Synthesis, structural characterization and catalytic activity of indenyl complexes of ruthenium bearing fluorinated phosphine ligands

Ionic mononuclear [Fe] and heterodinuclear [Fe,Ru] bis(diphenylphosphino)alkane complexes: Synthesis, spectroscopy, DFT structures, cytotoxicity, and biomolecular interactions

Iron(II) and Ru(II) half-sandwich compounds encompass some promising pre-clinical anticancer agents whose efficacy may be tuned by structural modification of the coordinated ligands. Here, we combine two such bioactive metal centres in cationic bis(diphenylphosphino)alkane-bridged heterodinuclear [Fe²⁺, Ru²⁺] complexes to delineate how ligand structural variations modulate compound cytotoxicity. Specifically, Fe(II) complexes of the type [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(CO)₂(κ¹-PPh₂(CH₂)_nPPh₂)]{PF₆} (n = 1-5), compounds 1-5, and heterodinuclear [Fe²⁺, Ru²⁺] complexes, [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(CO)₂(μ-PPh₂(CH₂)_nPPh₂))(η⁶-p-cymene)RuCl₂]{PF₆} (n = 2-5) (compounds 7-10), were synthesized and characterised. The mononuclear complexes were moderately cytotoxic against two ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780 and cisplatin resistant A2780cis) with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.3 ± 0.5 μM to 9.0 ± 1.4 μM. For 7-10, the cytotoxicity increased with increasing Fe⋅⋅⋅Ru distance, consistent with their DNA affinity. UV-visible spectroscopy suggested the chloride ligands in heterodinuclear 8-10 undergo stepwise substitution by water on the timescale of the DNA interaction experiments, probably affording the species [RuCl(OH₂)(η⁶-p-cymene)(PRPh₂)]²⁺ and [Ru(OH)(OH₂)(η⁶-p-cymene)(PRPh₂)]²⁺ (where PRPh₂ has R = [-(CH₂)₅PPh₂-Fe(C₅H₅)(CO)₂]⁺). One interpretation of the combined DNA-interaction and kinetic data is that the mono(aqua) complex may interact with dsDNA through nucleobase coordination. Heterodinuclear 10 reacts with glutathione (GSH) to form stable mono- and bis(thiolate) adducts, 10-SG and 10-SG₂, with no evidence of metal ion reduction (k₁ = 1.07 ± 0.17 × 10^-1 min^-1 and k₂ = 6.04 ± 0.59 × 10^-3 min^-1 at 37 °C). This work highlights the synergistic effect of the Fe²⁺/Ru²⁺ centres on both the cytotoxicity and biomolecular interactions of the present heterodinuclear complexes.

Ferrocenium complex aided O-glycosylation of glycosyl halides

A new strategy for the activation of glycosyl halide donors to be utilized in glycosylation reactions is presented, utilizing the ferrocenium (Fc) complexes [FcB(OH)₂]SbF₆ and FcBF₄ as promoters. The scope of the new system has been investigated using glycosyl chloride and glycosyl fluoride donors in combination with common glycosyl acceptors, such as protected glucose. The corresponding glycosylation products were formed in 95 to 10% isolated yields with α/β ratios ranging from 1/1 to β only (2 to 14 h reaction time at room temperature, 40 to 100% ferrocenium promoter load).

Ferrocenium complexes as a new, tunable platform for O-glycosylation reactions are introduced.

Fluorine-Substituted Arylphosphine for an NHC-Ni(I) System, Air-Stable in a Solid State but Catalytically Active in Solution

Monovalent NHC-nickel complexes bearing triarylphosphine, in which fluorine is incorporated onto the aryl groups, have been synthesized. Tris(3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl)phosphine efficiently gave a monovalent nickel bromide complex, whose structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis for the first time. In the solid state, the Ni(I) complex was less susceptible to oxidation in air than the triphenylphosphine complex, indicating greatly improved solid-state stability. In contrast, the Ni(I) complex in solution can easily liberate the phosphine, high catalytic activity toward the Kumada-Tamao-Corriu coupling of aryl bromides.

Tetrametallic Thorium Compounds with Th4E4 (E = S, Se) Cubane Cores

Tetrametallic thorium compounds with a Th₄E₄ core (E = S, Se) having a distorted cubane structure can be prepared by ligand-based reductions of elemental E with thorium chalcogenolates, prepared by in situ oxidation of Th metal with a 3:1 mixture of PhEEPh and F₅C₆EEC₆F₅. Four compounds, (py)₈Th₄S₄(μ₂-SPh)₄(SC₆F₅)₄, (py)₈Th₄S₄(μ₂-SPh)₄(SeC₆F₅)₄, (py)₈Th₄Se₄(μ₂-SePh)₄(SeC₆F₅)₄, and (py)₈Th₄Se₄(μ₂-SePh)₄(SC₆F₅)₄, were isolated and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. These compounds clearly demonstrate the chemical impact of ring fluorination, with the less-nucleophilic EC₆F₅ ligands occupying the terminal binding sites and the EPh ligands bridging two metal centers. For this series of compounds, crystal packing and intermolecular π···π and H-bonding interactions result in a consistent motif and crystallization in a body-centered tetragonal unit cell. Solution-state ⁷⁷Se NMR spectroscopy reveals that the solid-state structures are maintained in pyridine.