Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1981.

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Master / Master of Philosophy

The photoracemization of Ru(bipy)₃⁺⁺ in aqueous solution was studied. Quenching studies show the involvement of the (CT)³ Ru(bipy)₃⁺⁺ in the mechanism of racemization and the low quantum yield (2.9 x 10⁻⁴) shows that this state is asymmetric. Quenching studies show no increase of racemization rate for Ru(I) or (III) species. The temperature dependence gives evidence for a dissociative racemization mechanism. Quenching with Co(acac)₃ shows chiroselective electron transfer as measured by the resulting photochemistry. / Science, Faculty of / Chemistry, Department of / Graduate

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / We report the successful syntheses of a family of tetradentate N-donor pyridyl and quinolyl-imine ligands N1,N2-bis((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)ethane-1,2-diamine (L1), N1,N3- bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)propane-1,3-diamine (L2), N1,N4-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene) butane-1,4-diamine (L3), N1,N2-bis((quinolin-2-yl)methylene)ethane-1,2-diamine (L4), N1,N3-bis(quinolin-2-ylmethylene)propane-1,3-diamine (L5) and N1,N5-bis(pyridin-2- ylmethylene)pentane-1,5-diamine (L6). All the ligands were fully characterized by FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, GC-MS, Elemental analysis, UV-Vis and TGA. We report for the first time the thermogravimetric analysis of N1,N2-bis((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)ethane-1,2-diamine (L1) and N1,N2-bis((quinolin-2-yl)methylene)ethane-1,2-diamine (L4). The tetradentate N-donor pyridyl and quinolyl-imine ligands were subsequently utilised to synthesise neutral mononuclear and cationic homobimetallic ruthenium(II) complexes and new bimetallic palladium(II) complexes using the appropriate metal precursors. The ruthenium(II) complexes were evaluated for the oxidative cleavage of styrene using a Sharpless biphasic solvent system (CCl4:CH3CN:H2O) and sodium periodate (NaIO4) as the cooxidant. The bimetallic palladium(II) complexes were evaluated for their catalytic activity towards the standard Heck coupling reaction. The ruthenium(II) catalysts exhibited efficient catalytic activity, yielding conversions of 69-77%. The palladium(II) catalysts showed an overall low catalytic activity of 41-49 % conversion and analysed by GC.

Mixed-metal Ru(II)-Pt(II) supramolecular complexes having the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL)PtCl₂]₂+ (Ph₂phen = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, and BL (bridging ligand) = dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine, or dpq = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)quinoxaline) structural motif were synthesized and their redox, photophysical, and photochemical properties studied. Subsequently the application of the Ru(II)-Pt(II) bimetallic complexes in light activated DNA modification and cytotoxicity were evaluated. The supramolecular design entails covalently coupling an efficient Ru(II) chromophore for photodynamic therapy (PDT) activity through a polyazine bridging ligand (dpp or dpq) to a cis-PtCl₂ bioactive site for covalent binding to biological substrates. The bioactive site is comparable to the first generation Pt-based chemotherapy agent cisplatin, cis-[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂]. The Ph₂phen ligand is known in [Ru(Ph₂phen)₃]²+ to provide enhanced excited state lifetime and increase quantum efficiency for singlet oxygen generation in comparison to the phen analog (Φ₁₀₂ = 0.97, Ph₂phen and Φ₁₀₂ = 0.54, phen). The redox and photophysical properties were analyzed at each synthetic step providing systematic evaluation of the complex properties. The [(Ph₂phen₂2Ru(BL)PtCl₂](PF₆)₂ complexes display reversible RuII/III oxidations at +1.61 (dpp) and +1.63 (dpq) V vs. Ag/AgCl with an irreversible PtII/IV oxidation occurring prior at +1.51 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Four reversible ligand reductions occur at -0.45 (dpp0/-), -1.15 (dpp-/2-), -1.33 (Ph₂phen0/-), and -1.52 (Ph₂phen0/-) V vs. Ag/AgCl. For the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpq)PtCl₂](PF₆)₂ complex, the first two reductions shift to more positive potentials at -0.19 and -0.95 V vs. Ag/AgCl, while the TL reductions remain generally unperturbed. The electronic absorption spectroscopy for the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpq)PtCl₂](PF₆)₂, BL = dpp or dpq, complexes is dominated in the UV region by Ph₂phen (274 nm) and BL-based (310-320 nm) π⟶ π* transitions and in the visible region by metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions at 424 nm (Ru(dπ)→ Ph₂phen(π*) 1CT) and 517 nm (Ru(dπ)→ dpp(π*) 1CT) or 600 nm (Ru(dπ)→ dpq(π*) 1CT). Steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy shows that upon attaching Pt to the Ru monometallic precursor the λmaxem shifts from 664 nm for [(Ph₂phen)2Ru(dpp)](PF₆)₂ to 740 nm for [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpp)PtCl₂](PF₆)₂ and the excited state lifetime is reduced from 820 ns to 44 ns in accordance with the energy gap law. The τ = 44 ns for the Ru(dπ)→ dpp(π*) 3CT excited state was somewhat unexpected upon TL variation given the lack of formal involvement of Ph₂phen in the emissive state. This likely results from the Ph₂phen contribution to the formally Ru(dπ) donor orbital. Although not typically done, given the complexity of the study the Φ₁₀₂ was quantified for the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL)PtC₂]Cl₂ (BL = dpp, Φ₁₀₂ = 0.07 or dpq, Φ₁₀₂ = 0.03) complexes supporting 1O2 generation via energy transfer from the 3MLCT excited state. The thermal and photochemical interactions of the [(Ph₂phen₂2Ru(BL)PtCl₂]Cl₂ (BL = dpp or dpq) supramolecular complexes were studied in the presence of DNA and U87MG cancer cells. Thermal binding at the cis-PtCl₂ BAS in the Ru(II)-Pt(II) architecture was compared to cisplatin displaying similar reduced migration through the gel attributed to covalent binding to DNA. DNA photocleavage studies provided evidence of efficient strand cleavage when excited at 455 nm likely enhanced by producing 1O2 locally at the DNA target. DNA photobinding by the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpp)PtCl₂]Cl₂ complex was observed utilizing low energy light where typical Pt(II) agents do not absorb. This is the first example of MLCT excitation of a Ru(II)-Pt(II) complex to induce a photobinding event. MLCT excitation enhances electron density on the dpp making the Pt(II) a weaker Lewis acid and promoting halide loss. In addition, this system is photoactivated with low energy red light in the therapeutic window. These studies validate the supramolecular design and show that coupling a Ru(II) chromophore for PDT activity and a cis- PtCl₂ binding moiety for covalent DNA targeting affords a complex applicable in photochemotherapies. Analysis of cytotoxicity in the dark for [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpp)PtCl₂]Cl₂ and cisplatin afforded LC50 values of 100 μM, which are confirmed by previous reports for cisplatin and the currently used chemotherapy, TMZ in U87MG cells. Photolysis of the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(dpp)PtCl₂]Cl₂ resulted in substantial reduction in the observed LC50 values to approximately 5 μM. The enhanced cytotoxicity via excitation into the formally Ru(dπ)→ BL(π*) CT excited state of [(Ph₂phen)2Ru(dpp)PtCl2]Cl2 indicates that the bimetallic complex undergoes an efficient light activated mechanism of action. The Ru(II)-Pt(II) complex displays substantially lower LC50 values through PDT action than currently used clinical treatments with LC50 values of 100 μM. The [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL)PtCl₂]₂+ (BL = dpp or dpq) mixed-metal supramolecules utilizing the Ph₂phen TL have displayed surprising results. The direct coupling of the cis-PtCl₂ moiety to the (Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL) chromophore display dramatically enhanced photophysical properties, relative to the bpy and phen systems with a longer excited state lifetime and improved light activated interactions with DNA, which was not previously observed for directly coupled Ru(II)- Pt(II) systems. The Ph₂phen TL positively influence the bioactivity compared to the typical deactivation observed in the bpy and phen systems. Probing the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL)PtCl₂]₂+ (BL = dpp or dpq) biological interactions confirms the importance of coupling an efficient light absorbing and 1O2 generating PDT-type unit with a cis-PtCl2 DNA binding unit for applications in covalent DNA photomodification, DNA photocleavage, and photocytotoxicity. It is proposed that excitation using visible light into the formally Ru(dπ)→ BL(π*) CT excited state leads to enhanced electron density on the BL and weakened Lewis acidity at the Pt(II) center, which facilitates halide loss for efficient biological substrate modification. Upon coordination of the Ru(II)-Pt(II) complexes at the biological substrate, 1O2 is localized providing effective targeting of the highly reactive oxygen species. The visible light induced activity of the [(Ph₂phen)₂Ru(BL)PtCl₂]₂+ (BL = dpp or dpq) supramolecules suggests a new mode of action in relation to cisplatin, which was further supported by the enhanced photocytotoxicity observed in the presence of U87MG cells. The results indicate that the Ru(II)-Pt(II) supramolecular structural motif hold great promise as a future photochemotherapy agent. / Ph. D.

Current chemotherapeutics exhibit debilitating side effects as a result of their toxicity to healthy tissues. Reducing these side effects by developing chemotherapeutics with selectivity for cancer cells is an active area of research. Phototherapy is one promising modality for selective treatment, where drug molecules are “turned on” when irradiated with light, reducing damage to healthy tissues by spatially restricting the areas exposed to irradiation. A second approach to improve selectivity is to exploit the differences in cancerous versus healthy cells, such as increased metabolism and/or upregulation of cell surface receptors. Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes are candidates for phototherapy due to their highly tunable photophysical and photochemical properties. The addition of strain to the metal center is a general approach used to render complexes susceptible to light-induced ligand loss. Upon ejection of a ligand, the Ru(II) center is capable of covalently binding biomolecules within cells to produce a cytotoxic effect. The ligands surrounding the metal center are amenable to chemical modification through the incorporation of pendent functional groups as chemical “handles”, allowing for different directing molecules to be attached. Nucleic acids are important targets for drug discovery, and the development of selective probes to either visualize or selectively damage nucleic acids within the cell is an ongoing area of research. Specifically, G-rich regions are abundant in the human genome, and the presence of G-quadruplexes in telomeres and promoter regions of oncogenes make them potential therapeutic targets. Ru(II) complexes are known to bind nucleic acids, and some have been shown to induce and/or stabilize G-quadruplex Structures. Multiple series of Ru(II) compounds have been synthesized and tested to improve the functional range for Ru(II) complexes for in vivo applications, where they act as “light switches” for DNA. These molecules are “off” when in an aqueous environment but turned “on” in the presence of DNA. Several hit compounds were identified that showed selectivity for specific G-quadruplex structures.

As propriedades da molécula de nitroxil livre e do ligante nitroxil em tetraamminas de Ru(II) (trans-[Ru(NH3)4(nitroxyl)n(L)]2+n, n = carga do nitroxil e L = NH3, py, P(OEt)3, H2O, Cl- and Br-) foram estudadas utilizando-se a teoria do funcional da densidade (DFT). De acordo com as energias calculadas para as conformações dos complexos de HNO, esses são mais estáveis do que os análogos desprotonados e a configuração singleto (trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+) é de menor energia em relação a correspondente tripleto <br /> (trans-3[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2. A avaliação dos componentes &sigma; e &pi; na ligação <br /> L-Ru-HNO sugere que o aumento da estabilidade destes orbitais juntamente com o aumento das contribuições dos orbitais HNO estão correlacionacionado a menores valores de distâncias Ru-N(H)O e freqüências inferiores para os estiramentos &nu;NO. A estabilidade da ligação Ru-HNO também foi avaliada através de um estudo cinético teórico da dissociação de HNO a partir de <br /> trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+. De acordo com a ordem de estabilidade de ligação Ru-HNO em trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+ observa-se a seguinte ordem em função de L: H2O &gt; Cl- ~ Br- &gt; NH3 &gt; py &gt; P(OEt)3, que corresponde à ordem do efeito trans e influência trans medida experimentalmente para a série de L em complexos octaédricos. A mesma tendência foi também observada utilizando o modelo explícito solvente, considerando-se, assim, a presença de uma molécula de H2O juntamente com uma molécula de HNO no estado de transição. Para esta série, as energias calculadas para a ligação Ru-HNO estão no intervalo de 21,4 - 41,5 kcal.mol-1. Observou-se uma boa concordância entre os valores calculados de &Delta;G&dagger; HNO para substituição por H2O a partir do complexo trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(P(OEt)3HNO]2+ (28.5 kcal mol-1) e os dados experimentais disponíveis para reações de substituição em sistemas trans-[Ru(NH3)4(POEt)3(Lx)]2+ (19.4 e 24.0 kcal.mol-1 para Lx = isn e P(OET)3, respectivamente). Experimentos de voltametria cíclica foram realizados observando os processos de redução do ligante nitrosônio gerando nitroxil e podendo gerar amônia, o que foi também observado por cálculos envolvendo efeito de uma primeira esfera de solvatação. / The properties of free nitroxyl molecule and the nitroxyl ligand in Ru(II) tetraammines (trans-[Ru(NH3)4(nitroxyl)n(L)]2+n, n = nitroxyl charge and L = NH3, py, P(OEt)3, H2O, Cl- and Br-) were studied trough density functional theory (DFT). According to the calculated conformation energies the HNO complexes are more stable than the deprotonated analogues and the singlet configuration (trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+) is lower energy the than the corresponding triplet (trans-3[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+). Evaluation of the &sigma; and &pi; components in the L-Ru-HNO bond suggest that increased stability of these orbitals and enhanced contributions from the HNO orbitals correlate to shorter Ru-N(H)O distances and lower &nu;NO stretching frequencies. The stability of the Ru-HNO bond was also evaluated through a theoretical kinetic study on HNO dissociation from trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+. Accordingly, the order of the Ru-HNO bonding stability in trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+ as a function of L is: H2O &gt; Cl- ~ Br- &gt; NH3 &gt; py &gt; P(OEt)3, which parallels the order of the trans effect and trans influence series experimentally measured for L in octahedral complexes. The same trend was also observed using the explicit solvent model, thus considering the presence of both the HNO and H2O molecules in the transition state. For this series, the calculated bond energies for the Ru-HNO bond are in the range 21.4 to 41.5 kcal.mol-1. Good agreement was observed between the calculated &Delta;G&dagger; values for HNO substitution by H2O from the complex trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(P(OEt)3HNO]2+ (28.5 kcal mol-1) and the available experimental data for substitution reactions of trans-[Ru(NH3)4(POEt)3(Lx)]2+ (19.4 to 24.0 kcal.mol-1 for Lx = isn and P(OET)3, respectively). Cyclic voltammetry experiments were carried out observing the reduction processes of the nitrosonium ligand generating nitroxil and could generate ammonia, which was also observed by calculations involving the effect of a first sphere of solvation.

Dye design is one of the most important and challenging areas in dye-sensitised solar cell research. The purpose of the work in this thesis is to synthesise and characterise novel ruthenium(II) and copper(I) dyes that will provide insight into the number of binding groups required and the potential use of chromophoric ligands. A series of four simple Ru(II) dyes have been synthesised with the general formula Ru(4,4’- (R)-bipyridine)2(NCS)2 where R represents CH3 or CO2H. The study investigates the number of acid groups required to successfully bind to TiO2 whilst maintaining efficient charge injection. The series consists of one acid group, two acids, two acids on adjacent bipyridines, and three acids groups. Dye uptake was studied via optical waveguide spectroscopy, providing information on dye diffusion, adsorption and desorption kinetics, and surface coverage. Interestingly, the two acid groups on adjacent ligands suggested poor/slow binding to TiO2 surface and a high degree of dye aggregation in comparison to two acid groups on the same ligand. The dye with three binding groups showed strong adsorption to TiO2 and better dye coverage, resulting in a high efficiency. The complexes were all fully characterised by electrochemistry, photoluminescence, absorption spectroscopy, DFT calculations and solar cell performance testing. To date, there has been limited exploration of copper(I) complexes as potential alternatives to ruthenium(II) sensitisers, with even fewer publications reported for Cu(I) heteroleptic species. The neutral complexes that were synthesised are of the general formula: Cu(4,4’- (R)-6,6’-(CH3)-bipyridine)(β-diketonate) and Cu(4,4’-(R)-6,6’-(CH3)-bipyridine)(dipyrrin) where R represents CH3 or CO2Et. Additional blocking groups on the ligands are introduced to minimise structural change during oxidation or MLCT excitation. Improved stability and reproducibility have been shown for complexes containing the dipyrrin ligand, likely due to better steric constraints and better π-overlap with the bipyridine. There has also been a remarkable improvement in light absorption, from 450 nm to 600 nm. In-situ solar studies have been carried out on the Cu(4,4’-(R)-6,6’-(CH3)-bipyridine)(dipyrrin) series and a 0.41% efficiency has been achieved. Computational studies supports the experimental data in which the main transition appears to be ligand centred (dipyrrin) with a small MLCT contribution.

As propriedades da molécula de nitroxil livre e do ligante nitroxil em tetraamminas de Ru(II) (trans-[Ru(NH3)4(nitroxyl)n(L)]2+n, n = carga do nitroxil e L = NH3, py, P(OEt)3, H2O, Cl- and Br-) foram estudadas utilizando-se a teoria do funcional da densidade (DFT). De acordo com as energias calculadas para as conformações dos complexos de HNO, esses são mais estáveis do que os análogos desprotonados e a configuração singleto (trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+) é de menor energia em relação a correspondente tripleto <br /> (trans-3[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2. A avaliação dos componentes &sigma; e &pi; na ligação <br /> L-Ru-HNO sugere que o aumento da estabilidade destes orbitais juntamente com o aumento das contribuições dos orbitais HNO estão correlacionacionado a menores valores de distâncias Ru-N(H)O e freqüências inferiores para os estiramentos &nu;NO. A estabilidade da ligação Ru-HNO também foi avaliada através de um estudo cinético teórico da dissociação de HNO a partir de <br /> trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+. De acordo com a ordem de estabilidade de ligação Ru-HNO em trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+ observa-se a seguinte ordem em função de L: H2O &gt; Cl- ~ Br- &gt; NH3 &gt; py &gt; P(OEt)3, que corresponde à ordem do efeito trans e influência trans medida experimentalmente para a série de L em complexos octaédricos. A mesma tendência foi também observada utilizando o modelo explícito solvente, considerando-se, assim, a presença de uma molécula de H2O juntamente com uma molécula de HNO no estado de transição. Para esta série, as energias calculadas para a ligação Ru-HNO estão no intervalo de 21,4 - 41,5 kcal.mol-1. Observou-se uma boa concordância entre os valores calculados de &Delta;G&dagger; HNO para substituição por H2O a partir do complexo trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(P(OEt)3HNO]2+ (28.5 kcal mol-1) e os dados experimentais disponíveis para reações de substituição em sistemas trans-[Ru(NH3)4(POEt)3(Lx)]2+ (19.4 e 24.0 kcal.mol-1 para Lx = isn e P(OET)3, respectivamente). Experimentos de voltametria cíclica foram realizados observando os processos de redução do ligante nitrosônio gerando nitroxil e podendo gerar amônia, o que foi também observado por cálculos envolvendo efeito de uma primeira esfera de solvatação. / The properties of free nitroxyl molecule and the nitroxyl ligand in Ru(II) tetraammines (trans-[Ru(NH3)4(nitroxyl)n(L)]2+n, n = nitroxyl charge and L = NH3, py, P(OEt)3, H2O, Cl- and Br-) were studied trough density functional theory (DFT). According to the calculated conformation energies the HNO complexes are more stable than the deprotonated analogues and the singlet configuration (trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+) is lower energy the than the corresponding triplet (trans-3[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+). Evaluation of the &sigma; and &pi; components in the L-Ru-HNO bond suggest that increased stability of these orbitals and enhanced contributions from the HNO orbitals correlate to shorter Ru-N(H)O distances and lower &nu;NO stretching frequencies. The stability of the Ru-HNO bond was also evaluated through a theoretical kinetic study on HNO dissociation from trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+. Accordingly, the order of the Ru-HNO bonding stability in trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+ as a function of L is: H2O &gt; Cl- ~ Br- &gt; NH3 &gt; py &gt; P(OEt)3, which parallels the order of the trans effect and trans influence series experimentally measured for L in octahedral complexes. The same trend was also observed using the explicit solvent model, thus considering the presence of both the HNO and H2O molecules in the transition state. For this series, the calculated bond energies for the Ru-HNO bond are in the range 21.4 to 41.5 kcal.mol-1. Good agreement was observed between the calculated &Delta;G&dagger; values for HNO substitution by H2O from the complex trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(P(OEt)3HNO]2+ (28.5 kcal mol-1) and the available experimental data for substitution reactions of trans-[Ru(NH3)4(POEt)3(Lx)]2+ (19.4 to 24.0 kcal.mol-1 for Lx = isn and P(OET)3, respectively). Cyclic voltammetry experiments were carried out observing the reduction processes of the nitrosonium ligand generating nitroxil and could generate ammonia, which was also observed by calculations involving the effect of a first sphere of solvation.

Thesis--Ph. D., University of Hong Kong, 1982. / Cover title.