Bis(Dicarbollide) Complexes of Transition Metals: How Substituents in Dicarbollide Ligands Affect the Geometry and Properties of the Complexes

The interaction between different types of substituents in dicarbollide ligands and their influence on the stabilization of various rotational conformers (rotamers) of transition metal bis(dicarbollide) complexes [3,3'-M(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- are considered. It has been shown that the formation of intramolecular CH···X hydrogen bonds between dicarbollide ligands is determined by the size of the proton acceptor atom X rather than its electronegativity. Due to the stabilization of rotamers with different dipole moments, intramolecular hydrogen bonds between ligands in transition metal bis(dicarbollide) complexes can have a significant impact on the biological properties of their derivatives. In the presence of external complexing metals, weak intramolecular CH···X hydrogen bonds can be broken to form stronger X->M donor-acceptor bonds. This process is accompanied by the mutual rotation of dicarbollide ligands and can be used in sensors and molecular switches based on transition metal bis(dicarbollide) complexes.

Charge-compensated nido-carborane derivatives in the synthesis of iron(II) bis(dicarbollide) complexes

A series of stable iron(II) bis(dicarbollide) derivatives [8,8'-(RNHC(Et)HN)2-3,3'-Fe(1,2-C2B9H10)2] (R = Pr, R = Ph, (CH2)2OH, (CH2)3OH, (CH2)2NMe2) was prepared starting from FeCl2 or [FeCl2(dppe)] and the corresponding nido-carboranyl amidines [10-RNHC(Et)HN-7,8-C2B9H11]. In a similar way, the reactions of the oxonium derivatives of nido-carborane with FeCl2 in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of t-BuOK lead to the corresponding stable oxonium derivatives iron(II) bis(dicarbollide) [8,8'-(RR'O)2-3,3'-Fe(1,2-C2B9H10)2] (RR' = (CH2)4, (CH2)2O(CH2)2, (CH2)5; R = R' = Et), which can be alternatively prepared by the reaction of the parent iron(II) bis(dicarbollide) with tetrahydrofuran or 1,4-dioxane in the presence of Me2SO4. The cyclic voltammetry studies of the synthesized iron(II) bis(dicarbollide) derivatives revealed that the introduction of amidinium and oxonium substituents leads to a significant increase in the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox potential relative to the parent iron(II) bis(dicarbollide). The redox potentials of the oxonium derivatives are close to the redox potential of ferrocene and somewhat lower than redox potentials of sulfonium and phosphonium derivatives of iron(II) bis(dicarbollide).

Structural Patterns Enhancing the Antibacterial Activity of Metallacarborane-Based Antibiotics

Healthcare systems heavily rely on antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, but the widespread presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria puts this strategy in danger. Novel drugs capable of overcoming current resistances are needed if our ability to treat bacterial infections is to be maintained. Boron clusters offer a valuable possibility to create a new class of antibiotics and expand the chemical space of antibiotics beyond conventional carbon-based molecules. In this work, we identified two promising structural patterns providing cobalta bis(dicarbollide)(COSAN)-based compounds with potent and selective activity toward Staphylococcus aureus (including clinical strains): introduction of the α-amino acid amide and addition of iodine directly to the metallacarborane cage. Furthermore, we found that proper hydrophilic-lipophilic balance is crucial for the selective activity of the tested compounds toward S. aureus over mammalian cells. The patterns proposed in this paper can be useful in the development of metallacarborane-based antibiotics with potent antibacterial properties and low cytotoxicity.

Chemistry of Carbon-Substituted Derivatives of Cobalt Bis(dicarbollide)(1-) Ion and Recent Progress in Boron Substitution

The cobalt bis(dicarbollide)(1-) anion (1-), [(1,2-C2B9H11)2-3,3'-Co(III)](1-), plays an increasingly important role in material science and medicine due to its high chemical stability, 3D shape, aromaticity, diamagnetic character, ability to penetrate cells, and low cytotoxicity. A key factor enabling the incorporation of this ion into larger organic molecules, biomolecules, and materials, as well as its capacity for "tuning" interactions with therapeutic targets, is the availability of synthetic routes that enable easy modifications with a wide selection of functional groups. Regarding the modification of the dicarbollide cage, syntheses leading to substitutions on boron atoms are better established. These methods primarily involve ring cleavage of the ether rings in species containing an oxonium oxygen atom connected to the B(8) site. These pathways are accessible with a broad range of nucleophiles. In contrast, the chemistry on carbon vertices has remained less elaborated over the previous decades due to a lack of reliable methods that permit direct and straightforward cage modifications. In this review, we present a survey of methods based on metalation reactions on the acidic C-H vertices, followed by reactions with electrophiles, which have gained importance in only the last decade. These methods now represent the primary trends in the modifications of cage carbon atoms. We discuss the scope of currently available approaches, along with the stereochemistry of reactions, chirality of some products, available types of functional groups, and their applications in designing unconventional drugs. This content is complemented with a report of the progress in physicochemical and biological studies on the parent cobalt bis(dicarbollide) ion and also includes an overview of recent syntheses and emerging applications of boron-substituted compounds.

New Boron Containing Acridines: Synthesis and Preliminary Biological Study

The synthesis of the first conjugates of acridine with cobalt bis(dicarbollide) are reported. A novel 9-azido derivative of acridine was prepared through the reaction of 9-methoxyacridine with N3CH2CH2NH2, and its solid-state molecular structure was determined via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The azidoacridine was used in a copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction with cobalt bis(dicarbollide)-based terminal alkynes to give the target 1,2,3-triazoles. DNA interaction studies via absorbance spectroscopy showed the weak binding of the obtained conjugates with DNA. The antiproliferative activity (IC50) of the boronated conjugates against a series of human cell lines was evaluated through an MTT assay. The results suggested that acridine derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) might serve as a novel scaffold for the future development of new agents for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).

Half-Sandwich Nickelacarboranes Derived from [7-(MeO(CH2)2S)-7,8-C2B9H11]−

New carboranyl thioethers 1-MeO(CH2)nS-1,2-C2B10H11 (n = 2, 3) were prepared by the alkylation of the trimethylammonium salt of 1-mercapto-ortho-carborane with 1-bromo- 2-methoxyethane and 1-bromo-3-methoxypropane, respectively. Their deboronation with cesium fluoride in ethanol gave the corresponding nido-carboranes Cs[7-MeO(CH2)nS-7,8-C2B9H11] (n = 2, 3). The reactions of Cs[7-MeO(CH2)2S-7,8-C2B9H11] with various nickel(II) phosphine complexes [(dppe)NiCl2] and [(R’R2P)2NiCl2] (R = R’ = Ph, Bu; R = Me, R’ = Ph; R = Ph, R’ = Me, Et) were studied and a series of nickelacarboranes 3,3-dppe-1-MeO(CH2)2S-closo-3,1,2-NiC2B9H10 and 3,3- (R’R2P)2-1-MeO(CH2)2S-closo-3,1,2-NiC2B9H10 (R = R’ = Bu; R = Me, R’ = Ph; R = Ph, R’ = Me, Et) was prepared. The molecular crystal structure of 3,3-dppe-1-MeO(CH2)2S-closo-3,1,2-NiC2B9H10 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

New Azido Coumarins as Potential Agents for Fluorescent Labeling and Their "Click" Chemistry Reactions for the Conjugation with closo-Dodecaborate Anion

Novel fluorescent 7-methoxy- and 7-(diethylamino)-coumarins modified with azido-group on the side chain have been synthesized. Their photophysical properties and single crystals structure characteristics have been studied. In order to demonstrate the possibilities of fluorescent labeling, obtained coumarins have been tested with closo-dodecaborate derivative bearing terminal alkynyl group. Cu^I catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction has led to fluorescent conjugates formation. The absorption-emission spectra of the formed conjugates have been presented. The antiproliferative activity and uptake of compounds against several human cell lines were evaluated.

Synthesis of Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide)—Curcumin Conjugates for Potential Use in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

A series of novel cobalt bis(dicarbollide)—curcumin conjugates were synthesized. Two conjugates were obtained through the nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of the 1,4-dioxane and tetrahydropyran derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) with the OH group of curcumin, and using two equiv. of the oxonium derivatives, two other conjugates containing two cobalt bis(dicarbollide) units per molecule were obtained. In contrast to curcumin, the conjugates obtained were found to be non-cytotoxic against both tumor and normal cell lines. The analysis of the intracellular accumulation of the conjugates by flow cytometry showed that all cobalt bis(dicarbollide)—curcumin conjugates entered HCT116 colorectal carcinoma cells in a time-dependent manner. New non-cytotoxic conjugates contain a large amount of boron atoms in the biomolecule and can potentially be used for further biological research into boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity Studies of the Conjugates of Curcumin with closo-Dodecaborate and Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide) Boron Clusters

A series of novel conjugates of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) and closo-dodecaborate with curcumin were synthesized by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. These conjugates were tested for antibacterial activity. It was shown that all derivatives are active when exposed to Bacillus cereus ATCC 10702 and are not active against Gram-negative microorganisms and Candida albicans at the maximum studied concentration of 1000 mg/L. The conjugate of alkynyl-curcumin with azide synthesized from the tetrahydropyran derivative of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) exhibited activity against Gram-positive microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and the clinical isolate MRSA 17, that surpassed curcumin by 2–4 times.

New approaches to the functionalization of the 1-carba-closo-decaborate anion

Two new approaches to the functionalization of the 1-carba-closo-decaborate anion [1-CB₉H₁₀]^- at boron atoms via the ring-opening of its 1,4-dioxane derivative with various nucleophiles and Pd-catalysed cross-coupling of its iodo derivative with aromatic amines and heteroaromatics were developed.

Synthesis and Reactivity of Cyclic Oxonium Derivatives of nido-Carborane: A Review

Nucleophilic ring-opening reactions of cyclic oxonium derivatives of anionic boron hydrides are a convenient method of their modification which opens practically unlimited prospects for their incorporation into various macro- and biomolecules. This contribution provides an overview of the synthesis and reactivity of cyclic oxonium derivatives of nido-carborane as well as half-sandwich complexes based on it.

Synthesis of Boronated Amidines by Addition of Amines to Nitrilium Derivative of Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide)

A series of novel cobalt bis(dicarbollide) based amidines were synthesized by the nucleophilic addition of primary and secondary amines to highly activated B-N+≡C-R triple bond of the propionitrilium derivative [8-EtC≡N-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)]. The reactions with primary amines result in the formation of mixtures of E and Z isomers of amidines, whereas the reactions with secondary amines lead selectively to the E-isomers. The crystal molecular structures of E-[8-EtC(NMe2)=HN-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)], E-[8-EtC(NEt2)=HN-3,3'-Co(1,2- C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] and E-[8-EtC(NC5H10)=HN-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction.