Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2012, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 73-78.

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Synthesis, Crystal Structures and Catalysis of Dinuclear Cd(Ⅱ) Complexes Bridged by Unusual (N,O,O′)-Coordinated α-Amino Acids

DENG Dong-sheng1,2, WANG Li1*, PEI Ya-mei1, FENG Lu2, LIU Chang-lin1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China;
    2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022, P. R. China
  • Received:2011-02-25 Revised:2011-03-24 Online:2012-01-25 Published:2011-12-27
  • Contact: Li Wang E-mail:wl_928@mail.ccnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:

    Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21001047) and the Self-determined Research Funds of Central China Normal University from the Colleges' Basic Research and Operation of Ministry of Education, China(No. CCNU10A01010).

Abstract: Four dinuclear amino acid cadmium(Ⅱ) complexes [Cd2(tren)2(dl-alaninato)](ClO4)3·H2O(Ⅰ), [Cd2(tren)2·(l-alaninato)](ClO4)3·H2O(Ⅱ), [Cd2(tren)2(dl-phenylalaninato)](ClO4)3(Ⅲ) and [Cd2(tren)2(l-phenylalaninato)]· (ClO4)3(Ⅳ), constructed from mixed ligands of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine(tren) and racemic or natural amino acids( amino acids=dl- or l-alanine, and dl- or l-phenylalanine), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The structural analysis of complexes Ⅰ and Ⅲ reveals that the cadmium centers are coordinated by one tren ligand and one amino acid molecule with the unusual (N,O,O′)-bridged mode, resulting in asymmetric chromophores of CdN4O and CdN5O in complex Ⅰ, CdN4O2 and CdN5O in complex Ⅲ, respectively. The utility of the four complexes as efficient water-compatible Lewis acid catalysts for the direct aldol reaction in water was examined. The reaction proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding β-hydroxy ketones in up to 99% yield. Moreover, the diastereoselectivity of the reaction favors the formation of the syn-isomers.

Key words: Dinuclear cadmium(Ⅱ) complex, Amino acid, Aldol reaction