial ring opening of propylene oxide in its copolymerization with CO2 catalyzed by a cobalt(III) porphyrin complex.

Cobalt(III) tetraphenylporphyrin chloride (TPPCoCl) was experimentally proved to be an active catalyst for poly(propylene carbonate) production. It was chosen as a model catalyst in the present work to investigate the initiation step of propylene oxide (PO)/CO2 copolymerization, which is supposed to be the ring opening of the epoxide. Ring-opening intermediates (1-7) were detected by using (1) H NMR spectroscopy. A first-order reaction in TPPCoCl was determined. A combination of monometallic and bimetallic ring-opening pathways is proposed according to kinetics experiments. Addition of onium salts (e.g., bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride, PPNCl) efficiently promoted the PO ring-opening rate. The existence of axial ligand exchange in the cobalt porphyrin complex in the presence of onium salts was suggested by analyzing collected (1) H NMR spectra.