Organometallic chemistry in aqueous solution: Reactions catalyzed by water-soluble molybdocenes

Hazardous characteristics of dust waste from metal manufacturing industries in South Korea

The Ministry of Environment, South Korea, is involved in efforts to reduce safety-related accidents that could occur during hazardous waste disposal and minimise the environmental impacts of waste disposal. To reach such goals, new factors have been added that contribute to the hazardous characteristics of hazardous waste. The Ministry is also expanding regulations on inorganic and organic components present in hazardous waste for these factors and continues to correct the classification system to establish standards for waste components. Metallic dust, for example, is mostly generated during the operation of melting furnaces or precipitators and dangerous materials contained in this dust may cause accidents, such as explosions or fires. South Korean accident cases have confirmed that waste containing hazardous materials, such as Mg, Al and Mg-Al alloys, can cause such events. Therefore, this study analysed 28 dust samples collected from the dust accumulated in precipitators in 28 metal manufacturing facilities in South Korea. Nine samples were flammable and four samples were reactive to water. Two samples also exhibited leaching toxicities. The results applied to relevant laws in South Korea showed that the proportion of waste containing hazardous characteristics increased from 7.14% in the previous management category to 39.29% in the extended category, an overall increase of 32.15 percentage points.

Reusable and highly enantioselective water-soluble Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox catalyst for intramolecular cyclopropanation of diazo compounds

A reusable and highly enantioselective catalyst for the intramolecular cyclopropanation of various diazo ester and Weinreb amide derivatives was developed. The reactions catalyzed by a water-soluble Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox catalyst proceeded smoothly at room temperature, affording the corresponding bicyclic cyclopropane ring-fused lactones and lactams in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). After screening of various catalysts, the Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox complex having an ammonium group proved to be crucial for the intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction in a water/ether biphasic medium. The water-soluble catalyst could be reused at least six times with little loss in yield and enantioselectivity.

Organometallic Gold(III) Reagents for Cysteine Arylation

An efficient method for chemoselective cysteine arylation of unprotected peptides and proteins using Au(III) organometallic complexes is reported. The bioconjugation reactions proceed rapidly (<5 min) at ambient temperature in various buffers and within a wide pH range (0.5-14). This approach provides access to a diverse array of S-aryl bioconjugates including fluorescent dye, complex drug molecule, affinity label, poly(ethylene glycol) tags, and a stapled peptide. A library of Au(III) arylation reagents can be prepared as air-stable, crystalline solids in one step from commercial reagents. The selective and efficient arylation procedures presented in this work broaden the synthetic scope of cysteine bioconjugation and serve as promising routes for the modification of complex biomolecules.

Understanding the hydrolysis mechanism of ethyl acetate catalyzed by an aqueous molybdocene: a computational chemistry investigation

A thoroughly mechanistic investigation on the [Cp2Mo(OH)(OH2)](+)-catalyzed hydrolysis of ethyl acetate has been performed using density functional theory methodology together with continuum and discrete-continuum solvation models. The use of explicit water molecules in the PCM-B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ (aug-cc-pVTZ-PP for Mo)//PCM-B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ (aug-cc-pVDZ-PP for Mo) computations is crucial to show that the intramolecular hydroxo ligand attack is the preferred mechanism in agreement with experimental suggestions. Besides, the most stable intermediate located along this mechanism is analogous to that experimentally reported for the norbornenyl acetate hydrolysis catalyzed by molybdocenes. The three most relevant steps are the formation and cleavage of the tetrahedral intermediate immediately formed after the hydroxo ligand attack and the acetic acid formation, with the second one being the rate-determining step with a Gibbs energy barrier of 36.7 kcal/mol. Among several functionals checked, B3LYP-D3 and M06 give the best agreement with experiment as the rate-determining Gibbs energy barrier obtained only differs 0.2 and 0.7 kcal/mol, respectively, from that derived from the experimental kinetic constant measured at 296.15 K. In both cases, the acetic acid elimination becomes now the rate-determining step of the overall process as it is 0.4 kcal/mol less stable than the tetrahedral intermediate cleavage. Apart from clarifying the identity of the cyclic intermediate and discarding the tetrahedral intermediate formation as the rate-determining step for the mechanism of the acetyl acetate hydrolysis catalyzed by molybdocenes, the small difference in the Gibbs energy barrier found between the acetic acid formation and the tetrahedral intermediate cleavage also uncovers that the rate-determining step could change when studying the reactivity of carboxylic esters other than ethyl acetate substrate specific toward molybdocenes or other transition metal complexes. Therefore, in general, the information reported here could be of interest in designing new catalysts and understanding the reaction mechanism of these and other metal-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions.

Iridium porphyrins in CD3OD: reduction of Ir(III), CD3-OD bond cleavage, Ir-D acid dissociation and alkene reactions

Methanol solutions of iridium(III) tetra(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin [(TSPP)Ir(III)] form an equilibrium distribution of methanol and methoxide complexes ([(TSPP)Ir(III)(CD3OD)(2-n)(OCD3)n]((3+n)-)). Reaction of [(TSPP)Ir(III) with dihydrogen (D2) in methanol produces an iridium hydride [(TSPP)Ir(III)-D(CD3OD)](4-) in equilibrium with an iridium(I) complex ([(TSPP)Ir(I)(CD3OD)](5-)). The acid dissociation constant of the iridium hydride (Ir-D) in methanol at 298 K is 3.5 × 10(-12). The iridium(I) complex ([(TSPP)Ir(I)(CD3OD)](5-)) catalyzes reaction of [(TSPP)Ir(III)-D(CD3OD)](4-) with CD3-OD to produce an iridium methyl complex [(TSPP)Ir(III)-CD3(CD3OD)](4-) and D2O. Reactions of the iridium hydride with ethene and propene produce iridium alkyl complexes, but the Ir-D complex fails to give observable addition with acetaldehyde and carbon monoxide in methanol. Reaction of the iridium hydride with propene forms both the isopropyl and propyl complexes with free energy changes (ΔG° 298 K) of -1.3 and -0.4 kcal mol(-1) respectively. Equilibrium thermodynamics and reactivity studies are used in discussing relative Ir-D, Ir-OCD3 and Ir-CD2- bond energetics in methanol.

Hydrogen and methanol exchange processes for (TMP)Rh-OCH3(CH3OH) in binary solutions of methanol and benzene

Tetramesityl porphinato rhodium(III) methoxide ((TMP)Rh-OCH(3)) binds with methanol in benzene to form a 1:1 methanol complex ((TMP)Rh-OCH(3)(CH(3)OH)) (1). Dynamic processes are observed to occur for the rhodium(III) methoxide methanol complex (1) that involve both hydrogen and methanol exchange. Hydrogen exchange between coordinated methanol and methoxide through methanol in solution results in an interchange of the environments for the non-equivalent porphyrin faces that contain methoxide and methanol ligands. Interchange of the environments of the coordinated methanol and methoxide sites in 1 produces interchange of the inequivalent mesityl o-CH(3) groups, but methanol ligand exchange occurs on one face of the porphyrin and the mesityl o-CH(3) groups remain inequivalent. Rate constants for dynamic processes are evaluated by full line shape analysis for the (1)H NMR of the mesityl o-CH(3) and high field methyl resonances of coordinated methanol and methoxide groups in 1. The rate constant for interchange of the inequivalent porphyrin faces is associated with hydrogen exchange between 1 and methanol in solution and is observed to increase regularly with the increase in the mole fraction of methanol. The rate constant for methanol ligand exchange between 1 and the solution varies with the solution composition and fluctuates in a manner that parallels the change in the activation energy for methanol diffusion which is a consequence of solution non-ideality from hydrogen bonded clusters.

Silicon-Carbon bond cleavage reactions of Ansa tungstenocene compounds: the [Me2Si] bridge as a site for metallocene functionalization

[Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]W(H)Cl is obtained via reaction of WCl(6) with a mixture of [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]Li(2) and NaBH(4), from which the dichloride [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]WCl(2) is obtained via treatment with CHCl(3). [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]WCl(2) provides a means to access other ansa tungstenocene compounds, such as [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]WH(2), [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]WMe(2), and [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]WCO. Of most interest, the reactions of [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]W(H)Cl with organolithium reagents do not yield simple ansa tungstenocene derivatives. Specifically, the reactions of [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]W(H)Cl with MeLi, Bu(n)Li, or PhLi result in the formation of mixed-ring tungstenocene compounds resulting from C-Si cleavage and functionalization of the ansa bridge, namely (Cp(Me(2)))(eta(5),kappa(1)-C(5)H(2)Me(2)SiMe(2)CH(2))WH, (Cp(Me(2)))[eta(5),kappa(1)-C(5)H(2)Me(2)Si(Me)(Bu(n))CH(2)]WH, and (Cp(Me(2)))[eta(5),kappa(1)-C(5)H(2)Me(2)SiMe(2)(C(6)H(4))]WH, respectively. In contrast to the C-Si cleavage achieved by MeLi, Bu(n)Li, and PhLi, the ansa bridge of [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(2)]W(H)Cl is inert to Bu(t)Li and the product obtained is the fulvene ("tuck-in") complex [Me(2)Si(Cp(Me(2)))(eta(6)-C(5)MeH(2)CH(2))]WH derived from dehydrohalogenation.

The combination of transition metal ions and hydrogen-bonding interactions

This feature article presents an overview of the types of hydrogen bonding interactions involving metal complexes and their functional effects. It shows with recent examples why hydrogen bonds have become a crucial functional and structural element in modern inorganic chemistry. The relevance of this combination in tackling current chemistry challenges such as energy production and the development of new materials and more effective catalysts, sensors and medicines is illustrated.

Aqueous-phase asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones ? a greener approach to chiral alcohols

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) has emerged as a practical, powerful alternative to asymmetric hydrogenation for the production of chiral alcohols, one of the most valuable intermediates in chemical synthesis. In the last a few years, ATH in neat water has proved to be viable, affording chiral alcohols in fast rates, high productivity and high enantioselectivity. The reduction can be carried out with unmodified or tailor-made catalysts by using mild, readily available formate salt as reductant with no organic solvents required, thus providing a simple, economic and green pathway for alcohol production. This Feature Article attempts to present an account of the progress made on aqueous-phase transfer hydrogenation (TH) reactions, with a focus on ATH. The coverage includes a brief background of the chemistry, TH and ATH reactions in water, and the mechanistic aspects of the aqueous-phase reduction.

Antitumour bis(cyclopentadienyl) metal complexes: titanocene and molybdocene dichloride and derivatives

This Perspective will focus on recent developments in the field of antitumour metallocenes structurally related to titanocene dichloride. Despite extensive testing of titanocene dichloride which culminated in phase I and II clinical trials, further trials have been abandoned. While DNA has been implicated as the major target related to anticancer activity, identification of the active species and mechanism of action has been poorly understood and hence the design of second generation titanocene derivatives has not been possible. Recent mechanistic studies have provided a plausible mechanism for delivery of Ti to cancer cells via transferrin mediated endocytosis. This mechanism requires the presence of labile Cp-Ti bonds that hydrolyse on a time scale to deliver Ti to transferrin. A large range of titanocene derivatives in which the cyclopentadienyl rings have been substituted by both electron withdrawing and donating groups, including aromatic, alkyl and cyclic amines, have been prepared and tested for activity in the last 5 years. These results have shown that subtle structural effects can have a significant effect on biological activity and that biological activity is highly cell line dependent. However, the biological chemistry and cellular studies required to determine the mechanism of action of these new titanocenes have not been reported. In contrast, the bioorganometallic chemistry and cellular studies of molybdocene dichloride have implicated interaction with cellular thiols as the key reaction related to biological activity. Tailoring of the pseudohalide ligands by tuning the strength of the Mo-S bonds provides the opportunity to enhance cell uptake. Further research is required to establish the origin of antitumour activity.

Reactivity and Equilibrium Thermodynamic Studies of Rhodium Tetrakis(3,5-disulfonatomesityl)porphyrin Species with H2, CO, and Olefins in Water

Aqueous (D2O) solutions of tetrakis(3,5-disulfonatomesityl)porphyrin rhodium(III) aquo/hydroxo complexes ([(TMPS)Rh(III)(D2O)2]-7 (1), [(TMPS)Rh(III)(OD)(D2O)]-8 (2), and [(TMPS)Rh(III)(OD)2]-9 (3)) react with hydrogen (D2) to form an equilibrium distribution with a rhodium hydride ([(TMPS)Rh-D(D2O)]-8 (4)) and a rhodium(I) complex ([(TMPS)Rh(I)(D2O)]-9 (5)). Equilibrium constants (298 K) are measured that define the distribution for all five of these (TMPS)Rh species in this system as a function of the dihydrogen (D2) and hydrogen ion (D+) concentrations. The hydride complex [(TMPS)Rh-D(D2O)]-8 is a weak acid in D2O (Ka(298 K) = 4.3 x 10(-8)). Steric demands of the TMPS porphyrin ligand prohibit formation of a Rh(II)-Rh(II)-bonded complex, related rhodium(I)-rhodium(III) adducts, and intermolecular association of alkyl complexes which are prominent features of the rhodium tetra(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin ((TSPP)Rh) system. The rhodium(II) complex ([(TMPS)Rh(II)(D2O)]-8) reacts with water to form hydride and hydroxide complexes and is not observed in D2O. The (TMPS)Rh-OD and (TMPS)Rh-D bond dissociation free energies (BDFE) are virtually equal and have a value of approximately 60 kcal mol(-1). Reactions of [(TMPS)Rh-D(D2O)]-8 in water with CO and olefins produce rhodium formyl and alkyl complexes which have equilibrium thermodynamic values comparable to the values for the corresponding substrate reactions of [(TSPP)Rh-D(D2O)]-4.