Pd(II) complexes of a sterically bulky, benzannulated N-heterocyclic carbene and their catalytic activities in the Mizoroki–Heck reaction

Silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes are potent uncompetitive inhibitors of the papain-like protease with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused a high demand for novel innovative antiviral drug candidates. Despite promising results, metal complexes have been relatively unexplored as antiviral agents in general and in particular against SARS-CoV-2. Here we report on silver NHC complexes with chloride or iodide counter ligands that are potent inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PL^pro) but inactive against 3C-like protease (3CL^pro) as another SARS-CoV-2 protease. Mechanistic studies on a selected complex confirmed zinc removal from a zinc binding domain of PL^pro as relevant factor of their activity. In addition, enzyme kinetic experiments revealed that the complex is an uncompetitive inhibitor and with this rare type of inhibition it offers great pharmacological advantages in terms selectivity. The silver NHC complexes with iodide ligands showed very low or absent host cell toxicity and triggered strong effects on viral replication in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, making them promising future antiviral drug candidates.

Mixed NHC-thiolato complexes of palladium: understanding the formation of di-versus mononuclear complexes

The preference for the formation of mono- versus dinuclear mixed carbene/thiolato complexes of Pd^II has been studied with three types of N-heterocyclic carbenes derived from benzimidazole, imidazole and 1,2,4-triazole. The complexes were prepared by treatment of halido/NHC precursors with sodium isopropylthiolate in a salt metathesis reaction. Mononuclear complexes are formed when the sulfur and carbon donors are exclusively cis to each other, while their trans arrangement preferably leads to dinuclear complexes with μ₂-bridging thiolato ligands. The increased electron density in the latter case cannot be sufficiently compensated by one Pd^II center alone and leads to the formation dinuclear species with bridging thiolato ligands.

Palladium pincer-type complexes and zwitterionic sulfur adducts of pyridine-bridged bis(1,2,3-triazolin-5-ylidenes): syntheses, characterizations and catalytic applications

Different reactivities of pincer-type pyridine-bridged bis(mesoionic carbenes) towards palladium(ii) and elemental sulfur have been revealed.

Mononuclear palladium(ii) and platinum(ii) complexes of P,C-donor ligands: synthesis, crystal structures, cytotoxicity, and mechanistic studies of a highly stereoselective Mizoroki–Heck reaction

Pallada- and platinacycle complexes exhibit potential orientations in stereoselective transformations and anticancer metallodrugs.

A unified ligand electronic parameter based on 13C NMR spectroscopy of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

The donor strengths of various mono- and bidentate ligands can be easily compared on a unified ¹³C NMR spectroscopic scale.

Heteroleptic nickel(ii)–diNHC complexes and an unusual ‘reverse’ carbene-transfer reaction to silver(i)

An unusual NHC transfer reaction to silver was discovered in the study of heteroleptic nickel dicarbene complexes as aqueous Suzuki–Miyaura catalysts.

Silylphosphido complexes of gold(I) coordinated with NHC ligands

The N-heterocyclic carbenes IPr (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) and iPr2-bimy (iPr2-bimy = 1,3-di-isopropylbenzimidazole-2-ylidene) were utilized as a basis for the preparation of four gold–silylphosphido complexes: [(IPr)AuP(Ph)SiMe3] (1), [(IPr)AuP(SiMe3)2] (2), [(iPr2-bimy)AuP(Ph)SiMe3] (3), and [(iPr2-bimy)AuP(SiMe3)2] (4). These complexes represent rare examples of terminally bonded Au–PR2 and the first examples where phosphorus retains reactive P-SiMe3 moieties. The reactivity of the P–Si bonds in 1 and 3 was explored via the addition of PhC(O)Cl. The products of these reactions were the formation of the phosphido-bridged [(IPrAu)2(μ-PPhC(O)Ph)][AuCl2] (5) and, in the case of the smaller N-heterocyclic carbenes, the tertiary phosphine PPh(C(O)Ph)2 (6) was isolated together with the known gold complex [(iPr2-bimy)AuCl]. Both reactions proceed via the elimination of ClSiMe3.

Enhanced thermal stability of Cu–silylphosphido complexes via NHC ligation

The thermal stability of the Cu–P(SiMe₃)₂ moiety can be enhanced via N-heterocyclic carbene ligation.

CH⋯Pd interactions: one dimensional heteropolynuclear complexes

Three cyanide complexes, [Cu(hepH)2Pd(μ-CN)2(CN)2]n (1), [Zn(hepH)2Pd(μ-CN)2(CN)2]n (2) and [Cd(hepH)2Pd(μ-CN)2(CN)2]n (3) (2-pyridineethanol abbreviated to hepH), have been synthesized and characterized by various techniques (elemental analysis, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction). FT-IR spectroscopy pointed out the existence of terminal and bridged cyanide ligands in the complexes. The crystallographic analyses reveal that complexes 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic system, space group P-1 and complex 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n. The palladium atom is coordinated with cyanide-carbon atoms in a square-planar arrangement and the metal(II) atoms are six-coordinated with two cyanide nitrogen, two hepH nitrogen and two hepH oxygen atoms, in a distorted octahedral arrangement. In all the complexes adjacent chains are connected by CH⋯Pd, π⋯π and OH⋯N hydrogen bonding interactions to form two- and three-dimensional networks. When it comes to thermal analysis, the complexes followed usual decomposition mechanism in which neutral ligands (hepH) are released first, and then cyanide ligands are decomposed. The final decomposition products are found to be the corresponding metal oxides.

N-heterocyclic carbene Pt(II) complexes from caffeine: synthesis, structures and photoluminescent properties

The caffeine-derived N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex [Pt(II)(C^N)(NHC)Cl] (C^N = 2-phenylpyridine), 4 has the opposite stereochemistry and a shorter Pt-C(carbene) bond compared to that of an analogous benzimidazole-derived N,N-heterocyclic carbene (NNHC) Pt complex 2. These suggest a lower trans influence of pyridyl N compared to cyclometallated carbon and an increased Pt-NHC π-backbonding because of decreased π-donation resulting from conjugation to the electron deficient pyrimidine of caffeine. Complex 4 has a lower emission quantum yield (Φ) and is blue-shifted into the green region of the visible spectrum relative to non-carbene Pt(II) cyclometalated complex 5.

P[N(i-Bu)CH(2)CH(2)](3)N: nonionic Lewis base for promoting the room-temperature synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters, fluorides, ketones, and nitriles using Wadsworth-Emmons phosphonates

The bicyclic triaminophosphine P(RNCH(2)CH(2))(3)N (R = i-Bu, 1c) serves as an effective promoter for the room-temperature stereoselective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters, fluorides, and nitriles from a wide array of aromatic, aliphatic, heterocyclic, and cyclic aldehydes and ketones, using a range of Wadsworth-Emmons (WE) phosphonates. Among the analogues of 1c [R = Me (1a), i-Pr (1b), Bn (1d)], 1a and 1b performed well, although longer reaction times were involved, and 1d led to poorer yields than 1c. Functionalities such as cyano, chloro, bromo, methoxy, amino, ester, and nitro were well tolerated. We were able to isolate and characterize (by X-ray means; see above) the reactive WE intermediate species formed from 2b and 1c.