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International audience; We report a series of four cyclams and cross-bridged cyclams, N-functionalized by one hydroxyethyl arm, which may incorporate additional methyl(s) group(s). The Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of these ligands were synthesized and fully characterized. The investigation of the metal complexes in solid-state and in solution was carried via X-ray diffraction, NMR, EPR, absorption spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The influence of N-functionalization on their structural/stereochemical properties, electrochemical behavior and kinetic inertness was carefully studied and identified. N-Functionalization by a hydroxyethyl group did not influence importantly the stereochemical properties of the complexes. However, it stabilized the complexes kinetically and electrochemically. As for N-methylation, it induces significant distortion of the coordination geometry, decreasing the kinetic inertness of the complexes and stabilizing Cu+. Overall, this work expanded the family of cyclam and cross-bridged cyclam metal complexes and provides a detailed analysis of their structural features. The rather large body of data accumulated for this family of complexes provides opportunities to design systems with pre-determined properties for specific applications.

International audience; The stability constants of Mn2+ complexes with ligands containing a trans-1,2-cyclobutanediamine spacer functionalized with picolinate and/or carboxylate functions were determined using potentiometric titrations (25 °C, 0.1 M KCl). The stability constant of the complex with a hexadentate ligand containing four acetate groups (L14−, log KMnL = 10.26) is improved upon replacing one (L24−, log KMnL = 14.71) or two (L34−, log KMnL = 15.81) carboxylate groups with picolinates. The [Mn(L1)]2− complex contains a water molecule coordinated to the metal ion in aqueous solutions, as evidenced by 1H NMRD studies and 17O chemical shifts and transverse relaxation rates. The 1H relaxivities determined at 60 MHz (3.3 and 2.4 mM−1 s−1 at 25 and 37 °C, respectively) are comparable to those of monohydrated complexes such as [Mn(edta)]2−. The exchange rate of the inner-sphere water molecule (k298ex = 248 × 106 s−1) is slightly lower than that of the edta4− analogue. DFT calculations (M11/def2-TZVP) suggest that the water exchange reaction follows a dissociatively activated mechanism, providing activation parameters in reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. DFT calculations also show that the 17O hyperfine coupling constant A/ℏ is affected slightly by changes in the Mn–Owater distance and the orientation of the water molecule with respect to the Mn–O vector.

Rigid derivatives of the acyclic ligand PDTA4− (H4PDTA = propylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid) were prepared by functionalization of a 1,3-diaminocyclobutyl spacer. The new ligands contain either four acetate groups attached to the central scaffold (H4L1) or incorporate pyridyl (H2L2) or propylamide (H2L3) units replacing two of the carboxylate groups. The ligand protonation constants and the stability constants of their Mn2+ complexes were determined using potentiometric and spectrophotometric titrations. The stability of the [Mn(L1)]2− complex was found to be significantly higher than that of the flexible [Mn(PDTA)]2− derivative (log KMnL = 10.78 and 10.01, respectively). A detailed study of the 1H Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) profiles and 17O NMR measurements evidence that the [Mn(L1)]2− and [Mn(L2)] complexes display a hydration equilibrium in solution involving a seven-coordinate species with an inner-sphere water molecule and a six-coordinate species that lacks a coordinated water molecule. As a result the 1H relaxivities of these complexes are somewhat lower than that of [Mn(EDTA)]2− and related systems. The introduction of propylamide groups in [Mn(L3)] shifts the hydration equilibrium to the seven-coordinate species, which results in a 1H relaxivity (r1p = 3.7 mM−1 s−1 at 22 MHz and 25 °C) exceeding that of [Mn(EDTA)]2− (r1p = 3.3 mM−1 s−1 at 22 MHz and 25 °C). The parameters that control the relaxivities in this family of complexes were determined by simultaneous fitting of the experimental 1H NMRD and 17O NMR data (transverse relaxation rates and chemical shifts), with the aid of computational studies performed at the DFT and CASSCF/NEVPT2 levels. These studies provide detailed insight of the parameters that control the efficiency of these relaxation agents at the molecular level.

We report a series of pentadentate ligands based on a 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-diacetic acid (H2NO2A) containing different substituents attached to the third nitrogen atom of the macrocyclic unit. Detailed 1H Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion (NMRD) characterisation of the corresponding Mn2+ complexes suggests the formation of six-coordinate species in solution containing an inner-sphere water molecule. This was confirmed by recording the transverse 17O relaxation time and chemical shift measurements. The water exchange rate of the coordinated water molecule was found to be strongly influenced by the nature of the substituent R at position 7 of the triazacyclononane unit (R = Me, k298ex = 62.6 × 107 s-1; R = Bz, k298ex = 4.4 × 107 s-1; R = 1-phenylethyl, k298ex = 2.6 × 107 s-1). The decreasing exchange rates are explained by the increasing bulkiness of the substituent, which hinders the approach of the entering water molecule in an associatively activated water exchange mechanism. This is supported by DFT calculations (M062X/TZVP), which confirm the associative nature of the water exchange reaction. A potentially decadentate ligand containing two NO2A units linked by a xylenyl spacer in the meta position was also synthesised. The corresponding binuclear Mn2+ complex contains two metal ions with different hydration numbers, as evidenced by 1H NMRD and 17O NMR measurements. DFT calculations show that this is related to the presence of a bridging bidentate μ-η1-carboxylate group connecting the two metal centers. The results reported in this work provide a straightforward strategy to control the exchange rate of the coordinated water molecule in this family of MRI contrast agent candidates.

We report a detailed study of the structure of the [Bi(DO3A)] complex both in the solid state and in solution. The X-ray crystal structure of [Bi(DO3A)] evidences the octa-coordination of the Bi(III) ion, which is directly coordinated to the four nitrogen atoms of the cyclen unit and three oxygen atoms of the carboxylate groups. The octa-coordination is completed by an oxygen atom of a neighboring carboxylate group, which bridges Bi(III) ions thanks to μ2–η1:η1 coordination, resulting in the formation of a coordination polymer. The Bi(III) ion presents a twisted-square antiprismatic (TSAP) coordination geometry associated with the Δ(δδδδ)/Λ(λλλλ) enantiomeric pair. A computational DFT study indicates that the 6s2 lone pair of Bi(III) is stereochemically active in [Bi(DO3A)] and most of the cyclen-based complexes reported in the literature. Depending on the spatial arrangement of the donor atoms of the ligand the lone pair points in different directions, so that Bi(III) can easily accommodate different coordination environments. In solution the [Bi(DO3A)] complex exists as a monomeric complex, as demonstrated by DOSY measurements. The stability constant of the [Bi(DO3A)] complex, determined by using batch spectrophotometric titrations, was found to be rather high (log K = 26.85(5)). The complex presents characteristic absorption in the UV spectrum at 299 nm (e = 8770 M−1 cm−1) that was attributed to the Bi(III)-centered 6p ← 6s band on the basis of TDDFT calculations. Spectrophotometric titrations reveal weak binding of different anions to the [Bi(DO3A)] complex, with association constants of K11 = 3.55(8), 3.09(7), 6.2(1) and 2.19(5) for Cl−, Br−, I− and N3−, respectively.

International audience; A new triethylbenzene-derived tetraazamacrocycle containing pyridyl spacers, L, was prepared and its dinuclear copper(II) complex was used as receptor for the recognition of phosphorylated peptides in aqueous solution. A detailed study of the acid-base behaviour of L and its copper(II) complexation properties as well as of the cascade species with phosphorylated anions including two peptidic substrates was carried out in H2O/MeOH (50:50 v/v) solution using different techniques, such as potentiometry, X-band EPR and DFT calculations. The association constants of the dinuclear receptor with the phosphorylated peptides and other anionic species revealed a clear preference towards phenylic phosphorylated substrates, with values ranging 3.96–5.35 log units. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction determination of the dicopper(II) complex of L showed the copper centres at a distance of 5.812(1) Å from one another, with the phosphate group of the (PhPO4)2– substrate well accommodated between them. X-band EPR studies indicated a similar structure for this cascade complex and for the other cascade complexes with the phosphorylated anions studied. DFT studies of the [Cu2L(μ-OH)]3+ complex revealed a different conformation of the ligand that brings the two copper centres at a very short distance of 3.94 Å aided by the presence of a bridging hydroxide anion that provides a Cu···O···Cu angle of 167.3º. This complex is EPR silent, in line with the singlet ground state obtained using CASSCF(2,2) calculations and DFT calculations with the broken-symmetry approach. This species coexists in solution with a complex in a different conformation, and having a Cu···Cu distance of 6.63Å, in lower percentage.

[Abstract] The ditopic receptor L3 [1-(2-((7-(4-(tert-butyl)benzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1-yl)methyl)phenyl)-3-(3-nitrophenyl)urea] containing a macrocyclic cyclen unit for Cu(II)-coordination and a urea moiety for anion binding was designed for recognition of metal salts. The X-ray structure of [CuL3(SO4)] shows that the sulfate anion is involved in cooperative binding via coordination to the metal ion and hydrogen-bonding to the urea unit. This behaviour is similar to that observed for the related receptor L1 [1-(2-((bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)phenyl)-3-(3-nitrophenyl)urea], which forms a dimeric [CuL1(μ-SO4)]2 structure in the solid state. In contrast, the single crystal X-ray structure of [ZnL3(NO3)2] contains a 1 : 2 complex (metal : anion) where one anion coordinates to the metal and the other is hydrogen-bonded to the urea group. Spectrophotometric titrations performed for the [CuL3(OSMe2)]2+ complex indicate that this system is able to bind a wide range of anions with an affinity sequence: MeCO2− > Cl− > H2PO4− > Br− > NO2− > HSO4− > NO3−. Lipophilic analogues of L1 and L3 extract CuSO4 and CuCl2 from water into chloroform with high selectivity over the corresponding Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) salts. Xunta de Galicia; EM 2012/088 Xunta de Galicia; CN-2012/011

[Abstract] We have reported here a series of ligands containing pentadentate 6,6′-(azanediylbis(methylene))dipicolinic acid units that differ in the substituent present at the amine nitrogen atom (acetate: H3DPAAA; phenyl: H2DPAPhA; dodecyl: H2DPAC12A; 4-hexylphenyl: H2DPAC6PhA). The protonation constants of the hexadentate DPAAA3− and pentadentate DPAPhA2−ligands and the stability constants of their Mn2+ complexes were determined using pH-potentiometry (25 °C, 0.15 M NaCl). The mono-hydrated [Mn(DPAAA)]− complex (logKMnL = 13.19(5)) was found to be considerably more stable than the bis-hydrated [Mn(DPAPhA)] analogue (logKMnL = 9.55(1)). A detailed 1H and 17O NMR relaxometric study was carried out to determine the parameters that govern the proton relaxivities of these complexes. The [Mn(DPAC12A)] complex, which contains a dodecyl lipophilic chain, forms micelles in solution characterized by a critical micellar concentration (cmc) of 96(9) μM. The lipophilic [Mn(DPAC6PhA)] and [Mn(DPAC12A)] derivatives form rather strong adducts with Human Serum Albumin (HSA) with association constants of 7.1 ± 0.1 × 103 and 1.3 ± 0.4 × 105 M−1, respectively. The X-ray structure of the complex {K(H2O)4}{[Mn(DPAAA)(H2O)]}2 shows that the Mn2+ ion in [Mn(DPAAA)]− is coordinated to the six donor atoms of the ligand, a coordinated water molecule completing the pentagonal bipyramidal coordination environment. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; CTQ2015-71211-REDT Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; CTQ2016-76756-P

[Abstract] We report two novel macrocyclic ligands based on the 1,4-DO2AM platform (1,4-DO2AM = 2,2′-(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4-diyl)diacetamide) and containing two benzyl groups attached either to the nitrogen atoms of the macrocyclic unit (1,4-BzDO2AM) or to the amide pendant arms (1,4-DO2AMBz). The protonation constants of the ligands and the stability constants of their Mn2+ complexes were determined using pH potentiometry. The introduction of benzyl groups results in a slight decrease of the stability constants of the Mn2+ complexes and a slight increase of their acid-catalysed dissociation reactions. A detailed relaxometric characterisation of the complexes using nuclear magnetic dispersion relaxation (NMRD) and 17O NMR studies indicated that the increase in molecular weight associated with the presence of benzyl groups results in a remarkable increase of proton relaxivities r1p, which take values of 3.8, 3.5 and 2.5 mM−1 s−1 for [Mn(1,4-BzDO2AM)]2+, [Mn(1,4-DO2AMBz)]2+ and [Mn(1,4-DO2AM)]2+ (at 25 °C and 20 MHz). The [Mn(1,4-BzDO2AM)]2+ and [Mn(1,4-DO2AMBz)]2+ complexes form relatively strong adducts with Human Serum Albumin (HSA) with association constants of (3.9 ± 0.6) × 103 and (2.0 ± 0.3) × 103 M−1, respectively. The interaction with the protein slows down the rotational tumbling of the complex in solution, which results in adducts endowed with remarkably high proton relaxivities (r1pb = 18.5 ± 0.7 and 27.4 ± 1.4 mM−1 s−1 for [Mn(1,4-BzDO2AM)]2+ and [Mn(1,4-DO2AMBz)]2+, respectively). Ministerio de Economía y Competitivad; CTQ2015-71211-REDT Ministerio de Economía y Competitivad; CTQ2016-76756-P

[Abstract] Concentration, temperature and/or solvent polarity control the speciation on the metal-directed self-assembly of a ditopic pyridyl ligand L with cis-protected Pd(II) metal centers. This results into a controllable dynamic system, involving a [Pd2L2]6+ metallacycle and a [Pd4L4]12+ ring-in-ring complex. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; CTQ-201341097-P Xunta de Galicia; EM2014/056

The synthesis of a new nonacoordinating ligand based on an AMPED (6-amino-6-methylperhydro-1,4-diazepine) scaffold functionalized by three picolinate (6-carboxy-2-methylpyridine) arms is described. Coordination of lanthanide cations (Ln = Eu and Tb) was investigated by spectrophotometric titrations monitored by UV-Vis absorption and steady-state emission spectroscopy, showing the formation of [LnL] complexes in aqueous solutions. The corresponding Eu and Tb complexes were isolated and characterized, and their spectroscopic properties (luminescence quantum yields, excited state lifetimes) were determined in buffered water (TRIS/HCl, pH 7.4) and compared to the data reported in the literature for related systems. DFT modelling of the complexes showed the picolinate arms to be perfectly wrapped around the Ln(3+) cations, affording an excellent shielding of the metal as confirmed by the determination of the hydration number of q = 0 for both complexes. The high resolution emission spectrum was used to determine the radiative lifetime of Eu in the complex (τrad = 3.05 ms) and the metal-centred luminescence quantum yield (0.20). The modest 0.10 overall luminescence quantum yield of the Eu complex is a consequence of an energy transfer with medium efficiency (0.50) and a low metal centred luminescence efficiency attributed in part to the presence of numerous NH and CH bonds in close proximity to the metal centre.

Homodinuclear lanthanide complexes derived from a ligand featuring two DO3A chelating sites linked by a 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl spacer were prepared and characterized. The bipyridyl coordination site of 1 was used to introduce Ru(Bpy)(2) and Re(CO)(3)Cl moieties, leading to the formation of heterometallic d-f(2) complexes with general formulae [Ln(2)·1·Ru(Bpy)(2)](2+) (Ln = Nd, Eu, Tb, Yb and Lu) and [Ln(2)·1·Re(CO)(3)Cl] (Ln = Nd, Yb and Lu). The luminescence properties of the complexes were investigated by means of absorption spectroscopy and steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy covering the visible and NIR regions. Both Ru and Re chromophores were shown to act as efficient sensitizers of the NIR emission of Yb and Nd in aqueous solutions. We also consider the unsaturated coordination spheres of the Ln cations in the Ln(2)·1 complexes, which form ternary complexes with bidentate anions without showing particular synergistic effects for polyanionic species.

[Abstract] Herein, we report the coordination properties towards Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) of two hexadentate ligands containing pyridinecarboxylate groups with ethane-1,2-diamine (bcpe) or cyclohexane-1,2-diamine (bcpc) backbones. The X-ray crystal structures of [Zn(bcpe)], [Cd(bcpe)] and [Cd(bcpc)] show hexadentate binding of the ligand to the metal ions, with the coordination polyhedron being best described as a severely distorted octahedron. The X-ray crystal structure of the Pb(II) analogue shows the presence of tetrameric structural units [Pb4(bcpe)4] in which the four Pb(II) ions are bridged by carboxylate oxygen atoms. While in the Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes the bcpe ligand adopts a twist–wrap (tw) conformation in which the ligand wraps around the metal ion by twisting the pyridyl units relative to each other, for the Pb(II) complex a twist–fold (tf) conformation, where a slight twisting of the pyridyl units is accompanied by an overall folding of the two pyridine units relative to each other is observed. Theoretical calculations performed at the DFT (B3LYP) level on the [Pb(bcpe)] and [Pb(bcpc)] systems indicate that the tf conformation is more stable than the tw form both in the solid state and in aqueous solution. The analysis of the natural bond orbitals (NBOs) indicate that the Pb(II) lone-pair is polarized by a substantial 6p contribution, which results in a hemi-directed coordination geometry around the metal ion. Potentiometric studies have been carried out to determine the protonation constants of the ligands and the stability constants of the complexes with Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Ca(II). The replacement of the ethylene backbone of bcpe by a cyclohexylene ring causes a very important increase in the stability constant of the Pb(II) complex (ca. 2.3 logK units), while this effect is less important for Cd(II) (ca. 1.4 logK units). However, the introduction of the cyclohexylene ring does not substantially affect the stability of the Zn(II) and Ca(II) complexes. The ligand bcpc shows Pb/Ca and Cd/Ca selectivities [108.9 and 109.8, respectively] superior to those of extracting agents, such as EDTA, already used in Pb(II) and Cd(II) removal from contaminated water and soils. Galicia. Consellería de Innovación, Industria e Comercio; PGIDIT06TAM10301PR