Structure of nonasodium α-triniobatopentadecawolframatodiphosphate–acetonitrile–water (1/2/23), Na9[P2W15Nb3O62].2CH3CN.23H2O

The Preyssler-Type Polyoxotungstate Exhibits Anti-Quorum Sensing, Antibiofilm, and Antiviral Activities

The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led researchers to find new compounds or find combinations between different compounds with potential antibacterial action and with the ability to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. Polyoxotungstates (POTs) are inorganic clusters that may fulfill that need, either individually or in combination with antibiotics. Herein, we report the ability of the polyoxotungstates (POTs) with Wells-Dawson P2W18, P2W17, P2W15, and Preyssler P5W30 type structures to differently affect Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms, either susceptible or resistant to antibiotics. The compound P5W30 showed the highest activity against the majority of the tested bacterial strains in comparison with the other tested POTs (P2W15, P2W17 and P2W18) that did not show inhibition zones for the Gram-negative bacteria, A. baumanii I73775, E. coli DSM 1077, E. coli I73194, K. pneumoniae I7092374, and P. aeruginosa C46281). Generally, the results evidenced that Gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to the POTs tested. The compound P5W30 was the one most active against S. aureus ATCC 6538 and MRSA16, reaching <0.83 mg·mL−1 (100 μM) and 4.96 mg·mL−1 (600 μM), respectively. Moreover, it was verified by NMR spectroscopy that the most promising POT, P5W30, remains intact under all the experimental conditions, after 24 h at 37 °C. This prompted us to further evaluate the anti-quorum sensing activity of P5W30 using the biosensor Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, as well as its antibiofilm activity both individually and in combination with the antibiotic cefoxitin against the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 16 (MRSA16). P5W30 showed a synergistic antibacterial effect with the antibiotic cefoxitin and chloramphenicol against MRSA16. Moreover, the antibiofilm activity of P5W30 was more pronounced when used individually, in comparison with the combination with the antibiotic cefoxitin. Finally, the antiviral activity of P5W30 was tested using the coliphage Qβ, showing a dose-dependent response. The maximum inactivation was observed at 750 μM (6.23 mg·mL−1). In sum, P5W30 shows anti-quorum sensing and antibiofilm activities besides being a potent antibacterial agent against S. aureus and to exhibit antiviral activities against enteric viruses.

Wells-Dawson phosphotungstates as mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors: a speciation study

In order to elucidate the active polyoxotungstate (POT) species that inhibit fungal polyphenol oxidase (AbPPO4) in sodium citrate buffer at pH 6.8, four Wells-Dawson phosphotungstates [α/β-P^V₂W^VI₁₈O₆₂]^6- (intact form), [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- (monolacunary), [P^V₂W^VI₁₅O₅₆]^12- (trilacunary) and [H₂P^V₂W^VI₁₂O₄₈]^12- (hexalacunary) were investigated. The speciation of the POT solutions under the dopachrome assay (50 mM Na-citrate buffer, pH 6.8; L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine as a substrate) conditions were determined by ¹⁸³W-NMR, ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The intact Wells-Dawson POT [α/β-P^V₂W^VI₁₈O₆₂]^6- shows partial (~ 69%) disintegration into the monolacunary [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- anion with moderate activity (K_i = 9.7 mM). The monolacunary [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- retains its structural integrity and exhibits the strongest inhibition of AbPPO4 (K_i = 6.5 mM). The trilacunary POT [P^V₂W^VI₁₅O₅₆]^12- rearranges to the more stable monolacunary [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- (~ 62%) accompanied by release of free phosphates and shows the weakest inhibition (K_i = 13.6 mM). The hexalacunary anion [H₂P^V₂W^VI₁₂O₄₈]^12- undergoes time-dependent hydrolysis resulting in a mixture of [H₂P^V₂W^VI₁₂O₄₈]^12-, [P^V₈W^VI₄₈O₁₈₄]^40-, [P^V₂W^VI₁₉O₆₉(H₂O)]^14- and [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- which together leads to comparable inhibitory activity (K_i = 7.5 mM) after 48 h. For the solutions of [α/β-P^V₂W^VI₁₈O₆₂]^6-, [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- and [P^V₂W^VI₁₅O₅₆]^12- the inhibitory activity is correlated to the degree of their rearrangement to [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10-. The rearrangement of hexalacunary [H₂P^V₂W^VI₁₂O₄₈]^12- into at least four POTs with a negligible amount of monolacunary anion interferes with the correlation of activity to the degree of their rearrangement to [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10-. The good inhibitory effect of the Wells-Dawson [α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^10- anion is explained by the low charge density of its protonated forms H_x[α₂-P^V₂W^VI₁₇O₆₁]^(10-x)- (x = 3 or 4) at pH 6.8.

The Aquaporin-3-Inhibiting Potential of Polyoxotungstates

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are of increasing interest due to their proven anticancer activities. Aquaporins (AQPs) were found to be overexpressed in tumors bringing particular attention to their inhibitors as anticancer drugs. Herein, we report for the first time the ability of polyoxotungstates (POTs), such as of Wells-Dawson P2W18, P2W12, and P2W15, and Preyssler P5W30 structures, to affect aquaporin-3 (AQP3) activity and impair melanoma cell migration. The tested POTs were revealed to inhibit AQP3 function with different effects, with P2W18, P2W12, and P5W30 being the most potent (50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 0.8, 2.8, and 3.2 µM), and P2W15 being the weakest (IC50 > 100 µM). The selectivity of P2W18 toward AQP3 was confirmed in yeast cells transformed with human aquaglyceroporins. The effect of P2W12 and P2W18 on melanoma cells that highly express AQP3 revealed an impairment of cell migration between 55% and 65% after 24 h, indicating that the anticancer properties of these compounds may in part be due to the blockage of AQP3-mediated permeability. Altogether, our data revealed that P2W18 strongly affects AQP3 activity and cancer cell growth, unveiling its potential as an anticancer drug against tumors where AQP3 is highly expressed.

Self-Assembly in Polyoxometalate and Metal Coordination-Based Systems: Synthetic Approaches and Developments

Utilizing new experimental approaches and gradual understanding of the underlying chemical processes has led to advances in the self-assembly of inorganic and metal–organic compounds at a very fast pace over the last decades. Exploitation of unveiled information originating from initial experimental observations has sparked the development of new families of compounds with unique structural characteristics and functionalities. The main source of inspiration for numerous research groups originated from the implementation of the design element along with the discovery of new chemical components which can self-assemble into complex structures with wide range of sizes, topologies and functionalities. Not only do self-assembled inorganic and metal–organic chemical systems belong to families of compounds with configurable structures, but also have a vast array of physical properties which reflect the chemical information stored in the various “modular” molecular subunits. The purpose of this short review article is not the exhaustive discussion of the broad field of inorganic and metal–organic chemical systems, but the discussion of some representative examples from each category which demonstrate the implementation of new synthetic approaches and design principles.

Two new members of the niobium-substituted polytungstophosphate family based on hexalacunary [H2P2W12O48]12− building blocks

Herein we present two structurally novel nanoscale clusters [{Nb₆(O₂)₄P₂W₁₂O₅₇}₂]²⁰⁻ (1) and [{P₂W₁₂Nb₇O₆₃(H₂O)₂}₄{Nb₄O₄(OH)₆}]³⁰⁻ (2) formed by controlling the reaction parameters.

The lacunary polyoxoanion synthon alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-): an investigation of the key variables in its synthesis plus multiple control reactions leading to a reliable synthesis

A reliable way to determine the purity of the kinetically precipitated, noncrystalline lacunary polyoxoanion alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) has been developed, namely, the conversion of alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) into the tri-Nb(5+)- and V(5+)-containing polyoxoanions P(2)W(15)Nb(3)O(62)(9-) and P(2)W(15)V(3)O(62)(9-), respectively, followed by quantitative analysis of their purity by (31)P-NMR prior to recrystallization. With this previously unappreciated, straightforward alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) purity-assessment methodology in hand, the five reported literature syntheses of alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) are investigated with an emphasis on understanding the effects of the five differing variables within these syntheses (the amount of Na(2)CO(3) base, the rate of addition of the base, the reaction temperature, the reaction scale, and the product drying method). Two methods of Nb(5+) addition (Nb(6)O(19)(8-) and NbCl(5)) to yield P(2)W(15)Nb(3)O(62)(9-) are also evaluated, as is the issue of whether any purification is provided by the normally optimum strategy of first preparing a water-soluble salt and its crystallization from water (here the (CH(3))(4)N(+) salt of the Nb-O-Nb bridged anhydride, P(4)W(30)Nb(6)O(123)(16-)), followed by its conversion to the organic-solvent soluble, but noncrystalline, (n-C(4)H(9))(4)N(+) salt, [(n-C(4)H(9))(4)N](9)[P(2)W(15)Nb(3)O(62)]. The results yield five previously unavailable and unequivocal insights: (1) Only the amount of added Na(2)CO(3) base affects the purity or yield of the desired alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-); the amount of added base is key, however. (2) Contant's 1990 Inorganic Syntheses procedure provides the highest-purity alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) presently available. (3) All prior syntheses calling for the addition of base to P(2)W(18)O(62)(6-) until pH 9 must be abandoned. (4) The purity of even Contant's alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) is only 90%. (5) An identifiable impurity is the 16 tungsten polyoxoanion, alpha-P(2)W(16)()O(59)(12-). Also identified and summarized are multiple compounding errors in the observation of, reporting on, and thinking about the synthesis of alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) historically, errors which delayed the most reliable synthesis of alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-) from being identified for 18 years (from the 1983 discovery of alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-)). However, these errors yield valuable take-home lessons for anyone interested in working in this demanding area of inorganic synthetic chemistry, where direct structural methods for identifying the products and their purity, such as the lacunary polyoxoanion synthon alpha-P(2)W(15)O(56)(12-), sometimes simply do not exist.