Dipeptide interactions with Zn(II)-cyclen artificial model for molecular recognition.

The Zn(II)-cyclen-dipeptide ternary systems (where cyclen is abbreviated as L and dipeptide is glycylglycine (HL(1)) or glycyl-(S)-alanine (HL(2))) were investigated by potentiometry applying both "out-of-cell" and direct titrations and by (1) H NMR spectroscopy. Especially, the (1)H NMR study was found to be very efficient to estimate speciation in the systems. The results obtained under full equilibria indicated two main species, [Zn(L)(HL(1,2))](2+) and [Zn(L)(L(1,2))](+), in both the systems. In the [Zn(L)(HL(1,2))](2+) complex, presence of carbonyl-carboxylate chelate was confirmed, and in the [Zn(L)(L(1,2))](+) species, the peptide coordination is re-organized to carbonyl-amine chelate or only terminal amino group is coordinated. Equilibrium constants describing [Zn(L)](2+)-dipeptide interaction are relatively low, log K = 3.4 for Gly-Gly and 4.1 for Gly-(S)-Ala, respectively. Nevertheless, the values are slightly higher than stability constants for interaction of Zn(II) with the dipeptides (i.e. [Zn(L(1,2))](+) species) where a chelate formation is expected. It indicates that interaction between Zn(II) ion in [Zn(L)](2+) and the dipeptides should be supported by some additional interactions. Potentiometry carried out under non-equilibrum condition showed different species where these additional stabilizing forces play more important role.

Amino acids binding to Zn 2+-cyclen molecular receptor in aqueous solution.

Potentiometric titrations and (1) H NMR spectroscopic studies of amino acids binding to the [ZnL](2+) -complex where L=cyclen in aqueous solution provide information concerning complexing species identity, their stability, and coordination mode declaration. The amino acids form stable ternary [ZnL(HL(n))](2+) and [ZnL(L(n))](+) complexes. The observations indicate bidentate coordination mode of the deprotonated amino acids, involving both the amine and the carboxylate functions to the [ZnL](2+) complex in pH region of about 7.5-9.5. The determined stability constants indicate that [ZnL](2+) complex is a very efficient receptor for simple amino acids such as glycine and alanine.

Combining organic photochromism with inorganic paramagnetism--optical tuning of the iron(II) electronic structure.

The crystalline photochromism of a diarylethene pyridyl ligand is applied to the modulation of the electronic environment of a high-spin Fe(II) metal ion.