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Iron(iv)-oxo species have been identified as the active intermediates in key enzymatic processes, and their catalytic properties are strongly affected by the equatorial and axial ligands bound to the metal, but details of these effects are still unresolved. In our aim to create better and more efficient oxidants of H-atom abstraction reactions, we have investigated a unique heteroleptic diiron phthalocyanine complex. We propose a novel intramolecular approach to determine the structural features that govern the catalytic activity of iron(iv)-oxo sites. Heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanine complexes having an unsubstituted phthalocyanine (Pc 1 ) and a phthalocyanine ligand substituted with electron-withdrawing alkylsulfonyl groups (Pc SO 2 R ) were prepared and characterized. A reaction with terminal oxidants gives two isomeric iron(iv)-oxo and iron(iii)-hydroperoxo species with abundances dependent on the equatorial ligand. Cryospray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS) characterized both hydroperoxo and diiron oxo species in the presence of H 2 O 2 . When m -CPBA was used as the oxidant, the formation of diiron oxo species (Pc SO 2 R )FeNFe(Pc 1 )[double bond, length as m-dash]O was also evidenced. Sufficient amounts of these transient species were trapped in the quadrupole region of the mass-spectrometer and underwent a CID-MS/MS fragmentation. Analyses of fragmentation patterns indicated a preferential formation of hydroperoxo and oxo moieties at more electron-rich iron sites of both heteroleptic μ-nitrido complexes. DFT calculations show that both isomers are close in energy. However, the analysis of the iron(iii)-hydroperoxo bond strength reveals major differences for the (Pc 1 )FeN(Pc SO 2 R )Fe III OOH system as compared to (Pc SO 2 R )FeN(Pc 1 )Fe III OOH system, and, hence binding of a terminal oxidant will be preferentially on more electron-rich sides. Subsequent kinetics studies showed that these oxidants are able to even oxidize methane to formic acid efficiently., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.)

The effect of phthalocyanine macrocycle distortion on its spectroscopic and packing properties is studied, by comparing two phthalocyanines octa-non-peripherally substituted by alkanethiols of different bulkiness (n-hexyl and tert-butyl). Their X-ray structures evidence their core shape, respectively planar and strongly distorted, inducing a 55 nm shift of their maximum absorption wavelength. Comparison of frontier orbital energies revealed that this distortion decreases the conjugation potency of the benzo rings to the central pyrrolic rings. Also the tert-butyl derivative presents a MOF-like porous crystalline assembly with 22.2% void.

Three μ-X bridged diiron octapropylporphyrazine complexes having Fe(III)-O-Fe(III), Fe(+3.5)-N[double bond, length as m-dash]Fe(+3.5) and Fe(IV)[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]Fe(IV) structural units have been prepared and characterized by UV-vis, EPR, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Single crystals of all the complexes were obtained from benzene-acetonitrile and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. In contrast to μ-oxo complex (), μ-nitrido () and μ-carbido () dimers crystallized with one benzene molecule per two binuclear complex molecules arranged cofacially to the porphyrazine planes at Fe-Cbenzene distances of 3.435-3.725 Å and 3.352-3.669 Å for and , respectively. The short distances suggest an interaction between the iron sites and the benzene π-system which is stronger in the case of the Fe(IV)[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]Fe(IV) unit with a higher Lewis acidity. The Fe-X-Fe angle increases in the sequence -- from 158.52° to 168.5° and 175.10°, respectively, in agreement with the Fe-X bond order. However, the lengths of the Fe-X bonds do not follow this trend: Fe-O = 1.75/1.76 Å > Fe-C = 1.67/1.67 Å > Fe-N = 1.65/1.66 Å indicating unexpectedly long Fe-C bonds. This observation can be explained by back π-donation from the μ-carbido ligand to the Fe-C antibonding orbital thus decreasing the bond order which is confirmed by DFT calculations.

The attraction of nucleic acids to lipidic compartments is the first step for carriers of potentially inheritable information to self-organise in functionalised synthetic cells. Confocal fluorescence imaging shows that a synthetic amphiphilic peptidyl RNA molecule spontaneously accumulates at the outer bilayer membranes of phospho- and glycolipidic giant vesicles. Cooperatively attractive interactions of -3.4 to -4.0 kcal mol(-1) between a random coil hydrophobic peptide and lipid membranes can thus pilot lipophobic RNA to its compartmentation. The separation of mixed lipid phases in the membranes further enhances the local concentration of anchored RNA.

A one-step method to access to functionalized heteroleptic lanthanide double-decker complexes of phthalocyanine of A7B-type is reported. This optimized statistical method led to two hydroxylated model europium complexes, one of which was further converted into its mesylated and azido derivatives.

High yields of epoxides were obtained in the oxidation of a large range of olefins using 1.2-2 equiv. of H2O2 in the presence of iron helmet phthalocyanines. The involvement of high-valent iron oxo species was evidenced using cryospray mass spectrometry.

The first high-valent iron oxo complex on the phthalocyanine platform has been prepared from iron tetra-tert-butyl-phthalocyanine and m-chloroperbenzoic acid and characterized by low temperature UV-vis, cryospray MS, EPR, X-ray absorption and high resolution X-ray emission methods.

A phthalocyanine-chalcone conjugate has been designed to combine the vascular disrupting effect of chalcones with the photodynamic effect of phthalocyanines. This potential dual photodynamic and antiangiogenic agent was obtained by the condensation of a tetrahydroxylated non-peripherally substituted Zn(ii) phthalocyanine with an amino chalcone converted into the corresponding activated isocyanate. The conjugate was fully characterized.