New heterogeneous hydrogenation catalysts, based on Pd nanoparticles and polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimers of the third generation that have been covalently grafted to a silica surface modified with polyallylamine (PAA) have been synthesized. The final products were characterized by TEM, XPS, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The synthesized materials are effective catalysts for selective hydrogenation of dienes to monoenes and phenyl acetylene to styrene at very high substrate/Pd ratios with turnover rates higher than related Pd nanoparticle catalysts. The synthesized catalysts can be reused without any loss of activity in the case of styrene and isoprene.

Luminescent, mono-diimine, ruthenium complexes, [(H)Ru(CO)(PPh3)2(dcbpy)][PF6] (1, dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy bipyridyl) and [(H)Ru(CO)(dppene)(5-amino-1,10-phen)][PF6] (2, dppene = bis diphenylphosphino-ethylene, phen = 9,10-phenanthroline), have been conjugated with 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPPE) and with cholesterol in the case of 2. Compound 1 gives the bis-lipid derivative [(H)Ru(CO)(PPh3)2(dcbpy-N-DPPE2)][PF6] (3), while 2 provides the mono-lipid conjugate [(H)Ru(CO)(dppene)(1,10-phen-5-NHC(S)-N-DPPE)][ PF6] (4), and the cholesterol derivative [(H)Ru(CO)(dppene)(1,10-phen-5-NHC(O)OChol)][PF6] (5, Chol = cholesteryl), using standard conjugation techniques. These compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods, and their photophysical properties were measured in organic solvents. The luminescence of lipid conjugates 3 and is quenched in organic solvents while compound 4 a weak, short-lived, blue-shifted emission in solution. The cholesterol conjugate shows the long-lived, microsecond-timescale emission associated with triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (3MLCT) excited states. Incorporation of conjugate 3 in lipid bilayer vesicles restores the luminescence, but with blue shifts (~80 nm) accompanied by nanosecond-timescale lifetimes. In the vesicles conjugate 4 shows a similar short-lived and blue-shifted emission to that observed in solution but with increased intensity. Conjugation of the complex [(H)Ru(CO)(PhP2C2H4C(O)O-N-succinimidyl)2(bpy)][PF6] (6”) with DPPE gives the phosphine-conjugated complex [(H)Ru(CO)(PhP2C2H4C(O)-N-DPPE)2(bpy)][PF6] (7). Complex 7 also exhibits a short-lived and blue-shifted emission in solution and in vesicles as observed for 3 and 4. We have also conjugated the complex [Ru(bpy)2(5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)][PF6]2 (8) with both cholesterol (9) and DPPE (10). Neither 9 nor the previously reported 10 exhibited the blue shifts observed for 3 and 4 when incorporated into LUVs. The anisotropies of the emissions of 3, 4 and 7 were also measured in LUVs and of 5 in both glycerol and LUVs. High fundamental anisotropies were observed for 3 and 4 and 7.

Ruthenium complexes of the general formula [Ru(CO)(H)(L2)(L′2)][PF6] (L2 = trans-2PPh3, L′ = η2-4,4′-dicarboxybipyridine (1); L2 =trans-2Ph2PCH2CH2COOH, L′2 = bipyridine (2); L2 = Ph2PCHCHPPh2, L′ = η2-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline (3); L2 = trans-2PPh3, L′2 = η2-4-carboxaldehyde-4′-methylbipyridine (4)) have been shown to have longer emission lifetimes and higher quantum yields in solution compared with more symmetrical molecules such as [Ru(bpy)3][Cl]2. Compound 4 is obtained as a mixture with the corresponding acetal, 4′. These less symmetrical complexes have been covalently immobilized on the surface of silica polyamine composites, and their photophysical properties have been studied. The surface-bound complexes have been characterized by solid-state CPMAS 13C, 31P, and 29Si NMR, UV–vis, and FT-IR spectroscopies. Excited-state lifetime studies revealed that, in general, the lifetimes of the immobilized complexes are 1.4 to 8 times longer than in solution and are dependent on particle size (300–500 μm versus 10–20 nm average diameter silica gels), polymer structure (linear poly(allylamine) versus branched poly(ethylenimine)), and the type of surface tether. One exception to this trend is the previously reported complex [Ru(bpy)2(5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)][PF6]2 (5), where only a slight increase in lifetime is observed. Only minor changes in emission wavelength are observed for all the complexes. This opens up the possibility for enhanced heterogeneous electron transfer in photocatalytic reactions.

A series of 7-amino- and 7-acetamidoquinoline-5,8-diones with aryl substituents at the 2-position were synthesized, characterized and evaluated as potential NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1)-directed antitumor agents. The synthesis of lavendamycin analogs is illustrated. Metabolism studies demonstrated that 7-amino-analogues were generally better substrates for NQO1 than 7-amido-analogues as were compounds with smaller heteroaromatic substituents at the C-2 position. Surprisingly, only two compounds, 7-acetamido-2-(8’-quinolinyl)quinoline-5,8-dione (11) and 7-amino-2-(2-pyridinyl)quinoline-5,8-dione (23) showed selective cytotoxicity toward the NQO1-expressing MDA468-NQ16 breast cancer cells versus the NQO1-null MDA468-WT cells. For all other compounds, NQO1 protected against quinoline-5,8-dione cytotoxicity. Compound 22 showed a potent activity against human breast cancer cells expressing or not expressing NQO1 with IC50 values of respectively 190 nM and 140 nM and a low NQO1 mediated reduction rate, which suggests that the mode of action of 22 differs from lavendamycin and involves an unidentified target(s).

Immobilization of catalytically active transition metal complexes on silica polyamine composite (SPC) surfaces offers many advantages for applications in catalysis particularly for catalyst recovery and reuse. We report here the immobilization of PONOP pincer complexes of Ru, Rh, Ni and Pd on the poly(allylamine) SPC, BP-1 using the Mannich reaction. Three different methods have been investigated for synthesizing the PONOP pincer transition metal complexes on BP-1: 1) direct reaction of the preformed pincer complexes using a two step Mannich reaction; 2) immobilization of the PONOP ligand using the Mannich reaction followed by the addition of a transition metal compound of a given metal; 3) the stepwise construction of PONOP on BP-1 followed by addition of a transition metal compound. The immobilized complexes on BP-1 were characterized by FT-IR, solid-state CPMAS 13 C and 31 P NMR, as well as elemental analysis. Anchoring of the complexes on BP-1 was also evaluated by the metal loading data obtained from the digestion of the loaded composites followed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy