Antonio G. DiPasquale

Chiral amide directed assembly of a diastereo- and enantiopure supramolecular host and its application to enantioselective catalysis of neutral substrates.

The synthesis of a novel supramolecular tetrahedral assembly of K12Ga4L6 stoichiometry is reported. The newly designed chiral ligand exhibits high diastereoselective control during cluster formation, leading exclusively to a single diastereomer of the desired host. This new assembly also exhibits high stability toward oxidation or a low pH environment and is a more robust and efficient catalyst for asymmetric organic transformations of neutral substrates.

Probing concerted proton-electron transfer in phenol-imidazoles

A series of seven substituted 4,6-di-tert-butyl-2-(4,5-diarylimidazolyl)-phenols have been prepared and characterized, along with two related benzimidazole compounds. X-ray crystal structures of all of the compounds show that the phenol and imidazole rings are close to coplanar and are connected by an intramolecular ArOH⋯N hydrogen bond. One-electron oxidation of these compounds occurs with movement of the phenolic proton to the imidazole base by concerted proton–electron transfer (CPET) to yield fairly stable distonic radical cations. These phenol–base compounds are a valuable system in which to examine the key features of CPET. Kinetic measurements of bimolecular CPET oxidations, with Erxn between +0.04 and −0.33 V, give rate constants from (6.3 ± 0.6) × 102 to (3.0 ± 0.6) × 106 M−1 s−1. There is a good correlation of log(k) with ΔG°, with only one of the 15 rate constants falling more than a factor of 5.2 from the correlation line. Substituents on the imidazole affect the (O–H⋯N) hydrogen bond, as marked by variations in the 1H NMR and calculated vibrational spectra and geometries. Crystallographic dO⋯N values appear to be more strongly affected by crystal packing forces. However, there is almost no correlation of rate constants with any of these measured or computed parameters. Over this range of compounds from the same structural family, the dominant contributor to the differences in rate constant is the driving force ΔG°.

Imidazol-2-yl complexes of Cp*Ir as bifunctional ambident reactants.

Loss of chloride ion from imidazol-2-yl complex 4a activates the H-H bond of dihydrogen or the C-H bond of acetylene, forming an Ir(III) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex (3b or 9). Deprotonation of Ir(III) hydride 4b gives one new species, formulated as Ir(I) carbene complex 5. Protonation or alkylation of 5 occurs at the metal, returning the Ir(III) core of 6a,b. Deprotonation of cationic NHC complex 3a gives neutral imidazol-2-yl analogue 4a; as seen by X-ray diffraction, the Ir-C bond in 3a is shorter than that in 4a. These and other comparisons and interconversions of NHC complexes with an NH function and related imidazol-2-yl species expand the potential of NHC complexes by showing their bifunctional character.

Observation of redox-induced electron transfer and spin crossover for dinuclear cobalt and iron complexes with the 2,5-di-tert-butyl-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonate bridging ligand.

Dinuclear [(TPyA)M(II)(DBQ(2-))M(II)(TPyA)](BF(4))(2) [TPyA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; DBQ(2-) = 2,5-di-tert-butyl-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonate; M = Co (1(2+)), Fe (2(2+)), Ni (3(2+))] complexes have been prepared by the reaction of M(2+), TPyA, H(2)DBQ, and triethylamine in MeOH solution. Their monooxidized form [(TPyA)M(III)(DBQ(*3-))M(III)(TPyA)](3+) [Co = (1(3+)), Fe (2(3+))] has been synthesized by using ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate, and the dioxidized form of 1(2+), [(TPyA)Co(III)(DBQ(2-))Co(III)(TPyA)](4+) (1(4+)), has been obtained by using thianthrinium tetrafluoroborate. These dinuclear compounds were characterized by X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, magnetism, and EPR spectroscopy. Valence ambiguous 1(3+) forms via redox-induced electron transfer, whereby the one-electron oxidation of the [Co(II)(DBQ(2-))Co(II)](2+) core forms [Co(III)(DBQ(*3-))Co(III)](3+), and it also exhibits spin crossover behavior to the core [Co(III)(DBQ(2-))Co(II)](3+) above room temperature. The M ions in 1 and 2 have a distorted octahedral geometry by coordination with four nitrogens of a TPyA, two oxygens of a DBQ(2-/*3-). Due to the interdimer offset face-to-face pi-pi and/or herringbone interactions, 1(2+), 1(3+), and 2(2+) show extended 1-D and/or 2-D supramolecular structures. The existence of DBQ(*3-) in 1(3+) is confirmed from both solid-state magnetic and solution EPR data. Co- and Ni-based 1(2+) and 3(2+) show weak antiferromagnetic interactions [1(2+): g = 2.44, J/k(B) = -3.20 K (-2.22 cm(-1)); 3(2+): g = 2.13, J/k(B) = -3.22 K (-2.24 cm(-1)), H = -2JS(1)*S(2) for 1(2+) and 3(2+)], while Fe-based 2(2+) exhibits strong spin crossover behavior above room temperature. 1(2+) has three reversible one-electron transfer waves at E(1/2) (vs SCE in MeCN) = -1.121, 0.007, and 0.329 V, and a fourth wave at -1.741 V that exhibits a slight chemical irreversibility. The first three correspond to [Co(II)DBQ(2-)Co(II)](2+) reduction to [Co(II)DBQ(*3-)Co(II)](+), and oxidation to [Co(III)DBQ(*3-)Co(III)](3+) and [Co(III)DBQ(2-)Co(III)](4+), respectively. The mechanism of the multielectron transfer oxidation from [Co(II)DBQ(2-)Co(II)](2+) to [Co(III)DBQ(*3-)Co(III)](3+) is unknown; the energy of stabilization for oxidizing the Co(II) centers in the presence of DBQ(*3-), relative to oxidizing the Co(II) centers in the presence of DBQ(2-) is computed to be 1.45 eV. 2(2+) also has three reversible one-electron transfer waves at 0.802, 0.281, and -1.007 V that correspond to two successive one-electron oxidations (2(2+)/2(3+) and 2(3+)/2(4+)), and a one-electron reduction (2(2+)/2(+)). 2(2+) has the [Fe(hs)(II)(DBQ(2-))Fe(hs)(II)](2+) electronic structure that becomes [Fe(hs)(III)(DBQ(*3-))Fe(hs)(III)](3+) upon oxidation. The latter undergoes spin crossover above room temperature to populate the [Fe(hs)(III)(DBQ(2-))Fe(hs)(II)](3+) excited state.

Thallium(I) as a Coordination Site Protection Agent: Preparation of an Isolable Zero‐Valent Nickel Tris‐Isocyanide

Blocking the pass: Low-valent Ni centers readily bind Tl(I) ions in a synthetically reversible fashion. The Tl units, in turn, serve as coordination site protection agents for Ni with respect to incoming Lewis basic ligands. This synthetic sequence allows for the isolation of a reactive zero-valent Ni tris-isocyanide complex.

Models for Proton-coupled Electron Transfer in Photosystem II

The coupling of proton and electron transfers is a key part of the chemistry of photosynthesis. The oxidative side of photosystem II (PS II) in particular seems to involve a number of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps in the S-state transitions. This mini-review presents an overview of recent studies of PCET model systems in the authors’ laboratory. PCET is defined as a chemical reaction involving concerted transfer of one electron and one proton. These are thus distinguished from stepwise pathways involving initial electron transfer (ET) or initial proton transfer (PT). Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions are one class of PCET, in which H+ and e− are transferred from one reagent to another: AH+B→A+BH, roughly along the same path. Rate constants for many HAT reactions are found to be well predicted by the thermochemistry of hydrogen transfer and by Marcus Theory. This includes organic HAT reactions and reactions of iron-tris(α-diimine) and manganese-(μ-oxo) complexes. In PS II, HAT has been proposed as the mechanism by which the tyrosine Z radical (YZ) oxidizes the manganese cluster (the oxygen evolving complex, OEC). Another class of PCET reactions involves transfer of H+ and e− in different directions, for instance when the proton and electron acceptors are different reagents, as in AH–B+C+→A–HB++C. The oxidation of YZ by the chlorophyll P680 + has been suggested to occur by this mechanism. Models for this process – the oxidation of phenols with a pendent base – are described. The oxidation of the OEC by YZ could also occur by this second class of PCET reactions, involving an Mn–O–H fragment of the OEC. Initial attempts to model such a process using ruthenium-aquo complexes are described.

Solution behavior and structural properties of Cu(I) complexes featuring m-terphenyl isocyanides.

The synthesis of the m-terphenyl isocyanide ligand CNAr (Mes2) (Mes = 2,4,6-Me 3C 6H 2) is described. Isocyanide CNAr (Mes2) readily functions as a sterically encumbering supporting unit for several Cu(I) halide and pseudo halide fragments, fostering in some cases rare structural motifs. Combination of equimolar quantities of CNAr (Mes2) and CuX (X = Cl, Br and I) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution results in the formation of the bridging halide complexes (mu-X) 2[Cu(THF)(CNAr (Mes2))] 2. Addition of CNAr (Mes2) to cuprous chloride in a 2:1 molar ratio generates the complex ClCu(CNAr (Mes2)) 2 in a straightforward manner. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction has revealed ClCu(CNAr (Mes2)) 2 to exist as a three-coordinate monomer in the solid state. As determined by solution (1)H NMR and FTIR spectroscopic studies, monomer ClCu(CNAr (Mes2)) 2 resists tight binding of a third CNAr (Mes2) unit, resulting in rapid isocyanide exchange. Contrastingly, addition of 3 equiv of CNAr (Mes2) to cuprous iodide readily affords the tris-isocyanide species, ICu(CNAr (Mes2)) 3, as determined by X-ray diffraction. Similar coordination behavior is observed in the tris-isocyanide salt [(THF)Cu(CNAr (Mes2)) 3]OTf (OTf = O 3SCF 3), which is generated upon treatment of (C 6H 6)[Cu(OTf)] 2 with 6 equiv of CNAr (Mes2) in THF. The disparate coordination behavior of the [CuCl] fragment relative to both [CuI] and [CuOTf] is rationalized in terms of structure and Lewis acidity of the Cu-containing fragments. The putative triflate species [Cu(CNAr (Mes2)) 3]OTf itself serves as a good Lewis acid and is found to weakly bind C 6H 6 in an eta (1)- C manner in the solid-state. Density Functional Theory is used to describe the bonding and energetics of the eta (1)- C Cu-C 6H 6 interaction.

Lodopyridone, a Structurally Unprecedented Alkaloid from a Marine Actinomycete

Chemical examination of the secondary metabolites of a marine Saccharomonospora sp., isolated from marine sediments collected at the mouth of the La Jolla Submarine Canyon, yielded the unprecedented alkaloid lodopyridone (1). The low proton-to-carbon ratio of 1 precluded structure elucidation by NMR spectroscopic methods, thus the structure was defined by X-ray crystallography. Lodopyridone is cytotoxic to HCT-116 human colon cancer cells with IC(50) = 3.6 microM.

Platinum-Catalyzed Enantioselective Tandem Alkylation/Arylation of Primary Phosphines. Asymmetric Synthesis of P-Stereogenic 1-Phosphaacenaphthenes

Enantioselective tandem alkylation/arylation of primary phosphines with 1-bromo-8-chloromethylnaphthalene catalyzed by Pt(DuPhos) complexes gave P-stereogenic 1-phosphaacenaphthenes (AcePhos) in up to 74% ee. Diastereoselective formation of four P-C bonds in one pot with bis(primary) phosphines gave C2-symmetric diphosphines, including the o-phenylene derivative DuAcePhos, for which the rac isomer was formed with high enantioselectivity. These reactions, which appear to proceed via an unusual metal-mediated nucleophilic aromatic substitution pathway, yield a new class of heterocycles with potential applications in asymmetric catalysis.

Reductive Reactivity of the Organolanthanide Hydrides, [(C5Me5)2LnH]x, Leads to ansa-Allyl Cyclopentadienyl (η5-C5Me4CH2−C5Me4CH2-η3)2- and Trianionic Cyclooctatetraenyl (C8H7)3- Ligands

The reductive reactivity of lanthanide hydride ligands in the [(C5Me5)2LnH]x complexes (Ln = Sm, La, Y) was examined to see if these hydride ligands would react like the actinide hydrides in [(C5Me5)2AnH2]2 (An = U, Th) and [(C5Me5)2UH]2. Each lanthanide hydride complex reduces PhSSPh to make [(C5Me5)2Ln(mu-SPh)]2 in approximately 90% yield. [(C5Me5)2SmH]2 reduces phenazine and anthracene to make [(C5Me5)2Sm]2(mu-eta(3):eta(3)-C12H8N2) and [(C5Me5)2Sm]2(mu-eta(3):eta(3)-C10H14), respectively, but the analogous [(C5Me5)2LaH]x and [(C5Me5)2YH]2 reactions are more complicated. All three lanthanide hydrides reduce C8H8 to make (C5Me5)Ln(C8H8) and (C5Me5)3Ln, a reaction that constitutes another synthetic route to (C5Me5)3Ln complexes. In the reaction of [(C5Me5)2YH]2 with C8H8, two unusual byproducts are obtained. In benzene, a (C5Me5)Y[(eta(5)-C5Me4CH2-C5Me4CH2-eta(3))] complex forms in which two (C5Me5)(1-) rings are linked to make a new type of ansa-allyl-cyclopentadienyl dianion that binds as a pentahapto-trihapto chelate. In cyclohexane, a (C5Me5)2Y(mu-eta(8):eta(1)-C8H7)Y(C5Me5) complex forms in which a (C8H8)(2-) ring is metalated to form a bridging (C8H7)(3-) trianion.