Thermodynamic Stability and Speciation of Ga(III) and Zr(IV) Complexes with High-Denticity Hydroxamate Chelators.

Increasing attention has been recently devoted to 89Zr(IV) and 68Ga(III) radionuclides, due to their favorable decay characteristics for positron emission tomography (PET). In the present paper, a deep investigation is presented on Ga(III) and Zr(IV) complexes with a series of tri-(H3L1, H3L3, H3L4 and desferrioxamine E, DFOE) and tetrahydroxamate (H4L2) ligands. Herein, we describe the rational design and synthesis of two cyclic complexing agents (H3L1 and H4L2) bearing three and four hydroxamate chelating groups, respectively. The ligand structures allow us to take advantage of the macrocyclic effect; the H4L2 chelator contains an additional side amino group available for a possible further conjugation with a biomolecule. The thermodynamic stability of Ga(III) and Zr(IV) complexes in solution has been measured using a combination of potentiometric and pH-dependent UV-vis titrations, on the basis of metal-metal competition. The Zr(IV)-H4L2 complex is characterized by one of the highest formation constants reported to date for a tetrahydroxamate zirconium chelate (log ß = 45.9, pZr = 37.0), although the complex-stability increase derived from the introduction of the fourth hydroxamate binding unit is lower than that predicted by theoretical calculations. Solution studies on Ga(III) complexes revealed that H3L1 and H4L2 are stronger chelators in comparison to DFOB. The complex stability obtained with the new ligands is also compared with that previously reported for other hydroxamate ligands. In addition to increasing the library of the thermodynamic stability data of Ga(III) and Zr(IV) complexes, the present work allows new insights into Ga(III) and Zr(IV) coordination chemistry and thermodynamics and broadens the selection of available chelators for 68Ga(III) and 89Zr(IV).

Explaining How α-Hydroxamate Ligands Control the Formation of Cu(II)-, Ni(II)-, and Zn(II)-Containing Metallacrowns.

Four different crystal structures for quinolinehydroxamic acid (QuinHA) and picolinehydroxamic acid (PicHA) MCs with Cu(II) and Ni(II), and solution studies on the formation of Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) MC complexes with QuinHA, PicHA, and pyrazylohydroxamic acid (PyzHA) are described. In polynuclear complex 1, [Cu5(QuinHA-2H)4(NO3)(DMSO)4](NO3), the metallamacrocyclic cavity is formed by four Cu(II) ions and four doubly deprotonated hydroximate ligands, and the center of the cavity is occupied by the fifth Cu(II) ion coordinated by four hydroximate oxygen atoms. The complex 2, [Cu10(PicHA-2H)8(H2O)4(ClO4)3](ClO4)·4H2O, exhibits a dimeric structure based on two pentanuclear collapsed 12-MC-4 Cu4(PicHA-2H)4 fragments united by two chiral capping Cu(II) ions exo-coordinated to the peripheral vacant (O,O') chelating units of each tetranuclear collapsed MC moiety. 3, [CaNi5(QuinHA-2H)5(H2O)2(Py)10](NO3)2, and 4, [CaNi5(PicHA-2H)5(DMF)2(Py)8](NO3)2, are planar 15-membered rings consisting of a PicHA or QuinHA ligand, respectively. To understand fully the correlation between species isolated in the solid state and those presented in solution, the solution equilibria were investigated, showing the dependence of the MCs topologies and stability constants (log ß) on the ligand structure and metal ion.

An investigation of two copper(ii) complexes with a triazole derivative as a ligand: magnetic and catalytic properties.

Two new copper(ii) complexes [Cu2(L)2(OAc)2(H2O)2] (1) (L = 3-methyl-5-pyridin-2-yl-1,2,4-triazole) and [CuL2] (2) were prerared and thoroughly studied. The complexes are able to selectively catalyze the oxidation of styrene towards benzaldehyde and of cyclohexane to KA oil. The 2D coordination polymer 1 showed an antiferromagnetic behaviour attributed to the intrachain magnetic coupling.

The solution thermodynamic stability of desferrioxamine B (DFO) with Zr(IV).

Desferrioxamine B (DFO, [H4L]+, ligand) is currently the preferred chelator for 89Zr(IV), however the biological studies suggest that it releases the metal ion in vivo. Herein, we present the solution thermodynamics of complexes formed between Zr(IV) and this hexadentate chelating agent, the data surprisingly not yet available in the literature. Several techniques including electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), potentiometry, UV-Vis spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) were used to determine the stoichiometry and thermodynamic stability of complexes formed in solution over pH range 1-11, overcoming all the difficulties with the characterisation of the aqueous solution chemistry of Zr(IV) complexes, like strong hydrolysis and lack of spectral information. A model containing only mononuclear complexes, i.e. [ZrHL]2+ [ZrL]+, [ZrLH-1] throughout the entire measured pH range is proposed. The stability constants and pM (Zr(IV)) value determined for Zr(IV)-DFO system, place DFO among good Zr(IV) chelators, however the formation of 6-coordinate unsaturated complexes (i.e. with coordination sphere of 8-coordinate Zr(IV) completed by water molecules), together with the susceptibility of coordinated water molecule to deprotonation, are suggested to be the reason of in vivo instability of 89Zr(IV)-DFO complexes.

Dicarboxyl-terminated iron(ii) clathrochelates as ICD-reporters for globular proteins.

Cage metal complexes iron(ii) clathrochelates, which are inherently CD silent, were discovered to demonstrate intensive output in induced circular dichroism (ICD) spectra upon their assembly to albumins. With the aim to design clathrochelates as protein-sensitive CD reporters, the approach for the functionalization of one chelate α-dioximate fragment of the clathrochelate framework with two non-equivalent substituents was developed, and constitutional isomers of clathrochelate with two non-equivalent carboxyphenylsulfide groups were synthesized. The interaction of designed iron(ii) clathrochelates and their symmetric homologues with globular proteins (serum albumins, lysozyme, ß-lactoglobulin (BLG), trypsin, insulin) was studied by protein fluorescence quenching and CD techniques. A highly-intensive ICD output of the clathrochelates was observed upon their association with albumins and BLG. It was shown that in the presence of BLG, different clathrochelate isomers gave spectra of inverted signs, indicating the stabilization of opposite configurations (Λ or Δ) of the clathrochelate framework in the assembly with this protein. So, we suggest that the isomerism of the terminal carboxy group determined preferable configurations of the clathrochelate framework for the fixation in the protein binding site. MALDI TOF results show the formation of BLG-clathrochelate complex with ratio 1 : 1. Based on the docking simulations, the binding of the clathrochelate molecule (all isomers) to the main BLG binding site (calyx) in its open conformation is suggested. The above results point that the variation of the ribbed substituents at the clathrochelate framework is an effective tool to achieve the specificity of clathrochelate ICD reporting properties to the target protein.