Effect of mixed pendent groups on the solution and catalytic properties of europium(III) macrocyclic complexes: Bifunctional and monofunctional amide and alcohol pendents in septadentate or octadentate ligands

Five new Eu(III) macrocyclic complexes have been prepared and their solution and catalytic properties studied. The Eu(III) complexes with septadentate ligands TRED and NB-TRED dissociate rapidly at pH 7.4, 37 degrees C (TRED = 1,4,7-tris(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, NB-TRED = 1-(nitrobenzyl)-4,7,10-tris(hydroxyethyl)1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecane). Dissociation rates as determined in the presence and absence of strongly binding competing ligands suggest that under most conditions the Eu(III) complexes of ATHC, ABHC, and CNPHC are more kinetically inert to dissociation than is the Eu(III) complex containing all hydroxyethyl groups (ATHC = 1-(carbamoylmethyl)-4,7,10-tris(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, ABHC = 1,7-bis(carbamoylmethyl)-4,10- bis(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, CNPHC = 1-(1-carboxamido-3-(4-nitrophenyl)propyl)4,7,1 0-tris(2-hydroxyethy1)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). Laser-induced luminescence excitation spectra of Eu(III) complexes of ABHC, ATHC, CNPHC, THED, and S-THP suggest that there is a single major species in solution at pH 6.3 and a second species that appears at more basic pH values (THED = 1,4,7,10-tetrakis(hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane, S-THP = 1S,4S,7S,10S-tetrakis(2-hydroxypropyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). The species present at basic pH is proposed to be an alkoxide or hydroxide complex; pK(a) values as determined by potentiometric titrations are 7.5 and 8.1 for Eu(CNPHC)(3+) and Eu(ABHC)(3+),respectively. Eu(CNPHC)(3+), Eu(ATHC)(3+), and Eu(ABHC)(3+) promote transesterification of the hydroxypropyl ester of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate with pseudo-first-order rate constants at pH 7.3, 37 degrees C, and 1.00 mM complex of 1.4 x 10(-5), 9.3 x 10(-6), and 1.0 x 10(-6) s(-1), respectively. Both Eu(CNPHC)(3+) and Eu(ABHC)(3+) promote attack of an hydroxyethyl group of the macrocycle on bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate with pseudo-first-order rate constants at pH 7.3, 37 degrees C, and 1.00 mM complex of 1.5 x 10(-4) and 3.5 x 10(-5) s(-1), respectively. In general, an increase in the number of amide groups on the macrocycle of the Eu(III) complex decreases the rate of both intramolecular or intermolecular phosphate diester transesterification reactions.