Development of a novel highly anti-proliferative family of gold complexes: Au(i)-phosphonium-phosphines

A family of gold(i)-phosphonium-phosphine complexes was synthesized thanks to an efficient 5-step strategy, which involves a phospha-Fries rearrangement. It enables the facile variation of the phosphonium moiety. All the complexes along with a synthetic intermediate were fully characterized (a crystal structure was obtained for two of them). The antiproliferative properties of the six novel complexes were evaluated on three human cancer cell lines (A549, MDA-MB-231, and SW480) and compared to those of three benchmark anticancer drugs used in clinics (oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and paclitaxel) and to a phosphonium-free gold(i) complex [Au(PPh₃)Br]. All the gold(i) complexes, containing a phosphonium, displayed strong anti-proliferative properties. They were more efficient than oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil, and one of the complexes was even more efficient than paclitaxel.

New Pd(ii) complexes of sulfur ylides; synthesis, X-ray characterization, a theoretical study and catalytic activity toward the Mizoroki–Heck reaction

The reaction of sulfur ylides SMe₂C(H)C(O)R (R = 4-nitrophenyl, phenyl, and 3-nitrophenyl) with [PdCl₂(cod)] gives the new Pd(ii) complexes of type cis- and trans-[PdCl₂(SMe₂C(H)C(O)R)₂] (R = phenyl (1), 3-nitrophenyl (2), and 4-nitrophenyl (3)).

Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Antibacterial Studies of Silver(I) Complexes with Bidentate Phosphorus Ylides

P-coordinated complexes of the type [AgNO3{Ph2P(CH2)nPPh2C(H)C(O)C6H4R}]2 ( n = 1 or 2; R=Cl, Br, NO2 or OCH3), have been synthesised by reactions of AgNO3 with the appropriate phosphorus ylides. The antibacterial effects of DMSO-solutions of all compounds have been evaluated by the agar disc diffusion method against six Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.

Synthesis and Characterisation of Hg(II) Complexes Including Bidentate Phosphorus Ylides

The reaction of asymmetrical phosphorus ylides [Ph2PCH2PPh2=C(H)C(O)C6H4R] (R=Br, OCH3) with mercury(II) halides yielded the P, C-chelated complexes. Characterisation of these products was carried out by elemental analysis, IR, 1H, 31P, and 13C NMR. Computational studies at DFT (BP86) level of theory are also reported. The electrochemical behaviour of complexes was also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The synthesised compounds were screened for their antibacterial activities against six Gram negative and positive bacteria.