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van der Westhuizen, D., Bezuidenhout,* D. I., & Munro,* O. Q. (2021). Cancer molecular biology and strategies for the design of cytotoxic gold (I) and gold (III) complexes: a tutorial review. Dalton Transactions, 50, 17413-17437.
van der Westhuizen, D., Bezuidenhout,* D. I., & Munro,* O. Q. (2021). Cancer molecular biology and strategies for the design of cytotoxic gold (I) and gold (III) complexes: a tutorial review. Dalton Transactions, 50, 17413-17437.
Showcasing research from Professor Orde Munro and Daniela Bezuidenhout's laboratories at the Molecular Sciences Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
This review addresses cancer molecular biology, historical gold metallodrug development, DNA-targeting drugs, and strategies to activate Au(I ) and Au( III) with ligands for cell uptake, protein and nucleic acid binding, and imaging.
The illustration highlights two different designs (and thus different biomolecular targets) of cytotoxic Au( III) DNA intercalators from the Munro and Bezuidenhout laboratories.
From the themed collection: 2021 Frontier and Perspective articles
van der Westhuizen, D., Slabber, C.A., Fernandes, M.A., Joubert, D.F., Kleinhans, G., van der Westhuizen, C.J., Stander, A., Munro,* O.Q., & Bezuidenhout,* D.I. (2021). A Cytotoxic Bis(1, 2, 3‐triazol‐5‐ylidene)carbazolide Gold(III) Complex Targets DNA By Partial Intercalation. Chemistry–A European Journal, 27(35), 8295-8307.
van der Westhuizen, D., Slabber, C.A., Fernandes, M.A., Joubert, D.F., Kleinhans, G., van der Westhuizen, C.J., Stander, A., Munro,* O.Q., & Bezuidenhout,* D.I. (2021). A Cytotoxic Bis(1, 2, 3‐triazol‐5‐ylidene)carbazolide Gold(III) Complex Targets DNA By Partial Intercalation. Chemistry–A European Journal, 27(35), 8295-8307.
A challenging synthesis yields a bis(carbene) AuI-CNC pincer precursor complex that may be oxidized to a remarkably redox-stable [AuIII(CNC)Cl]+ cation which shows significant cytotoxicity towards a breast cancer cell line. Electrophoresis, viscometry, and spectroscopic data suggest the likely mode of interaction of the compound with DNA involves partial intercalation, enabling it to potentially target both conventional and unconventional DNA species such as three-way junctions (in silico data). More information can be found in the Full Paper by O. Q. Munro, D. I. Bezuidenhout, et al. (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100598).
This article also appears in:
Hot Topic: Gold (Chemistry-A European Journal)
View this collection of articles online.
Munro,* O. Q., Coutsolelos, A. G., Cheng, B., & Scheidt,* W. R. (2019). Single hydroxo-bridged group 13 metalloporphyrin dimers: Solution studies and solid-state structures. Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 23(09), 969-989.
Munro,* O. Q., Coutsolelos, A. G., Cheng, B., & Scheidt,* W. R. (2019). Single hydroxo-bridged group 13 metalloporphyrin dimers: Solution studies and solid-state structures. Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 23(09), 969-989.
With a shape distinctly reminiscent of the fictional Star Wars TIE fighter, μ-hydroxo dimers of Group 13 metalloporphyrins have some unusual spectroscopic features including strongly blue-shifted Soret bands and markedly shielded hydroxyl proton resonances. In this report we describe suitable conditions to control the monomer-dimer equilibrium to enable preparation of crystalline dimers by proton-mediated condensation reactions. DFT simulations garner a deeper understanding of the electronic structures of the compounds and their significant electrochemical redox stability.
Nikolayenko, V. I., van Wyk, L. M., Munro,* O. Q., & Barbour,* L. J. (2018). Supramolecular solvatochromism: mechanistic insight from crystallography, spectroscopy and theory. Chemical Communications, 54(51), 6975-6978.
Nikolayenko, V. I., van Wyk, L. M., Munro,* O. Q., & Barbour,* L. J. (2018). Supramolecular solvatochromism: mechanistic insight from crystallography, spectroscopy and theory. Chemical Communications, 54(51), 6975-6978.
A solvatochromic dinuclear copper(II) metallocycle effectively traps tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether and pentane significantly above their boiling points. X-ray crystallography, EPR and UV-visible spectroscopy were used to delineate an empirical relationship between the guest-induced structural perturbation of the metallocycle, the ligand field splitting parameter Δ (νmax), and the EPR g-values of the inclusion compounds, thereby elucidating the solvatochromic mechanism.
Note: Journal covers from research done by the Chair whilst at WITS University are highlighted here. Those from work performed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal are available from the author on request.
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