Phthalocyanines covalently bound to biomolecules for a targeted photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new cytotoxic treatment, predominantly used in anticancer approaches, that depends on the retention of photosensitizers in tumor and their activation after light exposure. This technology is based on the light excitation of a photosensitizer which induces very localized oxidative damages within the cells by formation of highly reactive oxygen species, the most important being singlet oxygen. Many photo-activable molecules have been synthesized such as porphyrins, chlorins and more recently phthalocyanines which present a strong light absorption at wavelengths around 670 nm and are therefore well-adapted to the optical window required for PDT application.

Tetranuclear palladium complexes with benzoquinonediimine ligands: synthesis, molecular structure and electrochemistry.

Rare examples of tetrapalladated derivatives in which two flat tetradentate bridging ligands are perfectly face-to-face as a result of a remarkable ancillary ligand effect are reported.

Dinuclear nickel and palladium complexes with bridging 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinonediimines: synthesis, structures, and catalytic oligomerization of ethylene.

Dinuclear, divalent acetylacetonato (acac) complexes of the type [M(acac){mu-C6H2(--NR)4}M(acac)] (M = Ni, Pd) have been prepared by the reaction of the corresponding bis(acac) metal precursor with 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinonediimines C6H2(NHR)2(=NR)2 (4a, R = CH2-t-Bu; 4b, R = CH2Ph; 4c, R = Ph), which are metalated and become bridging ligands, also like in the complex [(C8H11)Pt{mu-C6H2(--NCH2-t-Bu)4}Pt(C8H11)] (6) obtained by the reaction of 4a with [PtCl2(COD)]. The complexes were fully characterized, including by X-ray diffraction for [Ni(acac){mu-C6H2(--NCH2Ph)4}Ni(acac)] (9b) and [Pd(acac){mu-C6H2(--NCH2-t-Bu)4}Pd(acac)] (10a). The coordination geometry around the metal ions is square-planar, and a complete electronic delocalization of the quinonoid pi system occurs between the metal centers over the two N--C--C--C--N halves of the ligand.

Tunable charge delocalization in dinickel quinonoid complexes.

When a 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinonediimine C6H2(=NR)2(NHR)2 (2) is used as a bridging ligand, new dinickel(II) complexes [(acac)Ni[mu-C6H2(=NPh)4]Ni(acac)] (3a: R=Ph) and [(acac)Ni[mu-C6H2(=NCH2tBu)4]Ni(acac)] (3b: R=CH2tBu) are obtained; upon one-electron oxidation of these complexes delocalized mixed-valence compounds are formed. An X-ray diffraction study on 3b reveals equalization of the bond lengths within each of the ligand 6 systems and a lack of conjugation between them. The oxidized state in 3b+ involves both the bridging quinonoid ligand and the metal centers, with a major contribution coming from the bridging ligand.

Stepwise synthesis, structures, and reactivity of mono-, di-, and trimetallic metal complexes with a 6pi + 6pi quinonoid zwitterion.

The benzoquinonemonoimine N,N'-dineopentyl-2-amino-5-alcoholate-1,4-benzoquinonemonoiminium [C(6)H(2)(NHCH(2)t-Bu)(2)(O)(2)] 6, which is a rare example of an organic zwitterion being more stable than its canonical form, is best described as constituted of two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6pi electron subunits. The two successive acidities of 6 allow the preparation of mono-, di-, and trimetallic complexes in which the control of the pi-system delocalization becomes possible. Reaction of 6 with NaOt-Bu results in monodeprotonation of one N-H function, and the isolated sodium salt 9, which is stable under N(2), reacts with chloride-bridged Pd(II) homodimetallic complexes, [AuCl(PPh(3))] or trans-[NiCl(Ph)(PPh(3))(2)], to afford the monometallic complexes 10-15 in which the pi-system is localized.

Toward a 6pi+6pi zwitterion or a bioinhibitors-related OH-substituted aminoquinone: identification of a key intermediate in their pH controlled synthesis.

Their pH-controlled reactivity places the N,N'-dialkyl-2-amino-5-lithium alcoholate-1,4-benzoquinonemonoimines [C(6)H(2)(NHCH(2)R') (=NCH(2)R')(=O)(OLi)] 7 (R'=tBu) and 8 (R'=p-C(6)H(4)-tBu) at the crossroads of a new versatile strategy for the preparation of two very different classes of substituted quinones. We describe new 2-(N-alkyl)amino-5-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinones, which are parent molecules to biologically active substituted aminobenzoquinones, for which changes of the N-substituent will become readily possible. The results of the first X-ray structural determination of such compounds ([C(6)H(2)(NHCH(2)tBu)(OH)(=O)(2)] 13) are also reported and we compare the influence of the number of N-substituents of the C(6) ring on the supramolecular networks resulting from self-assembling of 13, zwitterionic N,N'-dineopentyl-2-amino-5-alcoholate-1,4-benzoquinonemonoiminium [C(6)H(2)(=NHCH(2)tBu)(2)(=O)(2)] 9 and N,N',N",N"'-tetraneopentyl-2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinone diimine [C(6)H(2)(NHCH(2)tBu)(2)(=NCH(2)tBu)(2)] 15.

A 6 pi + 6 pi potentially antiaromatic zwitterion preferred to a quinoidal structure: its reactivity toward organic and inorganic reagents.

A straightforward synthesis of the zwitterionic benzoquinonemonoimine 8 is reported. This molecule is a rare example of a zwitterion being more stable than its canonical forms. It is shown that 8 is best described as constituted of two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6 pi electron subunits.