[AVX Seminar] Selective Cu (II) Ligands Derived from Saccharin; Structure, Reactivity and Properties

AVX Seminar

Title: Selective Cu (II) Ligands Derived from Saccharin; Structure, Reactivity and Properties

Speaker: Maria de Lurdes Cristiano

Affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve

Abstract:

Saccharin, widely used as an artificial sweetener for several decades, and some of its derivatives, known as saccharinates, have important applications in coordination chemistry. However, conjugates that combine the saccharyl system with other heterocycles have been scarcely explored hitherto, in spite of their expectable capabilities as selective bridging ligands. We have designed and prepared saccharinate-based conjugates from tailored building blocks and explored their potential as ligands. The structure and photoreactivity of selected conjugates and their binding affinity towards divalent metal cations were scrutinised. The properties and applications of ligands and of corresponding complexes were evaluated. Interestingly, some ligands demonstrated high selectivity to Cu(II). Additionally, these ligands proved safe to normal cells but demonstrated toxicity to selected cancer cell lines, known to be richer in Cu(II) than corresponding normal cells. The toxicity proved dependent on the concentration of Cu(II). These preliminary results encourage further studies on the development of saccharinate-based ligands as leads for chelant-based chemotherapy. Applications of saccharinate-based ligands in catalysis were also investigated.

Maria L. Cristiano in associate professor at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy of University of Algarve. PhD in Chemistry from the University of Liverpool (1994; Organic Chemistry), habilitation from the University of Algarve (2007; Organic Chemistry). Main research activity in the areas of Physical Organic Chemistry and Organic Reactivity (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9447-2855). Member of the IUPAC subcommittee on Structural and Mechanistic Chemistry. Member of CCMar; PI of the research group on Organic Reactivity and Medicinal Chemistry (OrgMedChem). Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Algarve.