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Drug Delivery by Water-Soluble Organometallic Cages

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Chemistry of Nanocontainers

Part of the book series: Topics in Current Chemistry ((TOPCURRCHEM,volume 319))

Abstract

Until recently, organometallic derivatives were generally viewed as moisture- and air-sensitive compounds, and consequently very challenging to synthesise and very demanding in terms of laboratory requirements (Schlenk techniques, dried solvent, glove box). However, an increasing number of stable, water-soluble organometallic compounds are now available, and organometallic chemistry in aqueous phase is a flourishing area of research. As such, coordination-driven self-assemblies using organometallic building blocks are compatible with water, thus opening new perspectives in bio-organometallic chemistry.

This chapter gives a short history of coordination-driven self-assembly, with a special attention to organometallic metalla-cycles, especially those composed of half-sandwich complexes. These metalla-assemblies have been used as sensors, as anticancer agents, as well as drug carriers.

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Abbreviations

bipy:

4,4′-Bipyridine

bpe:

1,2-Bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene

bpp:

5,15-Bis(4-pyridyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin

bpy:

2,2′-Bipyrimidine

Cp:

Cyclopentadienyl

Cp*:

Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl

DAniF:

N,N′-Di(p-anisyl)formamidinate

dcbq:

2,5-Dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone-3,6-diolato

dhbq:

1,4-Benzoquinone-2,5-diolato

doaq:

1,4-Anthraquinone-9,10-diolato

donq:

1,4-Naphthoquinone-5,8-diolato

dotq:

Tetracene-5,12-dione-6,11-diolato

en:

Ethylenediamine

phen:

4,7-Phenanthroline

tpp:

5,10,15,20-Tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin

tppp:

5,10,15-Tris(4-pyridyl)-20-phenylporphyrin

tpt:

1,3,5-Tris(4-pyridyl)triazine

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank past and present members of his group, financial support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the Johnson Matthey Technology Centre for a generous loan of ruthenium trichloride hydrate.

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  1. Institut de chimie, Université de Neuchâtel, Av. de Bellevaux 51, CH-2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Bruno Therrien

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Correspondence to Bruno Therrien .

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  1. , RWTH Aachen, Institut für Organische Chemie, Landoltweg 1, Aachen, 52074, Germany

    Markus Albrecht

  2. , WWU Münster, Institut für Anorganische und Analytisch, Corrensstraße 28/30, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Ekkehardt Hahn

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Therrien, B. (2011). Drug Delivery by Water-Soluble Organometallic Cages. In: Albrecht, M., Hahn, E. (eds) Chemistry of Nanocontainers. Topics in Current Chemistry, vol 319. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/128_2011_272

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