Pseudopeptidic ligands: exploring the self-assembly of isophthaloylbisglycine (H2IBG) and divalent metal ions

We present a systematic study of the complexation of the new pseudopeptidic ligand isophthaloylbisglycine (H(2)IBG) with divalent metal ions of varying ionic radius. This work represents the initial employment of H(2)IBG in the coordination chemistry of alkaline earth, 3d transition, Zn(II) and Cd(II) metal elements. Infrared, NMR, thermal, magnetic, adsorption and theoretical studies of these compounds are also discussed.

Assembling photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals into periodic mesoporous organosilica

A contemporary question in the intensely active field of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) materials is how large a silsesquioxane precursor can be self-assembled under template direction into the pore walls of an ordered mesostructure. An answer to this question is beginning to emerge with the ability to synthesize dendrimer, buckyball, and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane PMOs. In this paper, we further expand the library of large-scale silsesquioxane precursors by demonstrating that photoluminescent nanocrystalline silicon that has been surface-capped with oligo(triethoxysilylethylene), denoted as ncSi:(CH(2)CH(2)Si(OEt)(3))(n)H, can be self-assembled into a photoluminescent nanocrystalline silicon periodic mesoporous organosilica (ncSi-PMO). A comprehensive multianalytical characterization of the structural and optical properties of ncSi-PMO demonstrates that the material gainfully combines the photoluminescent properties of nanocrystalline silicon with the porous structure of the PMO. This integration of two functional components makes ncSi-PMO a promising multifunctional material for optoelectronic and biomedical applications.

Synthesis, lead lability and ring deformation of three 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octasubstituted phthalocyaninato lead derivatives

The syntheses and attempted syntheses of some non-peripherally (1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25) octasubstituted lead phthalocyanines from their corresponding metal-free derivatives are described. Some compounds exhibited lability of the lead ion during work-up to regenerate the starting material. The results of single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexyl-, 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-iso-pentyl- and 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylsulfanyl lead phthalocyanines are reported and cast some light on the greater stability of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylsulfanyl lead phthalocyanine, in terms of ease of loss of the lead ion, over the other two substituted lead phthalocyanines studied. The phthalocyanine cores of all three derivatives adopt a saddle-shaped geometry rather than the saucer-shaped conformation exhibited by unsubstituted lead phthalocyanine. The saddle-shaped conformation would appear to offer a means of relieving steric interactions between the substituents on adjacent benzene rings. That steric interactions are a feature of these molecules is perhaps reflected in the different distortions of the saddle conformations. This is greatest for compound 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-iso-pentyl lead phthalocyanine bearing the isopentyl groups, expected to introduce the most interactions, and least for compound 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylsulfanyl lead phthalocyanine where S atoms rather than methylene groups are adjacent to the benzene ring. The molecules of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexyl- and 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylsulfanyl lead phthalocyanine pack together in pairs with their nearest neighbouring molecule; their lead atoms, displaced from the core and directed towards each other. The presence of the S atoms in 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylsulfanyl lead phthalocyanine leads to close Pb … S contacts between the molecules. Attractive Pb … S interactions in this compound may also account for the larger displacement of the Pb from the mean-plane of the four coordinated nitrogen atoms at the centre of the phthalocyanine core than is found for 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexyl- and 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-iso-pentyl lead phthalocyanines. The molecular packing of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-iso-pentyl lead phthalocyanine is more complex because of the presence of tetrahydrofuran molecules (the solvent of recrystallisation) within the crystal, offering additional interactions with the Pb atoms.

Monoesterase activity of a purple acid phosphatase mimic with a cyclam platform

The synthesis and characterization of a novel dinucleating ligand L (L=4,11-dimethyl-1,8-bis{2-[N-(di-2-pyridylmethyl)amino]ethyl}cyclam) and its μ-oxo-bridged diferric complex [(H(2)L){Fe(III)(2)(O)}(Cl)(4)](2+) are reported. This diiron(III) complex is the first example of a truly functional purple acid phosphatase (PAP) mimic as it accelerates the hydrolysis of the activated phosphomonoester 2,4-dinitrophenyl phosphate (DNPP). The spectroscopic and kinetic data indicate that only substrates that are monodentately bound to one of the two ferric ions can be attacked by a suitable nucleophile. This is, most probably, a terminal iron(III)-bound hydroxide. DFT calculations support this assumption and also highlight the importance of secondary interactions, exerted by the protonated cyclam platform, for the positioning and activation of the iron(III)-bound substrate. Similar effects are postulated in the native enzyme but addressed in PAP mimics for the first time.