pi-Acceptor effects are often used to account for the unusual high lability of [Pt(terpy)L]((2)(-)(n)+) (terpy = 2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine) complexes. To gain further insight into this phenomenon, the pi-acceptor effect was varied systematically by studying the lability of [Pt(diethylenetriamine)OH(2)](2+) (aaa), [Pt(2,6-bis-aminomethylpyridine)OH(2)](2+) (apa), [Pt(N-(pyridyl-2-methyl)-1,2-diamino-ethane)OH(2)](2+) (aap), [Pt(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine)OH(2)](2+) (pap), [Pt(2,2'-bipyridine)(NH(3))(OH(2))](2+) (app), and [Pt(terpy)OH(2)](2+) (ppp). The crystal structure of the apa precursor [Pt(2,6-bis-aminomethylpyridine)Cl]Cl.H(2)O was determined. The substitution of water by a series of nucleophiles, viz. thiourea, N,N-dimethylthiourea, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylthiourea, I(-), and SCN(-), was studied under pseudo-first-order conditions as a function of concentration, pH, temperature, and pressure, using stopped-flow techniques. The data enable an overall comparison of the substitution behavior of these complexes, emphasizing the role played by the kinetic cis and trans pi-acceptor effects. The results indicate that the cis pi-acceptor effect is larger than the trans pi-acceptor effect, and that the pi-acceptor effects are multiplicative. DFT calculations at the B3LYP/LACVP level of theory show that, by the addition of pi-acceptor ligands to the metal, the positive charge on the metal center increases, and the energy separation of the frontier molecular orbitals (E(LUMO) - E(HOMO)) of the ground state Pt(II) complexes decreases. The calculations collectively support the experimentally observed additional increase in reactivity when two pi-accepting rings are adjacent to each other (app and ppp), which is ascribed to "electronic communication" between the pyridine rings. The results furthermore indicate that the pK(a) value of the platinum bound water molecule is controlled by the pi-accepting nature of the chelate system and reflects the electron density around the metal center. This in turn controls the rate of the associative substitution reaction and was analyzed using the Hammett equation.

Manganese dioxide nanoparticles have been synthesized, via a facile one-step solution phase approach, by the reduction of potassium permanganate with sodium thiosulphate at room temperature. Upon addition of thiosulphate to the solution of permanganate, a transparent dark-brown color species appeared which was stable for several months. The obtained MnO 2 solution was characterized by means of UV-vis spectra, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy spectra of pure MnO 2 show the occurrence of O-Mn-O vibrational mode at around 600 and 475 cm-1. The chemical composition was obtained by EDX analysis and confirmed the presence of Mn and O in the sample. From the TEM image, the surface morphology of the sample shows uniformly dispersed particles, which are spherical in shape. The selected area electron diffraction patterns revealed that the MnO 2 are crystalline in nature.

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Four complexes of the type [Pt(N-N-X)Cl](X = N or C) were tailor synthesized for mechanistic studies in methanol. The terdentate ligands included terpy, 4'-Ph-terpy, 4'-(2"-CF(3)-Ph)-terpy, and 4'-(2"'-CF(3)-Ph)-6-Ph-2,2'-bipy. The rate of substitution of the chloro ligand by thiourea, N,N'-dimethylthiourea, and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylthiourea was studied as a function of nucleophile concentration, temperature and pressure by using a stopped-flow technique. The observed pseudo-first-order rate constants for the substitution reactions obeyed the simple rate law k(obs) = k(2)[Nu]. Second-order kinetics and negative activation entropies and volumes support an associative substitution mechanism. At 298 K, the values of the second-order rate constant show a slight dependence on the nature of the moiety attached to the terpy ligand. Changing from a nitrogen sigma-donor to a carbon sigma-donor in the cis position, results in a deceleration of the substitution rate. The results suggest that the Pt-C bond in the cis position activates the metal centre in a different way than in the trans position.

The rate of displacement of the aqua ligands by three neutral nucleophiles (Nu) of different steric demands, namely thiourea (tu), N,N'-dimethylthiourea (dmtu) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylthiourea (tmtu) and an anionic nucleophile (I(-)) in complexes of the form [{Pt(H(2)O)}(2)(N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N(CH(2))(n)N](CF(3)SO(3))(4), n = 2 (En); 3 (Prop); 4 (But); 6 (Hex); 8 (Oct) and 10 (Dec), was studied under pseudo first-order conditions as a function of concentration, temperature and pressure using stopped-flow techniques and UV-visible spectrophotometry. The pseudo first-order rate constants, k(obs(1(st)/2(nd))), for the simultaneous substitution of the aqua ligands and the proposed subsequent dechelation of the pyridyl units, respectively, agreed well to the rate law: k(obs(1(st)/2(nd))) = k(2(1(st)/2(nd)))[Nu]. High negative activation entropies, negative volumes of activation and second-order kinetics for the displacement reactions all support an associative mode of activation. Except for Prop, the rate of the simultaneous substitution of the aqua ligands in the complexes was found to increase as the chain length of the linker increases from En to Hex, beyond which any further increase in chain length is not accompanied by a further increase in reactivity. The reactivity trend of the even-bridged complexes with C(2h) symmetry is ascribed to a concomitant decrease in axial steric influences imposed on one side of the square-planar picolyl chelates by the other as the chain length increases. Based on the model structures of the complexes, this kind of steric imposition occurs only in complexes with an even number of CH(2) groups within the linker. The Prop complex, having a C(2v) symmetry showed exceptional high reactivity towards the nucleophiles. A cage effect, evolving from its bowl-shaped molecular structure, is proposed to explain this high reactivity. The order of reactivity of the nucleophiles increased in the order I(-) >> tu approximately dmtu > tmtu, in line with the strong electrostatic interactions between the highly polarizable iodide nucleophile and the Pt centers, steric retardation effects in the case of tmtu and dominating positive inductive effects for the dmtu nucleophile.

Reactions of 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine (L1), 2,6-bis(benzoxazol-2-yl)pyridine (L2), and 2,6-bis(benzothiazol-2-yl)pyridine (L3) with [Pd(NCMe)2Cl2] in the presence of NaBF4 afforded the corresponding Pd(II) complexes, [Pd(L1)Cl]BF4, PdL1; [Pd(L2)Cl]BF4, PdL2; [Pd(L3)Cl]BF4, PdL3; respectively, while reaction of bis[(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)methyl]amine (L4) with [Pd(NCMe)2Cl2] afforded complex [Pd(L4)Cl]Cl, PdL4. Characterisation of the complexes was accomplished using NMR, IR, MS, elemental analyses and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Ligand substitution kinetics of these complexes by biological nucleophiles thiourea (Tu), L-methionine (L-Met) and guanosine 5′-diphosphate disodium salt (5-GMP) were examined under pseudo-first order conditions. The reactivity of the complexes decreased in the order: PdL1 > PdL2 > PdL3 > PdL4, ascribed to electronic effects. Density functional theory (DFT) supported this trend. Studies of interaction of the Pd(II) complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) revealed strong binding affinities via intercalative binding mode. Molecular docking studies established associative non-covalent interactions between the Pd complexes and DNA. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of PdL1-PdL4 were assessed in cancer cell lines HeLa and MRC5-SV2 and a normal cell line MRC-5, using the 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. PdL1 exhibited cytotoxic potency and selectivity against HeLa cell that was comparable to cisplatin's. Complex PdL1, unlike cisplatin, did not significantly induce caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Three new asymmetric platinum(II) complexes comprising an isopropylamine ligand trans to an azole ligand were synthesized and fully characterized by 1 H NMR, 195 Pt NMR, IR and elemental analysis. In addition the X-ray crystal structure of all three complexes was determined. The reaction kinetics of the complexes with DNA model base guanosine-5 0 -monophosphate (GMP) was studied, revealing reaction kinetics comparable to cisplatin. To gain insight in the complexes as potential antitumor agents, cytotoxicity assays were performed on a variety of human tumor cell lines. These assays showed the complexes all to possess cytotoxicity profiles comparable to cisplatin. Furthermore, the complexes largely retain their activity in a human ovarian carcinoma cell line resistant to cisplatin, A2780R, compared to the cisplatin sensitive parent cell line A2780. These results are of fundamental importance, illustrating how platinum complexes of trans geometry can show improved activity compared to cisplatin in both cisplatin sensitive and cisplatin resistant cell lines.