Baltazar de Castro

Electrochemical and structural studies of nickel(II) complexes with N2O2 Schiff base ligands 2. Crystal and molecular structure of N,N′-l,2-ethane-1,2-diyl-bis(2- hydroxyacetophenonylideneiminate)nickel(II), N, N′-1,2-cis cyclohexane-1,2-diyl-bis(2-hydroxyacetophenonylideneiminate)- nickel(II) and N,N′-1,2-benzene-1,2-diyl-bis(3,5-dichlorosalicylideneiminate)nickel(II)

Reductive and oxidative chemistry of three complexes of formula [Ni(L)], where L represents a N2O2 Schiff base pseudomacrocyclic ligand based on salicylaldehyde derivatives and three different diamines, was studied in (CH3)2SO: N,N′-1,2-ethane-1,2-diyl-bis(2-hydroxyacetophenonylideneiminate)nickel(II) (1); N,N′-1,2-cis-cyclohexane-1,2-diyl-bis(2-hydroxyacetophenonylideneiminate)nickel(II) (2); N,N′-1,2-benzene-1,2-diyl-(bis(3,5-dichlorosalicylideneiminate)nickel(II) (3). Electrochemical behavior of the complexes was determined by cyclic voltametry, and EPR spectroscopy was used to characterize the one-electron reduced/oxidized species. Reduction of the complexes 1 and 2 yielded Ni(I) complexes with a dxy ground state (gz>gx, gy), but the reduction of 3 is ligand-centered as suggested from the pseudo-isotropic radicalar EPR signal of frozen electrolyzed solutions. Oxidation of all three complexes is metal-centered and the oxidized products are low spin hexacoordinate Ni(III) species with two solvent molecules coordinated axially, with a dz2 ground state (gx, gy>gz). The crystal structures of the three Ni(II) complexes were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data collected with the use of Mo Kα radiation. 1: space group C2/c with a = 25.963(3), b = 7.2973(4), c = 17.357(2) A, β = 107.085(5)°, Z = 8 (R = 0.061); 2: space group P21/a with a = 9.645(6), b = 19.149(16), c = 10.743(5) A, β = 94.66(2)°, Z = 4 (R = 0.085); 3: space group P21/n with a = 13.372(5), b = 8.785(2), c = 16.534(5) A, β = 101.60(3)°, Z = 4 (R = 0.054). Crystal packing of 1 and 3 involves the pairing of two centrosymmetrical related molecules in dimers, but that of 2 shows no systematic parallel orientation of any part of the molecules. X-ray structural data have provided a rationale for the E12 values obtained for the reduction and oxidation processes.

Modulation of the catalytic activity of manganese(III) salen complexes in the epoxidation of styrene: influence of the oxygen source

Several achiral Mn(III) salen complexes with different groups in the diimine bridge and in the aldehyde fragment were synthesised and their catalytic activity in the epoxidation of styrene was studied at room temperature, using two oxygen sources, NaOCl or PhIO, and in two solvents, CH3CN and CH2Cl2. These manganese(III) salen complexes present high chemoselectivities as homogeneous catalysts in the epoxidation of styrene, using either iodosylbenzene or sodium hypochlorite as oxygen sources. In general, when iodosylbenzene is used as oxidant higher styrene epoxide yields and lower yields of by-products, other than benzaldehyde, are obtained than with aqueous sodium hypochlorite solutions. It was possible to tune the catalytic activities of “[Mn(salen)X]” complexes by introduction of substituents in the diimine bridge and in the aldehyde fragment. The presence of bulky substituents in the diimine bridge always increases the catalytic activity of these complexes, regardless of the oxidant, an indication of steric tuning. However, the electronic tuning of the catalytic activity by introducing substituents in the 5 and 3 positions of the aldehyde fragment has different effects depending on the oxygen source. For the one-phase system resulting from the use of PhIO, electron withdrawing groups increase (electron donating groups decrease) the catalytic activity of the complexes, which probably results from destabilisation (stabilisation) of [OMn(V)(salen)X], the identified active species making them more (less) reactive. However, when NaOCl is used, the observed behaviour is the opposite: electron donating groups make the complexes better catalysts. The apparent similarity between the solubility of the complexes in the organic solvent and their catalytic activity seems to suggest that solubility must play a key role in their activity.

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial studies of a copper(II) levofloxacin ternary complex.

Solution behavior of levofloxacin (lvx) complexes with copper(II) in the presence and absence of phen was studied in aqueous solution, by potentiometry. The results obtained show that under physiological conditions (micromolar concentration range and pH 7.4) only copper(II):lvx:phen ternary complexes are stable. Hence, a novel copper(II) ternary complex of fluoroquinolone levofloxacin with nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligand phen was synthesized and characterized by means of UV-Visible and IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-Ray crystallography. In the synthesized complex (1), [Cu(lvx)(phen)(H(2)O)](NO(3)).2H(2)O, levofloxacin acts as a bidentate ligand coordinating to the metal, in its anionic form, through the carbonyl and carboxyl oxygens and phen coordinates through two N-atoms forming the equatorial plane of a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The fifth ligand of the penta-coordinated Cu(II) centre is occupied axially by an oxygen atom from a water molecule. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations of the complex and comparison with free levofloxacin in various E. coli strains indicated that the Cu-complex is as efficient an antimicrobial as the free antibiotic (both in the case of the dissolved synthesized complex and the complex formed following stoichiometric mixture of the individual components in solution). Moreover, results strongly suggest that the cell intake route of both species is different supporting, therefore, the complexs suitability as a candidate for further biological testing in fluoroquinolone-resistant microorganisms.

Synthesis and Characterization of Benzo-15-Crown-5 Ethers with Appended N2O Schiff Bases

New derivatives of benzo-15-crown-5 with flexible appended N2O unsymmetrical Schiff bases were prepared by a two step procedure which involves: (i) preparation of N2O Schiff bases by condensation of hydrazine with salicylaldehyde, 3-methoxysalicylaldehyde or 2-hydroxy-1-naphtaldehyde and (ii) reaction of the resulting NH2 functionalized compounds with 4’-formyl-benzo-15-crown-5.

Activated carbons with immobilised manganese(III)salen complexes as heterogeneous catalysts in the epoxidation of olefins: influence of support and ligand functionalisation on selectivity and reusability

A manganese(III) N2O2 Schiff base complex functionalised with hydroxyl groups on the aldehyde moieties, [Mn(4-HOsalhd)CH3COO], was immobilised onto a commercial activated carbon and on its air and acid oxidised forms: the unfunctionalised manganese(III) salen complex [Mn(salhd)Cl] was also immobilised onto the air oxidised activated carbon. All the materials were characterised by elemental analyses and by XPS and the type of oxygen functionalities present at the surface of the various activated carbons was characterised by TPD. The catalytic activities in the epoxidation of styrene of the manganese(III) salen complexes in homogeneous phase and heterogenised onto the activated carbon based materials were studied, using iodosylbenzene as oxidant and acetonitrile as solvent. All the heterogeneous catalysts are as chemoselective towards the styrene epoxide as their homogeneous counterparts, with the exception of the complex supported onto the nitric acid oxidised activated carbon, which exhibited the lowest values, a consequence of the catalytic role of the support. Catalyst reutilisation studies showed that the hydroxyl functionalised manganese(III) complex supported onto the two oxidised activated carbons kept the catalytic activity, contrasting with the hydroxyl functionalised manganese(III) complex supported onto the untreated activated carbon and the unfunctionalised manganese(III) complex supported onto the air oxidised activated carbon, for which a decrease in styrene epoxide yield was clearly observed. These results indicate that lack of oxygen functionality on the activated carbon or of complex functionalisation results in the deactivation of the manganese(III) salen based heterogeneous catalyst as a consequence of inefficient active phase anchoring. Conversely, the combination of support oxidation and of suitable complex functionalisation leads to the establishment of a covalent attachment of the hydroxyl functionalised Mn(III) complexes onto the carbon surface oxygen groups that retains an efficient site isolation of the complexes, both needed to produce very stable and reusable catalysts.

Interaction of rifampicin and isoniazid with large unilamellar liposomes : spectroscopic location studies

The location of isoniazid and rifampicin, two tuberculostatics commonly used for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex infectious diseases, in bilayers of dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoyl-L-a-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) have been studied by 1H NMR and fluorimetric methods. Steady-state fluorescence intensity and fluorescence energy transfer studies between rifampicin and a set of functionalized probes [n-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acids, n=2, 12] reveal that, in both systems, isoniazid is located at the membrane surface whereas rifampicin is deeply buried inside the lipid bilayers. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy studies performed with the probes 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and trimethylammonium-diphenylhexa-triene (TMA-DPH), not only corroborate the above results, but also show that no changes in membrane fluidity were detected in either liposome. The 1H NMR results, in DMPC liposomes, confirm the location of rifampicin near the methylene group of the acyl chains of the lipid bilayers.

Derivative spectrophotometry as a tool for the determination of drug partition coefficients in water/dimyristoyl-L-α-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) liposomes

The partition coefficients (K(p)) between lipid bilayers of dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) unilamellar liposomes and water were determined using derivative spectrophotometry for chlordiazepoxide (benzodiazepine), isoniazid and rifampicin (tuberculostatic drugs) and dibucaine (local anaesthetic). A comparison of the K(p) values in water/DMPG with those in water/DMPC (dimyristoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine) revealed that for chlordiazepoxide and isoniazid, neutral drugs at physiological pH, the partition coefficients are similar in anionic (DMPG) and zwitterionic (DMPC) liposomes. However, for ionised drugs at physiological pH, the electrostatic interactions are different with DMPG and DMPC, with the cationic dibucaine having a stronger interaction with DMPG, and the anionic rifampicin having a much larger K(p) in zwitterionic DMPC. These results show that liposomes are a better model membrane than an isotropic two-phase solvent system, such as water-octanol, to predict drug-membrane partition coefficients, as they mimic better the hydrophobic part and the outer polar charged surface of the phospholipids of natural membranes.

Identification of a new hexadentate iron chelator capable of restricting the intramacrophagic growth of Mycobacterium avium

Iron accumulation has been suggested to contribute to an increase of the susceptibility to mycobacterial infections. In this study we tested the effect of an array of iron chelating ligands of the 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone family, in the intramacrophagic growth of Mycobacterium avium. We found that bidentate chelators, namely N-alkyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinones and N-aryl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinones, did not affect the growth of M. avium inside mouse macrophages. In the case of the hexadentate chelators, those synthesized using an alkylamine (CP262) or a benzene ring (CP252) to link the three bidentate units, did not have an inhibitory effect on intramacrophagic growth of M. avium while those synthesized from a tripodal structure to anchor the bidentate units were capable of inhibiting the intramacrophagic growth of M. avium. The molecule we designated CP777 had the strongest inhibitory activity. The growth-reducing activity of CP777 was abrogated when this molecule was saturated with iron. These results confirm that iron deprivation, by the use of iron chelating compounds, restricts M. avium growth and that new iron chelators offer an approach to controlling mycobacterial infections.

Modular Functional Integration of a Two-Input INH Logic Gate with a Fluorophore−Spacer−Receptor1−Spacer−Receptor2 Conjugate

The synthesis and photophysical characterization of a fluorophore-spacer-receptor 1-spacer-receptor 2 system, which combines the 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophore with amine and urea receptor units, is reported. Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the amino group was blocked by protonation, leading to a drastic fluorescence enhancement (ca. 20 times). Interaction of the urea receptor with anions (F (-), AcO (-), H 2PO 4 (-)) via hydrogen bonding or urea NH deprotonation resulted in significant fluorescence quenching of the 1,8-naphthalimide chromophore in an appropriately chosen model compound (ca. 30-45%). In the presence of both chemical input species, protons and anions, the fluorescence was also quenched. The binding of the anions by NH (+) ammonium receptor has been assumed. The apparent anion binding constants of the protonated conjugate follow the basicity trend of the anions: AcO (-) approximately F (-) > H 2PO 4 (-). The investigated system constitutes an example for the flexible and modular realization of functionally integrated INH logic at the molecular level, using protons and anions as chemical input species and the fluorescence of a PET-active signaling unit as output.

Synthesis and characterization of 3-hydroxy-4pyridinone-oxovanadium(IV) complexes

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of several new bis-ligand-oxo-vanadium(IV) complexes containing 1,2-substituted-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonates or ethylmaltolate (3-hydroxy-2-ethyl-pyranonate) are reported. Structures are proposed based on EXAFS data.