Reaction of elemental sulfur with a copper(I) complex forming a trans-mu-1,2 end-on disulfide complex: new directions in copper-sulfur chemistry

Copper(I)/S8 Reversible Reactions Leading to an End-On Bound Dicopper(II) Disulfide Complex: Nucleophilic Reactivity and Analogies to Copper−Dioxygen Chemistry

Elemental sulfur (S8) reacts reversibly with the copper(I) complex [(TMPA')CuI](+) (1), where TMPA' is a TMPA (tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) analogue with a 6-CH2OCH3 substituent on one pyridyl ligand arm, affording a spectroscopically pure end-on bound disulfido-dicopper(II) complex [{(TMPA')Cu(II)}2(mu-1,2-S2(2-))](2+) (2) {nu(S-S) = 492 cm(-1); nu(Cu-S)sym = 309 cm(-1)}; by contrast, [(TMPA)Cu(I)(CH3CN)](+) (3)/S8 chemistry produces an equilibrium mixture of at least three complexes. The reaction of excess PPh3 with 2 leads to formal "release" of zerovalent sulfur and reduction of copper ion to give the corresponding complex [(TMPA')Cu(I)(PPh3)](+) (11) along with S=PPh3 as products. Dioxygen displaces the disulfur moiety from 2 to produce the end-on Cu2O2 complex, [{(TMPA')Cu(II)}2(mu-1,2-O2(2-)](2+) (9). Addition of the tetradentate ligand TMPA to 2 generates the apparently more thermodynamically stable [{(TMPA)Cu(II)}2(mu-1,2-S2(2-))](2+) (4) and expected mixture of other species. Bubbling 2 with CO leads to the formation of the carbonyl adduct [(TMPA')CuI(CO)](+) (8). Carbonylation/sulfur-release/CO-removal cycles can be repeated several times. Sulfur atom transfer from 2 also occurs in a near quantitative manner when it is treated with 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide (ArNC), leading to the corresponding isothiocyanate (ArNCS) and [(TMPA')Cu(I)(CNAr)](+) (12). Complex 2 readily reacts with PhCH2Br: [{(TMPA')Cu(II)}2(mu-1,2-S(2)(2-)](2+) (2) + 2 PhCH2Br --> [{(TMPA')Cu(II)(Br)}2](2+) (6) + PhCH2SSCH2Ph. The unprecedented substrate reactivity studies reveal that end-on bound mu-1,2-disulfide-dicopper(II) complex 2 provides a nucleophilic S2(2-) moiety, in striking contrast to the electrophilic behavior of a recently described side-on bound mu-eta(2):eta(2)-disulfido-dicopper(II) complex, [{(N3)Cu(II)}(2)(mu-eta(2):eta(2)-S2(2-))](2+) (5) with tridentate N3 ligand. The investigation thus reveals striking analogies of copper/sulfur and copper/dioxygen chemistries, with regard to structure type formation and specific substrate reactivity patterns.

Ligand structural effects on Cu2S2 bonding and reactivity in side-on disulfido-bridged dicopper complexes

To assess supporting ligand effects on S-S bond activation, a series of [Cu2(mu-eta2:eta2-S2)]2+ complexes supported by various beta-diketiminate or anilido-imine ligands (L) were synthesized via the reaction of Cu(I) precursors LCu(CH(3)CN) with S8. For the cases where L = beta-diketiminate, the syntheses were complicated by formation of clusters [Cu(SR)]4, where SR represents the ligand functionalized by sulfur at the central methine position. The [Cu2(mu-eta2:eta2-S2)]2+ products were characterized by X-ray crystallography and electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Correlations among the Cu-S, Cu-Cu, and S-S distances and the nu(S-S) values were observed and interpreted within the framework of a previously described bonding picture (Chen, P.; Fujisawa, K.; Helton, M. E.; Karlin, K. D.; Solomon, E. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 6394). Comparison of these data to those for other relevant species revealed a remarkable degree of S-S bond activation in the compounds supported by the beta-diketiminate and anilido-imine ligands, which through strong electron donation increase backbonding from the copper ions into the S-S sigma* orbital and cause S-S bond weakening. Reactions of one of the complexes supported by an anilido-imine ligand with PPh(3) and xylyl isocyanide were explored, revealing facile transfer of sulfur to PPh(3) but only displacement of sulfur to yield a LCu(I)-CNAr (Ar = xylyl) complex with the isocyanide.

Synthesis, Structure, and Thermochemistry of the Formation of the Metal−Metal Bonded Dimers [Mo(μ-TeAr)(CO)3(PiP3)]2 (Ar = Phenyl, Naphthyl) by Phosphine Elimination from •Mo(TePh)(CO)3(PiPr3)2

The complexes (*TeAr)Mo(CO)3(PiPr3)2 (Ar = phenyl, naphthyl; iPr = isopropyl) slowly eliminate PiPr3 at room temperature in a toluene solution to quantitatively form the dinuclear complexes [Mo(mu-TeAr)(CO)3(PiPr3)]2. The crystal structure of [Mo(mu-Te-naphthyl)(CO)3(PiPr3)]2 is reported and has a Mo-Mo distance of 3.2130 A. The enthalpy of dimerization has been measured and is used to estimate a Mo-Mo bond strength on the order of 30 kcal mol-1. Kinetic studies show the rate of formation of the dimeric chalcogen bridged complex is best fit by a rate law first order in (*TeAr)Mo(CO)3(PiPr3)2 and inhibited by added PiPr3. The reaction is proposed to occur by initial dissociation of a phosphine ligand and not by radical recombination of 2 mol of (*TeAr)Mo(CO)3(PiPr3)2. Reaction of (*TePh)Mo(CO)3(PiPr3)2, with L = pyridine (py) or CO, is rapid and quantitative at room temperature to form PhTeTePh and Mo(L)(CO)3(PiPr3)2, in keeping with thermochemical predictions. The rate of reaction of (*TeAr)W(CO)3(PiPr3)2 and CO is first-order in the metal complex and is proposed to proceed by the associative formation of the 19 e- radical complex (*TePh)W(CO)4(PiPr3)2 which extrudes a *TePh radical.

Respiratory transformation of nitrous oxide (N2O) to dinitrogen by Bacteria and Archaea

N2O is a potent greenhouse gas and stratospheric reactant that has been steadily on the rise since the beginning of industrialization. It is an obligatory inorganic metabolite of denitrifying bacteria, and some production of N2O is also found in nitrifying and methanotrophic bacteria. We focus this review on the respiratory aspect of N2O transformation catalysed by the multicopper enzyme nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) that provides the bacterial cell with an electron sink for anaerobic growth. Two types of Cu centres discovered in N2OR were both novel structures among the Cu proteins: the mixed-valent dinuclear Cu(A) species at the electron entry site of the enzyme, and the tetranuclear Cu(Z) centre as the first catalytically active Cu-sulfur complex known. Several accessory proteins function as Cu chaperone and ABC transporter systems for the biogenesis of the catalytic centre. We describe here the paradigm of Z-type N2OR, whose characteristics have been studied in most detail in the genera Pseudomonas and Paracoccus. Sequenced bacterial genomes now provide an invaluable additional source of information. New strains harbouring nos genes and capability of N2O utilization are being uncovered. This reveals previously unknown relationships and allows pattern recognition and predictions. The core nos genes, nosZDFYL, share a common phylogeny. Most principal taxonomic lineages follow the same biochemical and genetic pattern and share the Z-type enzyme. A modified N2OR is found in Wolinella succinogenes, and circumstantial evidence also indicates for certain Archaea another type of N2OR. The current picture supports the view of evolution of N2O respiration prior to the separation of the domains Bacteria and Archaea. Lateral nos gene transfer from an epsilon-proteobacterium as donor is suggested for Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum and Dechloromonas aromatica. In a few cases, nos gene clusters are plasmid borne. Inorganic N2O metabolism is associated with a diversity of physiological traits and biochemically challenging metabolic modes or habitats, including halorespiration, diazotrophy, symbiosis, pathogenicity, psychrophily, thermophily, extreme halophily and the marine habitat down to the greatest depth. Components for N2O respiration cover topologically the periplasm and the inner and outer membranes. The Sec and Tat translocons share the task of exporting Nos components to their functional sites. Electron donation to N2OR follows pathways with modifications depending on the host organism. A short chronology of the field is also presented.

Using synthetic chemistry to understand copper protein active sites: a personal perspective

The results of studies performed in the author's laboratory are surveyed, with particular emphasis on demonstrating the value of a multidisciplinary synthetic modeling approach for discovering new and unusual chemistry helpful for understanding the properties of the active sites of copper proteins or assessing the feasibility of mechanistic pathways they might follow during catalysis. The discussion focuses on the progress made to date toward comprehending the nitrite reductase catalytic site and mechanism, the electronic structures of copper thiolate electron transfer centers, the sulfido-bridged "CuZ" site in nitrous oxide reductase, and the processes of dioxygen binding and activation by mono- and dicopper centers in oxidases and oxygenases.

[Cu3(mu-S)2]3+ clusters supported by N-donor ligands: progress toward a synthetic model of the catalytic site of nitrous oxide reductase

By treating Cu(I) complexes of neutral, bidentate N-donor ligands with S8, clusters with novel delocalized mixed-valence [Cu3(mu-S)2]3+ cores have been isolated. X-ray crystal structures and UV-vis and resonance Raman spectral features of these clusters reveal similarities to the tetracopper-sulfide "CuZ" site in nitrous oxide reductase. A delocalized S = 1 ground state for the mixed-valent CuIIICu2II cores is supported by the observation of high symmetry in the X-ray structures and 10-line hyperfine features arising from coupling to three equivalent Cu ions in EPR spectra obtained at room temperature (shown) and 10 K. The delocalization we observe contrasts with the localization reported previously for a [Cu3(mu-O)2]3+ analogue (Root, D. E.; Henson, M. J.; Machonkin, T.; Mukherjee, P.; Stack, T. D. P.; Solomon, E. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 4982), which we rationalized through DFT calculations.

C−S Bond Formation Reaction between a Phenolate and Disulfide-Bridged Dicopper(I) Complexes

A novel C-S bond formation reaction took place, when a lithium phenolate derivative was treated with a disulfide-bridged dicopper(I) complex or a bis(micro-thiolato)dicopper(II) complex under very mild conditions. The reaction has been suggested to proceed via a disulfide-bridged (micro-phenoxo)dicopper(I) complex as the common reaction intermediate. Copper(II) complexes of the modified ligands containing a thioether group (products of the C-S bond formation reaction) have been isolated and structurally characterized by X-ray analysis as model compounds of the active site of galactose oxidase. Mechanism of the C-S bond formation reaction is also discussed in relation to the biosynthetic mechanism of the organic cofactor Tyr-Cys of galactose oxidase.

Supramolecular Copper Hydroxide Tennis Balls: Self-Assembly, Structures, and Magnetic Properties of Octanuclear [Cu8L8(OH)4]4+ Clusters (HL = N-(2-Pyridylmethyl)acetamide)

The self-assembly of supramolecular copper "tennis balls" that possess unusual magnetic properties using a small pyridyl amide ligand is described. Copper(II) complexes of N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide (HL) were synthesized in methanol. In the absence of base, the mononuclear complex [Cu(HL)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (1) was prepared. The structure of 1, determined by X-ray crystallography, contains a copper(II) ion surrounded by bidentate HL ligands coordinated via the pyridyl N atom and the carbonyl O atom in a trans, square planar arrangement. Reactions carried out in the presence of triethylamine resulted in cluster complexes [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](ClO(4))(4) and [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](CF(3)SO(3))(4) [2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4), respectively]. The cationic portions of 2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4) are isostructural, containing eight copper(II) ions, eight deprotonated ligands (L(-)), and four mu(3)-hydroxide ligands. The top and bottom halves of the cluster are related by a pseudo-S(4) symmetry operation and are held together by bridging L(-) ligands. Solutions of 2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4), which were shown to contain the full [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](4+) fragment by electrospray mass spectrometry and conductance experiments, are EPR silent. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 2(ClO(4))(4) as a function of temperature and magnetic field showed the Cu ions all to exhibit magnetic moments in the range expected for the d(9) configuration. At low temperatures, the magnetization was reduced due to predominantly antiferromagnetic interactions between ions. Analysis showed that partially frustrated interactions among the four Cu ions making up each half of the cluster gave good agreement with the data once a large molecular anisotropy was taken into account, with J(c) = 106 cm(-1), D = 27 cm(-1), and g = 2.17.

A New Class of (μ-η2:η2-Disulfido)dicopper Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Disulfido Exchange

Rare examples of (mu-eta2:eta2-disulfido)dicopper complexes have been prepared from Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of beta-diketiminate and anilido-imine supporting ligands. A novel byproduct derived from sulfur functionalization of the methine position of a beta-diketiminate ligand was identified. DFT calculations on [(LCu)2X2] (L = beta-diketiminate, X = O or S) complexes rationalize the absence of a bis(mu-sulfido)dicopper isomer, [Cu2(mu-S)2](2+), in the synthetic reactions, yet predict that a [Cu2(mu-S)2](0) core is a stable product of 2-electron reduction of the [Cu2(mu-eta2:eta2-S2)](2+) unit. Exchange of the disulfido ligand was discovered upon reaction of a (mu-eta2:eta2-disulfido)dicopper complex with a Cu(I) reagent.

Spectroscopy and bonding in side-on and end-on Cu2(S2) cores: comparison to peroxide analogues

Spectroscopic methods combined with density functional calculations were used to study the disulfide-Cu(II) bonding interactions in the side-on micro -eta(2):eta(2)-bridged Cu(2)(S(2)) complex, [[Cu(II)[HB(3,5-Pr(i)(2)pz)(3)]](2)(S(2))], and the end-on trans- micro -1,2-bridged Cu(2)(S(2)) complex, [[Cu(II)(TMPA)](2)(S(2))](2+), in correlation to their peroxide structural analogues. Resonance Raman shows weaker S-S bonds and stronger Cu-S bonds in the disulfide complexes relative to the O-O and Cu-O bonds in the peroxide analogues. The weaker S-S bonds come from the more limited interaction between the S 3p orbitals relative to that of the O 2s/p hybrid orbitals. The stronger Cu-S bonds result from the more covalent Cu-disulfide interactions relative to the Cu-peroxide interactions. This is consistent with the higher energy of the disulfide valence level relative to that of the peroxide. The ground states of the side-on Cu(2)(S(2))/Cu(2)(O(2)) complexes are more covalent than those of the end-on Cu(2)(S(2))/Cu(2)(O(2)) complexes. This derives from the larger sigma-donor interactions in the side-on micro -eta(2):eta(2) structure, which has four Cu-disulfide/peroxide bonds, relative to the end-on trans- micro -1,2 structure, which forms two bonds to the Cu. The larger disulfide/peroxide sigma-donor interactions in the side-on complexes are reflected in their more intense higher energy disulfide/peroxide to Cu charge transfer transitions in the absorption spectra. The large ground-state covalencies of the side-on complexes result in significant nuclear distortions in the ligand-to-metal charge transfer excited states, which give rise to the strong resonance Raman enhancements of the metal-ligand and intraligand vibrations. Particularly, the large covalency of the Cu-disulfide interaction in the side-on Cu(2)(S(2)) complex leads to a different rR enhancement profile, relative to the peroxide analogues, reflecting a S-S bond distortion in the opposite directions in the disulfide/peroxide pi(sigma) to Cu charge transfer excited states. A ligand sigma back-bonding interaction exists only in the side-on complexes, and there is more sigma mixing in the side-on Cu(2)(S(2)) complex than in the side-on Cu(2)(O(2)) complex. This sigma back-bonding is shown to significantly weaken the S-S/O-O bond relative to that of the analogous end-on complex, leading to the low nu(S)(-)(S)/nu(O)(-)(O) vibrational frequencies observed in the resonance Raman spectra of the side-on complexes.