Metal-binding motifs of alkyl and aryl phosphinates; versatile mono and polynucleating ligands

Photoinduced Decarboxylative Radical Phosphinylation

Reported herein is an unprecedented protocol for C(sp3 )-phosphinylation. With 1 mol % 4CzIPN (1,2,3,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,6-dicyanobenzene) as the catalyst, the visible light induced reaction of redox-active esters of aliphatic carboxylic acids with dimethyl arylphosphonites or diethyl alkylphosphonites at room temperature provides the corresponding decarboxylative phosphinylation products in satisfactory yields. The protocol exhibits broad substrate scope and wide functional-group compatibility, enabling the late-stage modification of complex molecules and rapid synthesis of bioactive phosphinic acids such as glutamine synthetase phosphinothricin and a kynureninase inhibitor. A radical-polar crossover mechanism involving the formation and subsequent oxidation of phosphoranyl radicals followed by nucleophilic demethylation (or deethylation) is proposed.

Synthesis and Application of Hybrid Aluminum Dialkylphosphinates as Highly Efficient Flame Retardants for Polyamides

Hybrid aluminum dialkylphosphinates were synthesized from mixed diethyl-, ethylisobutyl-, and diisobutylphosphinates and Al3+ in water. The XRD, DSC, and TGA results of these Al phosphinates established that phosphinate ligands are randomly distributed in the species. The thermal and thermoxidative stabilities of the hybrid phosphinates were easily adjustable by varying the ratio of phosphinate ligands, a desirable feature for efficient flame retardants. The hybrid aluminum dialkylphosphinates with a relatively low ratio of diethylphosphinate demonstrated higher efficiency than Al diethylphosphinate and Al diisobutylphosphinate in flame-retarding polyamide 66. Detailed investigations on the thermal and thermoxidative stabilities of Al dialkylphosphinates and the morphologies of char obtained in UL-94 tests revealed that timely vaporization of degradation products of hybrid dialkylphosphinates at a temperature which closely matches the degradation temperature of polyamides and their ability to promote char formation of polyamides are two key factors which contribute to the excellent performance of hybrid aluminum dialkylphosphinates.

Influence of the Substituent's Size in the Phosphinate Group on the Conformational Possibilities of Ferrocenylbisphosphinic Acids in the Design of Coordination Polymers and Metal-Organic Frameworks

This paper illustrates how the size and type of substituent R in the phosphinate group of ferrocenyl bisphosphinic acids can affect conformational possibilities and coordination packing. It also demonstrates that H-phosphinate plays a key role in variational mobility, while Me- or Ph- substituents of the phosphinate group can only lead to 0D complexes or 1D coordination polymer. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights into the design and construction of coordination polymers based on ferrocene-contained linkers. It sheds light on how different reaction conditions and substituents can affect conformational possibilities and coordination packing, which could have significant implications for developing new polymers with unique properties.

Ligand Engineering toward the Trade-Off between Stability and Activity in Cluster Catalysis

We report the structures, stability and catalysis properties of two Ag₂₁ nanoclusters, namely [Ag₂₁ (H₂ BTCA)₃ (O₂ PPh₂ )₆ ]SbF₆ (1) and [Ag₂₁ (C≡CC₆ H₃ -3,5-R₂ )₆ (O₂ PPh₂ )₁₀ ]SbF₆ (2) (H₄ BTCA=p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene, R=OMe). Both Ag₂₁ structures possess an identical icosahedral kernel that is surrounded by eight peripheral Ag atoms. Single-crystal structural analysis and ESI-MS revealed that 1 is an 8-electron cluster and 2 has four free electrons. Theoretical results show that the P-symmetry orbitals are found as HOMO-1 and HOMO states in 1, and the frontier unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO, LUMO+1 and LUMO+2) show D-character, indicating 1 is a superatomic cluster with an electronically closed shell 1S² 1P⁶ , while 2 has an incomplete shell configuration 1S² 1P² . These two Ag₂₁ clusters show superior stability under ambient conditions, and 1 is robust even at 90 °C in toluene and under oxidative conditions (30 % H₂ O₂ ). Significantly, 2 exhibits much higher activity than 1 as catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. This work demonstrates that ligands can influence the electronic structures of silver clusters, and further affect their stability and catalytic performance.

Phosphinate Apical Ligands: A Route to a Water-Stable Octahedral Molybdenum Cluster Complex

Recent studies have unraveled the potential of octahedral molybdenum cluster complexes (Mo₆) as relevant red phosphors and photosensitizers of singlet oxygen, O₂(¹Δ_g), for photobiological applications. However, these complexes tend to hydrolyze in an aqueous environment, which deteriorates their properties and limits their applications. To address this issue, we show that phenylphosphinates are extraordinary apical ligands for the construction of Mo₆ complexes. These new complexes display unmatched luminescence quantum yields and singlet oxygen production in aqueous solutions. More importantly, the complex with diphenylphosphinate ligands is the only stable complex of these types in aqueous media. These complexes internalize in lysosomes of HeLa cells, have no dark toxicity, and yet are phototoxic in the submicromolar concentration range. The superior hydrolytic stability of the diphenylphosphinate complex allows for conservation of its photophysical properties and biological activity over a long period, making it a promising compound for photobiological applications.

Potential chemical transformation of phosphinic acid derivatives and their applications in the synthesis of drugs

The chemical transformation of phosphinic acid is a well-considered mature area of research on account of the historical significant reactions such as Kabachnik-Fields, Mannich, Arbuzov, Michaelis-Becker, etc. Considerable advances have been made over last years especially in metal-catalyzed, free-radical processes and asymmetric synthesis using catalytic enantioselective. As a result, the aim of this synopsis is to make the reader familiar with advances in the approaches of phosphinic acids toward the synthesis of highly functionalized and valuable buildings blocks. Another purpose of this survey is to provide the current status of the applications of phosphinic acids in the synthesis of drugs.

Novel Cerium Bisphosphinate Coordination Polymer and Unconventional Metal–Organic Framework

The first Ce(III)-based coordination polymer ICR-9 (ICR stands for Inorganic Chemistry Řež), with the formula Ce2(C8H10P2O4)3, containing ditopic phenylene-1,4-bis(methylphosphinic acid) linker, was synthetized under solvothermal conditions. The crystal structure, solved using electron diffraction tomography (EDT), revealed 2D layers of octahedrally coordinated cerium atoms attached together through O-P-O bridges. The structure is nonporous, however, the modification of synthetic conditions led to unconventional metal–organic framework (or defective amorphous phase) with a specific surface area up to approximately 400 m2 g-1.

New Directions in Metal Phosphonate and Phosphinate Chemistry

In September 2018, the First European Workshop on Metal Phosphonates Chemistry brought together some prominent researchers in the field of metal phosphonates and phosphinates with the aim of discussing past and current research efforts and identifying future directions. The scope of this perspective article is to provide a critical overview of the topics discussed during the workshop, which are divided into two main areas: synthesis and characterisation, and applications. In terms of synthetic methods, there has been a push towards cleaner and more efficient approaches. This has led to the introduction of high-throughput synthesis and mechanochemical synthesis. The recent success of metal–organic frameworks has also promoted renewed interest in the synthesis of porous metal phosphonates and phosphinates. Regarding characterisation, the main advances are the development of electron diffraction as a tool for crystal structure determination and the deployment of in situ characterisation techniques, which have allowed for a better understanding of reaction pathways. In terms of applications, metal phosphonates have been found to be suitable materials for several purposes: they have been employed as heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals, as solid sorbents for gas separation, notably CO2 capture, as materials for electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and rechargeable batteries, and as matrices for drug delivery.

Phosphinic acids: current status and potential for drug discovery

Phosphinic acid derivatives exhibit diverse biological activities and a high degree of structural diversity, rendering them a versatile tool in the development of new medicinal agents. Pronounced recent progress, coupled with previous research findings, highlights the impact of this moiety in medicinal chemistry. Here, we highlight the most important breakthroughs made with phosphinates with a range of pharmacological activities against many diseases, including anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, antiparasitic, antihepatitis, antiproliferative, anti-influenza, anti-HIV, antimalarial, and antimicrobial agents. We also provide the current status of the corresponding prodrugs, drug-delivery systems, and drug applications of phosphinic acids in the clinical stage.

Zn and Co redox active coordination polymers as efficient electrocatalysts

New redox active 1D helical coordination polymers M(fcdHp) (M(ii) = Zn(1), Co(2)) have been obtained.

Phosphinic Acid Based Linkers: Building Blocks in Metal-Organic Framework Chemistry

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a chemically and topologically diverse family of materials composed of inorganic nodes and organic linkers bound together by coordination bonds. Presented here are two significant innovations in this field. The first is the use of a new coordination group, phenylene-1,4-bis(methylphosphinic acid) (PBPA), a phosphinic acid analogue of the commonly used terephtalic acid. Use of this new linker group leads to the formation of a hydrothermally stable and permanently porous MOF structure. The second innovation is the application of electron-diffraction tomography, coupled with dynamic refinement of the EDT data, to the elucidation of the structure of the new material, including the localization of hydrogen atoms.

Complexes of phosphonate and phosphinate derivatives of dipicolylamine

Phospho(i)nate derivatives of dipicolylamine show excellent selectivity for Zn(ii) over alkaline earth metal ions.