Chiral ruthenium(II) anthraquinone complexes as dual inhibitors of topoisomerases I and II

Abstract  

DNA topoisomerases (I and II) have been one of the excellent targets in anticancer drug development. Here two chiral ruthenium(II) anthraquinone complexes, Δ- and Λ-[Ru(bpy)₂(ipad)]²⁺, where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine and ipad is 2-(anthracene-9,10-dione-2-yl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, were synthesized and characterized. As expected, both of the Ru(II) complexes intercalate into DNA base pairs and possess an obviously greater affinity with DNA. Topoisomerase inhibition and DNA strand passage assay confirmed that the two complexes are efficient dual inhibitors of topoisomerases I and II by interference with the DNA religation. In MTT cytotoxicity studies, two Ru(II) complexes exhibited antitumor activity against HeLa, MCF-7, HepG2 and BEL-7402 tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis shows an increase in the percentage of cells with apoptotic morphological features in the sub-G1 phase for Ru(II) complexes. Nuclear chromatin cleavage has also been observed from AO/EB staining assay and alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The results demonstrated that Δ- and Λ-[Ru(bpy)₂(ipad)]²⁺ act as dual inhibitors of topoisomerases I and II, and cause DNA damage that can lead to cell cycle arrest and/or cell death by apoptosis.     

Five- and six-coordinate ruthenium(II) porphyrin tetiaryphosphine complexes,and their reactions with dioxygen via inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms

The 5-coordinate ruthenium(II) octaethylporphyrin complex Ru(OEP)(PPh₃) has been prepared by reduction of Ru(OEP)(PPh₃)Br using zinc amalgam. Both the Ru(OEP)(PPh₃)₃ complexes (n = 1,2) undergo reaction in toluene with O₂ to generate OPPh₃, RuO₂, and the parent porphyrin H₂(OEP); trace water and the μ-oxo dimer [Ru(OEP)(OH)]₂O are implicated in the oxidation reaction, which is considered to be initiated by coordination of O₂ to Ru(OEP)(PPh₃). In contrast, a catalytic O₂-oxidation of excess PPh₃ to the oxide probably goes via an initial outer-sphere reaction with Ru(OEP)(PPh₃)₂, that generates superoxides and Ru(III), both detectable by ESR; the superoxide is believed to be stabilized via portion addition as HO₂· that subsequently disproportionates to O₂ and H₂O₂. PPh₃ is oxidized by the peroxide, and during a reduction step that regenerates the Ru(II) catalyst from Ru(III).     

Novel ruthenium(II) diamine complexes

The complex cations [Ru(C₇H₁₆N₂)(C₁₀H₁₄)Cl]⁺, [Ru(C₇H₁₆N₂)(C₆H₆)Cl]⁺, [Ru(C₉H₁₈N₂)(C₆H₆)Cl]⁺, [Ru(C₉H₁₈N₂)(C₁₀H₁₄)Cl]⁺ and [Ru(C₁₄H₁₆N₂)(C₁₀H₁₄)Cl]⁺ have been synthesised from the reaction between the ruthenium-arene complexes [with C₆H₆ (benzene) or C₁₀H₁₄ (p-cymene)] and the respective chiral diamines [C₇H₁₆N₂=(S)-(−)-2-aminomethyl-1-ethylpyrrolidine, C₉H₁₈N₂=(S)-(+)-2-(pyrrolidinylmethyl)-pyrrolidine, or C₁₄H₁₆N₂=(1R,2R)-(+)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine], isolated and characterised as chloride salts using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All complexes were fully characterised by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, ¹³C and ¹H NMR, and also found to exhibit catalytic activity in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol at 50 °C (enantiomeric excesses range from ca. 25% to 60%, and conversions from ca. 30% to 50%).     

Heterogenization of solvent-ligated copper(II) complexes on poly(4-vinylpyridine) for the catalytic cyclopropanation of olefins

[Cu(NCCH₃)₆][B(C₆F₅)₄]₂ and [Cu(NCCH₃)₆][B{C₆H₃(CF₃)₂}₄]₂ are immobilized on poly(4-vinylpyridine). Both resulting materials (Cu(II) complexes immobilized on polymer) are applicable as catalysts for the cyclopropanation of olefins at room temperature. The immobilized Cu(II) compounds are quite stable and recyclable for several catalytic runs, however with some decrease in the catalytic activity.     

Copper(I)-imine complexes: Synthesis and catalytic activity in olefin cyclopropanation

Different imine-type ligands, prepared by the condensation of anilines or of α-methylbenzylamine with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (pyim^1,2) or 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde (quim^1,2) were prepared. These species act as N,N′-bidentate, chelating ligands upon coordination to Cu(I): treatment of [Cu(PPh₃)₃Cl] with an equimolar amount of the ligands resulted in the displacement of two molecules of PPh₃, giving rise to the formation of [Cu(pyim^1,2)(PPh₃)Cl] (1-2) and [Cu(quim^1,2)(PPh₃)Cl] (3-4), respectively. The copper derivatives 1-4 proved to be highly active catalysts in olefin cyclopropanation in the presence of ethyl diazoacetate, even using deactivated olefins (namely, 2-cyclohexen-1-one) as substrate. The X-ray structure of complex 2, [Cu(pyim²)(PPh₃)Cl], is also reported.     

The reaction of ruthenium(II) octaethylporphyrin and ruthenium(II) tetraphenylporphyrin complexes with carbon monoxide

The reactions of Ru^IIOEP(L)₂ and Ru^IITPP(L)₂ with carbon monoxide, where OEP and TPP are the dianions of octaethylporphyrin and tetraphenylporphyrin, respectively, are reported for various ligands (L=dimethyl formamide, acetonitrile, aniline and substituted benzonitriles). The first-order rate constants for the loss of XC₆H₄CN from Ru^II OEP(XC₆H₄CN)₂ increase with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of X. The best Hammett σ/ϱ correlation is obtained when both σ⁺ and σ⁻values are employed. It is concluded that sigma donation from ligand-to-metal is the major mode of bonding in ruthenium-porphyrin-benzonitrile complexes.     

Electronic and steric effects in cobalt Schiff bases complexes: Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of some cobalt(II) tetra-halogens-dimethyl salen complexes

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of a series of tetra-halogeno-dimethyl salen cobalt (II) complexes are reported in this paper. The investigated complexes of cobalt (II) with Schiff bases are: αα′-di-methyl Salen cobalt (II) [Co(dMeSalen)], 3,3′,5,5′-tetra chloro α,α′-di-methyl Salen cobalt (II), [Co(tCldMeSalen)], 3,3′-di-bromo 5,5′-di-chloro α,α′-di-methyl Salen cobalt (II), [Co(tBrdMeSalen)], 3,3′,5,5′-tetra bromo α,α′-di-methyl Salen cobalt (II), [Co(tBrdMeSalen)] and 3,3′,5,5′-tetra iodo α,α′-di-methyl Salen cobalt (II), [Co(tIdMeSalen)] (where Salen is bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediamine). The characterization of the complexes was performed by elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry, UV-Vis, IR and EPR spectroscopies. The study was made in DMF, and pyridine was used for coordination as axial base. The redox potential is influenced by the substituent grafted on aromatic ring and in the azomethynic position and also by the molecules coordinating in axial position (solvent, DMF, or pyridine). The catalytic oxygenation of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol by these complexes leads to the obtention of benzoquinone and diphenoquinone products. The cobalt (II) complexes form reversible adducts with molecular oxygen.     

8-Quinolinolato complexes of ruthenium(II) and (III)

Reduction of RuQ₃ (1a, Q = 8-quinolinolato) with Zn/Hg in the presence of various π-acceptor ligands in ethanol affords RuQ₂L₂ (L₂ = (dimethylsulfoxide)₂ (2); (4-picoline)₂ (3); N,N′-dimethyl-1,4-diazabuta-1,3-diene, dab (4); cyclooctadiene, COD (5); norborna-2,5-diene, nbd (6)). Compound 6 is isolated as an equimolar mixture of cis,trans (6a) and trans,cis (6b) isomers, which can be separated by column chromatography. DFT calculations have been performed on 6a and 6b. Oxidation of 3 and 6b affords the corresponding ruthenium(III) species 7 and 8, respectively. The structures of 2, 3, 4 and 6 have been determined by X-ray crystallography.     

Neutral ruthenium(II) complexes of phenylcyanamido ligands

Neutral Ru(II) complexes with the formula trans-[Ru(trpy*)(L₂)(pcyd)] have been prepared, where trpy* = 4,4′,4″-tri-tert-butyl-terpyridine, L₂ = 2-pyrazinecarboxylato (pca), 2-pyridinecarboxylato (pic), acetylacetonato (acac) and pcyd = 3-chlorophenylcyanamido (3-Clpcyd), 2,3-dichlorophenylcyanamido (2,3-Cl₂pcyd), 2,4,6-trichlorophenylcyanamido (2,4,6- Cl₃pcyd), 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenylcyanamido (2,3,4,5-Cl₄pcyd) and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylcyanamido (3,4,5-(OMe)₃pcyd). Spectroelectrochemistry was performed on these Ru(II) complexes to obtain the visible absorption spectrum of the Ru(III)–cyanamide ligand-to-metal charge transfer chromophore. The Ru(III)–cyanamide metal–ligand coupling elements of these complexes were compared to other Ru(III)–cyanamide complexes.     

Trispyrazolylmethane piano stool complexes of iron(II) and cobalt(II)

A series of cationic trispyrazolylmethane complexes of the general form [Tm^RM(CH₃CN)₃]²⁺ (Tm = tris(pyrazolyl)methane, 1, R = 3,5-Me₂, M = Fe(II); 2, R = 3-Ph, M = Fe(II); 3, R = 3,5-Me₂, M = Co(II); 4, R = 3-Ph, M = Co(II)) with ‘piano-stool’ structures was prepared by the reaction of the N₃tripodal ligands (Tm^R)with [(CH₃CN)₆M](BF₄)₂ in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that all four complexes with BF₄⁻ counter anions are paramagnetic, high-spin systems in the solid state with μ_eff at high temperatures of 5.2 (1, S = 2), 5.4 (2, S = 2), 4.9 (3, S = 3/2) and 4.6 (4, S = 3/2) BM, respectively. Comparisons of bond lengths from the metal centre to the Tm^R nitrogen donors, and from the metal centre to the acetonitrile nitrogen donors indicate that the neutral tripodal ligands appear to be more weakly coordinated to the metal centre than are the acetonitrile ligands. Reactions of these tripodal complexes with bidentate phosphine ligands, such as 1,2-diphosphinoethane or 1,2-bis(diallylphosphino)ethane leads to displacement of the tripodal ligand, or to the formation of more thermally stable bis-ligand complexes M(Tm^R)₂ (R = 3,5-dimethyl).     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of (bis-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) acetylacetonate complexes

The synthesis, electrochemistry, spectroscopy and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of five bis-bipyridine ruthenium(II) complexes containing acetylacetonate complexes are reported. More specifically, (bpy)₂Ru(BA)₂(PF₆) (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; BA = benzoylacetonate), (bpy)₂Ru(TTFA)(PF₆) (TTFA =  thenoyltrifluoroacetonate), (bpy)₂Ru(TFPB)(PF₆) (TFPB = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedionate), (bpy)₂Ru(TFPD)(PF₆) (TFPD =  1,1,1-trifluoro-2-4-pentanedionate), and (bpy)₂Ru(DBM)(PF₆) (DBM = dibenzoylmethide) display UV-Vis, photoluminescence, electrochemical and ECL properties characteristic of ruthenium bipyridyl complexes. All complexes display absorptions in the UV and visible regions of the spectra, with visible absorptions ranging from 350 to 700 nm, typical of metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions. Photoluminescence emission maxima are also characteristic of MLCT transitions with wavelength maxima from 575 to 600 nm depending on the nature of the acetylacetonate ligand. ECL efficiencies for the complexes (?_ecl ∼ 0.013-0.051) are much lower than a standard (?_ecl = 1) with electron-withdrawing substituents resulting in lower efficiencies.     

EPR studies of copper(II) and cobalt(II) complexes of adriamycin

Cu2+ and Co2+ complexes of adriamycin (ADM) in aqueous solutions have been examined using EPR spectroscopy. An appreciable amount of Cu2+ and Co2+ complexes formed in the solutions were found to be in the EPR silent associated form, where the metal ions are antiferromagnetically coupled. The associated form of the Cu2+ complex may be neither a simple dimer nor coordination polymer but aggregates of a stacked type. Formation of a complex having Cu2+-ADM stoichiometry of 1:2 was observed for the solutions containing excess of ADM as an EPR observable species. The complex having Cu2+-ADM stoichiometry of 1:1 was not observed directly by EPR, but the presence of the complex is undeniable, especially at low pH range so far as large excessive ADM is not present. The Co2+ complex of ADM observed by EPR is in the high-spin (S = 3/2) state and may have a coordination structure of tetragonal symmetry. The EPR spectra of these complexes apparently show that the Cu2+ and Co2+ ions are bound at the carbonyl and phenolate oxygen in the 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone moiety and the amino nitrogen in the sugar part does not seem to participate in the coordination to the metal ions.     

DNA-binding studies of mixed-ligand (ethylenediamine)ruthenium(II) complexes

A series of mixed-ligand ruthenium(II) complexes of the type [Ru(en)(2)bpy](2+) (bpy=2,2-bipyridine; 1), [Ru(en)(2)phen](2+) (phen=1,10-phenantroline; 2), [Ru(en)(2)IP](2+) (IP=imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline; 3), and [Ru(en)(2)PIP](2+) (PIP=2-phenylimidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline; 4) have been isolated and characterized by UV/VIS, IR, and (1)H-NMR spectral methods. The binding of the complexes with calf thymus DNA has been investigated by absorption, emission spectroscopy, viscosity measurements, DNA melting, and DNA photo-cleavage. The spectroscopic studies together with viscosity measurements and DNA melting studies support that complexes 1 and 2 bind to CT DNA (=calf thymus DNA) by groove mode. Complex 2 binds more avidly to CT DNA than complex 1, complexes 3 and 4 bind to CT DNA by intercalation mode, 4 binds more avidly to CT DNA than 3. Noticeably, the four complexes have been found to be efficient photosensitisers for strand scissions in plasmid DNA.     

Anti-tubercular activity of ruthenium (II) complexes with polypyridines

A series of nine polypyridyl-ruthenium (II) complexes (N-ligands = 2,2'-bipyridines; 2,2'-6',2'-terpyridines, di-alkyloxy-2,2'-6,2-bipyridine-3,3'-di-carboxylates), were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT). The complex (11) showed remarkable activity against MBT as compared to other complexes, (1-10). The aquo ligand of complex (11), as opposed to other chloro and acetonitrile derivatives, appears to play a key role in the antitubercular potency of this new class of metal-based compounds.     

D-galactosamine complexes with copper(II), nickel(II), and cobalt(II)

The potentiometric and spectroscopic methods were applied to describe the equilibria for the Cu(II), Ni(II), and Co(II), D-galactosamine solutions. The stability constants, the spectral data, and the results obtained earlier precisely defined the binding ability of the aminosugars.     

The photochemical and electrochemical properties of chiral porphyrin dimer and self-aggregate nanorods of cobalt(II) porphyrin dimer

In this paper, the novel chiral porphyrin dimer ligand and its cobalt(II) porphyrin dimer were synthesized by using a glutamate bridging group. The FT-IR and Raman spectra of the chiral porphyrin dimer were investigated. Furthermore, the photochemical and electrochemical properties of dimer were studied. In addition, we prepared the nanorods of the cobalt(II) porphyrin dimer using liquid-solid-solution (LSS) technologies. The shape and dimension of the spontaneous aggregates of cobalt(II) porphyrin dimer were characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show the diameter and shape of the aggregates can be controlled by refining the stocked solution temperature.     

Optical investigation of spin-crossover in cobalt(II) bis-terpy complexes

The spin transition of the [Co(terpy)₂]²⁺ complex (terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) is analysed based on experimental data from optical spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The single crystal absorption spectrum of [Co(terpy)₂](ClO₄)₂ shows an asymmetric absorption band at 14 400 cm⁻¹ with an intensity typical for a spin-allowed d-d transition and a temperature behaviour typical for a thermal spin transition. The single crystal absorption spectra of suggest that in this compound, the complex is essentially in the high-spin state at all temperatures. However, the increase in intensity observed in the region of the low-spin MLCT transition with increasing temperature implies an unusual partial thermal population of the low-spin state of up to about 10% at room temperature. Finally, high-spin → low-spin relaxation curves following pulsed laser excitation for [Co(terpy)₂](ClO₄)₂ dispersed in KBr discs, and as a comparison for the closely related [Co(4-terpyridone)₂](ClO₄)₂ spin-crossover compound are given.     

Unusual phenomenon in the chemistry of orthometalated ruthenium (II) complexes

Yellow cyclometalatated ruthenium (II) complexes [Ru(o-X-2-py)(MeCN)₄]PF₆ (1, X = C₆H₄ (a) or 4-MeC₆H₃ (b)) react readily with 1,10-phenanthroline (LL) in MeCN to give brownish-red species cis-[Ru(o-X-2-py)(LL)(MeCN)₂]PF₆ in high yields. The same reaction of the same complexes under the same conditions with 2,2′-bipyridine results in a significant color change from yellow to brownish-orange suggesting a formation of new species. Surprisingly, X-ray structural studies of these two complexes showed that they are structurally indistinguishable from the starting complexes 1. Referred to as complexes 4a,b, the new compounds are slightly more stable in the air though their spectral characteristics in solution are similar to 1a,b. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is so far the only technique that indicated differences between 1 and 4.