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1. Actinide arene-metalates: ion pairing effects on the electronic structure of unsupported uranium–arenide sandwich complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SC03275E  

   Murillo, Jesse ; Bhowmick, Rina ; Harriman, Katie L. ; Gomez-Torres, Alejandra ; Wright, Joshua ; Meulenberg, Robert W. ; Miró, Pere ; Metta-Magaña, Alejandro ; Murugesu, Muralee ; Vlaisavljevich, Bess ; et al ( October 2021 , Chemical Science)

   Addition of [UI 2 (THF) 3 (μ-OMe)] 2 ·THF (2·THF) to THF solutions containing 6 equiv. of K[C 14 H 10 ] generates the heteroleptic dimeric complexes [K(18-crown-6)(THF) 2 ] 2 [U(η 6 -C 14 H 10 )(η 4 -C 14 H 10 )(μ-OMe)] 2 ·4THF (118C6·4THF) and {[K(THF) 3 ][U(η 6 -C 14 H 10 )(η 4 -C 14 H 10 )(μ-OMe)]} 2 (1THF) upon crystallization of the products in THF in the presence or absence of 18-crown-6, respectively. Both 118C6·4THF and 1THF are thermally stable in the solid-state at room temperature; however, after crystallization, they become insoluble in THF or DME solutions and instead gradually decompose upon standing. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals 118C6·4THF and 1THF to be structurally similar, possessing uranium centres sandwiched between bent anthracenide ligands of mixed tetrahapto and hexahapto ligation modes. Yet, the two complexes are distinguished by the close contact potassium-arenide ion pairing that is seen in 1THF but absent in 118C6·4THF, which is observed to have a significant effect on the electronic characteristics of the two complexes. Structural analysis, SQUID magnetometry data, XANES spectral characterization, and computational analyses are generally consistent with U( iv ) formal assignments for the metal centres in both 118C6·4THF and 1THF, though noticeable differences are detected between the two species. For instance, the effective magnetic moment of 1THF (3.74 μ B ) is significantly lower than that of 118C6·4THF (4.40 μ B ) at 300 K. Furthermore, the XANES data shows the U L III -edge absorption energy for 1THF to be 0.9 eV higher than that of 118C6·4THF, suggestive of more oxidized metal centres in the former. Of note, CASSCF calculations on the model complex {[U(η 6 -C 14 H 10 )(η 4 -C 14 H 10 )(μ-OMe)] 2 } 2− (1*) shows highly polarized uranium–arenide interactions defined by π-type bonds where the metal contributions are primarily comprised by the 6d-orbitals (7.3 ± 0.6%) with minor participation from the 5f-orbitals (1.5 ± 0.5%). These unique complexes provide new insights into actinide–arenide bonding interactions and show the sensitivity of the electronic structures of the uranium atoms to coordination sphere effects. 

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2. Diverse Coordination Geometries Derived from Trisaminocyclohexane Ligands with Appended Outer‐Sphere Hydrogen Bond Donors

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.202300434  

   Ekanayake, Danushka M. ; Sheridan, Patrick E. ; Lindeman, Sergey V. ; Fiedler, Adam T. ( September 2023 , European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry)

   With the aim of constructing hydrogen‐bonding networks in synthetic complexes, two new ligands derived fromcis,cis‐1,3,5‐triaminocyclohexane (TACH) have been prepared that feature pendant pyrrole or indole rings as outer‐sphere H‐bond donors. The TACH framework offers a facial arrangement of threeN‐donors, thereby mimicking common coordination motifs in the active sites of nonheme Fe and Cu enzymes. X‐ray structural characterization of a series of Cu^I‐X complexes (X=F, Cl, Br, NCS) revealed that these neutral ligands (H₃L^R, R=pyrrole or indole) coordinate in the intended facialN₃manner, yielding four‐coordinate complexes with idealizedC₃symmetry. The N−H units of the outer‐sphere heterocycles form a hydrogen‐bonding cavity around the axial (pseudo)halide ligand, as verified by crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational analyses. Treatment of H₃L^pyrroleand H₃L^indolewith divalent transition metal chlorides (M^IICl₂, M=Fe, Cu, Zn) causes one heterocycle to deprotonate and coordinate to the M(II) center, giving rise to tetradentate ligands with two remaining outer‐sphere H‐bond donors. Further ligand deprotonation is observed upon reaction with Ni(II) and Cu(II) salts with weakly coordinating counteranions. The reported complexes highlight the versatility of TACH‐based ligands with pendant H‐bond donors, as the resulting scaffolds can support multiple protonation states, coordination geometries, and H‐bonding interactions.

    

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3. Photocytotoxicity and photoinduced phosphine ligand exchange in a Ru( ii ) polypyridyl complex

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sc05647f  

   Steinke, Sean J. ; Gupta, Sayak ; Piechota, Eric J. ; Moore, Curtis E. ; Kodanko, Jeremy J. ; Turro, Claudia ( February 2022 , Chemical Science)

   Two new tris-heteroleptic Ru( ii ) complexes with triphenylphosphine (PPh 3 ) coordination, cis -[Ru(phen) 2 (PPh 3 )(CH 3 CN)] 2+ (1a, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and cis -[Ru(biq)(phen)(PPh 3 )(CH 3 CN)] 2+ (2a, biq = 2,2′-biquinoline), were synthesized and characterized for photochemotherapeutic applications. Upon absorption of visible light, 1a exchanges a CH 3 CN ligand for a solvent water molecule. Surprisingly, the steady-state irradiation of 2a followed by electronic absorption and NMR spectroscopies reveals the photosubstitution of the PPh 3 ligand. Phosphine photoinduced ligand exchange with visible light from a Ru( ii ) polypyridyl complex has not previously been reported, and calculations reveal that it results from a trans -type influence in the excited state. Complexes 1a and 2a are not toxic against the triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 in the dark, but upon irradiation with blue light, the activity of both complexes increases by factors of >4.2 and 5.8, respectively. Experiments with PPh 3 alone show that the phototoxicity observed for 2a does not arise from the released phosphine ligand, indicating the role of the photochemically generated ruthenium aqua complex on the biological activity. These complexes represent a new design motif for the selective release of PPh 3 and CH 3 CN for use in photochemotherapy. 

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4. Multicenter interactions and ligand field effects in platinum( ii ) tripyrrindione radicals

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D3DT00894K  

   Tomat, Elisa ; Curtis, Clayton J. ; Astashkin, Andrei V. ; Conradie, Jeanet ; Ghosh, Abhik ( May 2023 , Dalton Transactions)

   The tripyrrin-1,14-dione biopyrrin, which shares the scaffold of several naturally occurring heme metabolites, is a redox-active platform for metal coordination. We report the synthesis of square planar platinum( ii ) tripyrrindiones, in which the biopyrrin binds as a tridentate radical and the fourth coordination position is occupied by either aqua or tert -butyl isocyanide ligands. These complexes are stable through chromatographic purification and exposure to air. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data and density functional theory (DFT) analysis confirm that the spin density is located predominantly on the tripyrrindione ligand. Pancake bonding in solution between the Pt( ii ) tripyrrindione radicals leads to the formation of diamagnetic π dimers at low temperatures. The identity of the monodentate ligand ( i.e. , aqua vs . isocyanide) affects both the thermodynamic parameters of dimerization and the tripyrrindione-based redox processes in these complexes. Isolation and structural characterization of the oxidized complexes revealed stacking of the diamagnetic tripyrrindiones in the solid state as well as a metallophilic Pt( ii )−Pt( ii ) contact in the case of the aqua complex. Overall, the properties of Pt( ii ) tripyrrindiones, including redox potentials and intermolecular interactions in solution and in the solid state, are modulated through easily accessible changes in the redox state of the biopyrrin ligand or the nature of the monodentate ligand. 

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5. Geometrical variations of two manganese(II) complexes with closely related quinoline-based tripodal ligands

   https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989021009786  

   Frey, Steven T. ; Ballot, Jasper G. ; Hands, Allison ; Cirka, Haley A. ; Rinaolo, Katheryn C. ; Phalkun, Nich N. ; Kaur, Manpreet ; Jasinski, Jerry P. ( October 2021 , Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications)

   Structural analyses of the compounds di-μ-acetato-κ 4 O : O ′-bis{[2-methoxy- N , N -bis(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)ethanamine-κ 4 N , N ′, N ′′, O ]manganese(II)} bis(tetraphenylborate) dichloromethane 1.45-solvate, [Mn 2 (C 23 O 2 ) 2 (C 23 H 23 N 3 O) 2 ](C 24 H 20 B)·1.45CH 2 Cl 2 or [Mn(DQMEA)(μ-OAc) 2 Mn(DQMEA)](BPh 4 ) 2 ·1.45CH 2 Cl 2 or [1] (BPh 4 ) 2 ·1.45CH 2 Cl 2 , and (acetato-κ O )[2-hydroxy- N , N -bis(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)ethanamine-κ 4 N , N ′, N ′′, O ](methanol-κ O )manganese(II) tetraphenylborate methanol monosolvate, [Mn(CH 3 COO)(C 22 H 21 N 3 O)(CH 3 OH)](C 24 H 20 B)·CH 3 OH or [Mn(DQEA)(OAc)(CH 3 OH)]BPh 4 ·CH 3 OH or [2] BPh 4 ·CH 3 OH, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveal distinct differences in the geometry of coordination of the tripodal DQEA and DQMEA ligands to Mn II ions. In the asymmetric unit, compound [1] (BPh 4 ) 2 ·(CH 2 Cl 2 ) 1.45 crystallizes as a dimer in which each manganese(II) center is coordinated by the central amine nitrogen, the nitrogen atom of each quinoline group, and the methoxy-oxygen of the tetradentate DQMEA ligand, and two bridging-acetate oxygen atoms. The symmetric Mn II centers have a distorted, octahedral geometry in which the quinoline nitrogen atoms are trans to each other resulting in co-planarity of the quinoline rings. For each Mn II center, a coordinated acetate oxygen participates in C—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions with the two quinolyl moieties, further stabilizing the trans structure. Within the crystal, weak π – π stacking interactions and intermolecular cation–anion interactions stabilize the crystal packing. In the asymmetric unit, compound [2] BPh 4 ·CH 3 OH crystallizes as a monomer in which the manganese(II) ion is coordinated to the central nitrogen, the nitrogen atom of each quinoline group, and the alcohol oxygen of the tetradentate DQEA ligand, an oxygen atom of OAc, and the oxygen atom of a methanol ligand. The geometry of the Mn II center in [2] BPh 4 ·CH 3 OH is also a distorted octahedron, but the quinoline nitrogen atoms are cis to each other in this structure. Hydrogen bonding between the acetate oxygen atoms and hydroxyl (O—H...O) and quinolyl (C—H...O and N—H...O) moieties of the DQEA ligand stabilize the complex in this cis configuration. Within the crystal, dimerization of complexes occurs by the formation of a pair of intermolecular O3—H3...O2 hydrogen bonds between the coordinated hydroxyl oxygen of the DQEA ligand of one complex and an acetate oxygen of another. Additional hydrogen-bonding and intermolecular cation–anion interactions contribute to the crystal packing. 

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