title: Towards binuclear polyaminocarboxylate MRI contrast agents? Spectroscopic and MD study of the peculiar aqueous behavior of the LnIII chelates of OHEC (Ln=Eu, Gd, and Tb): implications for relaxivity.
abstract: We report the study of binuclear Ln(III) chelates of OHEC (OHEC=octaazacyclohexacosane-1,4,7,10,14,17,20,23-octaacetate). The interconversion between two isomeric forms, which occurs in aqueous solution, has been studied by NMR, UV/Vis, EPR, and luminescence spectroscopy, as well as by classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. For the first time we have characterized an isomerization equilibrium for a Ln(III) polyaminocarboxylate complex (Ln(III)=Y, Eu, Gd and Tb) in which the metal centre changes its coordination number from nine to eight, such that: [Ln(2)(ohec)(H(2)O)(2)](2-) r<==>[Ln(2)(ohec)](2-)+2 H(2)O. The variable temperature and pressure NMR measurements conducted on this isomerization reaction give the following thermodynamic parameters for Eu(III): K(298)=0.42+/-0.01, DeltaH(0)=+4.0+/-0.2 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS(0)=+6.1+/-0.5 J K(-1) mol(-1) and DeltaV(0)=+3.2+/-0.2 cm(3) mol(-1). The isomerization is slow and the corresponding kinetic parameters obtained by NMR spectroscopy are: k(298)(is)=73.0+/-0.5 s(-1), DeltaH++(is)=75.3+/-1.9 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS++(is)= +43.1+/-5.8 J K(-1) mol(-1) and DeltaV++(is)=+7.9+/-0.7 cm(3) mol(-1). Variable temperature and pressure (17)O NMR studies have shown that water exchange in [Gd(2)(ohec)(H(2)O)(2)](2-) is slow, k(298)(ex)=(0.40+/-0.02)x10(6) s(-1), and that it proceeds through a dissociative interchange I(d) mechanism, DeltaV( not equal )=+7.3+/-0.3 cm(3) mol(-1). The anisotropy of this oblong binuclear complex has been highlighted by MD simulation calculations of different rotational correlation times. The rotational correlation time directed on the Gd-Gd axis is 24 % longer than those based on the axes orthogonal to the Gd-Gd axis. The relaxivity of this binuclear complex has been found to be low, since 1) only [Gd(2)(ohec)(H(2)O)(2)](2-), which constitutes 70 % of the binuclear complex, contributes to the inner-sphere relaxivity and 2) the anisotropy of the complex prevents water molecules from having complete access to both Gd(III) cages; this decreases the outer-sphere relaxivity. Moreover, EPR measurements for the Gd(III) and for the mixed Gd(III)/Y(III) binuclear complexes have clearly shown that the two Gd(III) centres interact intramolecularly; this enhances the electronic relaxation of the Gd(III) electron spins.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry Institute of Molecular and Biological Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL-BCH, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gaëlle M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Nicolle
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yerly
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Imbert
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Böttger
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bünzli
authors.forename: André E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Merbach