Complete synthetic, structural, and biomedical studies of two Pd complexes as well as Au and Ag complexes of 1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene are reported. Specifically, trans-[1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]Pd(pyridine)Cl2 (1a) was synthesized from the reaction of 1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazolium chloride (1) with PdCl2 in the presence of K2CO3 as a base. The other palladium complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]2PdCl2 (1b), and a gold complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]AuCl (1c), were synthesized by following a transmetallation route from the silver complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]AgCl (1d), by treatment with (COD)PdCl2 and (SMe2)AuCl, respectively. The silver complex 1d in turn was synthesized by the reaction of 1 with Ag2O. The molecular structures of 1a−d have been determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Biomedical studies revealed that, while the palladium complexes 1a and 1b displayed potent anticancer activity, the gold (1c) and silver ...

Anticancer and Antimicrobial Metallopharmaceutical Agents Based on Palladium, Gold, and Silver N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes

Increasing numbers of DNA structures are being revealed using biophysical, spectroscopic and genomic methods. The diversity of transition metal complexes is also growing, as the unique contributions that transition metals bring to the overall structure of metal complexes depend on the various coordination numbers, geometries, physiologically relevant redox potentials, as well as kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics. The vast range of ligands that can be utilised must also be considered. Given this diversity, a variety of biological interactions is not unexpected. Specifically, interactions with negatively-charged DNA can arise due to covalent/coordinate or subtle non-coordinate interactions such as electrostatic attraction, groove binding and intercalation as well as combinations of all of these modes. The potential of metal complexes as therapeutic agents is but one aspect of their utility. Complexes, both new and old, are currently being utilised in conjunction with spectroscopic and biological techniques to probe the interactions of DNA and its many structural forms. Here we present a review of metal complex-DNA interactions in which several binding modes and DNA structural forms are explored.

Metal complex interactions with DNA

Cyclic voltammetric and electrogenerated chemiluminescent data were used to study the binding of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)-osmium(II), Os(bpy)3(2+), an electrostatic binder, to calf thymus DNA. The oxidized form of the osmium complex, Os(bpy)3(3+), has a stronger association to DNA than the reduced form, Os(bpy)3(2+), as indicated by the negative shift of E0' of the CV waves (K3+/K2+ = 3.35). The calculated binding constant, K2+, and binding site size, s, for the Os(byp)3(2+)-DNA system depended slightly on whether a mobile or a static equilibrium was assumed. In 10 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris pH 7, K2+ = (7.3 +/- 0.4) x 10(3) M-1 and s = 3 base pairs (mobile) and K2+ = (5.0 +/- 0.2) x 10(3) M-1 and s = 3 base pairs (static). Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) was produced upon oxidation of Os(bpy)3(2+) at a Pt electrode in a solution containing 10 mM C2O4(2-) and 10 mM phosphate at pH 5. Addition of DNA caused a decrease in the emission intensity (I); a plot of I vs relative DNA concentration yielded K2+ = (6.5 +/- 0.5) x 10(3) M-1 and s = 3 base pairs. The osmium complex produced ECL when bound to the DNA molecule with an efficiency of 30% that of the unbound chelate.

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Electrochemical studies of the interaction of metal chelates with DNA. 4. Voltammetric and electrogenerated chemiluminescent studies of the interaction of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)osmium(II) with DNA.

The in vogue N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have attracted attention largely for its new found popularity in chemical catalysis and also for displaying promising traits in biomedical applications. The current perspective provides an account of our efforts in exploring the utility of N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbenes in these two areas. On the catalysis front, we have employed the N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene based precatalysts for the C–C and C–N bond forming reactions like the Suzuki–Miyaura, Sonogashira and Hiyama cross-couplings, the base-free Michael addition, the alkene and alkyne hydroamination reactions and the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactides that produce biodegradable polylactide polymers while on the biomedical application front, the anticancer and antimicrobial properties of these N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene complexes were evaluated. Towards this objective, the N-heterocyclic carbene chemistry of a variety of transition metals like Ag, Au, Ni and Pd has been investigated.

A.J. Amonkar

Papers

Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of potential anticancer [platinum(II)(2,2'-bipyridine)(amino acid)]n+ (n = 1 or 2) complexes.

Some mixed-ligand palladium(II) complexes of 2,2'-bipyridine and amino acids as potential anticancer agents

Some potential anticancer palladium(II) complexes of 2,2'-bipyridine and amino acids