RESUMEN
Reaction of 2,6-dicyanopyridine with 2 equiv. of 2-(propylthio)benzenamine in the presence of lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide, followed by ring-closing oxidation with N-chlorosuccinimide affords the novel tridentate ligand, 2,6-bis-(1',2',4'-benzothiadiazinyl)pyridine (LH2). Electrochemical studies on the free ligand LH2 reveal a single well-defined 2e- oxidation process with E1/2 = +0.90 V. EPR studies of the in situ chemical oxidation of LH2 reveal the generation of a benzotriazinyl radical. Reactions of ligand LH2 with a range of divalent transition metal salts in either MeOH or MeCN in a 2 : 1 ratio at ambient temperatures afforded mononuclear complexes with general formula [M(LH2)2][X]2 (M = Mn, X = CF3SO3 (1); Fe, X = CF3SO3 (2); Fe, X = BF4 (3); Co, X = Cl (4); Ni, X = Cl (5); Zn, X = CF3SO3 (6)) and the 1 : 1 complex [Cu(LH2)(NO3)2] (7). In all cases the LH2 ligand binds in a tridentate N,N',N'' chelate fashion via benzothiadiazinyl NBTDA and pyridyl Npy atoms. The low spin FeII complexes (2 and 3) were implemented for NMR and UV-Vis solution studies of ligand reactivity as well as cyclic voltammetry which reveal two 1e-oxidation waves. The metal complexes 1-6 are discussed and reveal a range of geometries between octahedral and trigonal prismatic with the greatest deviation from octahedral symmetry apparent for ions with no crystal field stabilisation energy, i.e. d10 ZnII and high spin d5 MnII ions.
RESUMEN
The laboratory synthesis of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II has been the objective of synthetic chemists since the early 1970s. However, the absence of structural information on the OEC has hampered these efforts. Crystallographic reports on photosystem II that have been appearing at ever-improving resolution over the past ten years have finally provided invaluable structural information on the OEC and show that it comprises a [Mn(3)CaO(4)] distorted cubane, to which is attached a fourth, external Mn atom, and the whole unit attached to polypeptides primarily by aspartate and glutamate carboxylate groups. Such a heterometallic Mn/Ca cubane with an additional metal attached to it has been unknown in the literature. This paper reports the laboratory synthesis of such an asymmetric cubane-containing compound with a bound external metal atom, [(1)]. All peripheral ligands are carboxylate or carboxylic acid groups. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data have established 1 to possess an S = 9/2 ground state. EPR spectroscopy confirms this, and the Davies electron nuclear double resonance data reveal similar hyperfine couplings to those of other Mn(IV) species, including the OEC S(2) state. Comparison of the X-ray absorption data with those for the OEC reveal 1 to possess structural parameters that make it a close structural model of the asymmetric-cubane OEC unit. This geometric and electronic structural correspondence opens up a new front in the multidisciplinary study of the properties and function of this important biological unit.