The Unexpected Preference for the fac-Isomer with the Tris(5-ester-substituted-2,2‘-bipyridine) Complexes of Ruthenium(II)

Synthesis, X-ray structure, physicochemical properties and anticancer activity of mer and fac Ru(iii) triphenylphosphine complexes with a benzothiazole derivative as a co-ligand

Two mononuclear ruthenium(iii) mer- and fac-isomers of the formula [RuCl3(PPh3)(dmpbt)] (where PPh3 = triphenylphosphine, dmpbt = 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazoll-yl)benzothiazole) have been synthesised from the reaction of [RuCl3(PPh3)3] with a bidentate ligand - dmpbt. Appropriate reaction conditions allowed obtaining the two isomers separately without separation techniques. X-ray crystallography has determined the crystal and molecular structures of the new complexes. mer-Ru(iii) (1) crystallised in the monoclinic P2(1)/n group, and fac-Ru(iii) (2, 2') in the triclinic P1[combining macron] space group. The composition of the ruthenium coordination sphere was confirmed and characterised using spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR, UV-vis and EPR), elemental analysis and mass spectrometry (MS-FAB). The structures of the complexes obtained were analysed using X-ray and other spectroscopic methods (IR and UV-vis). The electrochemical properties of the ligand and the complex compound were identified using cyclic voltammetry, determining the potential and charge of faradaic processes. Both isomers are redox active and display quasi-reversible metal centered redox processes for the Ru(iii)/Ru(ii) pair. Moreover, preliminary tests of their biological activity were performed. The cytotoxicity of these compounds has been tested for human lung carcinoma (A549), chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562), human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (MOLT-4), human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The ability to induce apoptosis has been demonstrated in caspase 3/7 activity assay. In addition, the lipophilicity of both isomers was described by a partition coefficient, log P, values of which were estimated by the shake-flask method. The interesting and promising preliminary results of the biological and chemical activities of the new octahedral mer/fac Ru(iii) complexes motivate further in vitro and in vivo studies.

mer and fac isomerism in tris chelate diimine metal complexes

In this perspective, we highlight the issue of meridional (mer) and facial (fac) orientation of asymmetrical diimines in tris-chelate transition metal complexes. Diimine ligands have long been the workhorse of coordination chemistry, and whilst there are now good strategies to isolate materials where the inherent metal centered chirality is under almost complete control, and systematic methodologies to isolate heteroleptic complexes, the conceptually simple geometrical isomerism has not been widely investigated. In systems where the two donor atoms are significantly different in terms of the σ-donor and π-accepting ability, the fac isomer is likely to be the thermodynamic product. For the diimine complexes with two trigonal planar nitrogen atoms there is much more subtlety to the system, and external factors such as the solvent, lattice packing and the various steric considerations play a delicate role in determining the observed and isolable product. In this article we discuss the possibilities to control the isomeric ratio in labile systems, consider the opportunities to separate inert complexes and discuss the observed differences in their spectroscopic properties. Finally we report on the ligand orientation in supramolecular systems where facial coordination leads to simple regular structures such as helicates and tetrahedra, but the ability of the ligand system to adopt a mer orientation enables self-assembled structures of considerable beauty and complexity.

Heterometallic complexes with gold(I) metalloligands: self-assembly of helical dimers stabilized by weak intermolecular interactions and solvophobic effects

New gold(I) alkynyl metalloligands bpylCCAuL, bpyl'CCAuPPh3 , and PPN[Au(CCbpyl')2 ] (bpyl or bpyl'=2,2'-bipyridin-5-yl or -4-yl, respectively; L=PMex Ph3-x (x=1-3), P(C6 H3 Me2 -3,5)3 , PCy3 , XyNC) have been synthesized. Ligands bpylCCH and metalloligands bpylCCAuL (L=PPh3 , PMePh2 , PCy3 , CNXy) react with MX2 (M=Fe, Zn, X=ClO4 ; M=Co, X=BF4 ) to give complexes [M(bpylCCZ)3 ]X2 (Z=H or AuL). In most cases, these complexes are mixtures of fac and mer isomers in a statistical distribution, in both CH2 Cl2 and MeCN. However, for L=PPh3 , the fac isomer is dominant in MeCN. NMR and ESI-MS studies, together with the crystal structure of [Co(bpylCCAuPPh3 )3 ](BF4 )2 , suggest that this solvent dependence is originated by the formation of helical dimers between two fac complexes in MeCN. These dimers are stabilized by solvophobic effects and multiple intermolecular interactions. Complex [Fe(Ph3 PAuCCbpdiylCCAuPPh3 )3 ](ClO4 )2 (bpdiyl=2,2'-bipyridin-5,5'-diyl) was obtained by reaction of three diauro diethynylbipyridines and Fe(ClO4 )2 .

Protein surface recognition using geometrically pure Ru(II) tris(bipyridine) derivatives

This manuscript illustrates that the geometric arrangement of protein-binding groups around a ruthenium(II) core leads to dramatic differences in cytochrome c (cyt c) binding highlighting that it is possible to define synthetic receptors with shape complementarity to protein surfaces.

The comparison of fac and mer ruthenium(ii) trischelate complexes in anion binding

The synthesis of three new homoleptic trischelate ruthenium(ii) complexes bearing new 2,2'-bipyridine ligands, 5,5'-dibenzylamido-2,2'-bipyridine () and 5-benzylamido-2,2'-bipyridine (L1) has been achieved. In the case of [Ru(L2)(3)](2+), the mer and fac isomers have been separated. (1)H NMR spectroscopic anion binding studies indicate that the two C(3)-symmetric pockets provided by [Ru(L1)(3)](2+) is conducive to receive a range of anions, although this is not readily reflected in the photophysical behaviour. The fac-isomer of [Ru(L2)(3)](2+) does appear to have an enhancement in the binding interactions over the mer form with dihydrogenphosphate salts, although the difference is much less marked with the spherical chloride ions. From X-ray crystallographic evidence, the ability to hold water in the "anion" binding cleft can inhibit the strength of the interactions with anions, giving rise to the observed selectivity for directional oxoanions such as dihydrogen phosphate.

Stereoselectivity in the formation of tris-diimine complexes of Fe(ii), Ru(ii), and Os(ii) with a C2-symmetric chiral derivative of 2,2′-bipyridine

A C2-symmetric enantiopure 4,5-bis(pinene)-2,2'-bipyridine ligand (-)-L was used to investigate the diastereoselectivity in the formation of [ML3]2+ coordination species (M = Fe(II), Ru(II), Os(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II)), and [ML2Cl2] (M = Ru(II), Os(II)). The X-ray structures of the [ML3]2+ complexes were determined for Delta-[FeL3](PF6)2, Delta-[RuL3](PF6)2, Lambda-[RuL3](PF6)2, Delta-[OsL3](PF6)2, and Lambda-[OsL3](TfO)2. All of these compounds were also characterized by NMR, CD and UV/VIS absorption spectroscopy. The [FeL3]2+ diastereoisomers were studied in equilibrated solutions at various temperatures and in several solvents. The [RuL3]2+ complexes, which are thermally stable up to 200 degrees C, were photochemically equilibrated.