Hydrogen Peroxide and Dioxygen Activation by Dinuclear Copper Complexes in Aqueous Solution: Hydroxyl Radical Production Initiated by Internal Electron Transfer

High-Throughput Approach for Facile Access to Hetero-Dinuclear Synergistic Metal Complex for H2O2 Activation and Its Implications

Hetero-dinuclear synergic catalysis is a promising approach for improving catalytic performance. However, employing it is challenging because the design principles for the metal complex are still not well understood. Further, these complexes have a broader set of possibilities than mononuclear or homometallic systems, increasing the time and effort required to understand them. In this study, we explored a high-throughput approach to obtain a new hetero-dinuclear synergistic metal complex for H₂O₂ activation. From the 1152 combinations of metal complex candidates obtained by changing three variables (metal ions, unsymmetrical dinucleating ligands, and pH), the lead complex (L3-(Ni, Co)), which has the highest peroxidase activity, was derived using colorimetric parallel analysis. A series of control experiments revealed that L3 plays a crucial role in the formation of active L3-(Ni, Co) complexes, Co²⁺ acts as a catalytic center, and Ni²⁺ serves as an assistant catalytic site within L3-(Ni, Co). In addition, the catalytic efficiency of L3-(Ni, Co), which was 125 times that of the homo-bimetallic complex (L3-(Co, Co)), revealed clear hetero-bimetallic synergism in the buffer. The ultraviolet-visible study and electron paramagnetic resonance-based spin-trap experiment provided mechanistic insight into H₂O₂ activation by the intermediate, which was found to be induced by the reaction of L3-(Ni, Co) and H₂O₂. Moreover, the intermediate could act as a donor of the hydroperoxyl radical (^•OOH) in the buffer. Furthermore, L3-(Ni, Co) demonstrated potential for application as a signal transducer for H₂O₂ in an enzyme-coupled cascade assay that can be used for the colorimetric detection of glucose.

Amphiphilic polymer-encapsulated Au nanoclusters with enhanced emission and stability for highly selective detection of hypochlorous acid

It is of vital importance to develop probes to monitor hypochlorous acid (HClO) in biological systems as HClO is associated with many important physiological and pathological processes. Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are promising luminescent nanomaterials for highly reactive oxygen species (hROS) detection on the basis of their strong reaction ability with hROS. However, metal NCs typically can respond to most common hROS and are susceptible to etching by biothiols, hindering their application in the construction of effective HClO probes. Herein, we proposed a strategy to develop a nanoprobe based on Au NCs for highly sensitive and selective detection of HClO. We synthesized luminescent benzyl mercaptan-stabilized Au NCs and encapsulated them with an amphiphilic polymer (DSPE-PEG). After encapsulation, an obvious emission enhancement and good resistance to the etching by biothiols for Au NCs were achieved. More importantly, the DSPE-PEG encapsulated Au NCs can be used as a nanoprobe for detection of HClO with good performance. The luminescence of the Au NCs was effectively and selectively quenched by HClO. A good linear relationship with the concentration of HClO in the range of 5–35 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.4 μM were obtained. Additionally, this nanoprobe was successfully used for bioimaging and monitoring of HClO changes in live cells, suggesting the application potential of the as-prepared amphiphilic polymer-encapsulated Au NCs for further HClO-related biomedical research.

Amphiphilic polymer-encapsulated Au nanoclusters with enhanced emission and stability were synthesized and used for the sensitive and selective detection of hypochlorous acid.

Colorimetric discrimination of nucleoside phosphates based on catalytic signal amplification strategy and its application to related enzyme assays

Selective detection of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) which are less charged molecules than adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or pyrophosphate (PPi) in aqueous solution has been considered challenging because AMP and ADP have relatively low binding affinity for phosphate receptors. In this study, colorimetric discrimination of nucleoside phosphates was achieved based on catalytic signal amplification through the activation of artificial peroxidase. This method showed high selectivity for AMP and ADP over ATP and PPi, unlike previous phosphate sensors that use Zn²⁺-dipicolylamine-based receptors. High selectivity of the suggested method allowed discrimination of AMP in aqueous solution by the naked eye, and the detection limit was estimated to be 0.5 μM. Mechanism analysis revealed AMP acted as activators in the peroxidation cycle of the Mn₂(bpmp)/ABTS/H₂O₂ system despite having relatively low binding affinity. Additionally, high selectivity and quantitative signal amplification allowed for the development of colorimetric phosphodiesterase and a small molecule kinase assay method. The newly proposed method offers direct, real-time, and quantitative analysis of enzyme activities and inhibition, and is expected to be further applied to high-throughput screening of inhibitors.

Peptide-capped functionalized Ag/Au bimetal nanoclusters with enhanced red fluorescence for lysosome-targeted imaging of hypochlorite in living cells

Bioimaging probes for monitoring intracellular reactive oxygen species have important implications for cell biology research. Herein, we developed peptide-capped silver/gold nanoclusters (peptide@Ag/Au NCs) for lysosome-targeted imaging of hypochlorite (ClO^-). The peptide@Ag/Au NCs were synthesized via a one-pot method using peptide as both a template and a reducing agent. The fluorescence intensity and absolute quantum yield of peptide@Ag/Au NCs were much higher than those of peptide-capped gold nanoclusters and silver nanoclusters. In the presence of ClO^-, the fluorescence of peptide@Ag/Au NCs was quenched, accompanied by a redshift due to ClO^--induced oxidation of the peptide ligand and decreased Ag content in Ag/Au NCs. The relative fluorescence intensity F₀/F had favourable linearity for ClO^- concentrations in the range 0.1-100 μmol/L (R² = 0.9954), with a detection limit (LOD) of 80 nmol/L. The lysosome-targeted peptide@Ag/Au NCs were applied to detect ClO^- in lysosomes in living cells via fluorescence imaging.

Copper(ii) complexes of functionalized 2,2':6',2''-terpyridines and 2,6-di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine: structure, spectroscopy, cytotoxicity and catalytic activity

Six new copper(ii) complexes with 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (4'-Rⁿ-terpy) [1 (R¹ = furan-2-yl), 2 (R² = thiophen-2-yl), and 3 (R³ = 1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)] and 2,6-di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine derivatives (Rⁿ-dtpy) [4 (R¹), 5 (R²), and 6 (R³)] have been synthesized by a reaction between copper(ii) chloride and the corresponding ligand. The complexes have been characterized by UV-vis and IR spectroscopy, and their structures have been determined by X-ray analysis. The antiproliferative potential of copper(ii) complexes of 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine and 2,6-di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine derivatives towards human colorectal (HCT116) and ovarian (A2780) carcinoma as well as towards lung (A549) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cell lines was examined. Complex 1 and complex 6 were found to have the highest antiproliferative effect on A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells, particularly when compared with complex 2, 3 with no antiproliferative effect. The order of cytotoxicity in this cell line is 6 > 1 > 5 > 4 > 2 ≈ 3. Complex 2 seems to be much more specific towards colorectal carcinoma HCT116 and lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The viability loss induced by the complexes agrees with Hoechst 33258 staining and typical morphological apoptotic characteristics like chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation. The specificity towards different types of cell lines and the low cytotoxic activity towards healthy cells are of particular interest and are a positive feature for further developments. Complexes 1-6 were also tested in the oxidation of alkanes and alcohols with hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (TBHP). The most active catalyst 4 gave, after 120 min, 0.105 M of cyclohexanol + cyclohexanone after reduction with PPh₃. This concentration corresponds to a yield of 23% and TON = 210. Oxidation of cis-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane with m-CPBA catalyzed by 4 in the presence of HNO₃ gave a product of a stereoselective reaction (trans/cis = 0.47). Oxidation of secondary alcohols afforded the target ketones in yields up to 98% and TON = 630.

Peroxide Activation Regulated by Hydrogen Bonds within Artificial Cu Proteins

Copper-hydroperoxido species (CuII-OOH) have been proposed to be key intermediates in biological and synthetic oxidations. Using biotin-streptavidin (Sav) technology, artificial copper proteins have been developed to stabilize a CuII-OOH complex in solution and in crystallo. Stability is achieved because the Sav host provides a local environment around the Cu-OOH that includes a network of hydrogen bonds to the hydroperoxido ligand. Systematic deletions of individual hydrogen bonds to the Cu-OOH complex were accomplished using different Sav variants and demonstrated that stability is achieved with a single hydrogen bond to the proximal O-atom of the hydroperoxido ligand: changing this interaction to only include the distal O-atom produced a reactive variant that oxidized an external substrate.

Copper-Oxygen Complexes Revisited: Structures, Spectroscopy, and Reactivity

A longstanding research goal has been to understand the nature and role of copper-oxygen intermediates within copper-containing enzymes and abiological catalysts. Synthetic chemistry has played a pivotal role in highlighting the viability of proposed intermediates and expanding the library of known copper-oxygen cores. In addition to the number of new complexes that have been synthesized since the previous reviews on this topic in this journal (Mirica, L. M.; Ottenwaelder, X.; Stack, T. D. P. Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 1013-1046 and Lewis, E. A.; Tolman, W. B. Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 1047-1076), the field has seen significant expansion in the (1) range of cores synthesized and characterized, (2) amount of mechanistic work performed, particularly in the area of organic substrate oxidation, and (3) use of computational methods for both the corroboration and prediction of proposed intermediates. The scope of this review has been limited to well-characterized examples of copper-oxygen species but seeks to provide a thorough picture of the spectroscopic characteristics and reactivity trends of the copper-oxygen cores discussed.

Probe Compounds to Assess the Photochemical Activity of Dissolved Organic Matter

The photochemical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) have been of interest to scientists and engineers since the 1970s. Upon light absorption, chromophoric DOM (CDOM) can sensitize the formation of different short-lived reactive intermediates (RIs), including hydroxyl radical (^•OH), singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and superoxide radical anion (O₂^•-). In addition, a fraction of the excited singlet states in CDOM decays into excited triplet states (³CDOM*), which are also important photochemical transients in environmental systems. These RIs have a significant impact on different processes in sunlit waters, including degradation of organic contaminants and the inactivation of pathogens. Due to their transient nature and low steady-state concentrations, the use of common analytical techniques for the direct measurement of these species is impractical. Therefore, specific probe compounds (PCs) are used. PCs include furfuryl alcohol for ¹O₂, and terephthalic acid for ^•OH. In this publication, we present a critical review of the use of PCs for the assessment of the formation of photochemically generated RIs. We first introduce the concept of a PC, including the kinetic treatment and necessary assumptions needed to conduct a specific measurement. Afterward, we present short overviews of the most studied RIs and review relevant issues regarding the use of specific PCs for their measurement. We finalize by offering recommendations regarding the use of PCs in environmental photochemistry.

Generation of hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen during oxidation of rhododendrol and rhododendrol-catechol

The generation of hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen during the oxidation of 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (rhododendrol) and 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (rhododendrol-catechol) with mushroom tyrosinase in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was examined as the model for the reactive oxygen species generation via the two rhododendrol compounds in melanocytes. The reaction was performed in the presence of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) spin trap reagents for hydroxyl radical or 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone (4-oxo-TEMP), an acceptor of singlet oxygen, and their electron spin resonances were measured. An increase in the electron spin resonances signal attributable to the adduct of DMPO reacting with the hydroxyl radical and that of 4-oxo-TEMP reacting with singlet oxygen was observed during the tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of rhododendrol and rhododendrol-catechol, indicating the generation of hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen. Moreover, hydroxyl radical generation was also observed in the autoxidation of rhododendrol-catechol. We show that generation of intermediates during tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of rhododendrol enhances oxidative stress in melanocytes.

Generation Mechanism of Deferoxamine Radical by Tyrosine-Tyrosinase Reaction

Nitroxide radical formations of deferoxamine mesylate (DFX) that is used clinically to treat iron-overload patients was examined by a tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction system as models of the H-atom transfer or proton-coupled electron transfer. When DFX was exposed to the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction, nine-line ESR spectrum (g = 2.0063, hfcc; aN = 0.78 mT, aH(2) = 0.63 mT) was detected, indicating that the oxidation of DFX leads to a nitroxide radical. The signal intensity of the DFX radical increased dependently on the concentrations of tyrosine and tyrosinase. The amounts of DMPO-OH spin adducts via the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction declined with DFX. Furthermore, mass spectra of an extra removed from the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction mixture showed that the enzyme reactions might not be degradations of DFX. Therefore, there might be two types of DFX reaction passways, which could be through an internal electron transfer from tyrosine and hydrogen absorptions by ·OH directly.

Alkane oxidation with peroxides catalyzed by cage-like copper(ii) silsesquioxanes

Copper(ii) silsesquioxanes [(PhSiO_1.5)₁₂(CuO)₄(NaO_0.5)₄] or [(PhSiO_1.5)₁₀(CuO)₂(NaO_0.5)₂] are catalysts for alkane oxidation with H₂O₂ort-BuOOH.

Formation of self-inhibiting copper(ii) nanoparticles in an autocatalytic Fenton-like reaction

Autocatalytic Fenton-like decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Cu(ii) and etidronic acid (HEDP) at high pH results in the nucleation of very stable mixed copper(ii) phosphate/carbonate nanoparticles which self-inhibit further reaction.

N-[2-(Pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]-derivatives of methane-, benzene- and toluenesulfonamide: prospective ligands for metal coordination

The molecular and supramolecular structures are reported of N-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]methanesulfonamide, C8H12N2O2S, (I), N-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]benzenesulfonamide, C13H14N2O2S, (II), and N-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]toluenesulfonamide, C14H16N2O2S, (III). Although (II) and (III) are almost structurally identical, the N(amide)-C(ethyl)-C(ethyl)-C(pyridinyl) torsion angles for (I) and (II) are more closely comparable, with magnitudes of 175.37 (15)° for (I) and 169.04 (19)° for (II). This angle decreases dramatically with an additional methyl group in the para position of the sulfonamide substituent, resulting in a value of 62.9 (2)° for (III). In each of the three compounds there is an N-H...N hydrogen bond between the sulfonamide of one molecule and the pyridine N atom of a neighbor. Compound (I) forms hydrogen-bonded dimers, (II) uses its hydrogen bonding to connect supramolecular layers, and the hydrogen bonding of (III) connects linear chains to form layers. For arene-substituted (II) and (III), the different conformations afforded by the variable dihedral angles promote intermolecular π-π stacking in the benzene-substituted structure (II), but distorted intramolecular T-shaped π-stacking in the toluene-substituted structure (III), with a centroid-to-centroid distance of 4.9296 (10) Å.

Self-activating nuclease and anticancer activities of copper(II) complexes with aryl-modified 2,6-di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine

Three mononuclear copper complexes [Cu(PDTP)Cl2] (PDTP = 4-phenyl-2,6-di(thiazole-2-yl)pyridine, CuPDTP), [Cu(ADTP)Cl2] (ADTP = 4-(anthracen-9-yl)-2,6-di(thiazole-2-yl)pyridine, CuADTP) and [Cu(BFDTP)Cl2] (BFDTP = 4-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2,6-di(thiazole-2-yl)pyridine, CuBFDTP) were synthesized and characterized. The X-ray single crystallography results indicated that the Cu(II) ions showed slightly distorted square pyramid coordination environments, and the ligands deviated from ideal planarity in all three compounds. Based on the DNA binding studies, it was demonstrated that these three complexes exhibited weak DNA binding strengths, which were most likely groove binding modes. CuPDTP, CuADTP and CuBFDTP induced efficient DNA cleavage in the dark without the addition of external catalysts (oxidant or reductant). In contrast, in the presence of reducing or oxidizing agents, the nuclease activities increased more than 10-fold. Mechanistic investigations revealed the participation of reactive oxygen species, which can be trapped by ROS radical scavengers and ROS sensors. In the same experimental conditions, the free ligands and CuCl2 did not display any DNA cleaving activity. This result indicates that the complexes, rather than their components, play a significant role in the nuclease reaction process and that DNA cleavage may be initiated in an oxidative pattern. The proposed mechanism was attributed to the in situ activation of molecular oxygen by the oxidation of the copper complexes. In the MTT cytotoxicity studies, the three Cu(II) complexes exhibited an antitumor activity against the HeLa, BEL-7402 and HepG2 tumor cell lines. The HeLa cells treated with Cu(II) complexes demonstrated marked changes in their nuclear morphology, which were detected by Hoechst 33258 nuclear staining and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining assays. Nuclear chromatin cleavage also was observed from alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay).

Catalytic and mechanistic insights of the low-temperature selective oxidation of methane over Cu-promoted Fe-ZSM-5

The partial oxidation of methane to methanol presents one of the most challenging targets in catalysis. Although this is the focus of much research, until recently, approaches had proceeded at low catalytic rates (<10 h(-1)), not resulted in a closed catalytic cycle, or were unable to produce methanol with a reasonable selectivity. Recent research has demonstrated, however, that a system composed of an iron- and copper-containing zeolite is able to catalytically convert methane to methanol with turnover frequencies (TOFs) of over 14,000 h(-1) by using H(2)O(2) as terminal oxidant. However, the precise roles of the catalyst and the full mechanistic cycle remain unclear. We hereby report a systematic study of the kinetic parameters and mechanistic features of the process, and present a reaction network consisting of the activation of methane, the formation of an activated hydroperoxy species, and the by-production of hydroxyl radicals. The catalytic system in question results in a low-energy methane activation route, and allows selective C(1)-oxidation to proceed under intrinsically mild reaction conditions.

A long-lived luminescence and EPR bimodal lanthanide-based probe for free radicals

We developed a novel spin-labeled terbium complex Tb(3+)/cs124-DTPA-TEMPO (1) by covalently labeling a nitroxide radical on the terbium complex for monitoring free radicals of various areas. This lanthanide complex probe shows a high EPR signal which resulted from the nitroxide radical moiety, and is weakly luminescent which resulted from the intramolecular quenching effect of the nitroxide radical on sensitised terbium luminescence. The intensity of both the EPR and luminescence can be modulated by eliminating the paramagnetism of the nitroxide radical through recognition of a carbon-centered radical analyte and thus gives a quantification of the analyte. We have preliminarily applied this probe in the luminescent detection of model carbon-centered radicals and hydroxyl radicals (·OH). This probe is water-soluble and contains lanthanide-luminescence properties, favorable for the time-resolved luminescence technique. The investigation of the intramolecular quenching process has showed that the labeled nitroxide radical quenches multiple excited states of the terbium complex, resulting in highly efficient quenching of terbium luminescence. This probe is the first example of intramolecular modulation of lanthanide luminescence by a nitroxide radical.

Assessing the contribution of free hydroxyl radical in organic matter-sensitized photohydroxylation reactions

Photochemical formation of reactive oxygen species from dissolved organic matter (DOM) is incompletely understood, especially in the case of hydroxyl radical (•OH) production. Many studies have used various probes to detect photochemically produced •OH from DOM, but the fundamental reactions of these probes are not necessarily specific for free •OH and may also detect lower-energy hydroxylation agents. In this study, two tests were applied that have previously been used as a diagnostic for the presence of free •OH: methane quenching of •OH and hydroxybenzoic acid (hBZA) product yields. Upon application of these two tests to a set of five DOM isolates, it was found that methane quenching and the hBZA ratio results were not necessarily consistent. Overall, the results provide compelling evidence that all isolates studied photochemically produce free •OH. The hydroxylating acitivity of Elliot Soil Humic Acid and Pony Lake Fulvic Acid, however, also had a significant contribution from a photochemically generated hydroxylating agent that is lower in energy than free •OH. Catalase quenching experiments were conducted to assess whether hydrogen peroxide was the immediate precursor to hydroxyl in these systems. In all cases, catalase addition slowed photohydroxylation of terephthalate, but the contribution of hydrogen peroxide photolysis was determined to be less than 50%.

Investigation and improvement of DNA cleavage models of polyamide + Cu(II) nuclease + OOH- ligands bound to DNA

Background

Copper nucleases as a famous class of artificial metallonucleases have attracted considerable interest in relation to their diverse potentials not only as therapeutic agents but also in genomic researches. Copper nucleases present high efficient oxidative cleavage of DNA, in which DNA strand scission occurs generally after hydrogen atom abstracted from a sugar moiety. In order to achieve the selective cleavage of DNA sequences by copper nucleases, the DNA specific recognition agents of the Dervan-type hairpin and cyclic polyamides can be considered as proper carriers of copper nucleases. Investigation of the DNA cleavage selectivity of copper nucleases assisted by the hairpin and cyclic polyamides at the molecular level has not yet been elucidated.

Results

We carried out a series of molecular dynamics simulations for the nuclease [Cu(BPA)]²⁺ or [Cu(IDB)]²⁺ bound to the hairpin/cyclic polyamide and associated with DNA to investigate the selective DNA cleavage properties of Cu(II)-based artificial nucleases. The simulated results demonstrate that the DNA cleavage selectivity of the two nucleases assisted by the hairpin polyamide is improved efficiently. The [Cu(BPA)]²⁺ or [Cu(IDB)]²⁺ nuclease with a substrate OOH^- bound to the hairpin polyamide can be stably located at the minor groove of DNA, and possibly abstracts H atom from the sugar of DNA. However, the DNA cleavage properties of the two nucleases assisted by the cyclic polyamide are significantly poor due to the rigidity of linking region between the cyclic polyamide and nuclease. With introduction of the flexible linker -CH₂CH₂CH₂NH₂, the modified cyclic polyamide can assist the two copper nucleases to improve the selective DNA cleavage properties efficiently.

Conclusion

A flexible linker and a proper binding site of the polyamide-type recognition agents play an important role in improving the DNA cleavage selectivity of copper nucleases. Current investigations provide an insight into the DNA cleavage specificities of chemical nucleases assisted by an appropriate nucleic acid recognition agent.

Generation mechanism of radical species by tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction

Alleviated melanin formation in the skin through inhibition of tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction is one of the major targets of cosmetics for whitening ability. Since melanin has a pivotal role for photoprotection, there are pros and cons of inhibition of melanin formation. This study applying electron spin resonance (ESR)-spin trapping method revealed that ^•H and ^•OH are generated through tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction. When deuterium water was used instead of H₂O, the signal of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO)-H (a spin adduct of DMPO and ^•H) greatly decreased, whilst DMPO-OH (a spin adduct of DMPO and ^•OH) did not. Thus, it is suggested that ^•H was derived from H₂O, and ^•OH through oxidative catalytic process of tyrosine to dopaquinone. Our study suggests that tyrosinase inhibitors might contribute to alleviate the oxidative damage of the skin by inhibiting ^•OH generation via the enzyme reaction.