Sintesi e sviluppo di complessi di oro con potenziali applicazioni in campo farmacologico e nella catalisi

Gold compounds are showing promising results in various fields of research such as catalysis, nanotechnology and medicinal chemistry. The aim of this work was to synthesize and characterize new gold(I) and gold(III) complexes, supported by heterocyclic nitrogen donor ligands, for potential applications in medicinal chemistry and catalysis. A variety of mono- and dinuclear complexes have been obtained, which have been fully chracterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods, and in most cases their crystal structures determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Their solution chemistry and stability towards reducing agents, under physiological like conditions, was investigated. Cytotoxicity of these complexes was mostly evaluated against the human ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780S and its cisplatin resistant subline A2780R. One of the most stable compounds was challenged against a representative panel of 36 different human tumor cell lines. Reactivity with model proteins was also evaluated. Most of the compunds under study showed an interesting and promising activity. In addition, we performed some explorative in vitro tests of their antimalarial activity. In the frame of the study of the chemical reactivity of some gold(III) complexes supported by pyridinyloxazolines, the catalytic activity was also investigated. One of these compounds was found to promote, under mild conditions, polymerization of styrenes.