Tuning anticancer properties and DNA-binding of Pt(ii) complexes via alteration of nitrogen softness/basicity of tridentate ligands.

Nine tridentate Schiff base ligands of the type (N^N^O) were synthesized from reactions of primary amines {2-picolylamine (Py), N-phenyl-1,2-diaminobenzene (PhN), and N-phenyl-1,2-diaminoethane(EtN)} and salicylaldehyde derivatives {3-ethoxy (OEt), 4-diethylamine (NEt2) and 4-hydroxy (OH)}. Complexes with the general formula Pt(N^N^O)Cl were synthesized by reacting K2PtCl4 with the ligands in DMSO/ethanol mixtures. The ligands and their complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The DNA-binding behaviours of the platinum(ii) complexes were investigated by two techniques, indicating good binding affinities and a two-stage binding process for seven complexes: intercalation followed by switching to a covalent binding mode over time. The other two complexes covalently bond to ct-DNA without intercalation. Theoretical calculations were used to shed light on the electronic and steric factors that lead to the difference in DNA-binding behavior. The reactions of some platinum complexes with guanine were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The binding of the complexes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) indicated a static interaction with higher binding affinities for the ethoxy-containing complexes. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines suggest that platinum complexes with tridentate ligands of N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine or pyridyl with 3-ethoxysalicylimine are good chemotherapeutic candidates. Pt-Py-OEt and Pt-PhN-OEt have IC50 values against MCF-7 of 13.27 and 10.97 µM, respectively, compared to 18.36 µM for cisplatin, while they have IC50 values against HepG2 of 6.99 and 10.15 µM, respectively, compared to 19.73 µM for cisplatin. The cell cycle interference behaviour with HepG2 of selected complexes is similar to that of cisplatin, suggesting apoptotic cell death. The current work highlights the impact of the tridentate ligand on the biological properties of platinum complexes.

Tuning the anticancer properties of Pt(ii) complexes via structurally flexible N-(2-picolyl)salicylimine ligands.

Three tridentate Schiff base ligands were synthesized from the reactions between 2-picolylamine and salicylaldehyde derivatives (3-ethoxy (OEt), 4-diethylamino (NEt2) and 4-hydroxy (OH)). Complexes with the general formula Pt(N^N^O)Cl were obtained from reactions between the ligands and K2PtCl4. The ligands and their complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Further confirmation of the structure of Pt-OEt was achieved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The DMSO/chlorido exchange process at Pt-OEt was investigated by monitoring the change in conductivity, revealing very slow dissociation in DMSO. Moreover, solvent/chlorido exchange for Pt-OEt and Pt-NEt2 were investigated by NMR spectroscopy in DMSO and DMSO/D2O; Pt-NEt2 forms an adduct with DMSO while Pt-OEt forms adducts with DMSO and water. The DNA-binding behaviour of the platinum(ii) complexes was investigated by two techniques. Pt-NEt2 has the best apparent binding constant. The intercalation mode of interaction with ct-DNA was suggested by molecular docking studies and the increase in the relative viscosity of ct-DNA with increasing concentrations of the platinum(ii) complexes. However, the gradual decrease in the relative viscosity over time at constant concentration of platinum(ii) complexes indicated a shift from intercalation to a covalent binding mode. Anticancer activities of the ligands and their platinum(ii) complexes were examined against two cell lines. The platinum(ii) complexes exhibit superior cytotoxicity to that of their ligands. Among the platinum(ii) complexes, Pt-OEt possesses the best IC50 against both cell lines, its cytotoxicity being comparable to that observed for cisplatin. Cell cycle arrest in the HepG2 cell line upon treatment with Pt-OEt and Pt-NEt2 was investigated and compared to that of cisplatin; the change in the cell accumulation patterns supports the presumption of an apoptotic cell death pathway. The optimized structures of the B-DNA trimer adducts with the platinum complexes showed hydrogen-bonding interactions between the ligands and nucleobases, affecting the inter-strand hydrogen bonding within the DNA, and highlighting the strong ability of the complexes to induce conformational changes in the DNA, leading to the activation of apoptotic cell death. In summary, the current study demonstrates promising new anticancer platinum(ii) complexes with highly flexible tridentate ligands; the functional groups on the ligands are important in tuning their DNA binding/anticancer properties.

Potential Anticancer Activities and Catalytic Oxidation Efficiency of Platinum(IV) Complex.

The treatment of an aqueous acetonitrile solution of chloroplatinic acid hydrate H2PtCl6.xH2O and pyridine-2-carbaldehyde-oxime (paOH) in the presence of potassium thiocyanate at room temperature (25°) led to the formation of a new Pt(IV) complex with the formula [Pt(SCN)2(paO)2], (1). Complex 1 was fully characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis and NMR spectroscopic techniques as well as elemental analysis. The crystallographic structure of complex 1 was obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of complex 1 consists of a distorted octahedral geometrical environment around the platinum center in which the coordination sites are occupied by two terminal thiocyanate ligands in trans arrangement and two bidentate paO ligands through four nitrogen atoms. In addition, the in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxicity of platinum complex 1 against four different cancer cell lines was performed. The IC50 values for colon (HCT116), liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7) and erythroid (JK-1) treated with complex 1 are 19 ± 6, 21 ± 5, 22 ± 6, and 13 ± 3 µM, respectively. In HCT116 cells treated with the IC50 dose of our title compound, apoptosis and necrosis were increased by 34% and 27.8%, respectively. Cells halted in the proliferative phase (S phase) to 21.7 % and 29.8% in HCT116 and HepG2 cells treated with complex 1 have anti-proliferative actions. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of synthesized complex 1 was examined in the oxidation reaction of benzyl alcohols in the presence of an oxidant. Finally, the luminescence behavior of complex 1 was investigated.

DNA-Binding and Cytotoxicity of Copper(I) Complexes Containing Functionalized Dipyridylphenazine Ligands.

A set of copper(I) coordination compounds with general formula [CuBr(PPh3)(dppz-R)] (dppz-R = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (Cu-1), 11-nitrodipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (Cu-2), 11-cyanodipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (Cu-3), dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine-11-phenone (Cu-4), 11,12-dimethyldipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (Cu-5)) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR and 31P-NMR spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry. The structure of Cu-1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The effect of incorporating different functional groups on the dppz ligand on the binding into CT-DNA was evaluated by absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching of EtBr-DNA adducts, and viscosity measurements. The functional groups affected the binding modes and hence the strength of binding affinities, as suggested by the changes in the relative viscosity. The differences in the quenching constants (Ksv) obtained from the fluorescence quenching assay highlight the importance of the functional groups in altering the binding sites on the DNA. The molecular docking data support the DNA-binding studies, with the sites and mode of interactions against B-DNA changing with the different functional groups. Evaluation of the anticancer activities of the five copper compounds against two different cancer cell lines (M-14 and MCF-7) indicated the importance of the functional groups on the dppz ligand on the anticancer activities. Among the five copper complexes, the cyano-containing complex (Cu-3) has the best anticancer activities.

Alteration of Anticancer and Protein-Binding Properties of Gold(I) Alkynyl by Phenolic Schiff Bases Moieties.

A set of five gold complexes with the general formula Au(PR3)(C≡C-C6H4-4-R') (R = PPh3, R' = -CHO (1), R = PCy3, R' = -CHO (2), R = PPh3, R' = -N=CH-C6H4-2-OH (3), R = PPh3, R' = -N=CH-C6H4-4-OH (4), R = PCy3, R' = -N=CH-C6H4-2-OH (5)) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, 31P-NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The structures of complexes 2 and 5 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The effects of the structural modifications on the protein binding affinities and anticancer activities of the five gold complexes were assessed. Fluorescence quenching experiments to assess binding to human serum albumin (HSA) revealed that the Schiff base complexes (3, 4, and 5) had binding constants that were superior to their parent aldehyde complexes and highlighted the position of the hydroxy group because complex 4 (4-hydroxy) had a binding constant 6400 times higher than complex 3 (2-hydroxy). The anticancer activities of the complexes against the OVCAR-3 (ovarian carcinoma) and HOP-62 (non-small-cell lung) cancer cell lines showed that the Schiff bases (3-5) were more cytotoxic than the aldehyde-containing complexes (1 and 2). Notably, compound 4 had cytotoxic activity comparable to that of cisplatin against OVCAR-3, demonstrating the significance of the para position for the hydroxy group. Molecular docking studies against the enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and human serum albumin were conducted, with docking scores in good agreement with the experimental data. The current study highlights how small structural modifications can alter physiochemical and anticancer properties. Moreover, this simple design strategy using the aldehyde group can generate extensive opportunities to explore new gold(I)-based anticancer drugs via condensation, cyclization, or nucleophilic addition reactions of the aldehyde.

DNA-Binding Capabilities and Anticancer Activities of Ruthenium(II) Cymene Complexes with (Poly)cyclic Aromatic Diamine Ligands.

Ruthenium(II) arene complexes of the general formula [RuCl(η6-p-cymene)(diamine)]PF6 (diamine = 1,2-diaminobenzene (1), 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (2), 9,10-diaminophenanthrene (3), 2,3-diaminophenazine (4), and 1,2-diaminoanthraquinone (5) were synthesized. Chloro/aqua exchange was evaluated experimentally for complexes 1 and 2. The exchange process was investigated theoretically for all complexes, revealing relatively fast exchange with no significant influence from the polycyclic aromatic diamines. The calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) binding of the complexes increased dramatically upon extending the aromatic component of the diamines, as evaluated by changes in absorption spectra upon titration with different concentrations of CT-DNA. An intercalation binding mode was established for the complexes using the increase in the relative viscosity of the CT-DNA following addition of complexes 1 and 2. Theoretical studies showed strong preference for replacement of water by guanine for all the complexes, and relatively strong Ru-Nguanine bonds. The plane of the aromatic systems can assume angles that support non-classical interactions with the DNA and covalent binding, leading to higher binding affinities. The ruthenium arenes illustrated in this study have promising anticancer activities, with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values comparable to or better than cisplatin against three cell lines.

DNA-Binding and Anticancer Activity of Binuclear Gold(I) Alkynyl Complexes with a Phenanthrenyl Bridging Ligand.

3,6-Diethynyl-9,10-diethoxyphenanthrene (4) was synthesized from phenanthrene and employed in the synthesis of the binuclear gold(I) alkynyl complexes (R3P)Au(C≡C-3-[C14H6-9,10-diethoxy]-6-C≡C)Au(PR3) (R = Ph (5a), Cy (5b)). The diyne 4 and complexes 5a and 5b were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. UV-Vis spectroscopy studies of the metal complexes and precursor diyne show strong p à p* transitions in the near UV region that red shift by ca. 50 nm upon coordination at the gold centers. The emission spectrum of 4 shows an intense fluorescence band centered at 420 nm which red shifts, slightly upon coordination of 4 to gold. Binding studies of 4, 5a, and 5b against calf thymus DNA were carried out, revealing that 4, 5a, and 5b have >40% stronger binding affinities than the commonly used intercalating agent ethidium bromide. The molecular docking scores of 4, 5a, and 5b with B-DNA suggest a similar trend in behavior to that observed in the DNA-binding study. Unlike the ligand 4, promising anticancer properties for 5a and 5b were observed against several cell lines; the DNA binding capability of the precursor alkyne was maintained, and its anticancer efficacy enhanced by the gold centers. Such phenanthrenyl complexes could be promising candidates in certain biological applications because the two components (phenanthrenyl bridge and metal centers) can be altered independently to improve the targeting of the complex, as well as the biological and physicochemical properties.

Linear Optical, Quadratic and Cubic Nonlinear Optical, Electrochemical, and Theoretical Studies of "Rigid-Rod" Bis-Alkynyl Ruthenium Complexes.

The syntheses of oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) end-functionalized by a nitro acceptor group and with a ligated ruthenium unit at varying locations in the OPE chain, namely, trans-[Ru{(C≡C-1,4-C6 H4 )n NO2 }(C≡CR)(dppe)2 ] (dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane; n=1, R=1,4-C6 H4 C≡C-1,4-C6 H4 C≡CPh, 1,4-C6 H4 NEt2 ; n=2, R=Ph, 1,4-C6 H4 C≡CPh, 1,4-C6 H4 C≡C-1,4-C6 H4 C≡CPh, 1,4-C6 H4 NO2 , 1,4-C6 H4 NEt2 ; n=3, R=Ph, 1,4-C6 H4 C≡CPh), are reported. Their electrochemical properties were assessed by cyclic voltammetry, their linear optical properties and quadratic and cubic nonlinear optical properties were assayed by UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, hyper-Rayleigh scattering studies employing nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm, and broad spectral range Z-scan studies employing femtosecond pulses, respectively, and their linear optical properties and vibrational spectroscopic behavior in the formally RuIII state was examined by UV/Vis/NIR and IR spectroelectrochemistry, respectively. The potentials of the metal-localized oxidation processes are sensitive to alkynyl-ligand modification, but this effect is attenuated on π-bridge lengthening. Computational studies employing time-dependent density functional theory were undertaken on model complexes, with a 2D scan revealing a soft potential-energy surface for intra-alkynyl-ligand aryl-ring rotation; this is consistent with the experimentally observed blueshift in optical absorption maxima. Quadratic optical nonlinearities are significant and cubic NLO coefficients for these small complexes are small. The optimum length of the alkynyl ligands and the ideal metal location in the OPE to maximize the key coefficients have been defined.

Synthesis of Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes with new macrocyclic Schiff-base ligand containing dihydrazide moiety: Spectroscopic, structural, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

In this study, the macrocyclic Schiff base ligand (L) derived from 1, 4-dicarbonyl-phenyl-dihydrazide and glyoxal (2:2) and its Ni (II), Cu (II) and Co(II) complexes were synthesised and were characterised by elemental analyses, FTIR, UV-Vis., mass and 1H NMR. The ligand (L) behaves as a tetradentate ligand and coordinates to the metal ions via the nitrogen atoms and the complexes have the mononuclear structures. The synthesised compounds were evaluated for their inhibition potential against bacterial and fungal strains and the assay indicated that the metal complexes exhibited a remarkable antibacterial and antifungal activity against these tested strains. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the compounds was also studied through scavenging effect on DPPH radicals with the copper complex showing enhanced antioxidant activity than other metal complexes.

Crystal structure of trans-di-chloridobis-[N-(5,5-di-methyl-4,5-di-hydro-3H-pyrrol-2-yl-κN)acetamide]palladium(II) dihydrate.

The title complex, [PdCl2(C8H14N2O)2]·2H2O, was obtained by N-O bond cleavage of the oxa-diazo-line rings of the trans-[di-chlorido-bis-(2,5,5-trimethyl-5,6,7,7a-tetra-hydro-pyrrolo-[1,2-b][1,2,4]oxa-diazole-N1)]palladium(II) complex. The palladium(II) atom exhibits an almost square-planar coordination provided by two trans-arranged chloride anions and a nitro-gen atom from each of the two neutral organic ligands. In the crystal, N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O and O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds link complex mol-ecules into double layers parallel to the bc plane.

Ultrasonic synthesis of stable oil filled microcapsules using thiolated chitosan and their characterization by AFM and numerical simulations.

An experimental protocol has been developed for synthesizing stable core-shell microcapsules using a biopolymer, chitosan, lacking cross-linkable thiol functional groups. In the first step, thiol moieties were introduced into the backbone of chitosan using dl-N-acetylhomocysteine thiolactone (AHT). In the second step, AHT-modified chitosan shelled microcapsules, encapsulating an oil core, were successfully prepared using high intensity 20 kHz ultrasound. The size of chitosan and AHT modified chitosan microcapsules was found to be in the range of 1-15 µm. The thickness of the microcapsule shell increased with an increase in thiol content. The mechanical properties of microcapsules were evaluated by subjecting the microcapsules to compressive forces by colloidal probe AFM. The stiffness and the Young's modulus of the shell of microcapsules were determined by analyzing the force versus indentation data using Reissner's theory for indentation of thin elastic shells. The stiffness of AHT modified chitosan microcapsules was found to be higher than unmodified chitosan microcapsules. The viability of microcapsules to be embedded into processed food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products was tested via numerical simulations. The confined capsule in the micro-channel was subjected to linear shear and uniform flows. We used finite element numerical simulations to determine the deformation of microcapsules in flow as a function of shear rate and thickness of the shell. The deformation of capsule was found to be linear with an increase in the shear rate. The deformation decreased with an increase in the thickness of the shell. Based on the simulations, we predict that the microcapsules would survive processing conditions and shear rates used in industrial applications.

Optical Sensing Properties of Pyrene-Schiff Bases toward Different Acids.

A set of (4-substituted-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (PMA) was prepared by the reaction of pyrene-1-carboxaldehyde and the corresponding 4-substituted aniline. The structure of the PMA compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic data (IR, (1)HNMR, (13)CNMR, ISI-MS and elemental analysis. The structure of (4-bromo-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (BrPMA) was further confirmed by the single X-ray crystallography. The absorption and emission spectroscopic behaviors were investigated in variant acids. The compounds showed dramatic spectroscopic changes upon acidifying with strong acids and negligible effects when weak acids are used in the acidifications. Hence, the PMA compounds can be used as sensors to distinguish between weak and strong acids.

Initial growth of sonochemically active and sonoluminescence bubbles at various frequencies.

The initial growth of acoustic cavitation activity is important in some applications such as therapeutic and diagnostic medicine. The initial growth of cavitation activity has been investigated using sonoluminescence and sonochemical activity (sonochemiluminescence) at 358 kHz, 647 kHz and 1062 kHz and at 5 W, 15 W and 30 W applied power levels. The growth of sonochemically active bubble population is found to be much faster than that of sonoluminescence bubble population at 358 kHz and 647 kHz whereas almost similar growth rate is observed at 1062 kHz for both bubble populations. This suggests that the cavitation bubble resonance size ranges of sonoluminescence and sonochemically active bubbles are different at 358 kHz and 647 kHz, whereas they have similar size range at 1062 kHz. At 358 kHz and 647 kHz, relatively smaller bubbles become chemically active. Possible reasons for such observations have been discussed. The data presented and discussed in this study may be useful in controlling the growth of cavitation bubble population in addition to enhancing the knowledge base in cavitation science.

Physical and chemical effects of acoustic cavitation in selected ultrasonic cleaning applications.

Acoustic cavitation in a liquid medium generates several physical and chemical effects. The oscillation and collapse of cavitation bubbles, driven at low ultrasonic frequencies (e.g., 20 kHz), can generate strong shear forces, microjets, microstreaming and shockwaves. Such strong physical forces have been used in cleaning and flux improvement of ultrafiltration processes. These physical effects have also been shown to deactivate pathogens. The efficiency of deactivation of pathogens is not only dependent on ultrasonic experimental parameters, but also on the properties of the pathogens themselves. Bacteria with thick shell wall are found to be resistant to ultrasonic deactivation process. Some evidence does suggest that the chemical effects (radicals) of acoustic cavitation are also effective in deactivating pathogens. Another aspect of cleaning, namely, purification of water contaminated with organic and inorganic pollutants, has also been discussed in detail. Strong oxidising agents produced within acoustic cavitation bubbles could be used to degrade organic pollutants and convert toxic inorganic pollutants to less harmful substances. The effect of ultrasonic frequency and surface activity of solutes on the sonochemical degradation efficiency has also been discussed in this overview.

Syntheses, Electrochemical, Linear Optical, and Cubic Nonlinear Optical Properties of Ruthenium-Alkynyl-Functionalized Oligo(phenylenevinylene) Stars.

The syntheses of trans-[Ru(C≡CC6 H4 -4-CHO)(C≡CC6 H4 -4-R)(dppe)2 ] (R=H (9 a), NO2 (9 b), CHO (9 c), C≡CC6 H3 -3,5-Et2 (9 d), (E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-tBu (9 e); dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane), trans-[Ru(C≡CC6 H4 -4-R)Cl(dppe)2 ] (R=C≡CC6 H3 -3,5-Et2 (11 a), (E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-tBu (11 b), (E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-NO2 (11 c)), 1,2,4,5-{trans-[(dppe)2 (RC6 H4 C≡C)Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCH}]}4 C6 H2 (R=H (14 a), C≡CC6 H3 -3,5-Et2 (14 b), (E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-tBu (14 c)), 1-I-3,5-{trans-[(L2 )2 (R)Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCH}]}2 C6 H3 (L2 =1,1-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm)), R=Cl (15 a); L2 =dppe, R=C≡CPh (15 b), R=C≡CC6 H4 -4-NO2 (15 c)), 1-Me3 SiC≡C-3,5-{trans-[(L2 )2 (R)Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCH}]}2 C6 H3 (L2 =dppm, R=Cl (16 a); L2 =dppe, R=C≡CPh (16 b)), 1-HC≡C-3,5-{trans-[(dppe)2 (R)Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCH}]}2 C6 H3 (R=Cl (17 a), R=C≡CPh (17 b)), and 1,3,5-{trans-[(dppe)2 (3,5-R2 -C6 H3 C≡C)Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCH}]}3 C6 H3 (R=(E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-C≡C-trans-[Ru(C≡CPh)(dppe)2 ] (18)) are reported together with those of the precursor alkynes 1-RC≡C-3,5-Et2 C6 H3 (R=SiMe3 (2), H (3), C6 H4 -4-C≡CSiMe3 (5), C6 H4 -4-C≡CH (6)). The identities of 9 c, 9 d, 9 e, 11 a, and trans-[Ru{C≡CC6 H4 -4-(E)-CHCHC6 H4 -4-tBu}2 (dppe)2 ] (12 and 12') were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The electrochemical properties of 9 a-e, 11 a-b, 14 a-c, 15 a-c, 16 b, 17 a, 17 b, and 18 were assessed by cyclic voltammetry; the studies reveal that potentials for the fully/quasi-reversible metal-centered oxidation processes decrease upon introduction of solubilizing alkyl substituents and increase upon increasing acceptor substituent strength; other structural variations have little impact. UV/Vis-NIR spectroscopic studies on these complexes reveal lowest-energy metal-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) bands that redshift upon increasing the acceptor substituent strength, blueshift on alkyl incorporation, and gain in intensity on progression from linear to star complexes. Low-temperature UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical studies of 14 a-c show the appearance of an intense low-energy band at 7400-7900 cm-1 that is redshifted upon π-system lengthening and alkyl substituent incorporation. The cubic nonlinear optical properties of 9 d, 9 e, 14 a-c, 15 a-c, 16 b, 17 a, b, and 18 were assayed by femtosecond Z-scan studies at benchmark wavelengths (750 and 800 nm) in the near-IR region, with nonlinearity increasing upon nitro incorporation; the values for the E-ene-linked dendrimers in these studies are much larger than yne-linked analogues. Compounds 9 d, 9 e, 14 a-c, and 18 were further examined by broad-spectral-range femtosecond Z-scan studies; the cruciform complexes have appreciable multiphoton absorption cross-sections, with maximal values close to two and three times the wavelength of the linear optical absorption maxima.

Length-dependent convergence and saturation behavior of electrochemical, linear optical, quadratic nonlinear optical, and cubic nonlinear optical properties of dipolar alkynylruthenium complexes with oligo(phenyleneethynylene) bridges.

The syntheses of trans-[Ru{4,4'-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppm)(2)] (19), trans-[Ru{4,4',4''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppm)(2)] (20), trans-[Ru{4,4',4'',4'''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppe)(2)] (21), trans-[Ru{4,4',4'',4'''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppm)(2)] (22), trans-[Ru{4,4',4'',4'''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppm)(2)] (23), and trans-[Ru{4,4',4'',4''',4''''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(2)[2,5-(OEt)(2)]C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2)}Cl(dppm)(2)] (24) are reported, together with those of precursor alkynes, complexes with the donor-pi-bridge-acceptor formulation that affords efficient quadratic and cubic NLO compounds; the identity of 19 was confirmed by a structural study. The electrochemical properties of 19-24 and related complexes with shorter pi-bridge ligands were assessed by cyclic voltammetry, and the linear optical, quadratic nonlinear optical, and cubic nonlinear optical properties were assayed by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, hyper-Rayleigh scattering studies at 1064 and 1300 nm, and broad spectral range femtosecond Z-scan studies, respectively. The Ru(II/III) oxidation potentials and wavelengths of the optical absorption maxima decrease on pi-bridge lengthening, until the tri(phenyleneethynylene) complex is reached, further chain lengthening leaving these parameters invariant; theoretical studies employing time-dependent density functional theory have shed light on this behavior. The quadratic nonlinearity beta(1064) and two-photon absorption cross-section reach maximal values at this same pi-bridge length, a similar saturation behavior that may reflect a common importance of ruthenium-to-alkynyl ligand charge transfer in electronic and optical behavior in these molecules.

Organometallic complexes for nonlinear optics. 43. Quadratic optical nonlinearities of dipolar alkynylruthenium complexes with phenyleneethynylene/phenylenevinylene bridges.

The syntheses of trans-[Ru(4,4'-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)NO(2))Cl(dppe)(2)] (19) and the systematically varied complexes trans-[Ru(4,4',4''-C[triple bond]CC(6)H(4)X(2)C(6)H(4)Y(2)C(6)H(4)NO(2))Cl(L(2))(2)] [L(2) = dppe, X(2) = C[triple bond]C, Y(2) = (E)-CH=CH (12), C[triple bond]C (18); L(2) = dppe, X(2) = (E)-CH=CH, Y(2) = C[triple bond]C (14), (E)-CH=CH (16); L(2) = dppm, X(2) = C[triple bond]C, Y(2) = (E)-CH=CH (13); L(2) = dppm, X(2) = (E)-CH=CH, Y(2) = C[triple bond]C (15), (E)-CH=CH (17)] are reported, the latter being donor-bridge-acceptor complexes varying in bridge composition by replacement of yne with E-ene linkages, together with their cyclic voltammetric data, linear optical, and quadratic nonlinear optical response data. Ru(II/III) oxidation potentials increase on replacing yne linkage by E-ene linkage at the phenylene adjacent to the metal center, and on replacing dppe by dppm co-ligands. The low-energy optical absorption maxima occur in the region 20,400-23,300 cm(-1) and are metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) in origin; these bands undergo a blue-shift upon pi-bridge lengthening by addition of phenyleneethynylene units, and on replacing E-ene linkages by yne linkages. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations on model complexes have suggested assignments for the low-energy bands. The optical spectra of selected oxidized species contain low-energy ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) bands centered in the region 9760-11,800 cm(-1). Quadratic molecular nonlinearities from hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) studies at 1064 nm reveal an increase in the two-level-corrected beta(0) value on pi-bridge lengthening, a trend that is not seen with beta values because of the blue-shift in lambda(max) for this structural modification. Replacing yne linkages by E-ene linkage at the phenylene adjacent to the metal center or dppm co-ligand by dppe results in an increase in beta and beta(0) values. In contrast, quadratic molecular nonlinearities by HRS at 1300 nm or electric field-induced second-harmonic generation (EFISH) studies at 1907 nm do not afford clear trends.