Synthesis and reactivity of cationic bipyridine tungsten(0) and molybdenum(0) nitrosyl complexes

A variety of Group 6 mono bipyridine (bpy) complexes were prepared, and substitution reactions of [(bpy)(MeIm)M(CO)₂(NO)]PF₆ complexes (MeIm = 1-methylimidazole, M = W or Mo) were investigated. Nitrosylation of complexes having the general formula (bpy)(L)M(CO)₃ (L = a variable ligand) gave cationic complexes of the form [(bpy)(L)M(CO)₂(NO)]PF₆. The structure of [(bpy)(MeIm)W(CO)₂(NO)]PF₆ was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. [(bpy)(MeIm)M(CO)₂(NO)]PF₆ complexes undergo facile substitutions with mono-, tri- and tetra-dentate ligands, yielding di- or mono-carbonyl mononitrosyl complexes. The structures of [(bpy)(PMe₃)₂W(CO)(NO)]PF₆ and [(dien)(PMe₃)W(CO)(NO)]PF₆ (dien = diethylenetriamine) were determined by X-ray diffraction.     

Metal complexes of anti-inflammatory drugs. Part III. Nictindole complexes of copper(II) halides

The preparation and properties of the copper(II) halide complexes CuX₂(NIDOL)₂ (where X = Cl, Br) are reported for the anti-inflammatory drug nictindole (NIDOL). The diffuse reflectance spectra, magnetic moments and electron spin resonance spectra are consistent with a tetragonally distorted pseudo-octahedral environment around the copper(II) ions. The infrared spectra indicate monodentate coordination of the neutral drug to the central metal ion via the nitrogen atom of the pyridine ring.     

A study of redox reactions of biological imporatance between Fe(III) complexes and aromatic moieties

The possibility that electrons can be transferred to low potential iron (III) complexes from substituted indoles, phenols and phenyls internally in metallo-proteins and between iron(III) and aromatic groups in separated molecules has been examined. It is concluded that such reactions are extremely improbable. Electron exchange between phenol radicals and indole or benzene derivatives is also shown to be unlikely.     

Triphenylbismuth seven-coordinate complexes of molybdenum(II) and tungsten(II)

The seven-coordinate complexes [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] (M = Mo and W) react with one equivalent of BiPh₃ in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature to give the monoacetonitrile complexes [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)]. The molybdenum complex [MoI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)] after stirring in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature for 5 h affords the iodide-bridged dimer [Mo(μ-I)I(CO)₃(BiPh₃)]₂, whereas the tungsten complex [WI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)] does not appear to dimerise even after stirring for 48 h in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature. Reaction of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] with two equivalents of BiPh₃ gives the bistriphenylbismuth compounds [MI₂(CO)₃(BiPh₃)₂] in good yield. The new mixed ligand complexes [MI₂(CO)₃L(BiPh₃)] were prepared either by reaction of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)]in situ with one equivalent of L(L = P(OPh)₃), or an in situ reaction of [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)L] (L = PPh₃ and SbPh₃; and L = AsPh₃ and PPh₂Cy (for M = Mo only) with an equimolar quantity of BiPh₃. Reaction of [MoI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)] with one equivalent of 2,2′-bipyridyl (bipy) in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature afforded the cationic complexes [MoI(CO)₃(bipy)(BiPh₃)]I in good yield. The complex [WI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)(BiPh₃)] (prepared in situ) reacts with two equivalents of NaS₂CNMe₂·2H₂O to eventually give the non-triphenylbismuth containing product [W(CO)₃(S₂CNMe₂)₂] in high yield.     

Ferrocenyl-substituted allenylidene complexes of chromium, molybdenum and tungsten: Synthesis, structure and reactivity

Bis(ferrocenyl)-substituted allenylidene complexes, [(CO)₅MCCCFc₂] (1a-c, Fc = (C₅H₄)Fe(C₅H₅), M = Cr (a), Mo (b), W (c)) were obtained by sequential reaction of Fc₂CO with Me₃Si-CCH, KF/MeOH, n-BuLi, and [(CO)₅M(THF)]. For the synthesis of related mono(ferrocenyl)allenylidene chromium complexes, [(CO)₅CrCCC(Fc)R] (R = Ph, NMe₂), three different routes were developed: (a) reaction of the deprotonated propargylic alcohol HCCC(Fc)(Ph)OH with [(CO)₅Cr(THF)] followed by desoxygenation with Cl₂CO, (b) Lewis acid induced alcohol elimination from alkenyl(alkoxy)carbene complexes, [(CO)₅CrC(OR)CHC(NMe₂)Fc], and (c) replacement of OMe in [(CO)₅CrCCC(OMe)NMe₂] by Fc. Complex 1a was also formed when the mono(ferrocenyl)allenylidene complex [(CO)₅CrCCC(Fc)NMe₂] was treated first with Li[Fc] and the resulting adduct then with SiO₂. The replacement route (c) was also applied to the synthesis of an allenylidene complex (7a) with a CC spacer in between the ferrocenyl unit and C_γ of the allenylidene ligand, [(CO)₅CrCCC(NMe₂)-CCFc]. The related complex containing a CHCH spacer (9a) was prepared by condensation of [(CO)₅CrCCC(Me)NMe₂] with formylferrocene in the presence of NEt₃. The bis(ferrocenyl)-substituted allenylidene complexes 1a-c added HNMe₂ across the C_α-C_β bond to give alkenyl(dimethylamino)carbene complexes and reacted with diethylaminopropyne by regioselective insertion of the CC bond into the C_β-C_γ bond to afford alkenyl(diethylamino)allenylidene complexes, [(CO)₅MCCC(NEt₂)CMeCFc₂]. The structures of 5a, 7a, and 9a were established by X-ray diffraction studies.     

Different reaction behaviour of molybdenum and tungsten - Reactions of the dichloro dioxo dimethyl-bispyridine complexes with thiophenolate

The reaction of the metal complexes MO₂Cl₂(mebipy) (M = Mo, W) with two equivalents thiophenol by the exact same procedure leads to two different products for molybdenum [Mo₂O₄(SPh)₂(mebipy)₂] and tungsten [WO₂(SPh)₂(mebipy)]. To understand why this is the case the redox potentials of the starting materials were measured showing that the redox potential for thiophenol is lower than the redox potentials (M^V ↔ M^VI) for both of the metal precursors. A reduction of the metal and oxidation of the sulfur should be possible for both reactions but occurs only for the molybdenum compound. Theoretical calculations show that different metal-sulfur bond strengths are as well and equally responsible for the differing reaction behaviour as are the redox potentials.     

Intramolecular photoredox reactions in iron(III) cytochrome c and its azide derivative

The irradiation of deaerated solutions of horse heart cytochrome c causes the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). The dependence of the photoreaction quantum yield on pH shows that the photoreactive species is a form of cytochrome c which contains methionine-80 and histidine-18 as heme ligands. The primary photochemical event consists of an electron transfer from the sulphur of methionine- 80 to iron. The re-oxidation of the photochemically obtained Fe(II) protein gives a Fe(III) cytochrome which exhibits a typical low-spin absorption spectrum, lacking the 695-nm band and indicating that a strong field ligand, other than methionine-80, coordinates to the sixth binding site of the heme iron. Spectrophotometric titration of the photochemically modified Fe(III) cytochrome shows that histidine- 18 remains bound in the fifth position.The substitution of methionine-80 with the more oxidizable azide ligand increases the efficiency of the intramolecular electron transfer. Azide radicals, detected by spin-trapping ESR technique, are formed in the primary act. Visible-UV spectral data indicate that histidine-18 and methionine-80 occupy the fifth and sixth position, respectively, in the photoreaction product. All the results obtained correlate well with those previously obtained in investigations concerning the photoredox behavior of iron porphyrin complexes.     

Inhibition of two mitochondrial enzymes by gold(III) halo complexes. Evidence for a binding mechanism

Fumarase (EC 4.2.1.2) and mitochondrial L-malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) were both inhibited by NaAuCl₄ and KAuBr₄. The inhibition for both was measured as a function of gold complex concentration and aquation time, and the NaAuCl₄ inhibition was also measured in the presence of 0.15 M NaCl. Regeneration of the enzyme activity after NaAuCl₄ inhibition using L-cysteine, L-methionine and NaCN was also investigated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) acrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis was performed on the NaAuCl₄ inhibited enzymes as well as on ribonuclease A (EC 3.1.26.2), lysozyme (EC 3.2.1.17) and liver alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1). It was observed that the inhibition was proportional to the gold complex concentration but decreased markedly after aquation of the complex. In the presence of NaCl the initial rate of inactivation is essentially unaffected unless the complex has been aquated and then the initial rate is increased. Gel electrophoresis on gold complex-enzyme mixtures show polymerization for ribonuclease and lysozyme and amino acid analysis indicates that no oxidation has taken place. From these results, a binding mechanism is postulated for the inhibition of the dehydrogenases by direct displacement of a halide ligand, probably by two groups on the enzyme, at least one of which may be a sulfur containing acid.     

Electroanalytical determination of tungsten and molybdenum in proteins

Recent crystal structure determinations accelerated the progress in the biochemistry of tungsten-containing enzymes. In order to characterize these enzymes, a sensitive determination of this metal in protein-containing samples is necessary. An electroanalytical tungsten determination has successfully been adapted to determine the tungsten and molybdenum content in enzymes. The tungsten and molybdenum content can be measured simultaneously from 1 to 10 microg of purified protein with little or no sample handling. More crude protein samples require precipitation of interfering surface active material with 10% perchloric acid. This method affords the isolation of novel molybdenum- and tungsten-containing proteins via molybdenum and tungsten monitoring of column fractions, without using radioactive isotopes. A screening of soluble proteins from Pyrococcus furiosus for tungsten, using anion-exchange column chromatography to separate the proteins, has been performed. The three known tungsten-containing enzymes from P. furiosus were recovered with this screening.     

Determination of molybdenum and tungsten in biological materials

A spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of molybdenum and tungsten in the presence of each other in biological materials, has been developed. The method involves the selective formation and extraction of the complexes of the metals with 4-methyl-1,2-dimercaptobenzene under specified conditions of acidity and temperature. Possible interference by components found in biological materials, was examined and shown to be negligible.     

Catecholamine complexes of ruthenium-edta and their redox chemistry.

The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical behavior of some neurotransmitters (dopamine and L-dopa) and their corresponding novel blue ruthenium(III)-edta complexes were investigated in aqueous solutions. At pH 7-10, the free ligand species can be electrochemically oxidized in the range of 0.1-0.6 V versus SHE, yielding primarily quinone products susceptible to pH-dependent, secondary intramolecular chemical reactions, which make the redox processes irreversible. When coordinated to the ruthenium(III)-edta complex, their electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical behavior is dramatically changed, approaching that of metal complexes with noninnocent dioxolene ligands. Reduction of the ruthenium(III) moiety proceeds reversibly above pH 9, in the region from -0.5 to -0.7 V. The oxidation process centered on the catecholate ligands becomes reversible and leads exclusively to the formation of the semiquinone species, with no evidence of complications from further reactions. These changes in the electrochemical behavior of the neurotransmitters make their cyclovoltammetric waves for reduction/oxidation more defined, favoring more precise quantitative analyses.     

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of some new seven-coordinate thioacetamide complexes of molybdenum(II) and tungsten(II)

The compounds [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)₂] (M = Mo or W) react with one equivalent of SC(NH₂)Me in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature to initially give the acetonitrile substituted products [MI₂(CO)₃(NCMe)- {SC(NH₂)Me}] which was isolated for M = W. However, the molybdenum complex rapidly dimerizes with loss of acetonitrile to give the iodide-bridged compound [Mo(σ-I)I(CO)₃ {SC(NH₂)Me}]₂. The tungsten complex does not appear to dimerize, even after stirring at room temperature for 72 h in CH₂Cl₂. Two equivalents of thioacetamide react with [MI₂- (CO)₃(NCMe)₂] in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature to give the new bisthioacetamide compounds [MI₂- (CO)₃{SC(NH₂)Me}₂] via displacement of the labile acetonitrile ligands. The low temperature (−70 °C) ¹³C NMR spectrum of [WI₂(CO)₃{SC(NH₂)Me}₂] indicates that the geometry of the complex is capped octahedral with a carbonyl ligand in the unique capping position.     

Iron nitrosyl hemoglobin formation from the reactions of hemoglobin and hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea represents an approved treatment for sickle cell anemia and acts as a nitric oxide donor under oxidative conditions in vitro. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that hydroxyurea reacts with oxy-, deoxy-, and methemoglobin to produce 2-6% of iron nitrosyl hemoglobin. No S-nitrosohemoglobin forms during these reactions. Cyanide and carbon monoxide trapping studies reveal that hydroxyurea oxidizes deoxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin and reduces methemoglobin to deoxyhemoglobin. Similar experiments reveal that iron nitrosyl hemoglobin formation specifically occurs during the reaction of hydroxyurea and methemoglobin. Experiments with hydroxyurea analogues indicate that nitric oxide transfer requires an unsubstituted acylhydroxylamine group and that the reactions of hydroxyurea and deoxy- and methemoglobin likely proceed by inner-sphere mechanisms. The formation of nitrate during the reaction of hydroxyurea and oxyhemoglobin and the lack of nitrous oxide production in these reactions suggest the intermediacy of nitric oxide as opposed to its redox form nitroxyl. A mechanistic model that includes a redox cycle between deoxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin has been forwarded to explain these results that define the reactivity of hydroxyurea and hemoglobin. These direct nitric oxide producing reactions of hydroxyurea and hemoglobin may contribute to the overall pathophysiological properties of this drug.