A novel 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol based chemosensor for Zn(II) ions by ratiometric displacement of Cd(II) ions and its application for cell imaging on human melanoma cancer cells.

A new chelating ligand [4-methyl-2,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl-hydrazonomethyl)-phenol] (1) was prepared by the condensation of 2-hydrazinylpyridine with 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol. Compound 1 exhibits weak fluorescence due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The sensor (1) demonstrates Zn(2+)-specific emission enhancement due to the "PET off" process through a 1:1 binding mode with the metal ion. The fluorescence quantum yield of chemosensor 1 is only 0.020, and it increases more than 14-fold (0.280) in the presence of one equivalent of the zinc ion. Interestingly, the introduction of other metal ions causes the fluorescence intensity to remain either unchanged or weakened except for Cd(2+). The new sensor showed 'naked-eye' detection of Zn(2+) ions: a color change of the solution from colorless to yellow. Ratiometric displacement of Cd(2+) ions from the complex by Zn(2+) ions supports the formation of a more stable sensor­Zn(2+) complex over the sensor­Cd(2+) complex. The experimental findings have been correlated with theoretical results using the B3LYP functional and 6-31G (d, p), LANL2DZ basis set for Cd(2+) (2) and Zn(2+) (3) complexes, respectively, by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. Moreover, the ability of probe 1 to sense Zn(2+) within human melanoma cancer cells has been explored, and the Zn(2+)-probing process in living cells was found to be reversible with zinc chelator solution of N,N,N,N-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN) or EDTA.

Self assembled tetranuclear Cu4(II), Ni4(II) [2 × 2] square grids and a dicopper(II) complex of heterocycle based polytopic ligands - Magnetic studies.

The ditopic ligand PyPzOAP (N-[(Z)-amino(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]-5-methyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazonic acid) and the polytopic ligand 2-PzCAP (N'(3),N'(5)-bis[(1E)-1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]-1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarbohydrazide) were synthesized in situ by condensation of methyl imino picolinate with 5-methyl-1-(2-pyridyl) pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide and 2-acetyl pyridine with pyrazole-3,5-dicarbohydrazide respectively. The ligands PyPzOAP and PzOAP (reported earlier, Dalton Trans., 2007, 1229) self-assemble to form homoleptic [2 × 2] tetranuclear M(4) (M = Cu(II) and Ni(II)) square grids structures [Cu(4)(PyPzOAP)(4)](NO(3))(4) (1), [Cu(4)(PzOAP)(4)](ClO(4))(4) (2) and [Ni(4)(PyPzOAP)(4)](NO(3))(4)·8H(2)O·2CH(3)CN (3). While the ligand 2-PzCAP forms a dicopper(II) complex [Cu(2)(2-PzCAP)(OH)(NO(3))(H(2)O)](NO(3))·2H(2)O (4). The complex 1 is a perfect square grid (a = 4.201 Å), whereas, 2 and 3 are almost square grids. All these compounds have been characterized by X-ray structural analyses and variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. EPR studies have also been carried out for complexes 1, 2 and 4. In the Cu(4) grid (1), all the Cu(II) centers are in a distorted octahedral environment with N(4)O(2) chromophore, while, in complex 2, all four Cu(II) centers have a square pyramidal environment with N(3)O(2) chromophore. In complex 3, all four Ni(II) centers have distorted octahedral geometry with N(4)O(2) chromophore. In compound 4, the Cu(II) centers are in square pyramidal environment with N(3)O(2) chromophore. The magnetic properties of compounds 1 and 2 show the presence of intramolecular ferromagnetic exchange interaction (J = 5.88 cm(-1) for 1 and 4.78 cm(-1) for 2). The complex 3 shows weak intramolecular antiferromagnetic interaction (J = -4.02 cm(-1)). While, complex 4, shows strong antiferromagnetic behavior (J = -443 cm(-1)).