The combination of a macrocyclic precursor and a sodium ion, sodium 2,6-diformyl-4-substitutedphenolate, offers an effective template to carry out Schiff base cyclocondensation with a quite number of polyamines. Followed by transmetallation with heavy metals has resulted in the production of several classes of macrocyclic complexes which have been structurally characterized. The ligands are involved with [2+2], [2+3], [3+3] and [4+4] condensation modes of macrocyclic precursors with multi-amines. It has been found so far that the sodium template presents several unique features such as a 'versatile' template regardless of ring sizes, easy replacement by transition metals and induced certain group elimination during the reaction.

Abstract-Eight new camphorato platinum complexes have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against HL-60 human leukemia, 3AO human ovarian carcinoma, BEL-7402 human hepatocarcinoma, and A549 human lung carcinoma cell lines. Most complexes showed good cytotoxic activity against the above-selected cell lines. Among the complexes, two compounds were assayed for their in vivo antitumor activity against LS-174T human colon carcinoma cells implanted in mice. One complex exhibited not only higher in vivo antitumor activity, but also less toxicity than oxaliplatin when it was administered intravenously at a dose of 6mg/kg three times.

Supramolecular compounds assembled by dinuclear zinc(II) species containing Robson-type macrocycles and diverse organic subunits (4,4 -bipyridine, 2,2 -bipyridine, pyrazine, 4-aminopyridine, 4-pyridinecarboxylate, pyridine, and quinoline) are reviewed. Various structural motifs such as molecular ladder, molecular ladder element and so forth have been generated. Structural attributes associated with each motif will be elucidated based on unambiguous single crystal X-ray analysis. Hydrogen bonding especially of the non-classical type, involved in the assembly are also discussed because of its crucial impact on the architecture of the final product.

The self-assembly assisted by 2,20-bipyridine (2,20-bpy) protected zinc(II) species with 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate (1,2-BDC) has yielded a novel one-dimensional single helical coordination polymer of

Two macrocyclic dinuclear zinc(II) complexes (1a and 1b) have been self-assembled in the presence of pyridine and 2,2 -bipyridine, respectively, to form μ2-OH-bridged bimacrocycles with a Zn4O4 cavity through coordination bonding. The X-ray structural analysis reveals that both compounds {2a: [Zn4La 2(OH)2]2(ClO4)2; 2b: [Zn4Lb 2(OH)2]2(ClO4)2} have an open-mouthed sandwich-like structure with π−π interactions between parts of two phenyl rings to strengthen two hydroxyl groups connecting the metal atoms in the same direction of the macrocycle. Furthermore, nonclassical C−H•••Cl intermolecular interactions have been observed in the crystal of 2b. In addition, the reaction of 1a with quinoline derivatives has yielded novel hydrogen-bond-supported donor-acceptor complexes {3a: [Zn2 La(H2O)2(C10H9N)2](ClO4)2}. The crystallographic study of the complex containing 2-methylquinoline indicates that two 2-methylquinoline molecules are linked to two coordinating water molecules above and below the macrocyclic framework through O−H•••N hydrogen bonds. The 2-methylquinoline plane interacts in a face-to-face fashion with the phenyl ring of adjacent macrocyclic frameworks, forming an ordered arrangement where one macrocycle and two 2-methylquinolines are arrayed alternately with almost the same separation. The interplanar distance mentioned before is ca. 3.6Å.