Andreas Franken

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dihydronaphthalene and benzosuberene analogs of the combretastatins as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization in cancer chemotherapy

A novel series of dihydronaphthalene and benzosuberene analogs bearing structural similarity to the combretastatins in terms of 1,2-diarylethene, trimethoxyphenyl, and biaryl functionality has been synthesized. The compounds have been evaluated in regard to their ability to inhibit tubulin assembly and for their cytotoxicity against selected human cancer cell lines. From this series of compounds, benzosuberene analogs 2 and 4 inhibited tubulin assembly at concentrations comparable to that of combretastatin A-4 (CA4) and combretastatin A-1 (CA1). Furthermore, analog 4 demonstrated remarkable cytotoxicity against the three human cancer cell lines evaluated (for example GI(50)=0.0000032 microM against DU-145 prostate carcinoma).

Synthesis and reactivity of [closo-1-CB9H9-1-N2]: functional group interconversion at the carbon vertex of the {closo-1-CB9} cluster.

The dinitrogen derivative [closo-1-CB(9)H(9)-1-N(2)] (1) was prepared from amine [closo-1-CB(9)H(9)-1-NH(3)] (2) and reacted with three types of nucleophiles: activated arenes (phenolate and aniline), divalent sulfur compounds (Me(2)S and Me(2)NCHS), and pyridine, giving products of substitution at C(cage). The reaction of 1 with pyridine gave all four isomers 11a-11d, indicating the Gomberg-Bachmann mechanism, which involves radical anion [closo-1-CB(9)H(9)](-*) (26). The radical and also closed-shell electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanisms were probed with the aid of DFT and MP2 computational methods and compared to those of phenylation of pyridine. Overall, experimental results supported by computational analysis suggest two mechanisms for the substitution of the N(2) group in 1: (i) thermal heterolytic cleavage of the C(cage)-N bond and the formation of electrophilic carbonium ylide [closo-1-CB(9)H(9)] (19) and (ii) electron-transfer-induced homolytic cleavage of the C(cage)-N bond and the formation of 26. Decomposition of 1 in MeCN is believed to proceed by the nonradical mechanism involving formation of the ylide 19 as the rate-determining step with experimental activation parameters DeltaH(double dagger) = 38.4 +/- 0.8 kcal mol(-1) and DeltaS(double dagger) = 44.5 +/- 2.5 cal mol(-1) K(-1). The electron-transfer-induced formation of 26 is consistent with the relatively high reduction potential of 1 (E(pc) = -0.54 V), which is more cathodic than that of PhN(2)(+) by 0.38 V. Transformations of the phenol 8a and the Me(2)NCHS adduct 10 were demonstrated by O-methylation of the former and hydrolysis of 10 followed by S-alkylative cyclization. Direct products and their derivatives were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy and analyzed with the ZINDO computational method.

Carbonyl-metal fragment insertion into eight-vertex [closo-1-CB7H8]-. Facile synthesis of ten-vertex metalladicarbollide complexes [2,2,2-(CO)3-1-OH-closo-2,1,10-MC2B7H8]n-{M = Fe, Ru (n= 0), Mn, Re (n= 1)}.

Insertion of {M(CO)4} fragments (M = Fe, Ru, Mn, Re) into the eight-vertex monocarborane anion [closo-1-CB7H8]- affords ten-vertex metal-dicarbollide complexes.

Monocarbollide complexes of osmium: X-ray crystal structure of [Os(CO)3{η5-5-(NMe3)-7-CB10H10}]

In bromobenzene at reflux temperatures the compounds [Os 3 (CO) 12 ] and [N(PPh 3 ) 2 ][ nido -7-CB 10 H 13 ] yield a mixture of the anionic tri- and mono-osmium complexes [Os 3 (CO) 8 (η 5 -7-CB 10 H 11 )] − and [Os(CO) 3 (η 5 -7-CB 10 H 11 )] − , respectively, characterized as their [N(PPh 3 ) 2 ] + salts ( 2b , 3c ). Protonation of 2b with HBF 4 ·Et 2 O in thf (tetrahydrofuran) yields the hydrido cluster complex [Os 3 (μ-H)(CO) 8 (η 5 -7-CB 10 H 11 )] ( 4b ), whilst treatment of 2b in the same solvent with CuCl and PPh 3 in the presence of TlPF 6 affords the bimetallic complex [Os 3 (μ-H)(CO) 8 {η 5 -10-Cu(PPh 3 )-7-CB 10 H 10 }] ( 5b ). In contrast, the compounds [NHMe 3 ][ nido -7-CB 10 H 13 ] and [Os 3 (CO) 12 ] in refluxing bromobenzene give the novel zwitterionic complex [Os(CO) 3 {η 5 -5-(NMe 3 )-7-CB 10 H 10 }] ( 6 ). The structure of 6 was determined by X-ray crystallography, revealing an Os(CO) 3 moiety η 5 -ligated by the carborane cluster in which, unusually, the NMe 3 ligand is bonded to a boron atom on the upper B 5 belt.

Formation of Intramolecular Rings in Ferramonocarbollide Complexes

Addition of PPh 2Cl and Tl[PF 6] to CH 2Cl 2 solutions of [N(PPh 3) 2][6,6,6-(CO) 3- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 9] ( 1) affords the isomeric B-substituted species [6,6,6-(CO) 3- n-(PHPh 2)- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] [ n = 7 ( 2a) or 10 ( 2b)]. Deprotonation (NaH) of the phosphine ligand in 2a, with subsequent addition of [IrCl(CO)(PPh 3) 2] and Tl[PF 6], yields the neutral, zwitterionic complex [6,6,6-(CO) 3-4,7-mu-{Ir(H)(CO)(PPh 3) 2PPh 2}- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 7] ( 3), which contains a B-P-Ir- B ring. Alternatively, deprotonation using NEt 3, followed by addition of HC[triple bond]CCH 2Br, affords [6,6,6-(CO) 3-7-(PPh 2CCMe)- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] ( 4). Addition of [Co 2(CO) 8] to CH 2Cl 2 solutions of the latter gives [6,6,6-(CO) 3-7-(PPh 2-{(mu-eta (2):eta (2)-CCMe)Co 2(CO) 6})- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] ( 5), which contains a {C 2Co 2} tetrahedron. In the absence of added substrates, deprotonation of the PHPh 2 group in compounds 2, followed by reaction of the resulting anions with CH 2Cl 2 solvent, affords [6,6,6-(CO) 3- n-(PPh 2CH 2Cl)- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] [ n = 7 ( 6a) or 10 ( 6b)] plus [6,6-(CO) 2-6,7-mu-{PPh 2CH 2PPh 2}- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] ( 7, formed from 2a), of which the latter species possesses an intramolecular B-P-C-P- Fe ring. Addition of Me 3NO to CH 2Cl 2 solutions of 2a causes loss of an Fe-bound CO ligand and formation of [6,6-(CO) 2-6,7-mu-{NMe 2CH 2PPh 2}- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] ( 8), which incorporates a B-P-C-N- Fe ring. A similar reaction in the presence of ligands L yields [6,6-(CO) 2-6-L-7-(PPh 2CH 2Cl)- closo-6,1-FeCB 8H 8] [L = PEt 3 ( 9) or CNBu (t) ( 10)], in addition to 8.

[1,3-Bis(diphenyl­phosphino)propane-κ2P,P′]diiodido(perfluoro­propyl)rhodium(III) dichloro­methane solvate

The structure of the title compound, [RhI2(C3F7)(C27H26P2)]·CH2Cl2, at 110 (2) K is an unusual example of a structurally characterized square-based pyramidal alkyl complex of rhodium(III). The Rh—C bond is relatively short at 1.996 (6) Å. This short metal–carbon bond length is typical of perfluoro complexes of transition metals and illustrates the enhanced bond strength in these compounds.

Synthesis and reactivity of fluorinated ferracarborane anions

The ferracarborane [N(PPh3)2][6,6,6,10,10,10-(CO)6-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H8] reacts in CH2Cl2 with 3 molar equivalents of Ag[PF6] to yield the trifluoro-substituted species [N(PPh3)2][7,8,9-F3-6,6,6,10,10,10-(CO)6-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H5]. Compound undergoes structural rearrangement in toluene at reflux temperatures, forming [N(PPh3)2][8,9,10-F3-6,6,6,7,7,7-(CO)6-closo-6,7,1-Fe2CB7H5]. Alternatively, reaction of either or with a 10-fold excess of Ag[PF6] in CH2Cl2 forms two species: namely, [N(PPh3)2][2,7,9,10-F4-6,6,6,8,8,8-(CO)6-closo-6,8,1-Fe2CB7H4], in which one further B-F substitution has occurred and the {Fe2CB7} cluster core has rearranged, plus a mono-iron co-product, [N(PPh3)2][3,8,9-F3-7,7,7-(CO)3-closo-7,1-FeCB7H5] that is formed by polyhedral contraction. Treatment of with [NO][BF4] in CH2Cl2 results in CO substitution at the 4-connected iron vertex [Fe10], producing the zwitterionic complex [7,8,9-F3-6,6,6,10,10-(CO)5-10-NO-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H5]. Addition of Me3NO to a mixture of and PEt3 in CH2Cl2 also results in CO substitution, forming the isomeric species [N(PPh3)2][7,8,9-F3-6,6,m,10,10-(CO)5-n-PEt3-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H5] [m=6, n=10; m=10, n=6] in a 5:1 ratio. Treatment of with [NO][BF4] and then CNBut in CH2Cl2 allows further, successive CO substitution at Fe10 to yield first a neutral, zwitterionic complex [7,8,9-F3-6,6,6,10-(CO)4-10-NO-10-PEt3-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H5] and then [7,8,9-F3-6,6,6-(CO)3-10-CNBut-10-NO-10-PEt3-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H5]. The molecular structures of compounds and have been established by X-ray diffraction.