Reappraising Schmidpeter's bis(iminophosphoranyl)phosphides: coordination to transition metals and bonding analysis.

The synthesis and characterization of a range of bis(iminophosphoranyl)phosphide (BIPP) group 4 and coinage metals complexes is reported. BIPP ligands bind group 4 metals in a pseudo fac-fashion, and the central phosphorus atom enables the formation of d0-d10 heterobimetallic complexes. Various DFT computational tools (including AIM, ELF and NCI) show that the phosphorus-metal interaction is either electrostatic (Ti) or dative (Au, Cu). A bridged homobimetallic Cu-Cu complex was also prepared and its spectroscopic properties were investigated. The theoretical analysis of the P-P bond in BIPP complexes reveals that (i) BIPP are closely related to ambiphilic triphosphenium (TP) cations; (ii) the P-P bonds are normal covalent (i.e. not dative) in both BIPP and TP.

Identification of Three-Way DNA Junction Ligands through Screening of Chemical Libraries and Validation by Complementary in Vitro Assays.

The human genome is replete with repetitive DNA sequences that can fold into thermodynamically stable secondary structures such as hairpins and quadruplexes. Cellular enzymes exist to cope with these structures whose stable accumulation would result in DNA damage through interference with DNA transactions such as transcription and replication. Therefore, the chemical stabilization of secondary DNA structures offers an attractive way to foster DNA transaction-associated damages to trigger cell death in proliferating cancer cells. While much emphasis has been recently given to DNA quadruplexes, we focused here on three-way DNA junctions (TWJ) and report on a strategy to identify TWJ-targeting agents through a combination of in vitro techniques (TWJ-screen, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, fluorescence resonance energy transfer-melting, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, dialysis equilibrium, and sulforhodamine B assays). We designed a complete workflow and screened 1200 compounds to identify promising TWJ ligands selected on stringent criteria in terms of TWJ-folding ability, affinity, and selectivity.

Kinetic and electrochemical studies of the oxidative addition of demanding organic halides to Pd(0): the efficiency of polyphosphane ligands in low palladium loading cross-couplings decrypted.

Oxidative addition (OA) of organic halides to palladium(0) species is a fundamental reaction step which initiates the C-C bond formation catalytic processes typical of Pd(0)/Pd(II) chemistry. The use of structurally congested polyphosphane ligands in palladium-catalyzed C-C bond formation has generated very high turnover numbers (TONs) in topical reactions such as Heck, Suzuki, Sonogashira couplings, and direct sp(2)C-H functionalization. Herein, the OA of aryl bromides to Pd(0) complexes stabilized by ferrocenylpolyphosphane ligands L1 (tetraphosphane), L2 (triphosphane), and L3 (diphosphane) is considered. The investigation of kinetic constants for the addition of Ph-Br to Pd(0) intermediates (generated by electrochemical reduction of Pd(II) complexes coordinated by L1-L3) is reported. Thus, in the OA of halides to the Pd(0) complex coordinated by L1 the series of rate constants kapp is found (mol(-1) L s(-1)): kapp(Ph-Br) = 0.48 > kapp(ClCH2-Cl) = 0.25 ≫ kapp(p-MeC6H4-Br) = 0.08 ≈ kapp(o-MeC6H4-Br) = 0.07 ≫ kapp(Ph-Cl). Kinetic measurements clarify the influence that the presence of four, three, or two phosphorus atoms in the coordination sphere of Pd has on OA. The presence of supplementary phosphorus atoms in L1 and L2 unambiguously stabilizes Pd(0) species and thus slows down the OA of Ph-Br to Pd(0) of about 2 orders of magnitude compared to the diphosphane L3. The electrosynthesis of the complexes resulting from the OA of organic halides to [Pd(0)/L] is easily performed and show the concurrent OA to Pd(0) of the sp(3)C-Cl bond of dichloromethane solvent. The resulting unstable Pd/alkyl complex is characterized by NMR and single crystal X-ray structure. We additionally observed the perfect stereoselectivity of the OA reactions which is induced by the tetraphosphane ligand L1. Altogether, a clearer picture of the general effects of congested polydentate ligands on the OA of organic halides to Pd(0) is given.

Redox-active biomolecular architectures and self-assembled monolayers based on a cyclodecapeptide regioselectively addressable functional template.

A nanometer scale redox active biomolecular architecture has been successfully synthesized through an efficient chemoselective oxime based coupling between ferrocenyl groups and a regioselectively addressable cyclodecapeptide. This molecular tool exhibits electronic, structural, and chemical properties driven by the biomimetic recognition activity of the polypeptide skeleton associated to the well-defined electrochemical activity of metallocenyl probes. Biomolecular materials obtained by confinement of the redox cyclopeptide in self-assembled monolayers on gold surfaces shows efficient through-bond electron transfer from the ferrocenes to the electrode surface via the peptidic backbone, as well as markedly improved sensing properties toward anionic species in organic electrolyte, as compared to those observed in homogeneous solution.