Novel Organometallic Building Blocks for Molecular Crystal Engineering. 2. Synthesis and Characterization of Pyridyl and Pyrimidyl Derivatives of Diboronic Acid, [Fe(η5-C5H4-B(OH)2)2], and of Pyridyl Boronic Acid, [Fe(η5-C5H4-4-C5H4N)(η5-C5H4-B(OH)2)]

Synthetic and DFT Modeling Studies on Suzuki–Miyaura Reactions of 4,5-Dibromo-2-methylpyridazin-3(2H)-one with Ferrocene Boronates, Accompanied by Hydrodebromination and a Novel Bridge-Forming Annulation In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of the Ferrocenyl–Pyridazinone Products

This paper presented the efficiency of different Pd-based catalytic systems in a series of SM reactions of 4,5-dibromo-2-methylpyridazin-3(2H)-one with ferroceneboronic acid, ferrocene-1,1′-diboronoc acid, and its bis-pinacol ester. In addition to the disubstituted product, these transformations afford substantial amounts of isomeric 4- and 5-ferrocenyl-2-methylpyridazin-3(2H)-ones, and a unique asymmetric bi-pyridazinone-bridged ferrocenophane with a screwed molecular architecture. The reactions of phenylboronic acid, conducted under the conditions, are proven to be the most reductive in the conversions of ferroceneboronic acid, and produce 2-methyl-4,5-diphenylpyridazin-3(2H)-one as single product, supporting our view about solvent-mediated hydrodehalogenations that are supposed to proceed via the assistance of the ferrocenyl group present in the reaction mixture, or attached to the bromo-pyridazinone scaffold, which is constructed in the first SM coupling of the heterocyclic precursor. A comparative DFT modelling study on the structures and possible transformations of relevant bromo-, ferrocene- and phenyl-containing carbopalladated intermediate pairs was carried out, providing reasonable mechanisms suitable to account for the apparently surprising regioselectivity of the alternative hydrodebromination processes, and for the formation of the ferrocenophane product. Supporting the results of DFT modelling studies, the implication of DMF as a hydrogen transfer agent in the hydrodebromination reactions is evidenced by deuterium labelling experiments using the solvent mixtures DMF-d7–H2O (4:1) and DMF–D2O (4:1). The organometallic products display antiproliferative effects on human malignant cell lines.

Electrochemical Applications of Ferrocene-Based Coordination Polymers

Ferrocene and its derivatives, especially ferrocene-based coordination polymers (Fc-CPs), offer the benefits of high thermal stability, two stable redox states, fast electron transfer, and excellent charge/discharge efficiency, thus holding great promise for electrochemical applications. Herein, we describe the synthesis and electrochemical applications of Fc-CPs and reveal how the incorporation of ferrocene units into coordination polymers containing other metals results in unprecedented properties. Moreover, we discuss the usage of Fc-CPs in supercapacitors, batteries, and sensors as well as further applications of these polymers, for example in electrocatalysts, water purification systems, adsorption/storage systems.

Ferrocene-based inhibitors of hepatitis C virus replication that target NS5A with low picomolar in vitro antiviral activity

An unprecedented series of organometallic HCV (hepatitis C virus) NS5A (nonstructural 5A protein) replication complex inhibitors that incorporates a 1,1'-ferrocenediyl scaffold was explored. This scaffold introduces the elements of linear flexibility and non-planar topology that are unconventional for this class of inhibitors. Data from 2-D NMR spectroscopic analyses of these complexes in solution support an anti (unstacked) arrangement of the pharmacophoric groups. Several complexes demonstrate single-digit picomolar in vitro activity in an HCV genotype-1b replicon system. One complex to arise from this investigation (10a) exhibits exceptional picomolar activity against HCV genotype 1a and 1b replicons, low hepatocellular cytotoxicity, and good pharmacokinetic properties in rat.

A chelating bis(aminophenol) ligand bridged by a 1,1′-ferrocene-bis(para-phenylene) linker

The 1,1′-ferrocene-bis(p-phenylene) group serves as a structural linker connecting two iminosemiquinones to palladium without significant electronic interactions between the ferrocene and the palladium complex.

Advances in organometallic synthesis with mechanochemical methods

Solvent-based syntheses have long been normative in all areas of chemistry, although mechanochemical methods (specifically grinding and milling) have been used to good effect for decades in organic, and to a lesser but growing extent, inorganic coordination chemistry. Organometallic synthesis, in contrast, represents a relatively underdeveloped area for mechanochemical research, and the potential benefits are considerable. From access to new classes of unsolvated complexes, to control over stoichiometries that have not been observed in solution routes, mechanochemical (or 'M-chem') approaches have much to offer the synthetic chemist. It has already become clear that removing the solvent from an organometallic reaction can change reaction pathways considerably, so that prediction of the outcome is not always straightforward. This Perspective reviews recent developments in the field, and describes equipment that can be used in organometallic synthesis. Synthetic chemists are encouraged to add mechanochemical methods to their repertoire in the search for new and highly reactive metal complexes and novel types of organometallic transformations.

Crystal structure of 3-{1'-[3,5-bis-(tri-fluoro-meth-yl)phen-yl]ferrocenyl}-4-bromo-thio-phene

The mol-ecular structure of the title compound, [Fe(C9H6BrS)(C13H7F6)], consists of a ferrocene backbone with a bis-(tri-fluoro-meth-yl)phenyl group at one cyclo-penta-dienyl ring and a thio-phene heterocycle at the other cyclo-penta-dienyl ring. The latter is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.6:0.4 ratio. In the crystal structure, intra-molecular π-π inter-actions between the thienyl and the phenyl substituent [centroid-centroid distance 3.695 (4) Å] and additional weak T-shaped π-π inter-actions between the thienyl and the phenyl-substituted cyclo-penta-dienyl ring [4.688 (6) Å] consolidate the crystal packing.

Benzobisoxazole cruciforms as fluorescent sensors

CONSPECTUS: Cross-conjugated molecular cruciforms are intriguing platforms for optoelectronic applications. Their two intersecting π-conjugated arms allow independent modulation of the molecules' HOMO and LUMO levels and guarantee a well-defined optical response to analyte binding. In addition, the rigid cross-conjugated geometries of these molecules allow their organization in two- and three-dimensional space with long-range order, making them convenient precursors for the transition from solution-based to the more practical solid-state- and surface-based devices. Not surprisingly, a number of molecular cruciform classes have been explored because of these appealing properties. These include tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzenes, tetrastyrylbenzenes, distyrylbis(arylethynyl)benzenes, tetraalkynylethenes, biphenyl-based "swivel" cruciforms, and benzobisoxazole-based cruciforms. In this Account, we summarize our group's work on benzobisoxazole molecular cruciforms. The heterocyclic central core of these molecules forces their HOMOs to localize along the vertical bisethynylbenzene axis; the HOMO localization switches to the horizontal benzobisoxazole axis only in cases when that axis bears electron-rich 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenyl substituents and the vertical axis does not. In contrast, the LUMOs are generally delocalized across the entire molecule, and their localization occurs only in cruciforms with donor-acceptor substitution. Such spatially isolated frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of the benzobisoxazole cruciforms make their response to protonation very predictable. Benzobisoxazole cruciforms are highly solvatochromic, and their fluorescence quantum yields reach 80% in nonpolar solvents. Solutions of cruciforms in different solvents change emission colors upon addition of carboxylic and boronic acid analytes. These changes are highly sensitive to the analyte structure, and the emission color responses permit qualitative discrimination among structurally closely related species. In self-assembled complexes with boronic acids, benzobisoxazole fluorophores switch their analyte preferences and become responsive to Lewis basic species: phenoxides, amines, ureas, and small organic and inorganic anions. These sensing complexes allow the decoupling of the sensor's two functions: a nonfluorescent boronic acid does the chemistry through the exchange of its labile B-O bonds for other nucleophiles, and it can be optimized for solubility and analyte specificity; the benzobisoxazole fluorophore senses the electronic changes on the boron and reports them to the operator through changes in its emission colors, allowing this sensing element to be kept constant across a broad range of analytes. We have recently expanded our studies to benzimidazole-based "half-cruciforms", which are L-shaped rigid fluorophores that maintain most of the spatial separation of FMOs observed in benzobisoxazole cruciforms. Unlike benzobisoxazoles, benzimidazoles are acidic on account of their polar N-H bonds, and this feature allows them to respond to a broader range of pH values than their benzobisoxazole counterparts. The deprotonated benzimidazolate anions maintain their fluorescence, which makes them promising candidates for incorporation into solid-state sensing materials known as zeolithic imidazolate frameworks.

Construction of covalent- and hydrogen-bonded assemblies from 1′,1′′′-biferrocenediboronic acid as a new organobimetallic building block

Covalent- and hydrogen-bonded assemblies were constructed from 1′,1′′′-biferrocenediboronic acid as a new organobimetallic building block.

5-Ferrocenyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligands: synthesis, palladium(ii) and copper(i) complexes, optical and electrochemical properties

Two 5-ferrocenyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligands were synthesised using the palladium(0) catalysed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. Palladium(ii) and copper(i) complexes of these ligands were synthesised and the optical and electrochemical properties of the complexes were compared to those of the “free” ligands.

Click reactions and boronic acids: applications, issues, and potential solutions

Boronic acids have been widely used in a wide range of organic reactions, in the preparation of sensors for carbohydrates, and as potential pharmaceutical agents. With the growing importance of click reactions, inevitably they are also applied to the synthesis of compounds containing the boronic acid moiety. However, such applications have unique problems. Chief among them is the issue of copper-mediated boronic acid degradation in copper-assisted [2,3]-cycloadditions involving an alkyne and an azido compound as the starting materials. This review summarizes recent developments, analyzes potential issues, and discusses known as well as possible solutions.

Bis[3-(dihydroxy-boryl)anilinium] sulfate

In the title compound, 2C₆H₉BNO₂⁺·SO₄²⁻, the dihydroxy­boryl group of one of the two independent boronic acid mol­ecules participates in (B)O—H⋯O_B and N—H⋯O_B hydrogen bonds, while the second is involved mainly in the formation of the charge-assisted heterodimeric synthon –B(OH)₂⋯⁻O₂SO₂⁻. These aggregates are further connected through N—H⋯O_sulfate inter­actions, forming a complex three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network.

Benzene-1,4-diboronic acid-4,4'-bipyridine-water (1/2/2)

In the presence of water, benzene-1,4-diboronic acid (1,4-bdba) and 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bpy) form a cocrystal of composition (1,4-bdba)(4,4'-bpy)(2)(H(2)O)(2), in which the molecular components are organized in two, so far unknown, cyclophane-type hydrogen-bonding patterns. The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(6)H(8)B(2)O(4).2C(10)H(8)N(2).2H(2)O, contains two 4,4'-bpy, two water molecules and two halves of 1,4-bdba molecules arranged around crystallographic inversion centers. The occurrence of O-H...O and O-H...N hydrogen bonds involving the water molecules and all O atoms of boronic acid gives rise to a two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded layer structure that develops parallel to the (01-4) plane. This supramolecular organization is reinforced by pi-pi interactions between symmetry-related 4,4'-bpy molecules.

1,1'-Fc(4-C6H4CO2Et)2 and its unusual salt derivative with Z' = 5, catena-[Na+]2[1,1'-Fc(4-C6H4CO2-)2].0.6H2O [1,1'-Fc = (eta5-(C5H4)2Fe]

The neutral diethyl 4,4'-(ferrocene-1,1'-diyl)dibenzoate, Fe[eta(5)-(C(5)H(4))(4-C(6)H(4)CO(2)Et)](2) (I), yields (II) (following base hydrolysis) as the unusual complex salt poly[disodium bis[diethyl 4,4'-(ferrocene-1,1'-diyl)dibenzoate] 0.6-hydrate] or [Na(+)](2)[Fe{eta(5)-(C(5)H(4))-4-C(6)H(4)CO(2)(-)}(2)].0.6H(2)O with Z' = 5. Compound (I) crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P1, with two molecules having similar geometry in the asymmetric unit (Z' = 2). The salt complex (II) crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pbca, with the asymmetric unit comprising poly[decasodium pentakis[diethyl 4,4'-(ferrocene-1,1'-diyl)dibenzoate] trihydrate] or [Na(+)](10)[Fe{eta(5)-(C(5)H(4))-4-C(6)H(4)CO(2)(-)}(2)](5).3H(2)O. The five independent 1,1'-Fc[(4-C(6)H(4)CO(2))(-)](2) dianions stack in an offset ladder (stepped) arrangement with the ten benzoates mutually oriented cisoid towards and bonded to a central layer comprising the ten Na(+) ions and three water molecules [1,1'-Fc = eta(5)-(C(5)H(4))(2)Fe]. The five dianions differ in the cisoid orientations of their pendant benzoate groups, with four having their -C(6)H(4)- groups mutually oriented at interplanar angles from 0.6 (3) to 3.2 (3) degrees (as pi...pi stacked C(6) rings) and interacting principally with Na(+) ions. The fifth dianion is distorted and opens up to an unprecedented -C(6)H(4)- interplanar angle of 18.6 (3) degrees through bending of the two 4-C(6)H(4)CO(2) groups and with several ionic interactions involving the three water molecules (arranged as one-dimensional zigzag chains in the lattice). Overall packing comprises two-dimensional layers of Na(+) cations coordinated mainly by the carboxylate O atoms, and one-dimensional water chains. The non-polar Fc(C(6)H(4))(2) groups are arranged perpendicular to the layers and mutually interlock through a series of efficient C-H...pi stacking contacts in a herringbone fashion to produce an overall segregation of polar and non-polar entities.

Protonmotive force: development of electrostatic drivers for synthetic molecular motors

Ferrocene has been investigated as a platform for developing protonmotive electrostatic drivers for molecular motors. When two 3-pyridine groups are substituted to the (rapidly rotating) cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings of ferrocene, one on each Cp, it is shown that the (Cp) eclipsed, pi-stacked rotameric conformation is preferred both in solution and in the solid state. Upon quaternization of both of the pyridines substituents, either by protonation or by alkylation, it is shown that the preferred rotameric conformation is one where the pyridinium groups are rotated away from the fully pi-stacked conformation. Electrostatic calculations indicate that the rotation is caused by the electrostatic repulsion between the charges. Consistently, when the pi-stacking energy is increased pi-stacked population increases, and conversely when the electrostatic repulsion is increased pi-stacked population is decreased. This work serves to provide an approximate estimate of the amount of torque that the electrostatically driven ferrocene platform can generate when incorporated into a molecular motor. The overall conclusion is that the electrostatic interaction energy between dicationic ferrocene dipyridyl systems is similar to the pi-stacking interaction energy and, consequently, at least tricationic systems are required to fully uncouple the pi-stacked pyridine substituents.