Ternary complexes of Zn(II) and Cu(II) with 1-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)-4-phenylthiosemicarbazide in the presence of heterocyclic bases as auxiliary ligands: Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization and antibacterial activity

Polynuclear transition metal complexes: emerging agents for bacterial imaging and antimicrobial therapy

Polynuclear transition metal complexes (PTMCs) represent a promising class of compounds with significant potential for advancing microbial diagnostics and treatment due to their multifunctional properties. This perspective highlights recent progress in the design of PTMCs for detecting and combating microbial infections. Complexes with multiple metal centers, such as silver(I), rhenium(I), iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II), ruthenium(II), iridium(III), gold(I), and gold(III), exhibit a wide range of structural motifs and are effective against a broad spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. PTMCs show their antimicrobial effects through several mechanisms that include the generation of reactive oxygen species, which cause oxidative stress and damage bacterial cells, disrupt bacterial membranes, bind selectively to bacterial biomolecules, and interfere with critical cellular functions. Additionally, luminescent PTMCs are ideal for real-time imaging and tracking of bacterial cells during infection. In this perspective, we discuss their various applications, safety concerns, and emerging trends in the clinical use of PTMCs due to their enormous possibilities for future medical applications.

Research Progress on the Biological Activities of Metal Complexes Bearing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrazones

Due to the abundant and promising biological activities of aromatic hydrazones, it is of great significance to study the biological activities of their metal complexes for the research and development of metal-based drugs. In this review, we focus on the metal complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrazones, which still do not receive much attention, and summarize the studies related to their biological activities. Although the large number of metal complexes in phenylhydrazone prevent them all from being summarized, the significant value of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons themselves (such as naphthalene and anthracene) as pharmacophores are also considered. Therefore, the bioactivities of the metal complexes of naphthylhydrazone and anthrahydrazone are focused on, and the recent research progress on the metal complexes of anthrahydrazone by the authors is also included. In terms of biological activities, these complexes mainly show antibacterial and anticancer activities, along with less bioactivities. The present review demonstrates that the structural design and bioactivities of these complexes are fundamental, which also indicates a certain structure-activity relationship (SAR) in some substructural areas. However, a systematic and comprehensive conclusion of the SAR is still not available, which suggests that more attention should be paid to the bioactivities of the metal complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrazones since their potential in structural design and biological activity remains to be explored. We hope that this review will attract more researchers to devote their interest and energy into this promising area.