Coordination chemistry with pyridine/pyrazine amide ligands. Some noteworthy results

Synthesis, Crystal Structures, Genotoxicity, and Antifungal and Antibacterial Studies of Ni(II) and Cd(II) Pyrazole Amide Coordination Complexes

In this study, we synthesized two coordination complexes based on pyrazole-based ligands, namely 1,5-dimethyl-N-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (L1) and 1,5-dimethyl-N-propyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (L2), with the aim to investigate bio-inorganic properties. Their crystal structures revealed a mononuclear complex [Ni(L1)2](ClO4)2 (C1) and a dinuclear complex [Cd2(L2)2]Cl4 (C2). Very competitive antifungal and anti-Fusarium activities were found compared to the reference standard cycloheximide. Additionally, L1 and L2 present very weak genotoxicity in contrast to the observed increase in genotoxicity for the coordination complexes C1 and C2.

Structure-Controllable and Mass-Produced Glycopolymersomes as a Template of the Carbohydrate@Ag Nanobiohybrid with Inherent Antibacteria and Biofilm Eradication

Glycopolymer-supported silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have demonstrated a promising alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria-infected diseases. In this contribution, we report a class of biohybrid glycopolymersome-supported AgNPs, which are capable of effectively killing multidrug-resistant bacteria and disrupting related biofilms. First of all, glycopolymersomes with controllable structures were massively fabricated through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) in an aqueous solution driven by complementary hydrogen bonding interaction between the pyridine and amide groups of N-(2-methylpyridine)-acrylamide (MPA) monomers. Subsequently, Ag+ captured by glycopolymersomes through the coordination between pyridine-N and Ag+ was reduced into AgNPs stabilized by glycopolymersomes upon addition of the NaBH4 reducing agent, leading to the formation of the glycopolymersome@AgNPs biohybrid. As a result, they showed a wide-spectrum and enhanced removal of multidrug-resistant bacteria and biofilms compared to naked AgNPs due to the easier adhesion onto the bacterial surface and diffusion into biofilms through the specific protein-carbohydrate recognition. Moreover, the in vivo results revealed that the obtained biohybrid glycopolymersomes not only demonstrated an effective treatment for inhibiting the cariogenic bacteria but also were able to repair the demineralization of caries via accumulating Ca2+ through the recognition between carbohydrates and Ca2+. Furthermore, glycopolymersomes@AgNPs showed quite low in vitro hemolysis and cytotoxicity and almost negligible acute toxicity in vivo. Overall, this type of biohybrid glycopolymersome@AgNPs nanomaterial provides a new avenue for enhanced antibacterial and antibiofilm activities and the effective treatment of oral microbial-infected diseases.

Anion-assisted supramolecular assemblies of zinc(II) complexes with isonicotinamide

Five zinc(II) coordination compounds, [ZnCl₂(isn)₂] (1), [ZnBr₂(isn)₂] (2), [Zn(NO₃)₂(H₂O)(isn)₂] (3), [Zn(CH₃COO)₂(isn)]₂ (4) and [Zn(isn)₄(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂ (5) (isn = isonicotinamide), were prepared by the reactions of the isonicotinamide (pyridine-4-carboxamide, isn) and corresponding zinc(II) salts. Their crystal structures were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The coordination environment of zinc(II) is tetrahedral in the compounds containing small halide anions (chloride, bromide), 1 and 2. An expansion of the zinc(II) coordination environment to the octahedral is observed in the presence of the monodentate and bridging nitrate ions in 3. The coordination environments of both zinc(II) ions in dimeric acetate complex 4 is also enlarged in the comparison with 1 and 2, one zinc(II) ion being octahedrally coordinated and the other being pentacoordinated. The zinc(II) ion in 5 also reaches higher coordination environment (octahedral), which is enabled by binding of additional water molecules, since the perchlorate ion is uncoordinated. The supramolecular amide-amide homosynthon R 2 2 ( 8 ) is preserved in the presence of halide, nitrate and acetate ions (1-4), but it is completely disrupted in the crystal packing of 5 due to the presence of the bulky perchlorate anion. Spectroscopic analysis of compounds 1-5 was performed by IR spectroscopy in the solid state and by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy in the DMSO solutions. The NMR data support a complete decomposition of 3 in the DMSO solution, but 1, 2, 4 and 5 remain unchanged in the solution. Thermal properties of the coordination compounds were also investigated by TGA and DSC methods.

Ni(II) complexes of a new tetradentate NN'N''O picolinoyl-1,2-phenylenediamide-phenolate redox-active ligand at different redox levels

Three square planar nickel(II) complexes of a new asymmetric tetradentate redox-active ligand H₃L² in its deprotonated form, at three redox levels, open-shell semiquinonate(1-) π radical, quinone(0) and closed-shell dianion of its 2-aminophenolate part, have been synthesized. The coordinated ligand provides N (pyridine) and N' and N'' (carboxamide and 1,2-phenylenediamide, respectively) and O (phenolate) donor sites. Cyclic voltammetry on the parent complex [Ni(L²)] 1 in CH₂Cl₂ established a three-membered electron-transfer series (oxidative response at E_1/2 = 0.57 V and reductive response at -0.32 V vs. SCE) consisting of neutral, monocationic and monoanionic [Ni(L²)]^z (z = 0, 1+ and 1-). Oxidation of 1 with AgSbF₆ affords [Ni(L²)](SbF₆) (2) and reduction of 1 with cobaltocene yields [Co(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂][Ni(L²)] (3). The molecular structures of 1·CH₃CN, 2·0.5CH₂Cl₂ and 3·C₆H₆ have been determined by X-ray crystallography at 100 K. Characterization by ¹H NMR, X-band EPR (g_av = 2.006 (solid); 2.008 (CH₂Cl₂-C₆H₅CH₃ glass); 80 K) and UV-VIS-NIR spectral properties established that 1, 2 and 3 have [Ni^II{(L²)˙^2-}], [Ni^II{(L²)^-}]⁺/1⁺ and [Ni^II{(L²)^3-}]^-/1^- electronic states, respectively. Thus, the redox processes are ligand-centred. While 1 possesses paramagnetic S_t (total spin) = 1/2, 2 and 3 possess diamagnetic ground-state S_t = 0. Interestingly, the variable-temperature (2-300 K) magnetic measurement reveals that 1 with the S_t = 1/2 ground state attains the antiferromagnetic S_t = 0 state at a very low temperature, due to weak noncovalent interactions via π-π stacking. Density functional theory (DFT) electronic structural calculations at the B3LYP level of theory rationalized the experimental results. In the UV-VIS-NIR spectra, broad absorptions are recorded for 1 and 2 in the range of 800-1600 nm; however, such an absorption is absent for 3. Time-dependent (TD)-DFT calculations provide a very good fit with the experimental spectra and allow us to identify the observed electronic transitions.

Transformation of the coordination nanostructures of 4,4',4''-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl) tribenzoic acid molecules on HOPG triggered by the change in the concentration of metal ions

The modulation effects of Cu²⁺/Fe³⁺ ions on the hydrogen-bonded structure of 4,4',4''-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl) tribenzoic acid (TATB) on a HOPG surface have been investigated at the liquid-solid interface by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM observations directly demonstrated that the self-assembled honeycomb network of TATB has been dramatically transformed after introducing CuCl₂/FeCl₃ with different concentrations. The metal-organic coordination structures are formed due to the incorporation of the Cu²⁺/Fe³⁺ ions. Interestingly, a Cu²⁺ ion remains coordinated to two COOH groups and only the number of COOH groups involved in coordination doubles when the concentration of Cu²⁺ ions doubled. A Fe³⁺ ion changes from coordination to three COOH groups to two COOH groups after increasing the concentration of Fe³⁺ ions in a mixed solution. Such results suggest that the self-assembled structures of TATB molecules formed by metal-ligand coordination bonds can be effectively adjusted by regulating the concentration of metal ions in a mixed solution, which has rarely been reported before. It explains that the regulatory effect of concentration leads to the diversity of molecular architectures dominated by coordination bonds.

Recent advances in the synthesis of cyclic compounds using α,α-dicyanoolefins as versatile vinylogous nucleophiles

This article provides a review of the applications of α,α-dicyanoolefins as versatile vinylogous nucleophiles in the synthesis of various cyclic compounds, covering the literature from the past 13 years.

Conjugated bimetallic cobalt/iron polyphthalocyanine as an electrochemical aptasensing platform for impedimetric determination of enrofloxacin in diverse environments

The synthesis of bimetallic cobalt/iron polyphthalocyanine (represented by polyCoFePc) network via a modified solid-phase synthesis method is described. It was exploited as a platform for anchoring enrofloxacin (ENR)-targeted aptamer strands, thus, fabricating a label-free impedimetric aptasensor for determination of ENR. The polyCoFePc exhibited a porous two-dimensional (2D) conjugated nanostructure and rich functional groups, and showed a superior binding interaction toward aptamer strands as compared to monometallic polyFePc and polyCoPc networks. This finding was attributed to structural defects and increased active binding sites, thereby giving a highly sensitive detection ability toward ENR. By using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the polyCoFePc-based electrochemical aptasensor exhibited an extremely low detection limit of 0.06 fg mL^-1 within the ENR concentration from 0.1 fg mL^-1 to 100 pg mL^-1, along with high selectivity, good reproducibility, and remarkable stability. Interestingly, the constructed polyCoFePc-based aptasensor also demonstrated wide practicability in various environments. The recoveries of ENR spiked into river water, milk, and pork samples ranged within 91.2 - 107.2%, 90.5 - 109.6%, and 91.2 - 102.3%, respectively.

Bis-Palladium Complex of α-Benzimidazole 9-Pyrrolyl Dipyrromethene: Synthesis, Structure, and Spectral and Catalytic Properties

A new ligand is designed and synthesized in two steps starting from α-formyl 3-pyrrolyl BODIPY. In the first step, the α-formyl 3-pyrrolyl BODIPY was condensed with 1,2-diaminobenzene in toluene at reflux and afforded α-benzimidazole 3-pyrrolyl BODIPY in 16% yield. In the second step, α-benzimidazole 3-pyrrolyl BODIPY was decomplexed upon being treated with Lewis acid AlCl₃ and afforded the desired ligand α-benzimidazole 9-pyrrolyl dipyrromethene. However, the ligand was not very stable and reacted further with PdCl₂ in CH₃CN for 1 h at reflux followed by recrystallization and afforded a novel bis-palladium complex of α-benzimidazole 9-pyrrolyl dipyrromethene in 36% yield. The bis-palladium complex was characterized and studied by high-resolution mass spectrometry, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, absorption, and density functional theory/time-dependent DFT (DFT/TD-DFT) studies. The X-ray structure revealed that two ligands and two Pd(II) ions were involved in forming a unique complex in which each Pd(II) ion was coordinated to three pyrrole N atoms of the first ligand and the benzimidazole N atom of the second ligand in a distorted square planar geometry. The absorption spectrum of the bis-palladium complex shows ill-defined, broad, and less intense bands in the region of 345-425 nm along with split bands in the higher-wavelength region of 600-630 nm. The bis-palladium complex was nonfluorescent, and the results of DFT/TD-DFT studies were in agreement with the experimental observations. The preliminary studies indicated that the bis-palladium complex can act as an efficient catalyst for coupling different aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid.

Recent advances in the tandem annulation of 1,3-enynes to functionalized pyridine and pyrrole derivatives

Great progress has been made in the tandem annulation of enynes in the past few years. This review only presents the corresponding reactions of 1,3-enyne structural motifs to provide the functionalized pyridine and pyrrole derivatives. The functionalization reactions cover iodination, bromination, trifluoromethylation, azidation, carbonylation, arylation, alkylation, selenylation, sulfenylation, amidation, esterification, and hydroxylation. We also briefly introduce the applications of the products and the reaction mechanisms for the synthesis of corresponding N-heterocycles.

A bio-compatible pyridine-pyrazole hydrazide based compartmental receptor for Al3+ sensing and its application in cell imaging

For practical applications, the development of bio-compatible organic molecules as p-block ion chemosensors is critical. Herein, we report the single crystal (SC) of new pyridine-pyrazole derived Al³⁺ sensor H2PPC [(Z)-N'-(2,3-dihydroxybenzylidene)-5-methyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide] as well as its Cu-complex SC. The probe exhibits an "off-on" fluorescence response towards Al³⁺ ions, and this has been modulated with different solvents. For selective detection of Al³⁺ ions, a special coordination pocket in the structural backbone is advantageous. The chemosensor exhibits a submicromolar detection level (LOD = 4.78 μM) for Al³⁺. The density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations of H2PPC and [Al(HPP)2]+ (1) reveal that a change of the structural conformation of probe H2PPC upon complexation causes the pyrazole and pyridine units to create a specific cavity to tether Al³⁺, and consequently H2PPC proves to be a promising molecule for Al³⁺ detection. Furthermore, the probe has been successfully used to evaluate Al³⁺ as a low-cost kit using filter paper strips, and the in situ Al³⁺ ion imaging in Vero cells as well as A549 cell lines shows the sensor's nuclear envelope penetrability, indicating that it has great potential for biological and environmental applications.

Correlation between Second Ionization Potential and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Bivalent Transition-Metal Complexes: A Quantum Chemical Study

Discovering new materials with excellent nonlinear optical responses has recently become a very interesting research topic in the different domains of materials science. Currently, density functional theory (DFT) has been shown to be a powerful tool in the explanation and prediction of the performance of novel nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Quantum chemical calculations using DFT/TD-DFT with the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional are reported to study the NLO properties of 26 bivalent transition-metal (TM) complexed by six acyclic hexadentate ligands providing pyridyl/pyrazine-amide-thioether/ether coordination and differing by the nature of the methylene dichalcogenate spacer between the rings. However, the geometry parameters and the theoretically predicted UV-vis absorption spectra of the optimized compounds M(II)Lⁱ are in excellent agreement with the experiment, when available, the trends among the nature of the TM, the importance of the ligand spacer, and of the substituents of the pyridine/pyrazine amide ligand are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, our work evidences for the first time that the hyper-polarizability, second harmonic generation, and hyper-Rayleigh scattering response of TM coordination complexes can be correlated to the second ionization potential of metal and spin state of complexes.

Dipicolinamide and isophthalamide based fluorescent chemosensors: recognition and detection of assorted analytes

This perspective focuses on a variety of fluorescent receptors based on dipicolinamide and isophthalamide groups and their significant roles in the molecular recognition, sensing and detection of assorted analytes ranging from metal ions, anions, neutral molecules, drugs and explosives. Both the "turn-on" and "turn-off" nature of sensing highlights noteworthy applications in many fields encompassing biological, medicinal, environmental and analytical disciplines.

Solid-State Structural Transformation and Photoluminescence Properties of Supramolecular Coordination Compounds

The combination of strong coordination bonds and hydrogen bonding interactions were used to generate a series of supramolecular coordination materials (SCMs), which was achieved by reacting a bis-pyridyl amide ligand, namely N-(4-pyridyl)nicotinamide (4PNA) with copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) benzoates. The SCMs were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction and the key intermolecular interactions were identified via Hirshfeld surface analysis. The role of solvent molecules on the supramolecular architecture was analyzed by synthesizing the SCMs in different solvents/solvent mixtures. A solvent-mediated solid-state structural transformation was observed in copper(II) SCMs and we were able to isolate the intermediate form of the crystal-to-crystal transformation process. The luminescence experiments revealed that complexation enhanced the fluorescence properties of 4PNA in the zinc(II) and cadmium(II) SCMs, but a reverse phenomenon was observed in the copper(II) SCMs. This work demonstrated the tuning of supramolecular assembly in coordination compounds as a function of solvents for generating SCMs with diverse properties.

Alkynoates as Versatile and Powerful Chemical Tools for the Rapid Assembly of Diverse Heterocycles under Transition-Metal Catalysis: Recent Developments and Challenges

Heterocycles, heteroaromatics and spirocyclic entities are ubiquitous components of a wide plethora of synthetic drugs, biologically active natural products, marketed pharmaceuticals and agrochemical targets. Recognizing their high proportion in drugs and rich pharmacological potential, these invaluable structural motifs have garnered significant interest, thus enabling the development of efficient catalytic methodologies providing access to architecturally complex and diverse molecules with high atom-economy and low cost. These chemical processes not only allow the formation of diverse heterocycles but also utilize a range of flexible and easily accessible building units in a single operation to discover diversity-oriented synthetic approaches. Alkynoates are significantly important, diverse and powerful building blocks in organic chemistry due to their unique and inherent properties such as the electronic bias on carbon-carbon triple bonds posed by electron-withdrawing groups or the metallic coordination site provided by carbonyl groups. The present review highlights the comprehensive picture of the utility of alkynoates (2007-2019) for the synthesis of various heterocycles (> 50 types) using transition-metal catalysts (Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Ag, Au, Pt, Cu, Mn, Fe) in various forms. The valuable function of versatile alkynoates (bearing multifunctional groups) as simple and useful starting materials is explored, thus cyclizing with an array of coupling partners to deliver a broad range of oxygen-, nitrogen-, sulfur-containing heterocycles alongside fused-, and spiro-heterocyclic compounds. In addition, these examples will also focus the scope and reaction limitations, as well as mechanistic investigations into the synthesis of these heterocycles. The biological significance will also be discussed, citing relevant examples of drug molecules highlighting each class of heterocycles. This review summarizes the recent developments in the synthetic methods for the synthesis of various heterocycles using alkynoates as readily available starting materials under transition-metal catalysis.

Modular O- vs. N-coordination of pyridylidene amide ligands to iron determines activity in alcohol oxidation catalysis

A family of polydentate pyridine-substituted pyridylidene amide (PYA) complexes bound to iron(ii) was developed. The variation of the coordination set from NN-bidentate PYA to tridentate pincer-type pyPYA2 systems (pyPYA2 = 2,6-bis(PYA)pyridine) had a large influence on the binding mode to iron(ii), including a change from the N- to rare O-coordination of the PYA site and a concomitant shift of the predominant ligand resonance structure. These binding mode variations invoke changes in the reactivity of the complexes, which were probed in the peroxide-mediated oxidation of 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone. A comparison with uncomplexed FeCl2 indicated that bidentate NN coordination is unstable and presumably leads to the dissociation of FeCl2. In contrast, the tridentate ligand binding is robust. Remarkably, the tridentate PYA pincer coordination inhibits catalytic activity in the NNN binding mode, while the ONO coordination greatly enhances catalytic performance. Under optimized conditions, the bis-ligated ONO pincer iron complex [Fe(pyPYA2)2][2PF6] reaches full conversion within one hour (0.5 mol% catalyst loading) and under dilute conditions turnover numbers over 20 000 (0.005 mol% catalyst loading).

Architectural and catalytic aspects of designer materials built using metalloligands of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based ligands

This perspective presents the design, synthesis and crystal structures of a large number of architectures constructed using assorted metalloligands of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based ligands. The metalloligands offered various appended functional groups, whereas design strategies included varying both their position and number. A combination of these parameters resulted in the development of assorted architectures including discrete trinuclear and tetranuclear complexes as well as 1D/2D/3D coordination polymers. The metalloligand strategy not only assisted in the construction of ordered crystalline materials with varied dimensionalities but also judiciously allowed the incorporation of Lewis acidic and redox-active secondary metals in the resultant architectures. As a result, such designer architectures illustrated their noteworthy role both as homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts in different organic transformation reactions.

Molecular Interactions of Pyrazine-Based Compounds to Proteins

Pyrazine-based compounds are of great importance in medicinal chemistry. Due to their heteroaromatic nature, they uniquely combine properties of heteroatoms (polar interactions) with the properties of aromatic moieties (nonpolar interactions). This review summarizes results of a systematic analysis of RCSB PDB database focused on important binding interactions of pyrazine-based ligands cocrystallized in protein targets. The most frequent interaction of pyrazine was hydrogen bond to pyrazine nitrogen atom as an acceptor, followed by weak hydrogen bond with pyrazine hydrogen as donor. We also identified intramolecular hydrogen bonds within pyrazine ligands, π-interactions, coordination to metal ions, and few halogen bonds in chloropyrazines. In many cases the binding mode of the pyrazine fragment was complex, involving a combination of several interactions. We conclude that pyrazine as a molecular fragment should not be perceived as a simple aromatic isostere but rather as a readily interacting moiety of drug-like molecules with high potential for interactions to proteins.

Chiral and SHG-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks Formed in Solution and on Surfaces: Uniformity, Morphology Control, Oriented Growth, and Postassembly Functionalization

We demonstrate the formation of uniform and oriented metal–organic frameworks using a combination of anion effects and surface chemistry. Subtle but significant morphological changes result from the nature of the coordinative counteranion of the following metal salts: NiX₂ with X = Br^–, Cl^–, NO₃^–, and OAc^–. Crystals could be obtained in solution or by template surface growth. The latter results in truncated crystals that resemble a half structure of the solution-grown ones. The oriented surface-bound metal–organic frameworks (sMOFs) are obtained via a one-step solvothermal approach rather than in a layer-by-layer approach. The MOFs are grown on Si/SiOx substrates modified with an organic monolayer or on glass substrates covered with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). Regardless of the different morphologies, the crystallographic packing is nearly identical and is not affected by the type of anion or by solution versus the surface chemistry. A propeller-type arrangement of the nonchiral ligands around the metal center affords a chiral structure with two geometrically different helical channels in a 2:1 ratio with the same handedness. To demonstrate the accessibility and porosity of the macroscopically oriented channels, a chromophore (resorufin sodium salt) was successfully embedded into the channels of the crystals by diffusion from solution, resulting in fluorescent crystals. These “colored” crystals displayed polarized emission (red) with a high polarization ratio because of the alignment of these dyes imposed by the crystallographic structure. A second-harmonic generation (SHG) study revealed Kleinman symmetry-forbidden nonlinear optical properties. These surface-bound and oriented SHG-active MOFs have the potential for use as single nonlinear optical (NLO) devices.

Catalytic Activity of trans-Bis(pyridine)gold Complexes

Gold catalysis has become one of the fastest growing fields in chemistry, providing new organic transformations and offering excellent chemoselectivities under mild reaction conditions. Methodological developments have been driven by wide applicability in the synthesis of complex structures, whereas the mechanistic understanding of Au(III)-mediated processes remains scanty and have become the Achilles’ heel of methodology development. Herein, the systematic investigation of the reactivity of bis(pyridine)-ligated Au(III) complexes is presented, based on NMR spectroscopic, X-ray crystallographic, and DFT data. The electron density of pyridines modulates the catalytic activity of Au(III) complexes in propargyl ester cyclopropanation of styrene. To avoid strain induced by a ligand with a nonoptimal nitrogen–nitrogen distance, bidentate bis(pyridine)–Au(III) complexes convert into dimers. For the first time, bis(pyridine)Au(I) complexes are shown to be catalytically active, with their reactivity being modulated by strain.

Ion recognition properties of new pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide bearing propeller-like pendant residues: multi-spectroscopic approach

Abstract

The synthesis and ion binding properties of new amide derived from propeller-like tris(2-pyridyl)amine and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid chloride were described. Amide binds divalent metal cations: copper(II), nickel(II), zinc(II), and lead(II) in acetonitrile. In acetonitrile:water mixture (9:1 v/v) amide interacts only with copper(II) and nickel(II) cations forming complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry. It was found that the introduction of bulky, nitrogen donor atom bearing pendant groups can influence coordination mode of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides. The probable model of ligand-ion interactions is proposed on the basis of 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy.

Graphic abstract

Imine and metal-ligand dynamic bonds in soft polymers for autonomous self-healing capacitive-based pressure sensors

In this work, a facile and simple yet effective method to generate intrinsic autonomous self-healing polymers was developed, leading to new materials that can be easily fine-tuned both mechanically and chemically. The new materials were designed to incorporate two dynamic and reversible types of chemical bonds, namely dynamic imine and metal-coordinating bonds, to enable autonomous self-healing, controlled degradability and ultra-high tunable stretchability (up to 800% strain) based on the ratio of metal to ligand incorporated. Through an easy condensation reaction, imine bonds are generated at the end-termini of a short siloxane chain. The new dynamic system was characterized by a variety of techniques, including tensile-pull strain testing, atomic force microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy, which showed that the highly dynamic imine bonds, combined with coordination with Fe²⁺ ions, allow for the material to regenerate 88% of its mechanical strength after physical damage. The materials were also controlled to be degraded in mild acidic conditions. Lastly, application in self-healable electronics was demonstrated through the fabrication of a capacitive-based pressure sensor, which shows good sensitivity and dynamic response (∼0.33 kPa^-1) before and after healing.

Study of the dual functional behaviour of 1,2-bis(4-bromobenzamide)benzene by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy

This study presents the dual functionality of 1,2-bis(4-bromobenzamide)benzene, where depending on the stoichiometric conditions, temperature and reaction time, the compound may act as a PdCl₂ ligand or as one of the reactants of the Suzuki coupling reaction.

4-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-2,6-bis(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridine

In the title compound, C21H14N6, the pyridine ring and two pyrazine rings are nearly coplanar [dihedral angles = 2.03 (7) and 1.60 (7)°], while the dihedral angle between the indole ring system and the pyridine ring is 29.04 (6)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—H...N hydrogen bonds, which generate [-110] chains. The packing is consolidated by C—H...N hydrogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking, generating a three-dimensional network.

A highly selective fluorescence turn-on chemosensor for Zn2+, and its application in live cell imaging, and as a colorimetric sensor for Co2+: experimental and TD-DFT calculations

A highly sensitive quinoline based “dual” chemosensor used for fluorometric detection of Zn²⁺, live-cell imaging, and colorimetric detection of Co²⁺.

Detection of sulfide ion and gaseous H2S using a series of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based scaffolds

This work presents a series of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based scaffolds with different appendages and their roles as chemosensors for the selective detection of S²⁻ ion, as well as gaseous H₂S, in primarily aqueous media.

Polymerization led selective detection and removal of Zn2+and Cd2+ions: isolation of Zn- and Cd-MOFs and reversibility studies

Two post-functionalized chemosensors display remarkable sensing of Zn²⁺and Cd²⁺ionsviagenerating corresponding metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), whereas nitrate and nitrite ions reverse the MOF-polymerization process.

Low-spin [MII(L)2] and [MIII(L)2]+ (M = Fe and Co) complexes of tridentate azo-containing pyridine/pyrazine amide ligands: structures, properties and redox potential correlations

Using deprotonated forms of tridentate azo-containing pyridine-2-/pyrazine-2-carboxamide 2-[N-(2-phenylazo)carbamoyl]-pyridine/pyrazine, seven bis-ligand complexes of Fe^II/Co^II and Fe^III/Co^III have been synthesized. Molecular structures of six of them reveal that these six-coordinate complexes utilize all available donor sites of the ligands and assume M^II/IIIN₂(pyridine/pyrazine)N'₂(amide)N''₂(azo) coordination. Complexes of Fe^II and Co^III are diamagnetic and those of Fe^III and Co^II are paramagnetic (S = 1/2; room-temperature magnetic data and EPR spectra). Cyclic voltammetry experiments in CH₂Cl₂ reveal facile metal-centred Fe^III/Fe^II and Co^III/Co^II redox responses, and all complexes display quasireversible-to-irreversible ligand(azo)-centred redox processes. The E_1/2 values of M^III/M^II redox processes for Fe, Co and Ni (reported earlier) complexes of the pyridine amide ligand linearly correlate with those for six-coordinate [M^III(bpy)₃]³⁺/[M^II(bpy)₃]²⁺, [M^III(terpy)₂]³⁺/[M^II(terpy)₂]²⁺, [M^III(L)]⁺/[M^II(L)]⁰ or [M^III(L')₂]⁺/[M^II(L')₂]⁰ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, terpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, hexadentate L(2-) = 1,4-bis[o-(pyridine-2-carboxamidophenyl)]-1,4-dithiobutane and tridentate L'(-) = {2-[2-(arylimino)phenylazo]-pyridine}) couples. Density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP level and time-dependent (TD)-DFT calculations rationalize the electronic structure of the present complexes and throw light on the origin of observed electronic transitions.

Selective fluorescent turn-off sensing of Pd2+ ion: applications as paper strips, polystyrene films, and in cell imaging

Pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide based scaffolds with appended naphthyl groups act as fluorescent probes for the selective detection of Pd²⁺ ions in aqueous medium and have applications as paper-strip sensors, as polystyrene films, and in cell imaging.

Hydroxide-bridged dicopper complexes: the influence of secondary coordination sphere on structure and catecholase activity

This work illustrates the syntheses, structures and catecholase activities of dicopper(ii) complexes having a Cu(μ-OH)Cu core encased within a secondary coordination sphere intricately created by appended heterocyclic rings.

1,3-N,O-Complexes of late transition metals. Ligands with flexible bonding modes and reaction profiles

1,3-N,O-Chelating ligands are ubiquitous in nature owing to their occurrence as α-chiral amino acids in metalloproteins.

Rapid Hydrogen and Oxygen Atom Transfer by a High-Valent Nickel-Oxygen Species

Terminal high-valent metal-oxygen species are key reaction intermediates in the catalytic cycle of both enzymes (e.g., oxygenases) and synthetic oxidation catalysts. While tremendous efforts have been directed toward the characterization of the biologically relevant terminal manganese-oxygen and iron-oxygen species, the corresponding analogues based on late-transition metals such as cobalt, nickel or copper are relatively scarce. This scarcity is in part related to the "Oxo Wall" concept, which predicts that late transition metals cannot support a terminal oxido ligand in a tetragonal environment. Here, the nickel(II) complex (1) of the tetradentate macrocyclic ligand bearing a 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamidate unit is shown to be an effective catalyst in the chlorination and oxidation of C-H bonds with sodium hypochlorite as terminal oxidant in the presence of acetic acid (AcOH). Insight into the active species responsible for the observed reactivity was gained through the study of the reaction of 1 with ClO^- at low temperature by UV-vis absorption, resonance Raman, EPR, ESI-MS, and XAS analyses. DFT calculations aided the assignment of the trapped chromophoric species (3) as a nickel-hypochlorite species. Despite the fact that the formal oxidation state of the nickel in 3 is +4, experimental and computational analysis indicate that 3 is best formulated as a Ni^III complex with one unpaired electron delocalized in the ligands surrounding the metal center. Most remarkably, 3 reacts rapidly with a range of substrates including those with strong aliphatic C-H bonds, indicating the direct involvement of 3 in the oxidation/chlorination reactions observed in the 1/ClO^-/AcOH catalytic system.