Rigid NON- and NSN-ligand complexes of tetravalent and trivalent uranium: comparison of U-OAr2 and U-SAr2 bonding.

A rigid NSN-donor proligand, 4,5-bis(2,6-diisopropylanilino)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene (H(2)[TXA(2)], 1) was prepared by palladium-catalyzed coupling of 2,6-diisopropylaniline with 4,5-dibromo-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene. Deprotonation of 1 using (n)BuLi provided Li(2)(DME)(2)[TXA(2)] (2), and subsequent reaction with UCl(4) afforded [Li(DME)(3)][(TXA(2))UCl(3)] (4). The analogous NON-donor ligated complex [(XA(2))UCl(3)K(DME)(3)] [3; XA(2) = 4,5-bis(2,6-diisopropylanilino)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylxanthene] was prepared by the reaction of K(2)(DME)(x)[XA(2)] with UCl(4). A cyclic voltammogram (CV) of 3 in THF/[NBu(4)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] at 200 mV s(-1) showed an irreversible reduction to uranium(III) at E(pc) = -2.46 V versus FeCp(2)(0/+1), followed by a product wave at E(1/2) = -1.83 V. Complex 4 also underwent irreversible reduction to uranium(iii) [E(pc) = -2.56 V], resulting in an irreversible product peak at E(pa) = -1.83 V. One-electron reduction of complexes 3 and 4 using K(naphthalenide) under an argon atmosphere in DME yielded 6-coordinate [(XA(2))UCl(DME)] (5) and the thermally unstable 7-coordinate [(TXA(2))U(DME)Cl(2)Li(DME)(2)] (6), respectively. The U-S distances in 4 and 6 are uncommonly short, the C-S-U angles are unusually acute, and the thioxanthene backbone of the TXA(2) ligand is significantly bent. By contrast, the xanthene backbone in XA(2) complexes 3 and 5 is planar. However, κ(3)-coordination and an approximately meridional arrangement of the ancillary ligand donor atoms is maintained in all complexes. DFT and Atoms in Molecules (AIM) calculations were carried out on 3, 4, 5, 6, [(XA(2))UCl(3)](-) (3B), [(TXA(2))UCl(2)(DME)](-) (6B) and [(TXA(2))UCl(DME)] (6C) to probe the extent of covalency in U-SAr(2) bonding relative to U-OAr(2) bonding.

Samarium complexes of a sigma-/pi-pyrrolide/arene based macrocyclic ligand.

A bis-pyrrolide macrocyclic ligand [L = trans-calix[2]benzene[2]pyrrole(H)] containing two aromatic phenyl rings in the macrocycle backbone was reacted with SmCl(3)(THF)(3) to afford the corresponding [LSm(III)Cl] (1) complex. Its crystal structure showed the ligand adopting the sigma-bonding mode with the pyrrolide moieties and the pi-bonding with the two aromatic rings. Reaction of 1 with MeLi in THF gave a mixture of two compounds. The major was a C-H activated complex [LSm(III)(THF)] (2a) where the bonding mode of the pyrrolide rings was switched from sigma- to pi- as a result of the deprotonation and metallation of one of the two aromatic rings. The minor component was an unusual [(L)Sm(III)(HL')] (2b) complex containing both a regular ligand and an "N-confused" macrocyclic ligand. The two ligands wrapped the Sm center with the regular ligand adopting a bonding mode similar to 1. The second ligand instead acted as a simple sigma-bonded monodentate ligand, only using one nitrogen atom of one pyrrolide ring. However, this particular pyrrolide moiety has been isomerized by shifting the ring attachment to the macrocycle (N-confused system). In addition, the second pyrrolide ring has been protonated at the nitrogen atom. Complex 2b was obtained as major compound and in analytically pure form by reacting 1 with NaH.

Low-valent vanadium complexes of a pyrrolide-based ligand. Electronic structure of a dimeric V(I) complex with a short and weak metal-metal bond.

Deprotonation of the nitrogen atoms of the two pyrrole rings of 1,3-bis-{[(1'-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,1'-dimethyl]methyl}benzene with KH followed by further reaction with either VCl 3(THF) 3 or with VCl 2(TMEDA) 2 respectively gave the paramagnetic complexes [1,3-bis-{[(1'-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,1'-dimethyl]methyl}benzene]VCl(DME) ( 1) and [1,3-bis-{[(1'-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,1'-dimethyl]methyl}benzene]V(THF) 3 ( 2). Further reduction with the appropriate amount of KH afforded diamagnetic dinuclear [1,3-bis-{[(1'-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,1'-dimethyl]methyl}benzene]V} 2] ( 3). In complex 3, the bridging interaction between the two metal centers is realized via the ligand central benzene ring. Density functional theory calculations have elucidated the nature of the electronic interaction between the two metals with the bridging pi-system thus accounting for its visible structural distortion. Calculations also pointed out the presence of only a weak V-V bond in spite of the short V-V distance.

Crystal structure of the apo-PerR-Zn protein from Bacillus subtilis.

Bacteria adapt to elevated levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by increasing the expression of defence and repair proteins, which is regulated by ROS responsive transcription factors. In Bacillus subtilis the zinc protein PerR, a peroxide sensor that binds DNA in the presence of a regulatory metal Mn2+ or Fe2+, mediates the adaptive response to H2O2. This study presents the first crystal structure of apo-PerR-Zn which shows that all four cysteine residues of the protein are involved in zinc co-ordination. The Zn(Cys)4 site locks the dimerization domain and stabilizes the dimer. Sequence alignment of PerR-like proteins supports that this structural site may constitute a distinctive feature of this class of peroxide stress regulators.