Oxidative Release of Copper from Pharmacologic Copper Bis(thiosemicarbazonato) Compounds.

Intracellular delivery of therapeutic or analytic copper from copper bis-thiosemicabazonato complexes is generally described in terms of mechanisms involving one-electron reduction to the Cu(I) analogue by endogenous reductants, thereby rendering the metal ion labile and less strongly coordinating to the bis-thiosemicarbazone (btsc) ligand. However, electrochemical and spectroscopic studies described herein indicate that one-electron oxidation of CuII(btsc) and ZnIIATSM (btsc = diacetyl-bis(4-methylthiosemicarbazonato)) complexes occurs within the range of physiological oxidants, leading to the likelihood that unrecognized oxidative pathways for copper release also exist. Oxidations of CuII(btsc) by H2O2 catalyzed by either myeloperoxidase or horseradish peroxidase, by HOCl and taurine chloramine (which are chlorinating agents generated primarily in activated neutrophils from MPO-catalyzed reactions), and by peroxynitrite species (ONOOH, ONOOCO2-) that can form under certain conditions of oxidative stress are demonstrated. Unlike reduction, the oxidative reactions proceed by irreversible ligand oxidation, culminating in release of Cu(II). 2-Pyridylazoresorcinol complexation was used to demonstrate that Cu(II) release by reaction with peroxynitrite species involved rate-limiting homolysis of the peroxy O-O bond to generate secondary oxidizing radicals (NO2•, •OH, and CO3•-). Because the potentials for CuII(btsc) oxidation and reduction are ligand-dependent, varying by as much as 200 mV, it is clearly advantageous in designing therapeutic methodologies for specific treatments to identify the operative Cu-release pathway.

Transition-metal free umpolung carbon-nitrogen vs. carbon-chlorine bond formation.

The formation of carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bonds via an umpolung substitution reaction has been achieved at -78 °C without the need for catalysts, ligands, or additives. The scope is limited to aryl Grignard reagents with N-chloroamines. The findings in this manuscript serve as a reference point for all C-N bond formation involving N-chloroamines and organometallic reagents. Knowing the yields of uncatalyzed reactions will be useful when determining the success of future catalytic methods.

Iron-catalyzed arylation of heterocycles via directed C-H bond activation.

The iron-catalyzed arylation of aromatic heterocycles, such as pyridines, thiophenes, and furans, has been achieved. The use of an imine directing group allowed for the ortho functionalization of these heterocycles with complete conversion in 15 min at 0 °C. Yields up to 88% were observed in the synthesis of 15 heterocyclic biaryls.