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Biomedical subjects

William Clegg

Publications and source records attributed to William Clegg.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Incorporation of fused tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFs) into polythiophene architectures: varying the electroactive dominance of the TTF species in hybrid systems.

A novel polythienylenevinylene (PTV) and two new polythiophenes (PTs), featuring fused tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) units, have been prepared and characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroelectrochemistry. All polymers undergo two sequential, reversible oxidation processes in solution. Structures in which the TTF species is directly linked to the polymer backbone (2 and 4) display redox behavior which is dictated by the fulvalene system. Once the TTF is spatially removed from the polymer chain by a nonconjugated link (polymer 3), the electroactivity of both TTF and polythiophene moieties can be detected. Computational studies confirm the delocalization of charge over both electroactive centers (TTF and PT) and the existence of a triplet dication intermediate. PTV 4 has a low band gap (1.44 eV), is soluble in common organic solvents, and is stable under ambient conditions. Organic solar cells of polymer 4:[6,6]-phenyl-C(61) butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) have been fabricated. Under illumination, a photovoltaic effect is observed with a power conversion efficiency of 0.13% under AM1.5 solar simulated light. The onset of photocurrent at 850 nm is consistent with the onset of the pi-pi absorption band of the polymer. Remarkably, UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry of polymer 4 reveals that the conjugated polymer chain remains unchanged during the oxidation of the polymer.

Journal Article↗

Solution, solid phase and computational structures of apicidin and its backbone-reduced analogs.

The recently isolated broad-spectrum antiparasitic apicidin (1) is one of the few naturally occurring cyclic tetrapeptides (CTP). Depending on the solvent, the backbone of 1 exhibits two gamma-turns (in CH(2)Cl(2)) or a beta-turn (in DMSO), differing solely in the rotation of the plane of one of the amide bonds. In the X-ray crystal structure, the peptidic C==Os and NHs are on opposite sides of the backbone plane, giving rise to infinite stacks of cyclotetrapeptides connected by three intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the backbones. Conformational searches (Amber force field) on a truncated model system of 1 confirm all three backbone conformations to be low-energy states. The previously synthesized analogs of 1 containing a reduced amide bond exhibit the same backbone conformation as 1 in DMSO, which is confirmed further by the X-ray crystal structure of a model system of the desoxy analogs of 1. This similarity helps in explaining why the desoxy analogs retain some of the antiprotozoal activities of apicidin. The backbone-reduction approach designed to facilitate the cyclization step of the acyclic precursors of the CTPs seems to retain the conformational preferences of the parent peptide backbone.

Computer Simulation↗

Hydrogen-bonding and carbonyl-carbonyl interactions in violuric acid methanol solvate.

Violuric acid [systematic name: pyrimidine-2,4,5,6(1H,3H)-tetrone 5-oxime] crystallized from a methanol solution stored at approximately 278 K as a monosolvate, C4H3N3O4.CH3OH, in the form of very small and fragile needles. Synchrotron radiation was needed to collect an adequate data set. Analysis of the crystal structure reveals that the isonitroso group of violuric acid is disordered over two positions with refined occupancies of approximately 3:1 for the major and minor disorder components. This fact has some important consequences for the hydrogen-bonding motifs found in the crystal packing, which are different for each component, although the overall packing pattern does not change. The crystal packing consists of closely stacked hydrogen-bonded sheets. Between the sheets are found carbonyl-carbonyl dipolar interactions, which are the principal intermolecular forces holding the sheets together.

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Proton sharing in bis(4-carbamoylpyridinium) squarate.

Reaction in aqueous solution of nickel(II) squarate with isonicotinamide yielded well formed yellow crystals of the title compound, 2C6H6N2O+.C4O4(2-), as a side product. The squarate dianion is bisected by a crystallographic twofold rotation axis, which passes through the centres of two opposite bonds of the ring. Crystal structure analysis reveals that, far from forming discrete ionic species, it is likely that there is a large degree of proton sharing between the anion and cation, with the H atom lying almost symmetrically between the donor and acceptor sites, as evidenced by the long N-H and short H...O distances [1.15 (3) and 1.39 (3) angstroms, respectively]. Other hydrogen bonding is more conventional, and there are weaker C-H...O interactions contributing additional stability to the structure.

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Alkali metal complexes of sterically hindered mono- and di-carbanions containing Si-O bonds.

The oxygen-bridged, silicon-substituted alkane {(Me3Si)2CH(SiMe2)}2O (1) may be prepared by the reaction of {(Me3Si)2CH}Li with ClSiMe2OSiMe2Cl in refluxing THF. Similarly, the alkane {(Me3Si)(Me2MeOSi)CH(SiMe2CH2)}2 (2) is readily accessible from the reaction between {(Me3Si)(Me2MeOSi)CH}Li and ClSiMe2CH2CH2SiMe2Cl under the same conditions. Compound 1 reacts with two equivalents of MeK to give the polymeric complex [[{(Me3Si)2C(SiMe2)}2O]K2(OEt2)]infinity [5(OEt2)] after recrystallisation. Treatment of 2 with two equivalents of either MeLi or MeK gives the corresponding complexes [{(Me3Si)(Me2MeOSi)C(SiMe2CH2)}2Li][Li(DME)3] [7(DME)3] and [{(Me3Si)(Me2MeOSi)C(SiMe2CH2)}2K2]n (8), respectively, after recrystallisation. Treatment of the alkane (Me3Si)2(Me2MeOSi)CH with one equivalent of MeK gives the polymeric complex [{(Me3Si)2(Me2MeOSi)C}K]infinity (3). These compounds have been identified by 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses and compounds 5(OEt2), 7(DME)3 and 3 have been further characterised by X-ray crystallography. Compound 7(DME)3 crystallises as a solvent-separated ion pair, whereas 5(OEt2) and 3 adopt polymeric structures in the solid state.

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Polymorphism in an unexpected caesium complex of 5-hydroxyhydurilic acid.

Vigorous reaction of barbituric acid with caesium hydroxide in water resulted in an unexpected coupling product, 5-hydroxyhydurilic acid, complexed to caesium, giving poly[[caesium-mu5-5-hydroxyhydurilato] hemihydrate], {[Cs(C8H5N4O7)].0.5H2O}n. This was obtained in two different polymorphic forms, depending on the method of crystal growth. Slow solvent evaporation yielded an orthorhombic polymorph, (I), which crystallized in the space group Pnab (non-standard setting of Pbcn), with the uncoordinated water molecule lying on a crystallographic twofold axis. The water molecule is sandwiched into cavities within the structure and is securely held in place by N-HO and O-HO hydrogen bonding. Polymorph (II) is monoclinic, although the unit-cell parameters are similar to those of polymorph (I), and it crystallizes in the space group C2/c, with the uncoordinated water molecule again lying on the twofold axis and secured by hydrogen bonding. The differences between the two polymorphs, both of which have nine-coordinate caesium and a similar first-shell environment of all structural components, are in the overall arrangement of the cations, anions and water molecules, and in the shape of the cavities, revealed by inspecting and comparing crystal-packing diagrams.

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A variable-temperature study of a phase transition in barbituric acid dihydrate.

The crystal structure of barbituric acid dihydrate (C4H4N2O3*2H2O) has twice been reported as orthorhombic, space group Pnma, with all atoms (except for CH(2) H atoms) lying on the mirror plane [Al-Karaghouli et al. (1977). Acta Cryst. B33, 1655-1660; Jeffrey et al. (1961). Acta Cryst. 14, 881-887]. The present study has found that at low temperatures, below 200 K, the crystal structure is no longer orthorhombic but is non-merohedrally twinned monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n. This phase is stable down to 100 K. Above 220 K the crystal structure is orthorhombic, and between 200 and 220 K the structure undergoes a phase change, with the monoclinic-to-orthorhombic phase transition itself taking place at around 216-217 K. The size of the beta angle in the monoclinic structure is temperature dependent; at 100 K beta is around 94 degrees and it decreases in magnitude towards 90 degrees as the temperature increases. Although the hydrogen-bonding motifs are the same for both crystal systems, there are significant differences in the crystal packing, in particular the out-of-plane displacement of the two water molecules and the sp3-hybridized C atom of barbituric acid.

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Synthesis and structures of 5-(pyridyl)tetrazole complexes of Mn(II).

New Mn(II) complexes containing 5-(2-pyridyl)tetrazole, 5-(3-cyano-4-pyridyl)tetrazole or 5-(4-pyridyl)tetrazole ligands are described. The complexes are prepared by reaction of the corresponding cyanopyridines with sodium azide in the presence of Mn(II) salts. All the complexes have been characterized by X-ray crystallography, which reveals that 5-(pyridyl)tetrazole ligands can coordinate to Mn through either type of nitrogen atom in the tetrazole residue or via the pyridyl group. In the solid state, extended 2D and 3D structures are produced through networks of hydrogen bonding (involving water molecules and the tetrazolate residue). Acidification of the complexes produces the corresponding free 5-(pyridyl)-1H-tetrazole.

Acids↗

6-Methyl-2-pyridone: an elusive structure finally solved.

The title compound, C6H7NO, crystallizes unsolvated from dry toluene after storage for several months at approximately 263 K. Synchrotron radiation was needed in order to carry out data collection because of the small size of the crystals obtained. There are four crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. Packing diagrams show that the molecules are linked into infinite chains by hydrogen bonding; two of the four independent molecules link together to form a chain, while the other two molecules form chains involving only their own symmetry equivalents, giving a total of three crystallographically distinct chains in all. The chains are held together by weak pi-pi interactions. This structure provides conclusive proof that, in the absence of any other co-crystallized molecule or solvent, the compound exists in the solid state as the pyridone and not the pyridinol tautomer.

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Sodium dialkyl-amidozincates: alkyl or amido bases? An experimental and theoretical case study.

Alkali metal zincate reagents are attracting considerable attention at present in respect to their often special reactivity/selectivity in hydrogen-metal and halogen-metal interconversion reactions. Heteroleptic diorgano-amidozincates, typified by lithium di-tert-butyltetramethylpiperidinozincate, have proved to be especially useful reagents in such applications. In this paper the related sodium TMP-zincate, prepared as its TMEDA (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) adduct, [TMEDA.Na(mu-tBu)(mu-TMP)Zn(tBu)], 1, is introduced. This new zincate was synthesized from a 1:1:1 mixture of tBu2Zn, NaTMP, and TMEDA in hexane solution, as a colorless crystalline solid in an isolated yield of 58%. It has been characterized in solution by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic studies. An X-ray crystallographic study reveals that 1 adopts a five-membered (NaNZnCC) ring system featuring a TMP bridge and an unusual, asymmetrical tBu bridge involving a Na...Me agostic contact. Probing the basicity of 1, reaction with benzene affords the new hetero(tri)leptic zincate [TMEDA.Na(mu-Ph)(mu-TMP)Zn(tBu)], 2, which has also been crystallographically characterized. Thus, in this hydrogen-metal exchange reaction 1 functions as an alkyl base, with the elimination of butane, as opposed to an amido base. Also reported are DFT calculations using B3LYP functionals and the 6-311G** basis set on model zincate systems, which intimate that the preference of 1 for tBu ligand transfer over TMP ligand transfer in the reaction toward benzene is due to favorable thermodynamic factors.

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5-Butyl-5-ethylbarbituric acid: a phase transition at low temperature.

The room-temperature crystal structure of 5-butyl-5-ethylbarbituric acid (generally known as butobarbitone), C10H16N2O3, was reported in space group C2/c [Bideau (1971). C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser. C, 272, 757-760]. A redetermination at 120 K using synchrotron radiation shows the space group at this temperature to be P2(1)/n and not C2/c. There are two crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, but no solvent. Reported issues concerning possible disorder of the molecule are addressed; the butyl substituent of one of the molecules adopts an unusual conformation in being not fully extended. A subsequent re-collection at room temperature shows that the space group is indeed C2/c (A2/a with the axes selected in this report), and so the crystal structure undergoes a phase change upon cooling to 120 K.

Barbiturates↗

Effect of peripheral donor substituents on the binding modes of phosphinomethanide ligands. Synthesis and crystal structures of alkali metal derivatives of an O-functionalised phosphinomethanide ligand.

The O-functionalised tertiary phosphine {(Me3Si)2CH}P(C6H4-2-CH2OMe)2 (9) is accessible via the reaction of {(Me3Si)2CH}PCl2 with two equivalents of in situ generated 2-LiC6H4CH2OMe. Phosphine 9 is readily deprotonated by Bu(n)Li to give the lithium phosphinomethanide [[{(Me3Si)2C}P(C6H4-2-CH2OMe)2]Li] (13), which undergoes metathesis reactions with the alkoxides MOR [M = Na, K, R = Bu(t); M = Rb, R = 2-ethylhexyl] to give the heavier alkali metal phosphinomethanides [[{(Me3Si)2C}P(C6H4-2-CH2OMe)2]M]n in good yields [M = Na (14), n= 2; M = K (15), Rb (16), n=[infinity]]. Compounds 9, [{(Me3Si)2CH}P(C6H4-2-CH2OMe)2LiBr]2 (10), and 14-16 have been studied by X-ray crystallography; in the solid state 14 adopts a dimeric structure, whereas 15 and 16 crystallise as one-dimensional polymers.

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