Dinuclear triply bridged copper(II)-carboxylato compounds with different bischelating ligands: Synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic and magnetic properties

Three new triply bridged dinuclear copper(II) compounds containing carboxylato bridges, [Cu₂(μ-CH₃COO-κ-O¹,O²)₂(μ-CH₃COO-κ-O¹)(dpyam)₂](BF₄) (1), [Cu₂(μ-CH₂CH₃COO-κ-O¹,O²)(μ-OH)(μ-OH₂)(bpy)₂](ClO₄)₂ (2) and [Cu₂(μ-CH₃COO-κ-O¹,O²)(μ-OH)(μ-OH₂)(phen)₂](ClO₄)₂ (3) (in which dpyam = di-2-pyridylamine, bpy = 2,2-bipyridine, phen = phenanthroline), have been synthesized in order to investigate the magnetic super-exchange pathway between coupled copper(II) centres. All three compounds display a distorted square-pyramidal arrangement around each copper(II) ion with a CuN₂O₃ chromophore. Compound 1 has three acetato bridges, two of which connect each square pyramid at two equatorial sites in a triatomic bridging mode and the third acetato bridge acts at the apical site in the monoatomic bridging mode. The structures of compounds 2 and 3 are mutually similar. In each dinuclear unit, both copper(II) ions are linked at two equatorial positions through a hydroxo bridge and a triatomic carboxylato bridge and at the axial position through a water molecule.The magnetic susceptibility measurements, measured from 5 to 300 K, revealed an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II) ions in compound 1 and a ferromagnetic interaction for compounds 2 and 3 with singlet-triplet energy gaps (J) of −56, 149 and 120 cm⁻¹, for compounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively.     

Dinuclear triply-bridged copper(II) compounds containing carboxylato bridges and di-2-pyridylamine as a ligand: synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic and magnetic properties

Three new triply-bridged dinuclear copper(II) compounds with carboxylato bridges, [Cu₂(μ-O₂CH)(μ-OH)(μ-Cl)(dpyam)₂](PF₆) (1), [Cu₂(μ-O₂CH)₂(μ-OH)(dpyam)₂](PF₆) (2) and [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₂CH₃)₂(μ-OH)(dpyam)₂](ClO₄) (3) (dpyam = di-2-pyridylamine) have been synthesized and characterized crystallographically and spectroscopically. Compound 1 consists of a dinuclear unit in which both copper(II) ions are bridged by three different ligands, i.e., formate, chloride and hydroxide anions, providing a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry with a CuN₂O₂Cl chromophore. Compounds 2 and 3 have two bridging formato ligands and two bridging propionato ligands, respectively, together with a hydroxo bridge. The carboxylato ligands in both compounds 2 and 3 exhibit different coordination modes. One is in a syn, syn η¹:η¹:μ₂ bridging mode and the other is in a monoatomic bridging mode. The structure of compound 2 involves a dinuclear unit, with a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry around each Cu(II) ion with a CuN₂O₃ chromophore. Compound 3 contains a non-centrosymmetric unit; the coordination environment around Cu(1) is a distorted square-pyramidal geometry and an intermediate geometry of sp and tbp around the Cu(II) ion. The Cu?Cu separations are 3.061, 3.113 and 3.006 Å for compounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The EPR spectra of all three compounds show a broad isotropic signal with a g value around 2.10.The magnetic susceptibility measurements, measured from 5 to 280 K, revealed a moderate ferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II) ions with a singlet-triplet energy gap (J) of 79.7, 47.8 and 24.1 cm⁻¹, for compounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Also a very weak intermolecular antiferromagnetic interaction was observed between the dinuclear units.     

Modulation of plant mitochondrial VDAC by phytosterols

We have investigated the effect of cholesterol and two abundant phytosterols (sitosterol and stigmasterol) on the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) purified from mitochondria of bean seeds (Phaseolus coccineus). These sterols differ by the degree of freedom of their lateral chain. We show that VDAC displays sensitivity to the lipid-sterol ratio and to the type of sterol found in the membrane. The main findings of this study are: 1), cholesterol and phytosterols modulate the selectivity but only stigmasterol alters the voltage-dependence of the plant VDAC in the range of sterol fraction found in the plant mitochondrial membrane; 2), VDAC unitary conductance is not affected by the addition of sterols; 3), the effect of sterols on the VDAC is reversible upon sterol depletion with 10 μM methyl-β-cyclodextrins; and 4), phytosterols are essential for the channel gating at salt concentration prevailing in vivo. A quantitative analysis of the voltage-dependence indicates that stigmasterol inhibits the transition of the VDAC in the lowest subconductance states.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of doubly and triply bridged dinuclear copper(II) compounds containing di-2-pyridylamine as a ligand

The dihydroxo-bridged dinuclear copper(II) compound [Cu₂(dpyam)₂(μ-OH)₂]I₂ (1) and the triply bridged dinuclear copper(II) compounds with a formato bridge [Cu₂(dpyam)₂(μ-O₂CH)(μ-OH)(μ-OMe)](ClO₄) (2) and [Cu₂(dpyam)₂(μ-O₂CH)(μ-OH)(μ-Cl)](ClO₄) · 0.5H₂O (3) (in which dpyam=di-2-pyridylamine) have been synthesized and their crystal structures determined by X-ray crystallographic methods. All three compounds are either centrosymmetric, or have a symmetry plane in the molecule. Compound 1 contains the [Cu₂(dpyam)₂(μ-OH)₂]⁺ unit and iodide anions. Each copper(II) ion is in a slightly tetrahedrally distorted square planar coordination with the square plane consisting of two nitrogen atoms of the dpyam ligand and two bridging hydroxo groups. The Cu-I distances of 3.321 Å are quite long and only involve a weak semi-coordination. Compound 2 contains a triply bridged dinuclear copper(II) species, the coordination environment around each copper(II) ion involves a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal CuN₂O₃ chromophore. In the dinuclear unit of compound 3, the triply bridged copper(II) ions show a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal coordination of the CuN₂O₂Cl chromophore. The Cu-Cu distances are 2.933(2), 3.023(1) and 3.036(1) Å for compounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively.The magnetic susceptibility measurements, measured from 5 to 280 K, revealed a weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II) atoms for compound 1 with a singlet-triplet energy gap (J) of −15.3 cm⁻¹, whereas compounds 2 and 3 are ferromagnetic with J=62.5 and 79.1 cm⁻¹, respectively.