Brightly phosphorescent tetranuclear copper(i) pyrazolates.

Described herein is the synthesis and photophysics of two tetranuclear copper complexes, {[3,5-(Pri)2,4-(Br)Pz]Cu}4 and {[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Cu}4 tailor-designed by manipulating the pyrazolyl ring substituents. Unlike their trinuclear analogues, the luminescence of the tetranuclear species is molecular (not supramolecular) in nature with extremely high solid-state quantum yields of ∼80% at room temperature.

A chemical strategy for the cell-based detection of HDAC activity.

A strategy for activity-based enzyme detection using a novel enamide-based chemical strategy is described. Enzymatic cleavage of an amide bond results in the formation of an aldehyde. The interaction of this aldehyde with proteins increases retention in cells that express the enzyme. Proof of concept for this enamide-based strategy is demonstrated by detecting histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in HeLa cells. The modular design of this strategy makes it amenable to in vitro and in vivo detection.

Combination therapy: histone deacetylase inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapeutics for cancer.

One of the most promising strategies to increase the efficacy of standard chemotherapy drugs is by combining them with low doses of histone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACis). Regarded as chemosensitizers, the addition of well-tolerated doses of HDACis to platinum-based chemotherapeutics has been proven in vitro and in vivo in recent studies for many cancer types and stages. In this review, we discuss the most commonly used combinations of histone deacetylase inhibitors and platinum based drugs in the context of their possible mechanisms, efficiency, efficacy, and related drawbacks in preclinical and clinical studies.

Potassium(I) amidotrihydroborate: structure and hydrogen release.

Potassium(I) amidotrihydroborate (KNH(2)BH(3)) is a newly developed potential hydrogen storage material representing a completely different structural motif within the alkali metal amidotrihydroborate group. Evolution of 6.5 wt % hydrogen starting at temperatures as low as 80 degrees C is observed and shows a significant change in the hydrogen release profile, as compared to the corresponding lithium and sodium compounds. Here we describe the synthesis, structure, and hydrogen release characteristics of KNH(2)BH(3).

Trinuclear silver(I) complexes of fluorinated pyrazolates.

Silver pyrazolates [[3-(CF3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(Ph)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 have been synthesized by treatment of the corresponding pyrazole with a slight molar excess of silver(I) oxide. This economical and convenient route gives silver pyrazolates in high (>80%) yields. X-ray crystal structures of [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 show that these molecules have trinuclear structures with essentially planar to highly distorted Ag3N6 metallacycles. [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3 forms extended columns via intertrimer argentophilic contacts (the closest Ag...Ag separation between the neighboring trimers are 3.355 and 3.426 A). The trinuclear [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 units crystallize in pairs, basically forming "dimers of trimers", with the six silver atom core of the adjacent trimers adopting a chair conformation. However, in these dimers of trimers, even the shortest intertrimer Ag...Ag distance (3.480 A) is slightly longer than the van der Waals contact of silver (3.44 A). [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, which has two bulky groups on each pyrazolyl ring, shows no close intertrimer Ag...Ag contacts (closest intertrimer Ag...Ag distance = 5.376 A). The Ag-N bond distances and the intratrimer Ag...Ag separations of the silver pyrazolates do not show much variation. However, their N-Ag-N angles are sensitive to the nature (especially, the size) of substituents on the pyrazolyl rings. The pi-acidic [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3 and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 form adducts with the pi-base toluene. X-ray data show that they adopt extended columnar structures of the type [[Ag3]2.[toluene]]infinity and [[Ag3]'.[toluene]]infinity ([[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3 = [Ag3],[[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 = [Ag3]'), in which toluene interleaves and makes face-to-face contacts with [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 or dimers of [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3.

Antimicrobial properties of highly fluorinated silver(I) tris(pyrazolyl)borates.

Highly fluorinated tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3]- has been used in the isolation of air- and light-stable silver complex, [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3]Ag(OSMe2). It is a monomeric tetrahedral silver complex with an O-bonded dimethylsulfoxide ligand. The silver adduct [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3]Ag(OSMe2) and the related [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3] Ag(THF) (where OSMe2 = dimethyl sulfoxide; THF = tetrahydrofuran) show good antibacterial activity, and their antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus is greater than those of AgNO3 and silver sulfadiazine.

Metal effect on the supramolecular structure, photophysics, and acid-base character of trinuclear pyrazolato coinage metal complexes.

Varying the coinage metal in cyclic trinuclear pyrazolate complexes is found to significantly affect the solid-state packing, photophysics, and acid-base properties. The three isoleptic compounds used in this study are [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]M]3 with M = Cu, Ag, and Au (i.e., Cu3, Ag3, and Au3, respectively). They form isomorphous crystals and exist as trimers featuring nine-membered M3N6 rings with linear two-coordinate metal sites. On the basis of the M-N distances, the covalent radii of two-coordinate Cu(I), Ag(I), and Au(I) were estimated as 1.11, 1.34, and 1.25 angstroms, respectively. The cyclic [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]M]3 complexes pack as infinite chains of trimers with a greater number of pairwise intertrimer M...M interactions upon proceeding to heavier coinage metals. However, the intertrimer distances are conspicuously short in Ag3 (3.204 angstroms) versus Au3 (3.885 angstroms) or Cu3 (3.813 angstroms) despite the significantly larger covalent radius of Ag(I). Remarkable luminescence properties are found for the three M3 complexes, as manifested by the appearance of multiple unstructured phosphorescence bands whose colors and lifetimes change qualitatively upon varying the coinage metal and temperature. The multiple emissions are assigned to different phosphorescent excimeric states that exhibit enhanced M...M bonding relative to the ground state. The startling luminescence thermochromic changes in crystals of each compound are related to relaxation between the different phosphorescent excimers. The trend in the lowest energy phosphorescence band follows the relative triplet energy of the three M(I) atomic ions. DFT calculations indicate that [[3,5-(R)2Pz]M]3 trimers with R = H or Me are bases with the relative basicity order Ag << Cu < Au while fluorination (R = CF3) renders even the Au trimer acidic. These predictions were substantiated experimentally by the isolation of the first acid-base adduct, [[Au3]2:toluene]infinity, in which a trinuclear Au(I) complex acts as an acid.

Fluorinated tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligands without the problematic hydride moiety: isolation of copper(I) ethylene and copper(I)-tin(II) complexes using [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]-.

The thallium derivative of a fluorinated, B-methylated, tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand, [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]-, has been synthesized via a two-step process using the corresponding pyrazole, Li[MeBH3], and thallium(I) acetate. Reaction of [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]Tl with CuBr in the presence of ethylene leads to [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]Cu(C2H4). It is a thermally stable solid. [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]Cu(C2H4) reacts with [(Bn)2ATI]SnCl to yield [MeB(3-(CF3)Pz)3]Cu<--Sn(Cl)[(Bn)2ATI], featuring an unsupported Cu(I)-Sn(II) bond [2.4540(4) A].

Brightly phosphorescent trinuclear copper(I) complexes of pyrazolates: substituent effects on the supramolecular structure and photophysics.

Synthetic details, solid-state structures, and photophysical properties of a group of trimeric copper(I) complexes containing pyrazolate ligands are described. The reaction of copper(I) oxide and the fluorinated pyrazoles [3-(CF(3))Pz]H, [3-(CF(3)),5-(Me)Pz]H, and [3-(CF(3)),5-(Ph)Pz]H leads to the corresponding trinuclear copper(I) pyrazolates, {[3-(CF(3))Pz]Cu}(3), {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Me)Pz]Cu}(3), and {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Ph)Pz]Cu}(3), respectively, in high yield. The {[3,5-(i-Pr)(2)Pz]Cu}(3) compound was obtained by a reaction between [Cu(CH(3)CN)(4)][BF(4)], [3,5-(i-Pr)(2)Pz]H, and NEt(3). These compounds as well as {[3,5-(Me)(2)Pz]Cu}(3) and {[3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz]Cu}(3) adopt trimeric structures with nine-membered Cu(3)N(6) metallacycles. There are varying degrees and types of intertrimer Cu...Cu interactions. These contacts give rise to zigzag chains in the fluorinated complexes, {[3-(CF(3))Pz]Cu}(3), {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Me)Pz]Cu}(3), {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Ph)Pz]Cu}(3), and {[3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz]Cu}(3), whereas the nonfluorinated complexes, {[3,5-(Me)(2)Pz]Cu}(3) and {[3,5-(i-Pr)(2)Pz]Cu}(3) form dimers of trimers. Out of all the compounds examined in this study, {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Ph)Pz]Cu}(3) has the longest (3.848 Angstroms) and {[3,5-(Me)(2)Pz]Cu}(3) has the shortest (2.946 Angstroms) next-neighbor intertrimer Cu...Cu distance. The Cu...Cu separations within the trimer units do not vary significantly (typically 3.20-3.26 Angstroms). All of these trinuclear copper(I) pyrazolates show bright luminescence upon exposure to UV radiation. The luminescence bands are hugely red-shifted from the corresponding lowest-energy excitations, rather broad, and unstructured even at low temperatures, suggesting metal-centered emissions owing to intertrimer Cu...Cu interactions that are strengthened in the phosphorescent state. The {[3-(CF(3)),5-(Ph)Pz]Cu}(3) compound exhibits an additional highly structured phosphorescence with a vibronic structure corresponding to the pyrazolyl (Pz) ring. The luminescence properties of solids and solutions of the trimeric compounds in this study show fascinating trends with dramatic sensitivities to temperature, solvent, concentration, and excitation wavelengths.

Neutral Cu4N12 and Ag4N12 metallacycles with a para-cyclophane framework assembled from copper(I) and silver(I) pyrazolates and pyridazine.

Trinuclear copper(I) and silver(I) pyrazolates {[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]M}3 (M = Cu and Ag) react with pyridazine to give neutral, tetranuclear metallacycles with a para-cyclophane core whereas benzo[c]cinnoline fails to break the cyclic pyrazolate trimers under similar conditions, and affords a metalla-propellane featuring both two- and three-coordinate metal sites.

Blue phosphors of dinuclear and mononuclear copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolate and the related bis(pyrazolyl)borate.

The synthesis, structure, and photoluminescence properties are described for the three-coordinate mononuclear and dinuclear complexes [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)]M(2,4,6-collidine), M(1)(), and [[3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz]M(2,4,6-collidine)](2), M(2)(), respectively (M = Cu; Ag). The solids exhibit bright blue phosphorescence, at room temperature for the copper compounds and at 77 K for all compounds. Ag(1)(), Cu(1)(), and Cu(2)() exhibit blue pyrazole-based structured emissions with short phosphorescence lifetimes, 10(1)-10(2) micros, due to an internal heavy-metal effect. Meanwhile, Ag(2)() exhibits curious multiple excitation-dependent emissions.

Bright phosphorescence of a trinuclear copper(I) complex: luminescence thermochromism, solvatochromism, and "concentration luminochromism".

A photophysical study is reported for the trinuclear copper(I) complex {[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Cu}3. The neutral compound exhibits multicolor bright phosphorescent emissions both in the solid state and in solution. The emission can be tuned to multiple visible colors by controlling the temperature, solvent, and {[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Cu}3 concentration, giving rise to luminescence thermochromism, luminescence solvatochromism, and a new optical phenomenon called "concentration luminochromism", respectively.

Activation of alkyl halides via a silver-catalyzed carbene insertion process.

The silver complex [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3]Ag(THF) featuring a highly fluorinated tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand catalyzes the formation of aliphatic carbon-halogen bond activation products under remarkably mild conditions. For example, the reaction between CHCl3 and ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) at room temperature in the presence of the silver catalyst afforded HClC(CO2Et)CCl2H in 60% yield. The presence of beta-hydrogens on the alkyl halide leads to net hydrogen halide addition to the carbene and an alkene.