Fabio Pichierri

STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF PT COMPLEXES CONTAINING MODEL NUCLEOBASES

Abstract Compounds of Pt(II) and Pt(IV)-containing nucleobases as ligands (also including a few related ligands) are summarized and described, according to the nuclearity of the complexes. The large amount of available crystallographic data allows geometrical parameters such as bond lengths and angles, angular distortions, torsional angles related to the nucleobase plane orientations etc., to be derived with relatively high accuracy. Simple relationships between some of these parameters are reported and discussed. On mononuclear Pt complexes containing one or more nucleobase ligands a simple descriptive statistical analysis has been performed. The structural properties of polynuclear, often heteronuclear species have also been reviewed where the nucleobases, particularly pyrimidines, act as polydentate-often bridging-ligands. A simple MO theoretical analysis of the metal-metal interaction in homo- and heterodinuclear species allows the degree of the intermetallic bond formation to be rationalized and the correlation of the qualitative results with the experimental metal-metal distances. Cyclic polynuclear species, which appear to be a new expanding field in the chemistry of Pt-nucleobase complexes, are also described.

Aromatic pathways in twisted hexaphyrins.

The aromatic pathways and the degree of aromaticity of expanded porphyrins have been determined by explicit calculations of the routes and strengths of the magnetically induced currents using the gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) approach. Density functional theory calculations show that the doubly twisted hexaphyrins fulfilling Hückels (4n + 2) pi-electron rule for aromaticity and those obeying the 4n pi-electron rule for antiaromaticity are aromatic and antiaromatic, respectively. The investigated [26]hexaphyrin (2) and (3) and [30]hexaphyrin (5) isomers are aromatic, and [28]hexaphyrin (4) is antiaromatic. The formally antiaromatic [24]hexaphyrin (1) does not sustain any strong ring current and must be considered nonaromatic. A detailed analysis of the current pathways of the hexaphyrins is presented. It was found that the current pathways of the investigated aromatic hexaphyrins are not always dominated by the flow along the inner route through the non-hydrogenated C-N-C moieties, as previously proposed. The current flow is often split into two branches at the pyrrole rings, but sometimes it takes the outer route via the C=C bond of the pyrrole. The current pathway of the weak paratropic ring current of [24]hexaphyrin is dominated by the outer C=C route. The calculations show that the routes of the current transport cannot be assessed merely by inspection or from nucleus independent chemical shifts; explicit calculations of the current pathways are compulsory. The current-density studies also show that the pyrrole rings do not sustain any strong ring currents of their own.

Metal-stabilized rare tautomers of nucleobases

Abstract A PtII complex containing N4 bound neutral 1-methylcytosine (1-MeC), trans–[Pt(NH3)2(1-MeC-N4)2](ClO4)2 (5), has been prepared and characterized by X-ray analysis. The complex contains the rare iminooxo tautomer form of the cytosine nucleobase. PtII binding is through the exocyclic N4 position of the nucleobases, with Pt and the N3 positions in a syn orientation. As a consequence, the proton at N3 is pointing toward the heavy metal, thereby allowing an agostic Pt···HN interaction. Formation of 5 is achieved via oxidation of the linkage isomer trans–[Pt(NH3)2(1-MeC-N3)2]2+ (1) to a PtIV species (2), followed by metal migration to N4, and subsequent reduction to PtII. This process is a text-book example for a redox-assisted metal migration at a heterocyclic ligand. The existence of various rotamers of 5 in aqueous solution is evident from 1H NMR spectroscopy. The possible role of these rotamers of the metalated rare tautomer, and in particular of those having Pt and the N3 position in an anti arrangement, with regard to base mispairing is discussed.

Effect of Fluorine Substitution on the Aromaticity of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons

The effect of fluorine substitution on the aromaticity of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH) is investigated. Magnetically induced current densities, current pathways, and current strengths, which can be used to assess molecular aromaticity, are calculated using the gauge-including magnetically induced current method (GIMIC). The degree of aromaticity of the individual rings is compared to those obtained using calculated nucleus-independent chemical shifts at the ring centers (NICS(0) and NICS(0)(zz)). Calculations of explicitly integrated current strengths for selected bonds show that the aromatic character of the investigated polycyclic hydrocarbons is weakened upon fluorination. In contrast, the NICS(0) values for the fluorinated benzenes increase noteworthy upon fluorination, predicting a strong strengthening of the aromatic character of the arene rings. The integrated current strengths also yield explicit current pathways for the studied molecules. The current pathways of the investigated linear polyacenes, pyrene, anthanthrene, coronene, ovalene, and phenanthro-ovalene are not significantly affected by fluorination. NISC(0) and NICS(0)(zz) calculations provide contradictory degrees of aromaticity of the fused individual ring. Obtained NICS values do not correlate with the current strengths circling around the individual rings.

Magnetically induced currents in [n]cycloparaphenylenes, n = 6-11.

We report calculations of the gauge-independent magnetically induced current densities in [n]cycloparaphenylenes ([n]CP), n = 6-11. In addition to the neutral [n]CPs, the dianion of [6]CP and the current densities of the corresponding metal complexes Li(2)[6]CP and Mg[6]CP are also investigated. By the ring current criterion, the [6]CP with 4n pi electrons has a slight antiaromatic character, while [7]CP has (4n + 2) pi electrons and is weakly aromatic with a ring current susceptibility strength that is about 25% of the ring current of benzene. The larger neutral [n]CPs, n = 8-11, do not sustain any net ring current around the nanohoop and are essentially nonaromatic. The weak paramagnetic ring current susceptibility of [6]CP flows along a 4n pi pathway on either edge of the phenylene rings. For the dianions, the ring current susceptibility strengths are 24-35 nA/T diatropic and thus the addition of two electrons induces an electron delocalization and an aromatic character of the nanohoops. The dilithium complex of [6]CP with (4n + 2) pi electrons is aromatic with a net ring current strength of 28 nA/T or 2.4 times the ring current strength of benzene, involving all 62 pi electrons in the current pathway. The (1)H NMR chemical shieldings and the nucleus-independent chemical shifts correlate with the strengths of the magnetically induced currents. The aromatic [n]cycloparaphenylenes have a quinoid structure, whereas the weakly aromatic or nonaromatic ones are benzoidic.

Aromatic pathways in mono- and bisphosphorous singly Möbius twisted [28] and [30]hexaphyrins

Magnetically induced current densities and strengths of currents passing through selected bonds have been calculated for monophosphorous [28]hexaphyrin ((PO)[28]hp) and for bisphosphorous [30]hexaphyrin ((PO)(2)[30]hp) at the density functional theory level using our gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) approach. The current-density calculations yield quantitative information about electron-delocalization pathways and aromatic properties of singly Möbius twisted hexaphyrins. The calculations confirm that (PO)[28]hp sustains a strong diatropic ring current (susceptibility) of 15 nA T(-1) and can be considered aromatic, whereas (PO)(2)[30]hp is antiaromatic as it sustains a paratropic ring current of -10 nA T(-1). Numerical integration of the current density passing through selected bonds shows that the current is generally split at the pyrroles into an outer and an inner pathway. For the pyrrole with the NH moiety pointing outwards, the diatropic ring current of (PO)[28]hp takes the outer route across the NH unit, whereas for (PO)(2)[30]hp, the paratropic ring current passes through the inner C(β)=C(β) double bond. The main diatropic ring current of (PO)[28]hp generally prefers the outer routes at the pyrroles, whereas the paratropic ring current of (PO)(2)[30]hp prefers the inner ones. In some cases, the ring current is rather equally split along the two pathways at the pyrroles. The calculated ring-current pathways do not agree with those deduced from measured (1)H NMR chemical shifts.

Magnetically Induced Currents in Bianthraquinodimethane-Stabilized Möbius and Hückel [16]Annulenes

The ring currents, NMR chemical shifts, topology of the chemical bonding, and UV-vis spectra of bianthraquinodimethane-stabilized [16]annulenes possessing Möbius and Hückel topology are investigated. The aromatic character of the title compounds is discussed on the basis of the magnetically induced current density obtained using the gauge-including magnetically induced current (GIMIC) approach. Numerical integration of the current density circling around the [16]annulene ring shows that both the Hückel and the Möbius isomers are non-aromatic. The [16]annulene ring of both isomers sustains a net ring current whose strength is only 0.3 nA/T. The ring current consists of a diamagnetic flow on the outside of the [16]annulene ring and a paramagnetic current inside it. Since the net ring-current strength of the [16]annulene is less than 5% of the ring current strength for benzene, both isomers must be considered non-aromatic by the ring current criterion. The similar bond length alternation of the [16]annulene rings also points to a similarity in aromatic character of the two isomers. The shape of the ring current of the Möbius isomer shows that the current density is somewhat more outspread than that of the Hückel isomer. Spatially separated diatropic and paratropic currents of equal strength follow the annulene bonds. The atoms-in-molecules (AIM) analysis reveals a cage critical point in the region of the outspread current density of the Möbius isomer. Intramolecular CH...pi and pi-pi interactions identified by AIM analysis, in combination with the outspread current density, stabilizes the Möbius isomer relative to the Hückel one. The molecule is characterized by calculating the (13)C and (1)H NMR chemical shifts and the UV-vis spectrum and comparing these to experimental spectra. The (13)C NMR and (1)H NMR chemical shifts are rather similar for the two isomers. The UV-vis spectra are compared with the excitation energies calculated at the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) level using Beckes three-parameter hybrid functional together with the LYP correlation functional (B3LYP), as well as at the approximate coupled cluster singles (CCS) and at the approximate coupled cluster singles and doubles (CC2) levels of theory. The CC2 calculations yield excitation energies in fairly good agreement with experimental data.

Aromatic pathways in thieno-bridged porphyrins: understanding the influence of the direction of the thiophene ring on the aromatic character

Magnetically induced current densities have been investigated for some recently synthesised thieno-bridged porphyrins. The aim of the study is to understand the influence of the direction of the thieno bridge on the aromatic character of the molecules. The calculated ring-current susceptibilities for two tautomers of 2,3- and 3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrins as well as of the corresponding Zn-containing compounds show that the molecules are all aromatic according to the ring current criterion. The ring-current susceptibilities of 16.2 nA/T and 20.2 nA/T around the porphyrin ring of the two tautomers of 2,3-thieno-bridged porphyrin are somewhat weaker than the ring-current susceptibilities of 22.8 nA/T and 23.8 nA/T obtained for the two tautomers of 3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrin. For 2,3-thieno-bridged porphyrin, the positions of the inner hydrogens affect the ring-current susceptibility more than for 3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrin. The current pathways of the Zn porphyrinoids are a superposition of the pathways of the two trans tautomers of the corresponding free-base porphyrinoids. The current-density calculations explain the different aromatic character of 2,3-thieno-bridged and 3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrins. Current-density calculations on tetra-2,3-thieno-bridged and tetra-3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrins yielded similar current pathways as obtained for mono-substituted thieno-bridged porphyrins. Tetra-2,3-thieno-bridged porphyrin is practically non-aromatic since it sustains a very weak ring current of 2.6 nA/T. The calculated ring-current susceptibilities for tetra-3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrin is 13.2 nA/T, which can be compared to the ring-current susceptibilities of 11.8 and 27.5 nA/T for benzene and free-base porphyrin, respectively.

Designing Nanogadgets by Interconnecting Carbon Nanotubes with Zinc Layers

Using first-principles calculations we propose a new approach for the design of functional units obtained by interconnecting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different numbers of zinc layers. The theoretical investigations on electron transport properties of the resulting 1D heterojunctions containing CNTs with same or different chiralities (i.e., metallic or semiconducting) and one, two, or three zinc layers illustrate that the junctions with two semiconducting CNTs show semiconducting I-V characteristics while the junctions with two different CNT electrodes (metallic and semiconducting) show rectifying diode properties. The remarkable features emerging from this study is that the zinc layers behave as a momentum filter (near the Fermi energy the Bloch states having the same orbital character as the molecular states conduct well) when they are inserted within metallic CNT electrodes thereby providing 1D heterojunctions that can act as a wire-like, negative differential resistance (NDR), or varistor-type nanoscale device. Our results prove the idea that it is possible to design specific heterojunctions, which can select a conducting channel between two electrodes. Also, it is worth mentioning that in this study for the first time we have designed a nanoscale device with the characteristics of a varistor.

Spectroscopic and theoretical study of the electronic structure of curcumin and related fragment molecules.

The low volatility and thermal instability made the photoelectron (PE), electron transmission (ET), and dissociative electron attachment (DEA) spectroscopy measurements on curcumin (a potent chemopreventive agent) unsuccessful. The filled and empty electronic structure of curcumin was therefore investigated by exploiting the PES, ETS, and DEAS results for representative fragment molecules and suitable quantum-mechanical calculations. On this basis, a reliable pattern of the vertical ionization energies and electron attachment energies of curcumin was proposed. The pi frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) are characterized by sizable interaction between the two phenol rings transmitted through the dicarbonyl chain and associated with a remarkably low ionization energy and a negative electron attachment energy (i.e., a largely positive electron affinity), diagnostic of a stable anion state not observable in ETS. The lowest energy electronic transitions of half-curcumin and curcumin and their color change by alkalization were interpreted with time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For curcumin, it is shown that loss of a phenolic proton occurs in alkaline ethanolic solution.