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1. Iridium( iii ) polypyridine artificial metalloenzymes with tunable photophysical properties: a new platform for visible light photocatalysis in aqueous solution

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D3DT00932G  

   Liu, Bingqing ; Zubi, Yasmine S. ; Lewis, Jared C. ( April 2023 , Dalton Transactions)

   Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) can combine the unique features of both metal complexes and enzymes by incorporating a cofactor within a protein scaffold. Herein, we describe a panel of ArMs constructed by covalently linking Ir( iii ) polypyridyl complexes into a prolyl oligopeptidase scaffold. Spectroscopic methods were used to examine how properties of the resulting ArMs are influenced by structural variation of the cyclometalated ligands and the protein scaffold. Visible light photocatalysis by these hybrid catalysts was also examined, leading to the finding that they catalyze inter/intra-molecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition in aqueous solution. Low but reproducible enantioselectivity was observed using a cofactor that undergoes partial kinetic resolution upon bioconjugation within the ArM active site, showing the importance of scaffold/cofactor interactions for enabling selective ArM photocatalysis. Further evidence of the importance of cofactor/scaffold interactions was provided by analyzing native POP peptidase catalysis by the ArMs. Together, these studies show how Ir( iii )-based ArMs constitute a promising starting point for ongoing studies to control the stereoselectivity of EnT reactions by engineering substrate binding/activation motifs in POP.
2. Balancing the interplay between ligand ejection and therapeutic window light absorption in ruthenium polypyridyl complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D2DT01237E  

   McCullough, Annie B. ; Chen, Jiaqi ; Valentine, Nathaniel P. ; Franklin, Toney M. ; Cantrell, Andrew P. ; Darnell, Vayda M. ; Qureshi, Qasim ; Hanson, Kenneth ; Shell, Steven M. ; Ashford, Dennis L. ( July 2022 , Dalton Transactions)

   Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have gained significant interest as photochemotherapies (PCTs) where their excited-state properties play a critical role in the photo-cytotoxicity mechanism and efficacy. Herein we report a systematic electrochemical, spectrochemical, and photophysical analysis of a series of ruthenium( ii ) polypyridyl complexes of the type [Ru(bpy) 2 (N–N)] 2+ (where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; N–N is a bidentate polypyridyl ligand) designed to mimic PCTs. In this series, the N–N ligand was modified through increased conjugation and/or incorporation of electronegative heteroatoms to shift the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorptions near the therapeutic window for PCTs (600–1100 nm) while incorporating steric bulk to trigger photoinduced ligand dissociation. The lowest energy MLCT absorptions were red-shifted from λ max = 454 nm to 564 nm, with emission energies decreasing from λ max = 620 nm to 850 nm. Photoinduced ligand ejection and temperature-dependent emission studies revealed an important interplay between red-shifting MLCT absorptions and accessing the dissociative 3 dd* states, with energy barriers between the 3 MLCT* and 3 dd* states ranging from 850 cm −1 to 2580 cm −1 for the complexes measured. This work demonstrates the importance of understanding both the MLCT manifold and 3 dd* state energy levels in the future designmore »of ligands and complexes for PCT.« less
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 releasemore »of PPh 3 and CH 3 CN for use in photochemotherapy.« less
4. Structural Assessment of Polymer-Enzyme Complex Nanoparticle Stability

   Murthy, N. Sanjeeva ; Upadhya, Rahul ; Kosuri, Shashank ; Tamasi, Matthew ; Gormley, Adam J. ( April 2022 , Transactions of the Society for Biomaterials)

   Statement of Purpose Hybrid nanoparticles in which a polymer is used to stabilize the secondary structure of enzyme provide a means to preserve its activity in non-native environments. This approach is illustrated here with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), an important heme enzyme used in medical diagnostic, biosensing, and biotechnological applications. Polymer chaperones in these polymer-enzyme complex (PEC) nanoparticles can enhance the utility of enzymes in unfavorable environments. Structural analysis of the PECs is a crucial link in the machine-learning driven iterative optimization cycle of polymer synthesis and testing. Here, we discuss the utility of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCMD) for evaluating PECs. Materials and Methods Six polymers were synthesized by automated photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization directly in 96-well plates.1 Multiple molar ratios of enzyme:polymer (1:1, 1:5, 1:10, and 1:50) were characterized. HRP was mixed with the polymer and heated to 65 °C for 1 hr to form PECs. Enzyme assay and circular dichroism measurements were performed along with SAXS and QCMD to understand polymer-protein interactions. SAXS data were obtained at NSLS-II beamline 16-ID. Results and Discussion SAXS data were analyzed to determine the radius of gyration (Rg), Porod exponent and pair distancemore »distribution functions (P(r)) (Figure 1). Rg, which corresponds to the size of the PEC nanoparticles, is sensitive to the polydispersity of the solution and does not change significantly in the presence of the polymer GEP1. Notably, the maximal dimension does not change as significantly upon heating to denaturation in the case of the PEC as it does with HRP alone. The effect of denaturation induced by heating seems to depend on the molar ratio of the polymer to enzyme. The Porod exponent, which is related to roughness, decreased from about 4 to 3 upon complexation indicating polymer binding to the enzyme’s surface. These were confirmed by modeling the structures of the HRP, the polymer and the PEC were modeled using DAMMIF/DAMMIN and MONSA (ATSAS software). The changes observed in the structure could be correlated to the measured enzymatic activity. Figure 2 shows the evolution of the PEC when the polymer is deposited onto the enzyme immobilized on Figure 1. P(r) plots for PEC vs. HRP before and after heating, illustrating the increased enzymatic stability due to polymer additives. gold-coated QCM sensors. The plots show the changes in frequency (f) and dissipation (D) with time as HRP is first deposited and is followed by the adsorption of the polymer. Large f and D show that the polymer forms a complex with HRP. Such changes were not observed with negative controls, Pluronics and poly(ethylene glycol). Comparison of the data from free particles in solution with QCM data from immobilized enzymes, shows that the conformation of the complexes in solution and surface-bound HRP could be different. This way, we were able to explore the various states of complex formation under different conditions with different polymers. Figure 2. QCMD data showing the interaction between the immobilized HRP and the polymer. 3rd and 5th harmonics are plotted (blue -f; red-D). Conclusion SAXS and QCMD data show that stabilization of the enzyme activity by inhibiting the unraveling of the secondary structure as seen in size, surface roughness, pair distribution function and percent helicity. Acknowledgment This work was supported by NSF grant 2009942. References [1] Tamasi, M, et al. Adv Intell Syst 2020, 2(2): 1900126.« less
5. Photoinduced Cobalt(III)−Trifluoromethyl Bond Activation Enables Arene C−H Trifluoromethylation

   https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201711693  

   Harris, Caleb F. ; Kuehner, Christopher S. ; Bacsa, John ; Soper, Jake D. ( January 2018 , Angewandte Chemie International Edition)

   Visible‐light capture activates a thermodynamically inert Co^III−CF₃bond for direct C−H trifluoromethylation of arenes and heteroarenes. New trifluoromethylcobalt(III) complexes supported by a redox‐active [OCO] pincer ligand were prepared. Coordinating solvents, such as MeCN, afford green, quasi‐octahedral [(^SOCO)Co^III(CF₃)(MeCN)₂] (2), but in non‐coordinating solvents the complex is red, square pyramidal [(^SOCO)Co^III(CF₃)(MeCN)] (3). Both are thermally stable, and2is stable in light. But exposure of3to low‐energy light results in facile homolysis of the Co^III−CF₃bond, releasing^.CF₃radical, which is efficiently trapped by TEMPO^.or (hetero)arenes. The homolytic aromatic substitution reactions do not require a sacrificial or substrate‐derived oxidant because the Co^IIby‐product of Co^III−CF₃homolysis produces H₂. The photophysical properties of2and3provide a rationale for the disparate light stability.