Mononuclear Ruthenium-Based Water Oxidation Catalyst Supported by Anionic, Redox-Non-Innocent Ligand: Heterometallic O-O Bond Formation via Radical Coupling Pathway.

Cerium(IV)-driven water oxidation catalysis mediated by a mononuclear ruthenium(III) complex, [Ru(L)(pic)3] (H3L = 2,2'-iminodibenzoic acid, pic = 4-methylpyridine), has been demonstrated in this work. The mechanistic details of water oxidation have been investigated by the combined use of spectroscopy, electrochemistry, kinetic analysis, and computational studies. It was found that water oxidation proceeds via formal high-valent RuVII species. The capability of accessing such a high-valent state is derived from the non-innocent behavior of the anionic tridentate ligand frame which helps in accumulation of oxidative equivalents in cooperation with metal center. This metal-ligand cooperation facilitates the multi-electron-transfer reaction such as water oxidation. Kinetic analysis suggests water oxidation at a single site of Ru where O-O bond formation occurs via radical-radical coupling pathway between the oxygen atom of ruthenium-oxo species and the oxygen atom of the hydroxocerium(IV) ion.

Photochemical Water-Splitting with Organomanganese Complexes.

Certain organometallic chromophores with water-derived ligands, such as the known [Mn(CO)3(µ3-OH)]4 (1) tetramer, drew our attention as possible platforms to study water-splitting reactions. Herein, we investigate the UV irradiation of various tricarbonyl organomanganese complexes, including 1, and demonstrate that dihydrogen, CO, and hydrogen peroxide form as products in a photochemical water-splitting decomposition reaction. The organic and manganese-containing side products are also characterized. Labeling studies with 18O-1 suggest that the source of oxygen atoms in H2O2 originates from free water that interacts with 1 after photochemical dissociation of CO (1-CO) constituting the oxidative half-reaction of water splitting mediated by 1. Hydrogen production from 1 is the result of several different processes, one of which involves the protons derived from the hydroxido ligands in 1 constituting the reductive half-reaction of water splitting mediated by 1. Other processes that generate H2 are also operative and are described. Collectively the results from the photochemical decomposition of 1 provide an opportunity to propose a mechanism, and it is discussed within the context of developing new strategies for water-splitting reactions with organomanganese complexes.

Exploring the Role of Carbonate in the Formation of an Organomanganese Tetramer.

The formation of metal-oxygen clusters is an important chemical transformation in biology and catalysis. For example, the biosynthesis of the oxygen-evolving complex in the enzyme photosystem II is a complicated stepwise process that assembles a catalytically active cluster. Herein we describe the role that carbonato ligands have in the formation of the known tetrameric complex [Mn(CO)3(µ3-OH)]4 (1). Complex 1 is synthesized in one step via the treatment of Mn2(CO)10 with excess Me3NO·2H2O. Alternatively, when anhydrous Me3NO is used, an OH-free synthetic intermediate (2) with carbonato ligands is produced. Complex 2 produces carbon dioxide, Me3NO·2H2O, and 1 when treated with water. Labeling studies reveal that the µ3-OH ligands in 1 are derived from the water and possibly the carbonato ligands in 2.

Switching closed-shell to open-shell phenalenyl: toward designing electroactive materials.

Open-shell phenalenyl chemistry started more than half a century back, and the first solid-state phenalenyl radical was realized only 15 years ago highlighting the synthetic challenges associated in stabilizing carbon-based radical chemistry, though it has great promise as building blocks for molecular electronics and multifunctional materials. Alternatively, stable closed-shell phenalenyl has tremendous potential as it can be utilized to create an in situ open-shell state by external spin injection. In the present study, we have designed a closed-shell phenalenyl-based iron(III) complex, Fe(III)(PLY)3 (PLY-H = 9-hydroxyphenalenone) displaying an excellent electrocatalytic property as cathode material for one compartment membraneless H2O2 fuel cell. The power density output of Fe(III)(PLY)3 is nearly 15-fold higher than the structurally related model compound Fe(III)(acac)3 (acac = acetylacetonate) and nearly 140-fold higher than an earlier reported mononuclear Fe(III) complex, Fe(III)(Pc)Cl (Pc = pthalocyaninate), highlighting the role of switchable closed-shell phenalenyl moiety for electron-transfer process in designing electroactive materials.

Structural diversity in pyridine and polypyridine adducts of ring slipped manganocene: correlating ligand steric bulk with quantified deviation from ideal hapticity.

We have synthesized several new manganocene-adduct ([Cp2Mn(L)] = 1-L) complexes using pyridine and polypyridine ligands and report their molecular structures and characterization data. Consistent with other molecules in this class [(ηx-Cp)2MnLn] or [(ηx-Cp)2Mn(L-L)] (n = 1, 2; x = 1, 3, or 5), the manganese-cyclopentadienide interaction deviates from the classical ηx interactions (x = 3 or 5). Such deviations have been ascribed to steric factors and often called non-ideal hapticity. However, there is no quantification of this non-ideal hapticity and thus it is difficult to evaluate the extent of ring slippage or assign hapticity. Furthermore, the hypothesis that non-ideal hapticity in high-spin MnII complexes is induced by steric interactions has not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, we report herein a quantified scale for deviation from ideal hapticity between zero (ideal η5 interaction) and one ("η1" interaction). This quantified deviation from ideal hapticity has an empirical relationship with the ligand's steric properties, which strongly supports the premise that steric interactions cause the deviations in ionic M-Cp interactions.

A hypoxia efficient imidazole-based Ru(II) arene anticancer agent resistant to deactivation by glutathione.

A slow hydrolyzing imidazole-based Ru(II)-arene complex [(L)Ru(II)(η(6)-p-cym)(Cl)](PF6) (1) with excellent stability in the extracellular chloride concentration shows better activity under hypoxia and strong resistance to glutathione (GSH) in vitro under hypoxic conditions. 1 arrests the cell cycle in sub G1 and G2/M phases and leads to apoptosis.

Effect of glucosamine conjugation to zinc(II) complexes of a bis-pyrazole ligand: syntheses, characterization and anticancer activity.

The bis(3,5-dimethyl-1H- pyrazol-1yl)acetic acid (bdmpza) ligand was conjugated with tert-butyl-N-(2-aminoethyl) carbonate, methyl-2-amino-4-(methylthio)butanoate and 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-d-glucosamine hydrochloride via amide coupling method to form three ligands L1-L3 which were then reacted with Zn(II) salts to form four zinc complexes (1-4). The complexes were characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), FT-IR, CHN analyses. Complexes 1, 2 and 4 were also characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It was found that Zn(II) salts could selectively remove the acetyl group from anomeric position leaving everything else intact. The cytotoxicity studies of the ligand and the complexes showed that the conjugation to acetylated glucosamine enhances cytotoxic ability although the complexes become more hydrophilic. Cytotoxicity studies in human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human cervical cancer (HeLa WT) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) showed that the acetylated glucosamine conjugation to the bis-pyrazole ligated Zn(II) complex led to 2-4 fold increase in cytotoxicity (IC50 values ca. 57-80µM) against HeLa WT and MCF-7 cell lines. The Zn(II) complex bearing the acetylated glucosamine inhibits the cell cycle in the G2/M phase of MCF-7 cell line. ICP-MS data shows more accumulation of Zn(II) inside the cell upon use of complex 4 as compared to Zn(II) salts or the other presented complexes. Further studies suggest that the mitochondrial transmembrane potential changes in the presence of complex 4 and caspase-7 is activated by Zn(II) salts but the activation is much more by complex 4 and hence there is apoptosis and dose dependent chromatin condensation/nuclear fragmentation as observed by microscopy.

Copper(II) complex of methionine conjugated bis-pyrazole based ligand promotes dual pathway for DNA cleavage.

Three Cu(II) complexes of bis-pyrazole based ligands have been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. One of the ligand (L2) contains a methionine ester conjugated to a bis-pyrazole carboxylate through an amide linkage. The binding constant for complexes 1-3 with CT DNA are of the order of 10(4) M(-1). The crystal structure suggests that the axial Cu-O bonds (ca. 2.31(4) Å) are relatively labile and hence during the redox cycle with ascorbic acid and oxygen one or both the axial Cu-O bonds might open to promote copper oxygen reaction and generate ROS. The chemical nuclease activity of complexes 1-3 in dark, show complete relaxation of supercoiled DNA at 100 µM concentration in presence of ascorbic acid (H2A). The mechanistic investigation suggests that the complexes 1 and 2 show involvement of peroxo species whereas 3 shows involvement of both singlet oxygen and peroxo species in DNA cleavage. The singlet oxygen formation in dark is otherwise unfavourable but the presence of methionine as pendant arm in L2 might activate the generation of singlet oxygen from the metal generated peroxo species. The results of DNA cleavage studies suggest that methionine based copper(II) complexes can promote dual pathway for DNA cleavage. Probing the cytotoxic activity of these complexes on MCF-7, human breast cancer cell line shows that 3 is the most effective one with an IC50 of 70(2) µM.