Hydrogen atom abstraction as a synthetic route to a square planar CoII complex with a redox-active tetradentate PNNP ligand

Redox-active ligands improve the reactivity of transition metal complexes by facilitating redox processes independent of the transition metal center. A tetradentate square planar (PNCH2CH2NP)CoII (1) complex was synthesized and the ethylene backbone was dehydrogenated through hydrogen atom abstraction to afford (PNCHCHNP)CoII (2), which now contains a redox-active ligand. The ligand backbone of 2 can be readily hydrogenated with H2 to regenerate 1. Reduction of 1 and 2 with KC8 in the presence of 18-crown-6 results in cobalt-based reductions to afford [(PNCH2CH2NP)CoI][K(18-crown-6)] (3) and [(PNCHCHNP)CoI][K(18-crown-6)] (4), respectively. Cyclic voltammetry revealed two reversible oxidation processes for 2, presumed to be ligand-based. Following treatment of 2 with one equivalent of FcPF6, the one-electron oxidation product {[(PNCHCHNP)CoII(THF)][PF6]}·THF (5) was obtained. Treating 5 with an additional equivalent of FcPF6 affords the two-electron oxidation product [(PNCHCHNP)CoII][PF6]2 (6). Addition of PMe3 to 5 produced [(PNCHCHNP)CoII(PMe3)][PF6] (7). A host of characterization methods including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic susceptibility measurements using SQUID magnetometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and density functional theory calculations were used to assign 5 and 6 as ligand-based oxidation products of 2.

Metallodrugs for the Treatment of Trypanosomatid Diseases: Recent Advances and New Insights

Trypanosomatid parasites are responsible for many Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). NTDs are a group of illnesses that prevail in low-income populations, such as in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The three major human diseases caused by trypanosomatids are African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. There are known drugs for the treatment of these diseases that are used extensively and are affordable; however, the use of these medicines is limited by several drawbacks such as the development of chemo-resistance, side effects such as cardiotoxicity, low selectivity, and others. Therefore, there is a need to develop new chemotherapeutic against these tropical parasitic diseases. Metal-based drugs against NTDs have been discussed over the years as alternative ways to overcome the difficulties presented by approved antiparasitic agents. The study of late transition metal-based drugs as chemotherapeutics is an exciting research field in chemistry, biology, and medicine due to the ability to develop multitarget antiparasitic agents. The evaluation of the late transition metal complexes for the treatment of trypanosomatid diseases is provided here, as well as some insights about their mechanism of action.

Photophysical, photodynamical, redox properties and BSA interactions of novel isomeric tetracationic peripheral palladium(II)-bipyridyl porphyrins

New isomeric tetra-cationic porphyrins containing peripheral [Pd(bpy)Cl]+ units attached to pyridyl substituents were synthesized and fully characterized. The porphyrins present an intense Soret band located in the blue spectral region and an additional four weaker red-shifted Q bands in the visible spectral region (about 500-700 nm). The obtained Strickler-Berg parameters indicate fully spin and symmetry allowed transitions for all the observed absorption bands. Both porphyrins present two fluorescence emission bands, an intense one located around 650 nm and an additional weak red-shifted emission at ∼710 nm. Fluorescence decay time profiles were obtained showing bi-exponential decay. The interaction of the porphyrins with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied in detail by a fluorescence quenching method and molecular docking analysis. In addition, the photodynamical activity of the porphyrins in the photooxidation of BSA was determined and compared with the light-induced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) allied with the spin trapping method. The results show that the Pd(ii)-bypyridyl tetra-cationic porphyrins are promising candidates for the photooxidation of biological substrates used in photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Recent Studies on the Antimicrobial Activity of Transition Metal Complexes of Groups 6–12

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires innovative solutions to counteract new resistance mechanisms emerging and spreading globally in infectious pathogens. Classic organic antibiotics are rapidly exhausting the structural variations available for an effective antimicrobial drug and new compounds emerging from the industrial pharmaceutical pipeline will likely have a short-term and limited impact before the pathogens can adapt. Inorganic and organometallic complexes offer the opportunity to discover and develop new active antimicrobial agents by exploiting their wide range of three-dimensional geometries and virtually infinite design possibilities that can affect their substitution kinetics, charge, lipophilicity, biological targets and modes of action. This review describes recent studies on the antimicrobial activity of transition metal complexes of groups 6–12. It focuses on the effectiveness of the metal complexes in relation to the rich structural chemical variations of the same. The aim is to provide a short vade mecum for the readers interested in the subject that can complement other reviews.