Modulating the light switch by (3)MLCT-(3)ππ* state interconversion.

The spectroscopic, electronic, and DNA-binding characteristics of two novel ruthenium complexes based on the dialkynyl ligands 2,3-bis(phenylethynyl)-1,4,8,9-tetraaza-triphenylene (bptt, 1) and 2,3-bis(4-tert-butyl-phenylethynyl)-1,4,8,9-tetraaza-triphenylene (tbptt, 2) have been investigated. Electronic structure calculations of bptt reveal that the frontier molecular orbitals are localized on the pyrazine-dialkynyl portion of the free ligand, a property that is reflected in a red shift of the lowest energy electronic transition (1: λ(max) = 393 nm) upon substitution at the terminal phenyl groups (2: λ(max) = 398 nm). Upon coordination to ruthenium, the low-energy ligand-centered transitions of 1 and 2 are retained, and metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions (MLCT) centered at λ(max) = 450 nm are observed for [Ru(phen)(2)bptt](2+)(3) and [Ru(phen)(2)tbptt](2+)(4). The photophysical characteristics of 3 and 4 in ethanol closely parallel those observed for [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) and [Ru(phen)(3)](2+), indicating that the MLCT excited state is primarily localized within the [Ru(phen)(3)](2+) manifold of 3 and 4, and is only sparingly affected by the extended conjugation of the bptt framework. In an aqueous environment, 3 and 4 possess notably small luminescence quantum yields (3: ϕ(H(2)O) = 0.005, 4: ϕ(H(2)O) = 0.011) and biexponential decay kinetics (3: τ(1) = 40 ns, τ(2) = 230 ns; 4: τ(1) ∼ 26 ns, τ(2) = 150 ns). Addition of CT-DNA to an aqueous solution of 3 causes a significant increase in the luminescence quantum yield (ϕ(DNA) = 0.045), while the quantum yield of 4 is relatively unaffected (ϕ(DNA) = 0.013). The differential behavior demonstrates that tert-butyl substitution on the terminal phenyl groups inhibits the ability of 4 to intercalate with DNA. Such changes in intrinsic luminescence demonstrate that 3 binds to DNA via intercalation (K(b) = 3.3 × 10(4) M(-1)). The origin of this light switch behavior involves two competing (3)MLCT states similar to that of the extensively studied light switch molecule [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+). The solvent- and temperature-dependence of the luminescence of 3 reveal that the extended ligand aromaticity lowers the energy of the (3)ππ* excited state into competition with the emitting (3)MLCT state. Interconversion between these two states plays a significant role in the observed photophysics and is responsible for the dual emission in aqueous environments.

Reactivity of electrochemically generated rhenium (II) Tricarbonyl alpha-diimine complexes: a reinvestigation of the oxidation of luminescent Re(CO)3(alpha-Diimine)Cl and related compounds.

The oxidative electrochemistry of luminescent rhenium (I) complexes of the type Re(CO) 3(LL)Cl, 1, and Re(CO) 3(LL)Br, 2, where LL is an alpha-diimine, was re-examined in acetonitrile. These compounds undergo metal-based one-electron oxidations, the products of which undergo rapid chemical reaction. Cyclic voltammetry results imply that the electrogenerated rhenium (II) species 1 ( + ) and 2 ( + ) disproportionate, yielding [Re(CO) 3(LL)(CH 3CN)] (+), 7, and additional products. Double potential step chronocoulometry experiments confirm that 1 ( + ) and 2 ( + ) react via second-order processes and, furthermore, indicate that the rate of disproportionation is influenced by the basicity and steric requirements of the alpha-diimine ligands. The simultaneous generation of rhenium (I) and (III) carbonyl products was detected upon the bulk oxidation of 1 using infrared spectroelectrochemistry. The rhenium (III) products are assigned as [Re(CO) 3(LL)Cl 2] (+), 5; an inner-sphere electron-transfer mechanism of the disproportionation is proposed on the basis of the apparent chloride transfer. Chemically irreversible two-electron reduction of 5 yields 1 and Cl (-). No direct spectroscopic evidence was obtained for the generation of rhenium (III) tricarbonyl bromide disproportionation products, [Re(CO) 3(LL)Br 2] (+), 6; this is attributed to their relatively rapid decomposition to 7 and dibromine. In addition, the 17-electron radical cations, 7 ( + ), were successfully characterized using infrared spectroelectrochemistry.

Syntheses and thermal reactivities of tetradentate metalloenediynes of Cu(II) and Zn(II).

The syntheses and Bergman cyclization temperatures of disubstituted tetradentate enediyne ligands based on a dibenzylethylenediamine backbone are reported relative to the corresponding Cu(II) and Zn(II) analogues. For these compounds, the R-groups dimethylamine (dma), pyridine (py), quinoline (quin), and 3-oxypyridine (pyO) have been symmetrically and asymmetrically incorporated at the alkyne termini positions directly (0:0) or via a methylene spacer (1:0, 0:1, 1:1). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) reveals that all Cu(II) complexes are monomeric with near axial symmetry and g-values (g(x) approximately 2.04, g(y) approximately 2.09 g(z) approximately 2.25) representative of tetragonal Cu(II) geometries. The hyperfine splitting parameter A(z) values are approximately 170 x 10(-)(4) cm(-)(1), which is consistent with distorted 4-coordinate, or weakly 6-coordinate, structures. In contrast, solution conductivity measurements show that Zn(II) complexes with rigid py or quin ligands (e.g., py-py 0:0, py-quin 0:0) behave as 1:4 electrolytes indicative of dimeric, bridging enediyne structures. Consequently, these Zn(II) complexes have very high Bergman cyclization temperatures (>290 degrees C), while their less rigid, 1:1 analogues (<185 degrees C) and monomeric Cu(II) counterparts (110-136 degrees C) have markedly lower cyclization temperatures. The results underscore the important consequences metal center structure plays in influencing Bergman cyclization temperatures of metalloenediynes.

Signal transduction by the global regulator RegB is mediated by a redox-active cysteine.

All living organisms alter their physiology in response to changes in oxygen tension. The photosynthetic bacterium uses the RegB-RegA signal transduction cascade to control a wide variety of oxygen-responding processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, carbon fixation and nitrogen fixation. We demonstrate that a highly conserved cysteine has a role in controlling the activity of the sensor kinase, RegB. In vitro studies indicate that exposure of RegB to oxidizing conditions results in the formation of an intermolecular disulfide bond and that disulfide bond formation is metal-dependent, with the metal fulfilling a structural role. Formation of a disulfide bond in vitro is also shown to convert the kinase from an active dimer into an inactive tetramer state. Mutational analysis indicates that a cysteine residue flanked by cationic amino acids is involved in redox sensing in vitro and in vivo. These residues appear to constitute a novel 'redox-box' that is present in sensor kinases from diverse species of bacteria.

Synthesis and structural characterization of porphyrinic enediynes: geometric and electronic effects on thermal and photochemical reactivity.

We report the preparation of [5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octakis(phenylethynyl)porphinato] complexes of Ni(II), H(2), Zn(II), Mg(II), and Cu(II), as well as select trimethylsilanylethynyl derivatives. The X-ray structures of the octakis(phenylethynyl) compounds show systematic deviations from planarity (Ni(II), 0.2851 A; Zn(II), 0.0304 A) as a function of the central cation. These geometric distortions are reflected in bathochromic shifts of the Soret and Q bands (Ni(II), 497, 604, and 650 nm; Mg(II), 515, 595, 642, and 705 nm) which loosely correlate with increasing planarity of the structure. Similarly, vibrational modes involving the octasubstituted porphyrin core exhibit shifts to lower frequency as a function of increasing planarity in the solution-state resonance Raman spectra (lambda(exc) = 501.7 nm) of these compounds. Analogous trends are also observed in their solid-state electronic and resonance Raman spectra, indicating that the structural distortions within the octakis(phenylethynyl) series are preserved in solution. Comparison of the saddle distortion of the octasubstituted Ni(II) compound with the ruffle/saddle distortions of the pentakis and hexakis Ni(II) derivatives reveals some influence of asymmetric peripheryl substitution on geometric structure. These Ni(II) derivatives also exhibit systematic red shifts in their electronic spectra as a function of the number of conjugated alkyne units ( approximately 13 nm/alkyne), revealing participation of the enediyne units in the electronic ground and excited states. The solid-state Bergman cyclization temperatures of the phenylethynyl compounds vary markedly as a function of planarity, and correlate loosely with alkyne termini separation (Ni(PA)(8), 4.00 A, 281 degrees C; MgP(PA)(8), 3.77 A, 244 degrees C). In solution, both thermal and photochemical activation of the free-base octakis(phenylethynyl) compound lead to formal reduction of the porphyrin backbone via H-atom addition at opposing meso-positions. Generation of a common product suggests that both thermal and photochemical pathways to Bergman cyclization in solution contain significant activation barriers to formation of the 1,4-phenyl diradical intermediate, and under these solution conditions, alternate reaction channels are more thermodynamically favorable.

Metal-ligand charge-transfer-promoted photoelectronic Bergman cyclization of copper metalloenediynes: photochemical DNA cleavage via C-4' H-atom abstraction.

Metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) photolyses (lambda > or = 395 nm) of copper complexes of cis-1,8-bis(pyridin-3-oxy)oct-4-ene-2,6-diyne (bpod, 1), [Cu(bpod)(2)]PF(6) (2), and [Cu(bpod)(2)](NO(3))(2) (3) yield Bergman cyclization of the bound ligands. In contrast, the uncomplexed ligand 1 and Zn(bpod)(2)(CH(3)COO)(2) compound (4) are photochemically inert under the same conditions. In the case of 4, sensitized photochemical generation of the lowest energy (3)pi-pi state, which is localized on the enediyne unit, leads to production of the trans-bpod ligand bound to the Zn(II) cation by photoisomerization. Electrochemical studies show that 1, both the uncomplexed and complexed, exhibits two irreversible waves between E(p) values of -1.75 and -1.93 V (vs SCE), corresponding to reductions of the alkyne units. Irreversible, ligand-based one-electron oxidation waves are also observed at +1.94 and +2.15 V (vs SCE) for 1 and 3. Copper-centered oxidation of 2 and reduction of 3 occur at E(1/2) = +0.15 and +0.38 V, respectively. Combined with the observed Cu(I)-to-pyridine(pi) MLCT and pyridine(pi)-to-Cu(II) ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) absorption centered near approximately 315 nm, the results suggest a mechanism for photo-Bergman cyclization that is derived from energy transfer to the enediyne unit upon charge-transfer excitation. The intermediates produced upon photolysis degrade both pUC19 bacterial plasmid DNA, as well as a 25-base-pair, double-stranded oligonucleotide. Detailed analyses of the cleavage reactions reveal 5'-phosphate and 3'-phosphoglycolate termini that are derived from H-atom abstraction from the 4'-position of the deoxyribose ring rather than redox-induced base oxidation.

Spectroscopic and mutational analysis of the blue-light photoreceptor AppA: a novel photocycle involving flavin stacking with an aromatic amino acid.

The flavoprotein AppA is a blue-light photoreceptor that functions as an antirepressor of photosynthesis gene expression in the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Heterologous expression studies show that FAD binds to a 156 amino acid N-terminal domain of AppA and that this domain is itself photoactive. A pulse of white light causes FAD absorption to be red shifted in a biphasic process with a fast phase occurring in <1 micros and a slow phase occurring at approximately 5 ms. The absorbance shift was spontaneously restored over a 30 min period, also in a biphasic process as assayed by fluorescence quenching and electronic absorption analyses. Site-directed replacement of Tyr21 with Leu or Phe abolished the photochemical reaction implicating involvement of Tyr21 in the photocycle. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of wild-type and mutant proteins also indicates that Tyr21 forms pi-pi stacking interactions with the isoalloxazine ring of FAD. We propose that photochemical excitation of the flavin results in strengthening of a hydrogen bond between the flavin and Tyr 21 leading to a stable local conformational change in AppA.

Photothermally induced Bergman cyclization of metalloenediynes via near-infrared ligand-to-metal charge-transfer excitation.

Reaction of 1,2-bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-4,5-diiodobenzene with 2 equiv of phenylacetylene followed by deprotection with KF/HBr yields the catechol-enediyne ligand 4,5-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene-1,2-diol (CatED, 1). Metathesis of VO(SALIMH)ACAC.CH(3)OH (2) with 1 and subsequent air oxidation yields (4,5-bis(phenylethynyl)-1,2-dihydroxyphenyl)[4-(2-(salicylideneamino)ethyl)imidazolyl]oxovanadium(V).CH(3)OH [VO(SALIMH)CatED], (3), in 85%. The thermal Bergman cyclization temperature for 3 is very high (246 degrees C), which is expected for a rigid, benzannulated enediyne motif. The electronic spectrum of 3 exhibits two strong ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transitions centered at 584 nm (epsilon = 6063 M(-)(1) cm(-)(1)) and 1028 nm (epsilon = 8098 M(-)(1) cm(-)(1)). These transitions derive from CatED-to-V(V) ligand-to-metal charge transfer, the assignment of which is verified by resonance enhancement of several CatED vibrational modes in the Raman spectra obtained with lambda = 785 vs lambda = 457.9 nm under low power and/or temperature conditions. At elevated temperatures (113-323 K) and powers (2-5 mW), excitation of 3 in the solid state with lambda = 785 nm leads to generation of a black, sparingly soluble, fluorescent product that exhibits weak vibrational features in the 580-600, 1200-1350, and 1450-1600 cm(-)(1) regions, indicative of V-O (CatED) and aromatic ring units. The C=C ring modes correspond well with the vibrational characteristics of poly(p-phenylene) and derivatives thereof. Additionally, materials generated in both the solid-state thermal and photothermal reactions of 3 demonstrate the formation of high molecular weight species ranging from 5000 to 274 000. On the basis of these data and the literature precedent for formation of poly(p-phenylene) via thermolysis of simple enediynes, the reaction poses a unique approach for photoinitiating Bergman cyclization with long-wavelength excitation, as well as the generation of polymeric products.

Cu(II)-mediated intramolecular carbene cation radical formation: relevance to unimolecular metal-ligand radical intermediates.

We report the syntheses of the photochemically labile 9-diazo-4,5-diazafluorene (1) framework and the corresponding Cu(9-diazo-4,5-diazafluorene)(2)(NO(3))(2) compound (2). The X-ray structure of 2 reveals a 6-coordinate, tetragonal geometry with one nitrogen donor of an asymmetrically chelated diazafluorene in the equatorial position and the other defining the weak Jahn-Teller axis. The nitrate counterions bind in a monodentate fashion in the equatorial plane to complete the coordination sphere. Extended Hückel calculations reveal that the unusual solid-state structure derives from the enlarged bite angle of the fluorene skeleton and steric interactions between the adjacent hydrogen atoms in the higher energy (0.45 eV) symmetrically coordinated state. This is in contrast to Cu(py)(4)(NO(3))(2) which is 1.3 eV more stable with the nitrate counterions bound along the Jahn-Teller axis. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies in solution reveal that the nitrates dissociate to yield 6-coordinate CuN(2)X(2)N(2)' structures with either a bound chloride ion (g(x) = 2.10, g(y) = 2.04, g(z) = 2.23, A(z) = 177 x 10(-4) cm(-1)) or a mixture of counterion and solvent (g(x)(a) = 2.05, g(y)(a) = 2.06, g(z)(a) = 2.29, A(z)(a) = 170 x 10(-4) cm(-1); g(x)(b) = 2.07, g(y)(b) = 2.08, g(z)(b) = 2.34, A(z)(b) = 155 x 10(-4) cm(-1)). Photolyses of 1 and 2 indicate loss of N(2) and formation of either carbene ([D/hc] = 0.408 cm(-1), [E/hc] = 0.0292 cm(-1)) or Cu(I)-L(*)(+) (S = (1)/(2), g = 2.0019) intermediates, which are identified by EPR, UV-vis, and time-dependent density functional theory methods. The results illustrate the important role redox active transition metals play in determining the nature of fundamental metal-ligand radical intermediates.