Co(III) complexes of the pentadentate NHC ligand PY4Im: carbene-induced trans influences and the non-disappearing 13C NMR peak.

Co(III) complexes of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand PY4Im (PY4Im = (1,3-bis(bis(2-pyridyl)methyl)imidazol-2-ylidene)) having the general formula [(PY4Im)Co(X)](ClO4)n (X = NCMe; n = 3: OH-, N3-, NCS-, ONO-, F-; n = 2: O2CO2-, n = 1; (N3-)3, n = 0) were prepared and structurally characterised. X-ray structural data are consistent with the presence of a trans influence due to the coordinated carbene carbon, and this is also supported by computational results. 13C NMR spectra of the complexes did not display peaks corresponding to the carbene carbon, except in the case of the [(PY4Im)Co(O2CO)]+ cation, where a peak at δ = 170.21 ppm was observed. However, HMBC spectra allowed indirect determination of the chemical shifts of the carbene carbon in the remaining complexes, owing to the geometry of the PY4Im ligand. Calculated 13C chemical shifts for the complexes showed very good agreement with the experimental values for all but the carbene carbon atoms in all cases.

Chelated O2BOH2- or Chelated O2CO2-: An Isoelectronic Conundrum.

The species originally reported as [Co(bipy)2O2BOH]·[B5O6(OH)4]·H3BO3·H3O·H2O, a Co(II) complex containing a chelated O2BOH2- ligand, is shown to be [Co(bipy)2O2CO]·[B5O6(OH)4]·H3BO3·2H2O, a Co(III) complex containing a chelated O2CO2- ligand. This was confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR, MS, IR, and an X-ray crystal structure.

Synthesis, characterization and computational investigation of the phosphatase activity of a dinuclear Zinc(II) complex containing a new heptadentate asymmetric ligand.

We report the synthesis of a new asymmetric heptadentate ligand based on the 1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol backbone. The ligand 3-[[3-(bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-amino)-2-hydroxy-propyl]-(2-carbamoyl-ethyl)-amino]-propionamide (HL1) contains two amide and two pyridine groups attached to the 1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol core. Reaction between HL1 and Zn(ClO4)2.6H2O resulted in the formation of the dinuclear [Zn2(L1)(µ-OAc)](ClO4)2 complex, characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, 1H, 13C and 15N NMR, ESI-(+)-MS, CHN elemental analysis as well as infrared spectroscopy. The phosphatase activity of the complex was studied in the pH range 6-11 employing pyridinium bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (py(BDNPP)) as substrate. The complex exhibited activity dependent on the pH, presenting an asymmetric bell shape profile with the highest activity at pH 9; at high pH ligand exchange is rate-limiting. The hydrolysis of BDNPP- at pH 9 displayed behavior characteristic of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with kcat = 5.06 × 10-3 min-1 and Km = 5.7 ± 1.0 mM. DFT calculations map out plausible reaction pathways and identify a terminal, Zn(II)-bound hydroxide as likely nucleophile.

Biomimetics for purple acid phosphatases: A historical perspective.

Biomimetics hold potential for varied applications in biotechnology and medicine but have also attracted particular interest as benchmarks for the functional study of their more complex biological counterparts, e.g. metalloenzymes. While many of the synthetic systems adequately mimic some structural and functional aspects of their biological counterparts the catalytic efficiencies displayed are mostly far inferior due to the smaller size and the associated lower complexity. Nonetheless they play an important role in bioinorganic chemistry. Numerous examples of biologically inspired and informed artificial catalysts have been reported, designed to mimic a plethora of chemical transformations, and relevant examples are highlighted in reviews and scientific reports. Herein, we discuss biomimetics of the metallohydrolase purple acid phosphatase (PAP), examples of which have been used to showcase synergistic research advances for both the biological and synthetic systems. In particular, we focus on the seminal contribution of our colleague Prof. Ademir Neves, and his group, pioneers in the design and optimization of suitable ligands that mimic the active site of PAP.

Examining the Role of Aryldiazonium Salts in Surface Electroinitiated Polymerization.

Historically, the irreversible reduction of aryldiazonium salts has provided a reliable method to modify surfaces, demonstrating a catalogue of suitable diazonium salts for targeted applications. This work expands the knowledge of diazonium salt chemistry to participate in surface electroinitiated emulsion polymerization (SEEP). The influence of concentration, electronic effects, and steric hindrance/regiochemistry of the diazonium salt initiator on the production of polymeric films is examined. The objective of this work is to determine if a polymer film can be tailored, controlling the thickness, density, and surface homogeneity using specific diazonium chemistry. The data presented herein demonstrate a significant difference in polymer films that can be achieved when selecting a variety of diazonium salts and vinylic monomers. A clear trend aligns with the electron-rich diazonium salt substitution providing the thickest films (up to 70.9 ± 17.8 nm) with increasing diazonium concentration and electron-withdrawing substitution achieving optimal homogeneity for the surface of the film at a 5 mM diazonium concentration.

Does H3O+ Really Act as a Ligand in the Solid State?

The evidence for the existence of metal complexes containing H3O+ as a ligand in the solid state is examined. Each of the 68 examples in the Cambridge Structural Database in which H3O+ is bound to a transition metal, lanthanoid, actinoid, or main group metal ion is detailed and critically appraised. It is concluded that none of the reported examples of complexes containing coordinated H3O+ have been unequivocally characterized and that they result from either curation errors or misinterpretations of the crystallographic data. These conclusions are supported by computational techniques, which show that three purported H3O+ complexes based on the 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octa-azabicyclo(8.8.8)hexacosane azacryptand skeleton are better described as aqua complexes, with protonation occurring at the amine ligand.

Recent Advances in Heterogeneous Catalytic Systems Containing Metal Ions for Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis.

Organophosphates are a class of organic compounds that are important for living organisms, forming the building blocks for DNA, RNA, and some essential cofactors. Furthermore, non-natural organophosphates are widely used in industrial applications, including as pesticides; in laundry detergents; and, unfortunately, as chemical weapons agents. In some cases, the natural degradation of organophosphates can take thousands of years; this longevity creates problems associated with handling and the storage of waste generated by such phosphate esters, in particular. Efforts to develop new catalysts for the cleavage of phosphate esters have progressed in recent decades, mainly in the area of homogeneous catalysis. In contrast, the development of heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrolysis of organophosphates has not been as prominent. Herein, examples of heterogeneous systems are described and the importance of the development of heterogeneous catalysts applicable to organophosphate hydrolysis is highlighted, shedding light on recent advances related to different solid matrices that have been employed.

Five-coordinate transition metal complexes and the value of τ5: observations and caveats.

The τ5 parameter, first proposed by Addison and coworkers, is the principal measure of the geometry of five-coordinate transition metal complexes, with τ5 = 0 said to describe a perfect square pyramidal geometry and τ5 = 1 a perfect trigonal pyramidal geometry. Therefore, the geometries of all five-coordinate complexes are assumed to lie on a continuum between these two extremes. Herein we show that there are a significant number of examples of transition metal complexes having τ5 > 1, leading to an equatorially distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry with the transition metal ion lying out of the plane of the equatorial donor atoms. We also show that complexes having τ5 = 0 and displaying perfect square pyramidal geometry are very much the exception, and that the majority of complexes for which τ5 = 0 have the metal ion sitting above the mean plane of the donor atoms in the square plane, in a basally distorted square pyramidal geometry. Density functional theory computations on a number of these complexes show that the structural distortions are inherent features of the complexes, and not merely the result of intermolecular interactions.

Rhodium catalyzed template-assisted distal para-C-H olefination.

Rhodium catalysis has been extensively used for ortho-C-H functionalization reactions, and successfully extended to meta-C-H functionalization. Its application to para-C-H activation remains an unmet challenge. Herein we disclose the first example of such a reaction, with the Rh-catalyzed para-C-H olefination of arenes. The use of a Si-linked cyanobiphenyl unit as a traceless directing group leads to highly para-selective arene-olefin couplings.

Modulating the antitumoral activity by the design of new platinum(II) compounds: Synthesis, characterization, DFT, ultrastructure and mechanistic studies.

The synthesis, physico-chemical characterization, Density functional theory (DFT) calculation and cytotoxicity against five human tumoral cell lines (THP-1, U937, Molt-4, Colo205 and H460) of four new platinum(II) coordination compounds are reported, i.e. [Pt(HL1)Cl]·H2O (1), [Pt(HL2)Cl]·H2O (2), [Pt(HL3)Cl]·H2O (3) and [Pt(HL4)Cl]·H2O (4). The ligands contain N2O donor sets. Furthermore, H2L3 and H2L4 present α and ß-naphthyl groups respectively, which are absent in HL1 and H2L2. X-ray diffraction studies were performed for complex (3), indicating the formation of a mononuclear platinum(II) complex. Complexes (3) and (4), which contain α and ß-naphthyl groups respectively, have presented lower IC50 (inhibitory concentration) values than those exhibited by complexes (1) and (2). The mechanism of cell death promoted by complexes (3) and (4) was investigated, suggesting that, toward U937 cell line, the α isomer promotes death by apoptosis and the ß isomer by necrosis. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy investigations are in agreement with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) observed by JC-1 mitochondrial potential sensor and indicate that the activity of complex (3) against U937 cell line is mediated by an apoptotic mechanism associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. A quantification of caspases 3, 6, 8 and 9 indicated that both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways are involved in the apoptotic stimuli. Based on DFT calculations all the Pt(II) complexes present the same coordination environment for the metal centre, indicating that the higher cytotoxic activities exhibited by complexes (3) and (4) are related to the presence of the α and ß-naphthyl groups in the ligand structure.

The Binding Mode of an ADP Analogue to a Metallohydrolase Mimics the Likely Transition State.

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are members of the large family of metallohydrolases, a group of enzymes that perform a wide range of biological functions, while employing a highly conserved catalytic mechanism. PAPs are found in plants, animals and fungi; in humans they play an important role in bone turnover and are thus of interest for developing treatments for osteoporosis. The majority of metallohydrolases use a metal-bound hydroxide to initiate catalysis, which leads to the formation of a proposed five-coordinate oxyphosphorane species in the transition state. In this work, we crystallized PAP from red kidney beans (rkbPAP) in the presence of both adenosine and vanadate. The in crystallo-formed vanadate analogue of ADP provides detailed insight into the binding mode of a PAP substrate, captured in a structure that mimics the putative fivecoordinate transition state. Our observations not only provide unprecedented insight into the mechanism of metallohydrolases, but might also guide the structure-based design of inhibitors for application in the treatment of several human illnesses.

Synthesis, Magnetic Properties, and Catalytic Properties of a Nickel(II)-Dependent Biomimetic of Metallohydrolases.

A dinickel(II) complex of the ligand 1,3-bis(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)propan-2-ol (HL1) has been prepared and characterized to generate a functional model for nickel(II) phosphoesterase enzymes. The complex, [Ni2(L1)(µ-OAc)(H2O)2](ClO4)2·H2O, was characterized by microanalysis, X-ray crystallography, UV-visible, and IR absorption spectroscopy and solid state magnetic susceptibility measurements. Susceptibility studies show that the complex is antiferromagnetically coupled with the best fit parameters J = -27.4 cm-1, g = 2.29, D = 28.4 cm-1, comparable to corresponding values measured for the analogous dicobalt(II) complex [Co2(L1)(µ-OAc)](ClO4)2·0.5 H2O (J = -14.9 cm-1 and g = 2.16). Catalytic measurements with the diNi(II) complex using the substrate bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP) demonstrated activity toward hydrolysis of the phosphoester substrate with K m ~10 mM, and k cat ~0.025 s-1. The combination of structural and catalytic studies suggests that the likely mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack on the substrate by a terminal nucleophilic hydroxido moiety.

Mechanistic Insight from Calorimetric Measurements of the Assembly of the Binuclear Metal Active Site of Glycerophosphodiesterase (GpdQ) from Enterobacter aerogenes.

Glycerophosphodiesterase (GpdQ) from Enterobacter aerogenes is a binuclear metallohydrolase with a high affinity for metal ions at its α site but a lower affinity at its ß site in the absence of a substrate. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has been used to quantify the Co(II) and Mn(II) binding affinities and thermodynamics of the two sites in wild-type GpdQ and two mutants, both in the absence and in the presence of phosphate. Metal ions bind to the six-coordinate α site in an entropically driven process with loss of a proton, while binding at the ß site is not detected by ITC. Phosphate enhances the metal affinity of the α site by increasing the binding entropy and the metal affinity of the ß site by enthalpic (Co) or entropic (Mn) contributions, but no additional loss of protons. Mutations of first- and second-coordination sphere residues at the ß site increase the metal affinity of both sites by enhancing the binding enthalpy. In particular, loss of the hydrogen bond from second-sphere Ser127 to the metal-coordinating Asn80 has a significant effect on the metal binding thermodynamics that result in a resting binuclear active site with high catalytic activity. While structural and spectroscopic data with excess metal ions have indicated a bridging hydroxide in the binuclear GpdQ site, analysis of ITC data here reveals the loss of a single proton in the assembly of this site, indicating that the metal-bound hydroxide nucleophile is formed in the resting inactive mononuclear form, which becomes catalytically competent upon binding the second metal ion.

Reaction mechanism of the metallohydrolase CpsB from Streptococcus pneumoniae, a promising target for novel antimicrobial agents.

CpsB is a metal ion-dependent hydrolase involved in the biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharides in bacterial organisms. The enzyme has been proposed as a promising target for novel chemotherapeutics to combat antibiotic resistance. The crystal structure of CpsB indicated the presence of as many as three closely spaced metal ions, modelled as Mn2+, in the active site. While the preferred metal ion composition in vivo is obscure Mn2+ and Co2+ have been demonstrated to be most effective in reconstituting activity. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) we have demonstrated that, in contrast to the crystal structure, only two Mn2+ or Co2+ ions bind to a monomer of CpsB. This observation is in agreement with magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data that indicate the presence of two weakly ferromagnetically coupled Co2+ ions in the active site of catalytically active CpsB. While CpsB is known to be a phosphoesterase we have also been able to demonstrate that this enzyme is efficient in hydrolyzing the ß-lactam substrate nitrocefin. Steady-state and stopped-flow kinetics measurements further indicated that phosphoesters and nitrocefin undergo catalysis in a conserved manner with a metal ion-bridging hydroxide acting as a nucleophile. Thus, the combined physicochemical studies demonstrate that CpsB is a novel member of the dinuclear metallohydrolase family.

Visualization of the Reaction Trajectory and Transition State in a Hydrolytic Reaction Catalyzed by a Metalloenzyme.

Metallohydrolases are a vast family of enzymes that play crucial roles in numerous metabolic pathways. Several members have emerged as targets for chemotherapeutics. Knowledge about their reaction mechanisms and associated transition states greatly aids the design of potent and highly specific drug leads. By using a high-resolution crystal structure, we have probed the trajectory of the reaction catalyzed by purple acid phosphatase, an enzyme essential for the integrity of bone structure. In particular, the transition state is visualized, thus providing detailed structural information that may be exploited in the design of specific inhibitors for the development of new anti-osteoporotic chemotherapeutics.

Is CuII Coordinated to Patellamides inside Prochloron Cells?

Dinuclear CuII -patellamide complexes (patellamides are naturally occurring cyclic pseudo-octapeptides) are known to be efficient catalysts for hydrolysis reactions of biological importance, for example, those of phosphatase, carbonic anhydrase, and glycosidase. However, the biological role of patellamides is still unknown. Patellamides were originally extracted from the sea squirt Lissoclinum patella, but are now known to be ribosomally expressed by the blue-green algae Prochloron that live in symbiosis with L. patella. In a further step to unravel the metabolic significance of the patellamide complexes, the question as to whether these are also formed inside Prochloron cells is addressed. In this study, a biocompatible patellamide-fluorescent dye conjugate has been introduced into living Prochloron cells and, by means of flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, it is shown that CuII ions are coordinated to patellamides in vivo.

Dinuclear ZnII and mixed CuII-ZnII complexes of artificial patellamides as phosphatase models.

The patellamides (cyclic pseudo-octapeptides) are produced by Prochloron, a symbiont of the ascidians, marine invertebrate filter feeders. These pseudo-octapeptides are present in the cytoplasm and a possible natural function of putative metal complexes of these compounds is hydrolase activity, however the true biological role is still unknown. The dinuclear CuII complexes of synthetic patellamide derivatives have been shown in in vitro experiments to be efficient hydrolase model catalysts. Many hydrolase enzymes, specifically phosphatases and carboanhydrases, are ZnII-based enzymes and therefore, we have studied the ZnII and mixed ZnII/CuII solution chemistry of a series of synthetic patellamide derivatives, including solution structural and computational work, with the special focus on model phosphatase chemistry with bis-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP) as the substrate. The ZnII complexes of a series of ligands are shown to form complexes of similar structure and stability compared to the well-studied CuII analogues and the phosphatase reactivities are also similar. Since the complex stabilities and phosphatase activities are generally a little lower compared to those of CuII and since the concentration of ZnII in Prochloron cells is slightly smaller, we conclude that the CuII complexes of the patellamides are more likely to be of biological importance.

Metallohydrolase biomimetics with catalytic and structural flexibility.

The structural and functional properties of zinc(ii) complexes of two nitrogen rich polydentate ligands, HTPDP = 1,3-bis(bis-pyridin-2-ylmethylamino)propan-2-ol and HTPPNOL = N,N,N'-tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol, are compared. HTPDP is a hepta-dentate ligand with four pyridyl groups attached to a 1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol backbone while HTPPNOL contains only three pyridyl groups. In reactions with Zn(ClO4)2, HTPDP forms a dinuclear zinc compound [Zn2(TPDP)(OAc)](ClO4)2, 1. On the other hand, mononuclear [Zn(HTPPNOL)](ClO4)2, 2, and tetranuclear [Zn4(TPPNOL)2(OAc)3](ClO4)3, 3, complexes were isolated with the ligand HTPPNOL. Kinetic measurements with the substrate bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP) revealed that compound 1 (kcat = 31.4 × 10-3 min-1) is more reactive than 3 (kcat = 7.7 × 10-3 min-1) at pH = 8.5, whilst the mononuclear compound 2 is inactive. Compound 1 displays a typical steady-state kinetic behaviour, while compound 3 exhibits steady-state behaviour only ∼120 s after starting the reaction, preceded by a burst-phase. 31P NMR studies confirm that 1 can promote the hydrolysis of both ester bonds in BDNPP, generating the monoester DNPP and inorganic phosphate in the process. In contrast, DNPP is not a substrate for 3. The crystal structure of the complex formed by 3 and DNPP reveals the formation of a tetranuclear zinc complex [Zn4(TPPNOL)2(DNPP)2](ClO4)2, 4, in which the phosphate moiety of DNPP adopts an unusual tridentate µ-η1:η1:η1 coordination mode.

Investigation of the identity of the nucleophile initiating the hydrolysis of phosphate esters catalyzed by dinuclear mimics of metallohydrolases.

di-Zinc(II) complexes of the ligands 2,6-bis((bis(2-methoxyethyl)amino)methyl)-4-methylphenol (HL1), 2,6-bis(bis(hydroxyethyl)aminomethyl)-4-methylphenol (HL2) and 2,6-bis((hydroxyethyl)(methoxyethyl)-aminomethyl)-4-methylphenol (HL3) have been prepared and characterized. The three ligands differ in their donor types, having ether donors (HL1), alkoxido donors (HL2) and both ether and alkoxido donors (HL3). These differences allowed an investigation into the role of the potential nucleophiles in the hydrolysis reaction with the phosphodiester substrate bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP). In addition, the di-Mg(II) complex of ligand HL2 was prepared in order to examine the potential for Mg(II) to replace Zn(II) in these biomimetic systems. Kinetically relevant pKa values for the three di-Zn(II) complexes were determined to be 7.14 and 9.21 for [Zn2(L1)(CH3COO)2](PF6), 7.90 and 10.21 for [Zn2(L2)(CH3COO)2](BPh4) and 8.43 and 10.69 for [Zn2(L3)(CH3COO)2](BPh4). At the respective pH optima the relevant catalytic parameters are kcat=5.44(0.11)×10-5s-1 (Km=5.13(0.92) mM), 2.60(0.87)×10-4s-1 (Km=5.49(1.51) mM) and 1.53(0.27)×10-4s-1 (Km=2.14(0.50) mM) for [Zn2(L1)(CH3COO)2](PF6), [Zn2(L2)(CH3COO)2](BPh4) or [Zn2(L3)(CH3COO)2](BPh4), respectively. The di-Mg(II) complex was found to be unreactive in the hydrolysis reaction with BDNPP under the conditions employed. Computational methods using the [Zn2(L2)(CH3COO)2](BPh4) complex were used to discriminate between different possible mechanistic pathways. The DFT calculations indicate that an alkoxido-mediated pathway in the complexes formed with ligands L2 or L3 is unlikely, because it induces significant distortion of the Zn2(L) unit; a direct attack by a coordinated hydroxide is preferred in each of the three systems studied here. The calculations also revealed the important role of ligand structural rigidity.

Asymmetric mono- and dinuclear GaIII and ZnII complexes as models for purple acid phosphatases.

Derivatives of the known dinucleating ligands HL1 (2,6-bis{[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]methyl}-4-methylphenol) and H2L2 (2-{[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]methyl}-6-{[(2-hydroxybenzyl)(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)amino]methyl}-4-methylphenol) with two pivaloylamido hydrogen bond donor substituents, H3L3 and H3L5, have been prepared. The mono-, homo- and heterodinuclear ZnII and GaIII complexes of these ligands have been prepared and characterized. The solution equilibria are discussed on the basis of extensive NMR spectroscopic, mass spectrometric and pH-dependent UV-vis spectroscopic titrations. The phosphoester hydrolysis activity of the complexes has been studied as a function of pH and substrate concentration and analyzed using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. It emerges that the mixed metal (mixed valent) complex of the ligand with an asymmetric disposition of the hydrogen bonding substituents (H3L3) is a functional model for the mixed valent, dinuclear metallohydrolase purple acid phosphatase. This complex combines the essential structural features of the active site of PAP and is the first heterodinuclear model complex mimicking the essential function of PAPs, i.e. the hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters.