Electrophilic Activation of Oxidized Sulfur Ligands and Implications for the Biological Activity of Ruthenium(II) Arene Anticancer Complexes.

Surprisingly, the anticancer activity of half-sandwich Ru arene complexes [(η(6)-arene)Ru(en)Cl](+) appears to be promoted and not inhibited by binding to the intracellular thiol glutathione. Labilization of the Ru-S bond allowing DNA binding appeared to be initiated by oxygenation of the thiolate ligand, although oxidation by itself did not seem to weaken the Ru-S bond. In this study, we have investigated the solvation and acidic perturbations of mono (sulfenato) and bis (sulfinato) oxidized species of [(η(6)-arene)Ru(en) (SR)](+) complex in the presence of Brønsted and Lewis acids. Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy together with density functional theory calculations show that solvation and acidic perturbation of sulfenato species produce a significant decrease in the S3p character of the Ru-S bond (Ru4dσ* ← S1s charge donation). Also there is a drastic fall in the overall ligand charge donation to the metal center in both sulfenato and sulfinato species. Our investigation clearly shows that mono oxidized sulfenato species are most susceptible to ligand exchange, hence providing a possible pathway for in vivo activation and biological activity.

Influence of oxygenation on the reactivity of ruthenium-thiolato bonds in arene anticancer complexes: insights from XAS and DFT.

Thiolate ligand oxygenation is believed to activate cytotoxic half-sandwich [(eta(6)-arene)Ru(en)(SR)](+) complexes toward DNA binding. We have made detailed comparisons of the nature of the Ru-S bond in the parent thiolato complexes and mono- (sulfenato) and bis- (sulfinato) oxygenated species including the influence of substituents on the sulfur and arene. Sulfur K-edge XAS indicates that S(3p) donation into the Ru(4d) manifold depends strongly on the oxidation state of the sulfur atom, whereas Ru K-edge data suggest little change at the metal center. DFT results are in agreement with the experimental data and allow a more detailed analysis of the electronic contributions to the Ru-S bond. Overall, the total ligand charge donation to the metal center remains essentially unchanged upon ligand oxygenation, but the origin of the donation differs markedly. In sulfenato complexes, the terminal oxo group makes a large contribution to charge donation and even small electronic changes in the thiolato complexes are amplified upon ligand oxygenation, an observation which carries direct implications for the biological activity of this family of complexes. Details of Ru-S bonding in the mono-oxygenated complexes suggest that these should be most susceptible to ligand exchange, yet only if protonation of the terminal oxo group can occur. The potential consequences of these results for biological activation are discussed.

Green decomposition of organic dyes using octahedral molecular sieve manganese oxide catalysts.

The catalytic degradation of organic dye (methylene blue, MB) has been studied using green oxidation methods (tertiary-butyl hydrogen peroxide, TBHP, as the oxidant with several doped mixed-valent and regular manganese oxide catalysts in water) at room and higher temperatures. These catalysts belong to a class of porous manganese oxides known as octahedral molecular sieves (OMS). The most active catalysts were those of Mo(6+)- and V(5+)-doped OMS. Rates of reaction were found to be first-order with respect to the dye. TBHP has been found to enhance the MB decomposition, whereas H(2)O(2) does not. Reactions were studied at pH 3-11. The optimum pH for these reactions was pH 3. Dye-decomposing activity was proportional to the amount of catalyst used, and a significant increase in catalytic activity was observed with increasing temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies showed that no changes in the catalyst structure occurred after the dye-degradation reaction. The products as analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) showed that MB was successively decomposed through different intermediate species.