Synthesis 2001(11): 1665-1670
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-16766
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Chiral Bipyridine and Terpyridine Ligands Grafted with l-Tyrosine Fragments

Abderrahim Khatyr, Raymond Ziessel*
Laboratoire de Chimie, d"Electronique et de Photonique Moléculaires, Associé au CNRS ESA-7008, Ecole de Chimie, Matériaux, Polymères de Strasbourg (ECPM), 25 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France
Fax: +33(3)90242689; e-Mail: ziessel@chimie.u-strasbg.fr;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 26 April 2001
Publication Date:
12 August 2004 (online)

Abstract

The synthesis of stable terpyridine and bipyridine frames substituted with l-tyrosine fragments is reported. These highly functionalized compounds have been prepared from the corresponding iodo, and ethynyl substituted analogs by a reaction catalyzed by low valent palladium(0), itself generated in situ from palladium(II) and CuI. A tertiary amine is required to quench the nascent acid. Complexation of the chelating part of the molecule with ruthenium(II) metal afforded redox and photoactive complexes. With the terpy-Ru complex carrying a genuine tyrosine fragment an efficient quenching reaction (kq = 2.2 × 109 s-1) due to electron transfer is observed in DMF and in the presence of K2CO3. The blank experiment performed under the same conditions with the tyrosine-protected benzoyl ester proved that this process is inhibited. The synthetic methods reported herein provide a practical methodology to the rational design of transition metal complexes bearing different kinds of bioactive functionalities.