TABLE OF CONTENTS

The use of ferrocene in bioorganometal-lic chemistry has been growing rapidly, and several promising applications have been developed since ferrocene is a stable compound, nontoxic and has good redox properties. This review will focus on ferrocenyl compounds which have been biologically evaluated against certain diseases. This area has attracted many researchers due to the promising results of some ferrocene compounds in the medicinal applications.

Square planar metallic and homonuclear bimetallic complexes of Pd(II) with 2-thiouracil (HTU) and organophosphines have been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR and multinuclear ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. The thiouracil ligand TU acts as bidentate, is bound through the thioxo moiety and the endo amino group and forms a bridge between a PdCl(R₃P) and a PdCl(R₃P)₂ moiety [R₃P = Ph₃P, (o-tolyl)₃P, ClPh₂P] in the homonuclear bimetallic complexes. The square planar geometry around Pd(II) has been confirmed for these complexes by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of compound 1, [Pd₂(TU)(PPh₃)₃Cl₂]. These compounds were also screened against human tumor cell lines and showed promising in vitro cytotoxicity.

Pd(II) complexes with organophosphines and dithiocarbamates derivatives of -amino acids were synthesized by reacting N,N-dicyclohexyldithiocarbamate (DCHDTC, compounds 1-3) and N-methylcyclohexyldithiocarbamate (MCHDTC, compounds 4-6) with (R₃P)₂PdCl₂ (R = Ph, o-tolyl, Ph₂Cl) in a 1:1 molar ratio. The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) NMR and single X-ray crystallography showing that the dithiocarbamate acts as a bidentate ligand and binds to Pd(II) via two sulfur atoms resulting in a square planar geometry around Pd(II). The cytotoxicity of compounds 2, 3 and 4 was determined in vitro against six human tumour cell lines, MCF7, EVSA-T, WIDR, IGROV, M19 MEL, A498 and H226. The compounds 3 and 4 showed a moderate to low cytotoxicity whereas compound 2 exhibited a very low cytotoxicity. The results of antifungal assays showed that compounds 1-6 possess antifungal activity against Fusarium moniliformes, Fusarium saolani, Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus. The anti-inflammatory screening results of 1-6 are quite similar to the one observed for the standard drug Declofenac at 10 mg/kg, which inhibited the oedema by 74% after 4 hours.

Seven different palladium (II) complexes containing pyridyl-imine ligands have been investigated as catalysts for the coupling between aryl bromide and olefin. The substituent on the benzene ring had significant influence on the catalytic properties. The catalyst 2 shows the highest reactivity of coupling reaction with aryl bromide in NMP with₂CO₃ at 140 °C.

The polypeptide sequence MS14 (MHGK- TQATSGTIQS) was used to explore a new way of biomimetic preparation of gold nanoparticles and their aggregates. Extra reducing agent sodium citrate was introduced into the HAuCl₄-MS14 system and uniformly dispersed nanoparticles under neutral condition were obtained.

Soluble complexes of titanium containing bulky phenolic ligands were synthesized by an alcohol exchange reaction between Ti(OPrⁱ)₄ and the phenols. All these complexes were found to be active in polymerization of ethylene at high temperatures and pressures in combination with Et₃Al₂Cl₃ as co-catalyst. The polyethylene so obtained display very low molecular weights, narrow dispersities and high crystallinity.

A series of Shiff bases containing ferrocene, with liquid crystalline properties, have been synthesized and characterized. The size of the rigid core of the substituent on ferrocene was found to play an important role in determining the thermal properties of these compounds.

Palladium chloride anchored on func- tionalized MCM-41 was synthesized. The heterogeneous catalyst exhibited high catalytic performance in the Heck reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate, giving 92% yield of methyl cinnamate. The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled six times without significant loss of activity and palladium leaching.

Alkenes bearing a chloro(dimethyl)silyl and a diethylboryl group in cis-positions at the Cdbond;C bond together with a dimethylaminomethyl group in geminal position to the silyl group react with water or alcohols to give novel ammonium salts, 2,5-dihydro-1,2,5-oxoniaboratole derivatives.

Phenols were converted into the aryla1225ga.eps diethyl phosphates (II). Reaction of II with sodium trimethylstannide in liquid ammonia leads to the corresponding aryl- and heteroarylpoly(trimethylstannyl) derivatives (III). Organotins III react with borane in THF to give arylpolyboronic acids IV in ca 80% yield. The valuable arylboronic acids are obtained pure and uncontaminated by organotin residues and by other organic and inorganic boron derivatives as well as free of organic halides.

Reactions between 2,6-(MeOCH₂)₂C₆H₃OHa1226ga.eps (LH) and trimethylaluminum in various ratios were studied. The products of these reactions were characterized with the help of ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The PPO and -caprolactone polymerization activity of the L₂AlMeB(C₆F₅)₃ system is also discussed.

Some new type of mononuclear deriva- tives AlLLH(1a-1d) of aluminium have been synthesized by 1:2 molar ratio by the reaction of Al(OPrⁱ)₃ and LH₂ [XC(NYOH)CH(R)OH], X = CH₃, Y = (CH₂)₂, R = CH₃(L¹H₂); X = C₆H₅, Y = (CH₂)₂, R = CH₃(L²H₂); X = CH₃, Y = (CH₂)₃, R = CH₃(L³H₂); X = C₆H₅, Y = (CH₂)₃, R = CH₃(L⁴H₂) in refluxing benzene. Reactions of AlLLH with hexamethyldisilazane in 2:1 molar ratio yield some new ligand bridged heterodinuclear derivatives AlLLSiMe₃(2a-2d). All these newly synthesized derivatives have been characterized by elemental analysis and molecular weight measurements. Tentative structures have been proposed on the basis of IR and NMR spectra (¹H, ¹³Cl, ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si) and FAB-mass studies. Schiff base ligand and their mono- and heterodi-nuclear derivatives with aluminium have been screened for their fungicidal activities. These compounds showed significant antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and A. flavus.

Ten dialkyldithiophosphate derivatives of phenylbismuth(III) of the type, Ph_(3-n)Bi[S(S)P(OR)₂]_n [where n = 1; R = Me (1), Et(2), Prⁱ (3), Prⁿ (4) and Buⁿ (5); n = 2; R = Me (6), Et (7), Prⁱ (8), Prⁿ (9) and Buⁿ (10)] have been synthesized by the reactions of triphenyl-bismuth(III) with corresponding dialkyldithiophosphoric acids in 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometric ratios, respectively, in stirred benzene solution. The newly synthesized brown colored compounds, 1-10 have been characterized by elemental analyses, molecular weight measurements, IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) spectral studies. The ligand diethyldithiophosphoric acid, [(C₂H₅O)₂P(S)SH] and its organobismuth(III) derivatives, compounds 2 and 7 were administered to adult male rats by oral gavage at the dose of 25 mg perg body weight per day, for 60 days, and their effects were evaluated and compared for changes in testicular morphology, circulatory concentrations of testosterone, FSH and LH, sperm dynamics, fertility index and testicular cell population dynamics.

Crystal structures of N,N-bis(diphenyl-a1253ga.eps phosphino)-2,3-dimethylaniline-Pd(II) and N,N-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2-ethyl- aniline-Pd(II) complexes have been determined and the catalytic influence of the complexes was investigated in Heck reactions.