Efficient electronic communication of two ruthenium centers through a rigid ditopic N-heterocyclic carbene linker.

A ditopic benzobis(carbene) ligand precursor was prepared that contained a chelating pyridyl moiety to ensure co-planarity of the carbene ligand and the coordination plane of a bound octahedral metal center. Bimetallic ruthenium complexes comprising this ditopic ligand [L4Ru-C,N-bbi-C,N-RuL4] were obtained by a transmetalation methodology (C,N-bbi-C,N=benzobis(N-pyridyl-N'-methyl-imidazolylidene). The two metal centers are electronically decoupled when the ruthenium is in a pseudotetrahedral geometry imparted by a cymene spectator ligand (L4=[(cym)Cl]).

The potential of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as components for electronically active materials.

The application of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as active sites in materials other than catalysis has been remarkably scarce. Inspired by the - often misleading - 'carbene' label, which implies a substantial degree of M = C pi bonding, we have been interested in evaluating the potential of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as building blocks for constructing electronically active materials. Electron mobility via the metal-carbon bond has been investigated in monometallic imidazol-2-ylidene complexes and subsequently expanded to polymetallic systems.

Highly potent and selective substrate analogue factor Xa inhibitors containing D-homophenylalanine analogues as P3 residue: part 2.

A series of highly potent substrate-analogue factor Xa inhibitors containing D-homophenylalanine analogues as the P3 residue has been identified by systematic optimization of a previously described inhibitor structure. An initial lead, benzylsulfonyl-D-hPhe-Gly-4-amidinobenzylamide (3), inhibits fXa with an inhibition constant of 6.0 nM.

Effects of a polyelectrolyte additive on the selective dialysis membrane permeability for low-molecular-weight proteins.

Background: Improving the sieving characteristics of dialysis membranes enhances the clearance of low-molecular-weight (LMW) proteins and may have an impact on outcome in patients receiving haemodialysis. To approach this goal, a novel polyelectrolyte additive process was applied to a polyethersulphone (PES) membrane.

Methods: Polyelectrolyte-modified PES was characterized in vitro by measuring complement activation and sieving coefficients of cytochrome c and serum albumin.

Synthesis of the first rNHC (remote N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes with no heteroatom in the carbene carbon-containing ring.

Two cationic carbene complexes with no heteroatom in the ring containing the carbene carbon, trans-bromo(2-methyl-2,6-dihydroisoquinolin-6-ylidene)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) triflate (3) and trans-chloro(1,2-dimethyl-1,7-dihydroquinolin-7-ylidene)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) triflate (4), were synthesized by oxidative substitution of Pd(PPh3)4 with N-methylated 6-bromoisoquinolinium and 7-chloro-2-methylquinolinium cations, respectively. Compound 3 was also prepared by methylation of neutral trans-bromo(2-methylisoquinolin-6-yl)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) (5). All complexes were unambiguously characterized by NMR and X-ray crystallographic studies.

New substrate analogue inhibitors of factor Xa containing 4-amidinobenzylamide as P1 residue: part 1.

The trypsin-like serine protease factor Xa (fXa) is located at the convergence point of the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation cascade, and therefore has emerged as an attractive target for the design of novel anticoagulants. During the development of substrate-analogue urokinase inhibitors we have found that the protection of the P3-dSer side chain leads to a scaffold of potent fXa inhibitors with the general structure R1-SO2-dSer(R2)-Gly-4-amidinobenzylamide. The first lead (3) with an N-terminal benzylsulfonyl group and dSer(tBu) as P3 residue inhibits human fXa with a Ki of 14 nM.

Secondary amides of sulfonylated 3-amidinophenylalanine. New potent and selective inhibitors of matriptase.

Matriptase is an epithelium-derived type II transmembrane serine protease and has been implicated in the activation of substrates such as pro-HGF/SF and pro-uPA, which are likely involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Through screening, we have identified bis-basic secondary amides of sulfonylated 3-amidinophenylalanine as matriptase inhibitors. X-ray analyses of analogues 8 and 31 in complex with matriptase revealed that these inhibitors occupy, in addition to part of the previously described S4-binding site, the cleft formed by the molecular surface and the unique 60 loop of matriptase.

Conformationally constrained beta-amino acid derivatives by intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition of a tetronic acid amide and subsequent lactone ring opening.

[reaction: see text] The N-Boc-protected N-3-alkenyltetronic acid amides 9 and 12 were prepared from tetronic acid bromide (7) and the corresponding amines 6 and 10 by nucleophilic substitution and subsequent acylation in 71% and 39% overall yield. They underwent an intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition upon direct irradiation (lambda = 254 nm) to yield diastereoselectively the strained lactones 15 (76%) and 16 (91%) with a 2-azabicyclo[3.2.

High facial diastereoselectivity in intra- and intermolecular reactions of chiral benzylic cations.

Chiral carbenium ions can be attacked by arene nucleophiles with high facial diastereoselectivity (dr >/= 94/6). Benzylic cations, such as 2, were generated under acidic conditions and reacted with arenes in intra- and intermolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction. The depicted reaction 1 --> 3 represents one example for the unprecedented, highly diastereoselective intermolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions which were observed in this study.

Bromination of (phosphine)gold(I) bromide complexes: stoichiometry and structure of products.

The course of the oxidative addition of elemental bromine to complexes of the type (L)AuBr is strongly influenced by the nature of the tertiary phosphine ligand L. Standard square planar gold(III) complexes (L)AuBr3 are obtained not only with L = PMe3 but also with P((I)Pro)3 for which the oxidative addition fails in the corresponding iodine system. Excess bromine is integrated into crystals of the products with the stoichiometry [(Me3P)AuBr3].

A cyclic hexamer of silver trifluoroacetate supported by four triphenylphosphine sulfide template molecules.

Crystallization of silver trifluoroacetate from chloroform solutions containing triphenylphosphine sulfide affords a trigonal and a monoclinic form of a 6:4 complex {[CF3C(O)OAg]6(Ph3PS)4} of C2 symmetry with different amounts of chloroform in the crystals. With the Ph3PS components as template molecules, the CF3C(O)OAg units are assembled to form a 6-membered metallacycle codetermined by metallophilic bonding and enclosed by a 24-membered ring [AgOCO]6. A complex of the type [LAgOC(O)CF3]2, with L representing the isocyanide ligand pTolSO2CH2NC, has been shown to have a conventional bicyclic structure with three-coordinate silver atoms engaged in transannular metallophilic interactions.

Design of novel and selective inhibitors of urokinase-type plasminogen activator with improved pharmacokinetic properties for use as antimetastatic agents.

The serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) interacts with a specific receptor (uPAR) on the surface of various cell types, including tumor cells, and plays a crucial role in pericellular proteolysis. High levels of uPA and uPAR often correlate with poor prognosis of cancer patients. Therefore, the specific inhibition of uPA with small molecule active-site inhibitors is one strategy to decrease the invasive and metastatic activity of tumor cells.

Saturation transfer difference NMR and computational modeling of a sialoadhesin-sialyl lactose complex.

The siglecs are a family of I-type lectins binding to sialic acids on the cell surface. Sialoadhesin (siglec-1) is expressed at much higher levels in inflammatory macrophages and specifically binds to alpha-2,3-sialylated N-acetyl lactosamine residues of glycan chains. The terminal disaccharide alpha-D-Neu5Ac-(2-->3)-beta-D-Gal is thought to be the main epitope recognized by sialoadhesin.