Quinonoid-Bridged Chair-Shaped Dirhenium(I) Metallacycles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Spectroelectrochemical Studies

Dinuclear Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes as Anticancer Drug Candidates

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Chemotherapy remains one of the most dominant forms for anticancer treatment. Despite their clinical success, the used chemotherapeutic agents are associated with severe side effect and pharmacological limitations. To overcome these drawbacks there is a need for the development of new types of chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, the chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of dinuclear rhenium(I) complexes as potential chemotherapeutic drug candidates are proposed. The metal complexes were found to be internalized by an energy dependent endocytosis pathway, primary accumulating in the mitochondria. The rhenium(I) complexes demonstrated to induce cell death against a variety of cancer cells in the micromolar range through apoptosis. The lead compound showed to eradicate a pancreatic carcinoma multicellular tumor spheroid at micromolar concentrations.

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) of tetrarhenium(I) metallacycles and their application as luminescent sensors for nitroaromatics and antibiotics

The self-assembly of tetrarhenium metallacycles [{Re(CO)₃}₂(μ-dhaq)(μ-N-N)]₂ (3a, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-butylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene; 3b, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-octylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene), (H₂-dhaq = 1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) and [{Re(CO)₃}₂(μ-thaq)(μ-N-N)]₂ (4, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-butylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene), (H₂-thaq = 1,2,4-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) under solvothermal conditions is described. The metallacycles 3a,b and 4 underwent aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in THF upon the incremental addition of water. TEM images revealed that metallacycle 3a in a 60% aqueous THF solution formed rectangular aggregates with a wide size distribution, while a 90% aqueous THF solution resulted in the formation of a mixture of nanorods and amorphous aggregates due to rapid and abrupt aggregation. UV-vis and emission spectral profiles supported the formation of nanoaggregates of metallacycles 3a,b and 4 upon the gradual addition of water to a THF solution containing metallacycles. Further studies indicated that these nanoaggregates were excellent probes for the sensitive and selective detection of nitro group containing picric acid (PA) derivatives as well as antibiotics.

Rhenium(I)-Based Heteroleptic Pentagonal Toroid-Shaped Metallocavitands: Self-Assembly and Molecular Recognition Studies

A family of neutral, heteroleptic, dinuclear M₂LL'-type pentagonal toroid-shaped metallomacrocycles (1-8) were synthesized using flexible ditopic N donors (Lⁿ = L¹-L²), rigid bis-chelating ligands (H₂-L' = H₂-E), and Re₂(CO)₁₀ in a one-pot solvothermal self-assembly approach. The ligands and the metallomacrocycles were characterized using ATR-IR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible, and emission spectroscopy methods. The molecular structures of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 were confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study and are similar to those of calix[5]arene. The cyclic inner cavities of the metallomacrocycles accommodate toluene/mesitylene/acetone/chlorobenzene as guest molecules that are stabilized by cumulative C-H···π and π···π interactions with the cyclic framework of metallomacrocycle. The photophysical properties of the ligands and the metallomacrocycles were studied. The host-guest recognition properties of metallocavitands 1, 2, 7, and 8 as a model host with phenol and nitrobenzene derivatives as guest molecules were studied by emission spectroscopy methods.

Synthesis of tetranuclear rhenium(I) tricarbonyl metallacycles

Re(I) tricarbonyl complexes have received much attention due to their attractive photochemical, electrochemical, and biological properties. Beyond simple mononuclear complexes, multinuclear assemblies offer greater structural diversity and properties. Despite previous reports on the preparation of di-, tri-, or tetranuclear Re(I) tricarbonyl assemblies, the synthesis of these supramolecular structures remains challenging due to overall low yields or tedious purification protocols. Herein, the facile preparation and characterization of tetranuclear Re(I) tricarbonyl metallacycles with a square geometry is reported using a tetrazole-based ligand. The synthesis of the metallacycle was optimized using different metal precursors, solvents, temperatures, and reagent concentrations. Finally, the scope of suitable tetrazole-based ligands was explored to produce several tetranuclear Re(I) tricarbonyl-based metallacycles.

Rhenium(i) based irregular pentagonal-shaped metallacavitands

Neutral ditopic flexible N-donor ligands (Ln = bis(4-(naphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L1 bis(4-(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L2 or bis(4-(2-nonylbenzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L3) possessing a bis(4-methylphenyl)methane spacer with two imidazolyl donor units were designed and synthesized. The ligands were utilized to develop metallacavitands analogous to irregular pentagonal-shaped metallacavitands with larger cavities. The metallacavitands 1-4 were assembled from Re2(CO)10, a rigid bis-chelating donor (1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone or chloranilic acid) and Lnvia a solvothermal approach. The ligands and the metallacavitands were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods. The molecular structures of 1 and 4 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis which revealed that a toluene molecule resides in the hydrophobic cavity. Ln and 1-4 are emissive in DMSO at room temperature. The internal cavity of the metallacavitand acts as a host for aromatic guest molecules. The host-guest interaction properties of 1 with anthracene, naphthalene, nitrobenzene, 2-nitrotoluene, 4-nitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene were studied by an emission spectroscopic method.

Rhenium(I)-based bridgeless double metallocalix[4]arenes

Bridgeless double metallocalix[4]arenes possessing two orthogonally arranged dinuclear cavitands were obtained from a Re2(CO)10, rigid bis-chelating OO donor (H2-L), and a flexible bis-ditopic NN donor (L') by a one-pot approach.

Synthesis of macrocyclic receptors with intrinsic fluorescence featuring quinizarin moieties

An unprecedented class of macrocycles with intrinsic fluorescence consisting of phenolic trimers and quinizarin is developed. Though they are lacking strong hydrogen bonds as observed in calixarenes, the two examples introduced here each adopt a vase-like conformation with all four aromatic units pointing in one direction (syn orientation). This "cone" conformation has been confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and X-ray crystallography. The laminar, electron-rich fluorophore as part of the macrocycle allows additional contacts to enclosed guest molecules.

One-step orthogonal-bonding approach to the self-assembly of neutral rhenium-based metallacycles: synthesis, structures, photophysics, and sensing applications

Self-assembled metallacycles offer structural diversity and interesting properties based on their unique frameworks and host-guest chemistry. As a result, the design and synthesis of these materials has attracted significant research interest. This Account describes our comprehensive investigations of an effective orthogonal-bonding approach for the self-assembly of neutral Re-based metallacycles. We discuss the various types of assemblies that can be created based on the nuclearity of the luminophore, including bimetallic materials, rectangles, cages, and calixarenes. This approach permits the preparation of a rectangular molecule, rather than two molecular squares, in excellent yields. We extended this strategy to the high yield synthesis of a series of Re-based metallacycles with different shapes. With the rich spectroscopic and luminescence properties, Re(I) metallacycles provide an excellent platform for studies of host-guest interactions. When possible, we also present potential applications of the luminescent Re-based metallosupramolecular assemblies. The orthogonal-bonding approach involves the simultaneous introduction of two ligands: a bis-chelating ligand to coordinate to two equatorial sites of two fac-(CO)(3)Re cores and a monotopic or ditopic nitrogen-donor ligand to the remaining orthogonal axial site. Furthermore, by the appropriate choice of the predesigned organic ligands with various backbones and connectivity information and fac-Re(CO)(3) metal centers, we could also design other novel functional metallacycles including rotors, gondolas, cages, triangles, and metallacalixarenes in high yields. The incorporation of flexible ligands into the Re(I) metallacycles allows us to introduce various conformation states and novel structures. As a result, these structures acquire new functions, such as adaptive recognition properties. For example, we assembled Re(I)-based metallacyclic rotors via a one-step process. These rotors, which contain a para-phenylene unit that rapidly rotates within the metallacycles, are prototypes of a neutral altitudinal rotor. Most of the metallacycles are luminescent. The ability to chemically modify the organic ligands offers opportunities to create structural diversity and to tune the photophysical properties of these Re(I) metallacycles efficiently. Several strategies for increasing emission quantum yields and excited-state lifetimes and tuning the colors in Re(I) metallacycles are available. The cyclometalated ligands in Re(I) metallacycles improve excited state lifetimes and quantum yields, and these C-H bond-activated metallacycles are considerably more emissive than their non-C-H bond-activated analogues. The introduction of crown-ether-like recognition sites into neutral gondola-shaped metallacycles that selectively recognize metal ions also enhanced emission. Rhenium-based rectangular boxes, synthesized via a simple one-step route, contain a large and tunable hydrophobic inner cavity, which selectively recognizes benzene molecules. Such structures were the best host for benzene reported to date. In addition, we designed and synthesized novel neutral metallacalixarenes with tunable size, cavity, color, and functionality. These structures are efficient hosts for the recognition of planar aromatic guests.