Mixed ligand copper(II) complexes of phenanthroline/bipyridyl and curcumin diketimines as DNA intercalators and their electrochemical behavior under Nafion and clay modified electrodes

The mode of binding of copper(II) mixed ligand complexes of phen/bpy and Knoevenagel condensate of curcumin (4-salicylidene-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) and 4-X-anilines with herring sperm DNA has been investigated using spectral and electrochemical techniques in Tris-HCl buffer pH 7.1. On titration with DNA, usual hypochromism and unusual (large) red shift (30-35 nm) for some of these complexes were observed in their absorption spectra of intense intraligand (IL) pi-pi* transition around 420 nm. Variations in the absorbance due to their interaction with DNA on time scale were also investigated, under fixed concentrations of complex and DNA. On interaction with DNA, the quasi-reversible CuII/I redox couple slightly improves its reversibility with considerable decrease in current intensity. The intercalation of these copper complexes into the DNA base pairs was also investigated by gel retardation assay method. All the experimental results indicate that the phen mixed copper(II) complexes intercalate more effectively into the DNA base pairs than their bpy counterparts. Significant differences in the redox behavior of these copper(II) complexes under electrochemically modified GC electrodes with Nafion and K10 Montmorillonite clay have also been investigated and discussed.     

An iron(II) complex with a N3S2 thioether ligand in the generation of an iron(IV)-oxo complex and its reactivity in olefin epoxidation

A new iron(II) complex bearing an N3S2 thioether ligand was synthesized and characterized with various spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography. A mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo intermediate was generated in the reaction of the iron(II) complex with various terminal oxidants. The iron(IV)-oxo species show a capability of epoxidizing olefins, and the olefin epoxidation occurs via an electrophilic oxidation mechanism.     

Reactivity of a cobalt(III)-peroxo complex in oxidative nucleophilic reactions

A mononuclear cobalt(III)-peroxo complex bearing a macrocyclic tetradentate N₄ ligand, [Co^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺ (TMC = 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), was generated in the reaction of [Co^II(TMC)]²⁺ and H₂O₂ in the presence of triethylamine in CH₃CN. The reactivity of the cobalt(III)-peroxo complex was investigated in aldehyde deformylation with various aldehydes and compared with that of iron(III)- and manganese(III)-peroxo complexes, such as [Fe^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺ and [Mn^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺. In this reactivity comparison, the reactivities of metal-peroxo species were found to be in the order of [Mn^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺ > [Co^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺ > [Fe^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺. A positive Hammett ρ value of 1.8, obtained in the reactions of [Co^III(TMC)(O₂)]⁺ and para-substituted benzaldehydes, demonstrates that the aldehyde deformylation by the cobalt(III)-peroxo species occurs via a nucleophilic reaction.     

Spectral and redox studies on mixed ligand complexes of cobalt(III) phenanthroline/bipyridyl and benzoylhydrazones, their DNA binding and antimicrobial activity

Cobalt(III) complexes of the type [Co(N-N)2L](ClO4)2.H2O [where L=anionic form of para-substituted benzaldehyde-benzoylhydrazone (BHBX-); X=H, Me, OMe, OH, Cl or NO2; N-N=2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen)] have been synthesized and characterized through UV-Vis, IR, NMR and electrochemical studies. The IR spectral frequencies support the mode of coordination of BHBX to the metal through the imino nitrogen and enolic oxygen atoms. The electronic absorption spectra exhibit metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition around 450 nm together with intraligand (IL) bands that are comparable to that of [Co(phen/bpy)3]3+. In acetonitrile solution these complexes show two well defined redox couples corresponding to Co(III/II) and Co(II/I) processes. Binding of these complexes with herring sperm DNA have been investigated by spectroscopic and voltammetric methods. The lower binding constant values of these complexes with respect to the [Co(phen/bpy)3]3+ are ascribed to the polar interaction of the substituted benzoylhydrazone moiety with the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA. The UV spectrum shows reasonable hypochromism with slight (2-4 nm) red shift, while the cyclic voltammogram shows decrease in current intensity along with a very small shift in the formal potential of the Co(III/II) redox couple. These experimental results indicate that phen mixed ligand complexes bind to DNA through an intercalative mode more effectively than their bpy counterparts. These complexes are also found to have good antimicrobial activity.