A series of novel cisplatin-type platinum complexes, formulated as [PtA2(OCOCH2OR)2] (A2 = two monoamines or one diamine, R is an alkyl group), were designed, characteristic of alkoxyacetate as carboxylato ligands. The pertinent compounds were prepared and characterized by elementary analyses, IR, 1H NMR, and ESI-MS spectra. The cytotoxic activities of compound 1a in vitro toward HL-60 human leukemia and BEL-7402 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were pioneeringly studied. Then, compounds 1b-3d were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against Ramos human lymphoma, 3AO human ovarian carcinoma, and A549 human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. Most of them showed better cytotoxic activity than carboplatin against above selected cell lines.

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.

Twenty-six new hydrophilic chiral 2-alkoxy-1,4-butanediamine platinum (II) complexes having a seven-membered ring structure between a bidentate carrier ligand and a platinum atom have been synthesized and most of them were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity toward A549 human non-small cell lung carcinoma and HCT-116 human colon cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicities of platinum complexes are related to the nature of the carrier ligand and leaving group. Complex 50b, viz. cis-dichloro[(2R)-ethoxy-1,4-butanediamine] platinum (II), exhibits the greatest potency among those 21 tested platinum complexes in both cell lines.

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.

Several chiral copper(II) complexes of optically active Schiff bases (R,R)-4a-c, which have central seven-membered chelate rings, have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray single crystal analysis of a typical compound indicated that the complex is monomeric and the geometry around the metal atom is very distorted tetrahedral. All the complexes have been tested as catalysts for asymmetric oxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide. The mechanism of the catalytic reaction in the presence of these complexes has been tentatively elucidated.

A novel 1D neutral coordination polymer, {[Cu(dtmp)(dmf)Cl2]dmf}n (1) (dtmp=1,6-di(triazole-1-yl-methyl)-4-methylphenol, dmf=dimethyl formamide) was synthesized by reacting CuCl2 Æ 2H2O with the dtmp ligand. The crystal and molecular structure of the complex was determined by X-ray diffraction, in which the coordination geometry around the copper center is slightly distorted trigonal bypyramidal. One-dimensional chains have been formed through the metal and the ligand via oordination bonds, which are assembled further into a two-dimensional network by inter-chain synergic π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding.

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.

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.

A chiral heptanuclear nickel(II) complex [NiII(NiII 2L)3(μ3-OH)2]·3H2O [H4L=(2R,3R)-1,4-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylideneamino)-2,3-butanediol], containing two μ3-OH bridges, has been prepared and structurally characterized; its thermal and magnetic properties were investigated.

A dinuclear manganese macrocyclic complex with functional pendant arms, [Mn2(II)HL2](ClO4), has been prepared by the cyclocondensation of sodium 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenolate with N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)amine and subsequent transmetallation of Mn(II)(ClO4)2. In the molecular structure of the complex, each pendant arm is bound to an adjacent manganese atom and both arms lie on the same side of the resulting tetra-imine macrocycle. Each manganese(II) ion is in a distorted octahedral configuration. The variable-temperature magnetism and the cyclic voltammogram of the complex have also been investigated. In the catalytic study, this compound exhibits a high activity for catalyzing disproportionation of H2O2 to O2.