No abstract

A new iron aziridination catalyst supported by a macrocyclic tetracarbene ligand has been synthesized. The catalyst, [((Me,Et)TC(Ph))Fe(NCCH(3))(2)](PF(6))(2), was synthesized from the tetraimidazolium precursor ((Me,Et)TC(Ph))(I)(4) and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This iron complex catalyzes the aziridination of electron-donating aryl azides and a wide variety of substituted aliphatic alkenes, including tetrasubstituted ones, in a "C(2) + N(1)" addition reaction. Finally, the catalyst can be recovered and reused up to three additional times without significant reduction in yield.

We have prepared a series of divalent cobalt(II) complexes supported by the [PhBP3] ligand ([PhBP3] = [PhB(CH2PPh2)3]-) to probe certain structural and electronic phenomena that arise from this strong field, anionic tris(phosphine) donor ligand. The solid-state structure of the complex [PhBP3]CoI (1), accompanied by SQUID, EPR, and optical data, indicates that it is a pseudotetrahedral cobalt(II) species with a doublet ground statethe first of its type. To our knowledge, all previous examples of 4-coordinate cobalt(II) complexes with doublet ground states have adopted square planar structure types. Complex 1 provided a useful precursor to the corresponding bromide and chloride complexes, {[PhBP3]Co(μ-Br)}2, (2), and {[PhBP3]Co(μ-Cl)}2, (3). These complexes were similarly characterized and shown to be dimeric in the solid-state. In solution, however, the monomeric low spin form of 2 and 3 dominates at 25 °C. There is spectroscopic evidence for a temperature-dependent monomer/dimer equilibrium in solution for complex 3. Furthermore, the dimers 2 and 3 did not display appreciable antiferromagnetic coupling that is typical of halide and oxo-bridged copper(II) and cobalt(II) dimers. Rather, the EPR and SQUID data for solid samples of 2 and 3 suggest that they have triplet ground states. Complexes 1, 2, and 3 are extremely oxygen sensitive. Thus, stoichiometric oxidation of 1 by dioxygen produced the 4-coordinate, high spin complex [PhB(CH2P(O)Ph2)2(CH2PPh2)]CoI, (4), in which the [PhBP3] ligand had undergone a 4-electron oxidation. Reaction of 1 with TlOAr (Ar = 2,6-Me2Ph) afforded an example of a 4-coordinate, high spin complex, [PhBP3]Co(O-2,6-Me2Ph) (5), with an intact [PhBP3] ligand. The latter two complexes were spectroscopically and structurally characterized for comparison to complexes 1, 2, and 3. Our data for these complexes collectively suggest that the [PhBP3] ligand provides an unusually strong ligand-field to these divalent cobalt complexes that is chemically distinct from typical tris(phosphine) donor ligand sets, and distinct from tridentate borato ligands that have been previously studied. Coupling this strong ligand-field with a pronounced axial distortion away from tetrahedral symmetry, a geometric consequence that is enforced by the [PhBP3] ligand, provides access to monomeric [PhBP3]CoX complexes with doublet rather than quartet ground states.

Checkpoints maintain order and fidelity in the cell cycle by blocking late-occurring events when earlier events are improperly executed. Here we describe evidence for the participation of Chk1 in an intra-S phase checkpoint in mammalian cells. We show that both Chk1 and Chk2 are phosphorylated and activated in a caffeine-sensitive signaling pathway during S phase, but only in response to replication blocks, not during normal S phase progression. Replication block–induced activation of Chk1 and Chk2 occurs normally in ataxia telangiectasia (AT) cells, which are deficient in the S phase response to ionizing radiation (IR). Resumption of synthesis after removal of replication blocks correlates with the inactivation of Chk1 but not Chk2. Using a selective small molecule inhibitor, cells lacking Chk1 function show a progressive change in the global pattern of replication origin firing in the absence of any DNA replication. Thus, Chk1 is apparently necessary for an intra-S phase checkpoint, ensuring that activation of late replication origins is blocked and arrested replication fork integrity is maintained when DNA synthesis is inhibited.

No abstract

Reaction of [Re(CN)7]3- (S = 1/2) with 4 equiv of [(PY5Me2)Mn(MeCN)]2+ (S = 5/2) in acetonitrile generates a blue solution containing the cyano-bridged cluster [(PY5Me2)4Mn4Re(CN)7]5+. At room temperature, the color of the reaction rapidly changes from blue to green to yellow, spontaneously generating the one-electron reduced species [(PY5Me2)4Mn4Re(CN)7]4+. Crystal structures show these two clusters share a star-like geometry, wherein four [(PY5Me2)Mn]2+ units are appended to a central, pentagonal bipyramidal [Re(CN)7]3-/4- complex. The dc magnetic properties of the 5+ cluster indicate the presence of ferromagnetic coupling to give an S = 21/2 ground state with an axial zero-field splitting of D = −0.44 cm-1. Ac magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a spin relaxation barrier of U eff = 33 cm-1, the largest barrier yet observed for a cyano-bridged single-molecule magnet. Upon reduction by one electron, the spin at the Re center is lost and the cluster switches behavior to that of a simple paramagnet containing four noncoupled MnII centers.

The field of molecular magnetism has grown tremendously since the discovery of single-molecule magnets, but it remains centred around the superexchange mechanism. The possibility of instead using a double-exchange mechanism (based on electron delocalization rather than Heisenberg exchange through a non-magnetic bridge) presents a tantalizing prospect for synthesizing molecules with high-spin ground states that are well isolated in energy. We now demonstrate that magnetic double exchange can be sustained by simple imidazolate bridging ligands, known to be well suited for the construction of coordination clusters and solids. A series of mixed-valence molecules of the type [(PY5Me(2))V(II)(micro-L(br)) V(III)(PY5Me(2))](4+) were synthesized and their electron delocalization probed through cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Magnetic susceptibility data reveal a well-isolated S = 5/2 ground state arising from double exchange for [(PY5Me(2))(2)V(2)(micro-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolate)](4+). Combined modelling of the magnetic data and spectral analysis leads to an estimate of the double-exchange parameter of B = 220 cm(-1) when vibronic coupling is taken into account.

A 3D Tröger’s-base-derived microporous organic polymer with a high surface area and good thermal stability was facilely synthesized from a one-pot metal-free polymerization reaction between dimethoxymethane and triaminotriptycene. The obtained material displays excellent CO2 uptake abilities as well as good adsorption selectivity for CO2 over N2. The CO2 storage can reach up to 4.05 mmol g–1 (17.8 wt %) and 2.57 mmol g–1 (11.3 wt %) at 273 K and 298 K, respectively. Moreover, the high selectivity of the polymer toward CO2 over N2 (50.6, 298 K) makes it a promising material for potential application in CO2 separation from flue gas.