Half-sandwich Iridium Complexes Research Articles

Formation of Iridium(III) and Rhodium(III) Amine, Imine, and Amido Complexes Based on Pyridine-Amine Ligands: Structural Diversity Arising from Reaction Conditions, Substituent Variation, and Metal Centers.

Herein, we present the different coordination modes of half-sandwich iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes based on pyridine-amine ligands. The pyridyl-amine iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes, the corresponding oxidation pyridyl-imine products, and 16-electron pyridyl-amido complexes can be obtained through the change in reaction conditions (nitrogen/adventitious oxygen atmosphere, reaction time, and solvents) and structural variations in the metal and ligand. Overall, the reaction of pyridine-amine ligands with [(η5-C5(CH3)5)MCl2]2 (M = Ir or Rh) in the presence of adventitious oxygen afforded the oxidized pyridyl-imine complexes. The possible mechanism for the oxidation of iridium(III) and rhodium(III) amine complexes was confirmed by the detection of the byproduct hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the formation of pyridyl-amine complexes was favored when nonpolar solvent CH2Cl2 was used instead of CH3OH. The rarely reported complex with [(η5-Cp*)IrCl3] anions can also be obtained without the addition of NH4PF6. The introduction of the sterically bulky i-Bu group on the bridge carbon of the ligand led to the formation of stable 16-electron pyridyl-amido complexes. The pyridyl-amine iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes were also synthesized under a N2 atmosphere, and no H2O2 was detected in the whole process. In particular, the aqueous solution stability and in vitro cytotoxicity toward A549 and HeLa human cancer cells of these complexes were also evaluated. No obvious selectivity was observed for cancer cells versus normal cells with these complexes. Notably, the represented complex 5a can promote an increase in the reactive oxygen species level and induce cell death via apoptosis.

Synthesis and study of organometallic PGM complexes containing 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole as antiplasmodial agents

Six half-sandwich complexes of iridium (III), rhodium (III), and ruthenium (II) (C1-C6) bearing the N,N’-chelated ligand 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole (L) were synthesized and characterized, three of which, bearing the iodido ligand are new. The complexes were isolated as yellow or orange solids in moderate to good yields. The complexes were tested for their ability to catalyse the hydrogenation of NAD+ to NADH at pH 7 at 37 °C. The iridium complexes (C1 and C2) were found to perform the best with NADH yields of up to 74% after one hour. All of the complexes and the ligand were screened for their ability to inhibit growth of the drug-sensitive strain of malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum, NF54. The complexes containing the rhodium (III) metal centre had the highest activity with the IC50 values for the chlorido (C3) and iodido (C4) complexes determined to be 11.4 µM and 9.65 µM respectively. Both complexes performed better than the ligand (IC50 = 55.9 µM). Complexes bearing the iodido ligand were found to be favourable in both the catalysis as well as the antimalarial assays.

Fluorescent half-sandwich iridium picolinamidate complexes for in-cell visualization

In this work, we report on the development of fluorescent half-sandwich iridium complexes using a fluorophore attachment strategy. These constructs consist of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) iridium units ligated by picolinamidate donors conjugated to green-emitting boron-dipyrromethene (bodipy) dyes. Reaction studies in H2O/THF mixtures showed that the fluorescent Ir complexes were active as catalysts for transfer hydrogenation, with activities similar to that of their non-fluorescent counterparts. The iridium complexes were taken up by NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, with 50% inhibition concentrations ranging from ~20–70 μM after exposure for 3 h. Visualization of the bodipy-functionalized Ir complexes in cells using fluorescence microscopy revealed that they were localized in the mitochondria and lysosome but not the nucleus. These results indicate that our fluorescent iridium complexes could be useful for future biological studies requiring intracellular catalyst tracking.

N,O-Chelate Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes: Synthesis and Catalytic Activity in N‑Alkylation of Anilines or Nitroarenes

N,O-Chelate Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes: Synthesis and Catalytic Activity in N‑Alkylation of Anilines or Nitroarenes

Theoretical investigation of mechanism and ligand effects on half-sandwich iridium complexes for direct reductive amination

The reaction mechanisms of direct reductive amination catalyzed by half-sandwich Cp*Ir complexes and the possible side reactions — transfer hydrogenation of ketones and N-formylation of amines have been explored by density functional theory (DFT). The reaction involves two steps: (1) the hydridoiridium formation as a rate-determining step, and (2) the hydride transfer to obtain amines. The relationships between the structure and activity of Cp*Ir complexes were analyzed by natural population analysis (NPA), Bader's atoms in molecules theory (AIM) and frontier molecular orbital (FMO). In general, the picolinamidato ligands are more favorable than the sulfonamidato ones due to the electronic effect. The catalyst with the phenyl ring bearing functional groups on the N-amide exerts the positive effect on the catalytic activity. Furthermore, the electron-donating group on the pyridine ring provides better performance owing to the higher NPA charge on the Ir atom, the lower electron density at the Ir-Cl bond critical point, and the destabilization of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO).

16-Electron Half-Sandwich Rhodium(III), Iridium(III), and Ruthenium(II) Complexes as Lysosome-Targeted Anticancer Agents

16-Electron Half-Sandwich Rhodium(III), Iridium(III), and Ruthenium(II) Complexes as Lysosome-Targeted Anticancer Agents

Cytotoxic BODIPY-Appended Half-Sandwich Iridium(III) Complex Forms Protein Adducts and Induces ER Stress.

Half-sandwich complexes of iridium(III) are currently being developed as anticancer drug candidates. In this context, we introduce IrBDP for which the C^N chelating phenyloxazoline ligand carries a fluorescent and lipophilic BODIPY reporter group, designed for intracellular tracking and hydrophobic compartment tropism. High-resolution analysis of cells cultured with IrBDP showed that it quickly permeates the plasma membrane and accumulates in the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), generating ER stress, dispersal of the Golgi apparatus, cell proliferation arrest and apoptotic cell death. Moreover, IrBDP forms fluorescent adducts with a subset of amino acids, namely histidine and cysteine, via coordination of N or S donor atoms of their side chains. Consistently, in vivo formation of covalent adducts with specific proteins is demonstrated, providing a molecular basis for the observed cytotoxicity and cellular response. Collectively, these results provide a new entry to the development of half-sandwich iridium-based anticancer drugs.

Interaction between DNA, Albumin and Apo-Transferrin and Iridium(III) Complexes with Phosphines Derived from Fluoroquinolones as a Potent Anticancer Drug

A group of cytotoxic half-sandwich iridium(III) complexes with aminomethyl(diphenyl)phosphine derived from fluoroquinolone antibiotics exhibit the ability to (i) accumulate in the nucleus, (ii) induce apoptosis, (iii) activate caspase-3/7 activity, (iv) induce the changes in cell cycle leading to G2/M phase arrest, and (v) radicals generation. Herein, to elucidate the cytotoxic effects, we investigated the interaction of these complexes with DNA and serum proteins by gel electrophoresis, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and molecular docking studies. DNA binding experiments established that the complexes interact with DNA by moderate intercalation and predominance of minor groove binding without the capability to cause a double-strand cleavage. The molecular docking study confirmed two binding modes: minor groove binding and threading intercalation with the fluoroquinolone part of the molecule involved in pi stacking interactions and the Ir(III)-containing region positioned within the major or minor groove. Fluorescence spectroscopic data (HSA and apo-Tf titration), together with molecular docking, provided evidence that Ir(III) complexes can bind to the proteins in order to be transferred. All the compounds considered herein were found to bind to the tryptophan residues of HSA within site I (subdomain II A). Furthermore, Ir(III) complexes were found to dock within the apo-Tf binding site, including nearby tyrosine residues.

Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes Based on β-Ketoamino Ligands: Preparation, Structure, and Catalytic Activity in Amide Synthesis.

A series of β-ketoamino-based N,O-chelate half-sandwich iridium complexes with the general formula [Cp*IrClL] have been prepared in good yields. These air-insensitive iridium complexes showed desirable catalytic activity in an amide preparation under mild conditions. A number of amides with diverse substituted groups were furnished in a one-pot reaction with good-to-excellent yields through an amidation reaction of NH2OH·HCl with aldehydes in the presence of these iridium(III) precursors. The excellent catalytic activity, mild reaction conditions, and broad substrate scope gave this type of iridium catalyst potential for use in industry. All of the obtained iridium complexes were well characterized by different spectroscopy techniques. The exact molecular structure of complex 3 has been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Hetero-Bis-Conjugation of Bioactive Molecules to Half-Sandwich Ruthenium(II) and Iridium(III) Complexes Provides Synergic Effects in Cancer Cell Cytotoxicity.

Four bipyridine-type ligands variably derivatized with two bioactive groups (taken from ethacrynic acid, flurbiprofen, biotin, and benzylpenicillin) were prepared via sequential esterification steps from commercial 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and subsequently coordinated to ruthenium(II) p-cymene and iridium(III) pentamethylcyclopentadienyl scaffolds. The resulting complexes were isolated as nitrate salts in high yields and fully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods. NMR and MS studies in aqueous solution and in cell culture medium highlighted a substantial stability of ligand coordination and a slow release of the bioactive fragments in the latter case. The complexes were assessed for their antiproliferative activity on four cancer cell lines, showing cytotoxicity to the low micromolar level (equipotent with cisplatin). Additional biological experiments revealed a multimodal mechanism of action of the investigated compounds, involving DNA metalation and enzyme inhibition. Synergic effects provided by specific combinations of metal and bioactive fragments were identified, pointing toward an optimal ethacrynic acid/flurbiprofen combination for both Ru(II) and Ir(III) complexes.

Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic Hydrogenation Activity of [NO]-Chelate Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes with Schiff Base Ligands.

A series of N,O-coordinate iridium(III) complexes with a half-sandwich motif bearing Schiff base ligands for catalytic hydrogenation of nitro and carbonyl substrates have been synthesized. All iridium complexes showed efficient catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of ketones, aldehydes, and nitro-containing compounds using clean H2 as reducing reagent. The iridium catalyst displayed the highest TON values of 960 and 950 in the hydrogenation of carbonyl and nitro substrates, respectively. Various types of substrates with different substituted groups afforded corresponding products in excellent yields. All N,O-coordinate iridium(III) complexes 1-4 were well characterized by IR, NMR, HRMS, and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of complex 1 was further characterized by single-crystal X-ray determination.

Cyclometalated Half-Sandwich Iridium(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Diverse Catalytic Activity in Imine Synthesis Using Air as the Oxidant.

Four air-stable cyclometalated half-sandwich iridium complexes 1-4 with C,N-donor Schiff base ligands were prepared through C-H activation in moderate-to-good yields. These complexes have been well characterized, and their exact structure was elaborated on by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The iridium(III) complexes 1-4 showed good catalytic activity in the imine synthesis under open-flask conditions (air as the oxidant) from primary amine oxidative homocoupling, secondary amine dehydrogenation, and the cross-coupling reaction of amine and alcohol. Substituents bonded on the ligands of the iridium complexes displayed little effect on the catalytic efficiency. The stability and good catalytic efficiency of the iridium catalysts, mild reaction conditions, and substrate universality showed their potential application in industrial production.

Air Stable Iridium Catalysts for Direct Reductive Amination of Ketones.

Half-sandwich iridium complexes bearing bidentate urea-phosphorus ligands were found to catalyze the direct reductive amination of aromatic and aliphatic ketones under mild conditions at 0.5 mol % loading with high selectivity towards primary amines. One of the complexes was found to be active in both the Leuckart-Wallach (NH4 CO2 H) type reaction as well as in the hydrogenative (H2 /NH4 AcO) reductive amination. The protocol with ammonium formate does not require an inert atmosphere, dry solvents, as well as additives and in contrast to previous reports takes place in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) instead of methanol. Applying NH4 CO2 D or D2 resulted in a high degree of deuterium incorporation into the primary amine α-position.

Dinuclear half-sandwich Ir(III) complexes containing 4,4′-methylenedianiline-based ligands: Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity

Three dinuclear half-sandwich iridium(III) complexes [Ir2(μ-L1)(η5-Cp*)2Cl2](PF6)2 (1), [Ir2(μ-L2)(η5-Cp*)2Cl2](PF6)2 (2) and [Ir2(μ-L3)(η5-Cp*)2Cl2](PF6)2 (3) with tetradentate 4,4′-methylenedianiline-based N-donor ligands (L1–L3) were prepared and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and FTIR spectroscopy. Complex 3 was hydrolytically less stable in 20% DMSO-d6/80% D2O than 1 and 2, while all the studied complexes were stable in the same mixture of solvents in the presence of PBS (pH 7.4). In addition, complexes 1–3 converted coenzyme NADH to its oxidized form (NAD+). Cytotoxicity of 1–3 was evaluated on five human cancer cell lines, in particular lung carcinoma (A549), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), melanoma (A375), prostate carcinoma (DU-145) and breast carcinoma (MCF-7). The best-performing complex 2 showed comparable cytotoxicity to conventional cisplatin against the A549 and HepG2 cell lines.

NHC ligand-based half-sandwich iridium complexes: synthesis, structure and catalytic activity in acceptorless dehydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation

Half-sandwich iridium complexes exhibited high catalytic activity for acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols and transfer hydrogenation of ketones.

Modular synthesis of antimalarial quinoline-based PGM metallarectangles.

A new ditopic, quinoline-based ligand L (7-chloro-4-(pyridin-4-yl)quinoline) was synthesized via a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The ligand was utilized to synthesize the corresponding half-sandwich iridium(III) and ruthenium(II) binuclear complexes (1c and 1d) and the subsequent metallarectangles (2c, 2d, 3c, and 3d), via [2 + 2] coordination-driven self-assembly. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed the proposed molecular structure of the binuclear complex [{IrCl2(Cp*)}2(μ-L)] (1c) and DFT calculations were used to predict the optimized geometry of the rectangular nature of [{Ir(μ-Cl)(Cp*)}4(μ-L)2](CF3SO3)4 (2c). All of the metallarectangles were isolated as their triflate salts and characterized using various spectroscopic (1H, 13C{1H}, DOSY NMR, and IR spectroscopy) and analytical techniques (ESI-MS). The synthesized compounds were screened against the NF54 chloroquine-sensitive (CQS) and K1 chloroquine-resistant (CQR) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Incorporation of the ubiquitous quinoline core and metal complexation significantly enhanced the in vitro biological activity, with an increase in the nuclearity correlating with an increase in the resultant antiplasmodial activity. This was observed across both parasitic strains, alluding to the potential of supramolecular metallarectangles to act as antiplasmodial agents. Inhibition of haemozoin formation was considered a potential mechanism of action and selected metallarectangles exhibit β-haematin inhibition activity with near comparable activity to chloroquine.

Chiral N-heterocyclic carbene-iridium complexes for asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketimines

Enantioselective reduction of imines to the corresponding chiral secondary amines has been studied using a series of chiral half-sandwich iridium complexes. Chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands in these complexes were synthesized from readily available, naturally occurring amino acids. Inexpensive phenylsilane was used as a convenient hydrogen donor. Under the optimized conditions, Ir-NHC complexes could reduce ketimines in good yields, albeit with moderate enantiomeric excess (ee). The phenylglycine derived chiral NHC was shown to give the best Ir catalyst and it also gave the maximum ee compared to catalysts prepared from other NHCs in this series. The opposite enantiomer of the reduction product was always obtained while using the Ir complex bearing a valine based NHC. The yields were consistently high with a variety of imine substrates having different steric and electronic demands.

Cascade Hydrogenation-Cyclization of Levulinic Acid into γ-Valerolactone Catalyzed by Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes: A Mechanistic Insight from Density Functional Theory.

DFT calculations have been performed to illuminate the mechanism of cascade hydrogenation-cyclization of levulinic acid (LA) into γ-valerolactone (GVL) catalyzed by half-sandwich iridium complexes. It is shown that the favorable mechanism involves a heterolytic hydrogen cleavage for Ir-OH species to form a monohydride iridium species, concerted reduction of the C═O unit of LA, hydrogen migration and dehydration to produce the iridium alkoxo complex, and cyclization of the iridium alkoxo complex to generate GVL. The presence of water and counterions are proposed to be important for the hydrogenation where the former works as a hydrogen donor and the latter acts as a hydrogen shuttle. Intriguingly, the cyclization process exploits a metal- and counterion-assisted concerted dehydration-cyclization mechanism different from the known ones that feature the intramolecular esterification of 4-hydroxyvaleric acid. The effectiveness of the half-sandwich iridium complex with the double-methoxy group on the bipyridine ligand-catalyzed system is attributed to the stronger electron-donating methoxy group, which is beneficial to increase the electron density at the Ir center and hence promote the Ir-H bond cleavage. In addition, the calculated free energy barrier for the cascade hydrogenation-cyclization catalyzed by the iridium complex with a dipyridylamine ligand is comparable with that promoted by the iridium complex with the double-methoxy group on the bipyridine ligand (24.8 vs 26.8 kcal/mol). The present work rationalizes the experimental findings and provides in-depth insights into the catalysis of the half-sandwich iridium complexes.

Chiral-at-Metal: Iridium(III) Tetrazole Complexes With Proton-Responsive P-OH Groups for CO2 Hydrogenation.

A rise in atmospheric CO2 levels, following years of burning fossil fuels, has brought about increase in global temperatures and climate change due to the greenhouse effect. As such, recent efforts in addressing this problem have been directed to the use of CO2 as a non-expensive and non-toxic single carbon, C1, source for making chemical products. Herein, we report on the use of tetrazolyl complexes as catalyst precursors for hydrogenation of CO2. Specifically, tetrazolyl compounds bearing P–S bonds have been synthesized with the view of using these as P∧N bidentate tetrazolyl ligands (1–3) that can coordinate to iridium(III), thereby forming heteroatomic five-member complexes. Interestingly, reacting the P,N′-bidentate tetrazolyl ligands with [Ir(C5Me5)Cl2]2 led to serendipitous isolation of chiral-at-metal iridium(III) half-sandwich complexes (7–9) instead. Complexes 7–9 were obtained via prior formation of non-chiral iridium(III) half-sandwich complexes (4–6). The complexes undergo prior P–S bond heterolysis of the precursor ligands, which then ultimately results in new half-sandwich iridium(III) complexes featuring monodentate phosphine co-ligands with proton-responsive P-OH groups. Conditions necessary to significantly affect the rate of P–S bond heterolysis in the precursor ligand and the subsequent coordination to iridium have been reported. The complexes served as catalyst precursors and exhibited activity in CO2 and bicarbonate hydrogenation in excellent catalytic activity, at low catalyst loadings (1 μmol or 0.07 mol% with respect to base), producing concentrated formate solutions (ca 180 mM) exclusively. Catalyst precursors with proton-responsive P-OH groups were found to influence catalytic activity when present as racemates, while ease of dissociation of the ligand from the iridium center was observed to influence activity in spite of the presence of electron-donating ligands. A test for homogeneity indicated that hydrogenation of CO2 proceeded by homogeneous means. Subsequently, the mechanism of the reaction by the iridium(III) catalyst precursors was studied using 1H NMR techniques. This revealed that a chiral-at-metal iridium hydride species generated in situ served as the active catalyst.

Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes for the One-Pot Synthesis of Amides: Preparation, Structure, and Diverse Catalytic Activity.

Several types of air-stable N,O-coordinate half-sandwich iridium complexes containing Schiff base ligands with the general formula [Cp*IrClL] were synthesized in good yields. These stable iridium complexes displayed a good catalytic efficiency in amide synthesis. A variety of amides with different substituents were obtained in a one-pot procedure with excellent yields and high selectivities through the amidation of aldehydes with NH2OH·HCl and nitrile hydration under the catalysis of complexes 1-4. The excellent and diverse catalytic activity, mild conditions, broad substance scope, and environmentally friendly solvent make this system potentially applicable in industrial production. Half-sandwich iridium complexes 1-4 were characterized by NMR, elemental analysis, and IR techniques. Molecular structures of complexes 2 and 3 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.