Caifeng Bi

Three novel coordination polymers (CPs) based on transition metals, namely {[Cu(bpt)₂(H₂O)₂]·2NO₃}_n (1), {[Cu(bpt)(SO₄)(H₂O)]·H₂O}_n (2) and [Cd(bpt)(SO₄)]_n (3) (tib = 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene and bpt = 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole), have been designed and successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions. All of these three polymers were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR spectra, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that complex 1 possesses a uninodal 4-connected 3D (three-dimensional) spl topology framework with the point symbol (4⁴·6²). Complex 2 showing a 1D zigzag chain, which is connected by a sulfate anion to form a 2D network, is further assembled into a 3D supramolecular structure, whereas complex 3 displays a 3D 3,5-connected tfz-d topology with chiral inorganic 2-D layers. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation of the three complexes has been investigated. Significantly, complex 1 is the best photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dyes (MB/MV/RhB).

In the present work, a novel 5‐methyl‐thiophene‐carbaldehyde‐functionalized rhodamine 6G Schiff base (RA) was designed and easily prepared as an Al³⁺ fluorescent and colorimetric probe, which could selectively and sensitively detect Al³⁺ by showing enhanced fluorescence emission. Meanwhile distinct color variation from colorless to pink also provided ‘naked eye’ detection of Al³⁺, due to the ring spirolactam opening of the rhodamine derivative. Other metal ions (including K⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Ba²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Co²⁺, Li⁺, Sr²⁺ and Cu²⁺) could only induce limited interference. The detection limit of the fluorescent probe was estimated to be 4.17 × 10⁻⁶ M, the binding constant of the RA–Al³⁺ complex was 1.4 × 10⁶ M⁻¹. Moreover, this fluorescent probe RA possessed high reversibility. As aluminum is a ubiquitous metal in nature and plays vital roles in many biological processes, this chemosensor could be explored for biological study applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cefepime (FEP), which is a member of the fourth-generation cephalosporin class, has been extensively studied as a biochemical and antimicrobial reagent in recent years. Manganese (Mn) is important in the biochemical and physiological processes of many living organisms, and it is also high expressed in some tumor tissues. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the proteasome-inhibitory and anti-proliferative properties of 8 metal complexes (FEP‑Cu, FEP-Zn, FEP-Co, FEP-Ni, FEP-Cd, FEP-Cr, FEP-Fe, FEP-Mn) in MDA-MB‑231 human breast cancer cells. The FEP-Mn complex was found to be more potent in its ability to inhibit cell proliferation and proteasome activity than the other compounds tested. Moreover, the FEP-Mn complex inhibited proteasomal chymotrypsin-like (CT-like) activity and induced the apoptosis of breast cancer cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the MCF-10A cells were much less sensitive to the FEP complexes compared with the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These results demonstrated that the FEP-Mn(II) complex has the potential to act as a proteasome inhibitor and apoptosis inducer and therefore has possible future applications in cancer chemotherapy.

Indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-propionic acid, two potent natural plant growth hormones, have attracted attention as promising prodrugs in cancer therapy. Copper is known to be a cofactor essential for tumor angiogenesis. We have previously reported that taurine, l-glutamine, and quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde Schiff base copper complexes inhibit cell proliferation and proteasome activity in human cancer cells. In the current study, we synthesized two types of copper complexes, dinuclear complexes and ternary complexes, to investigate whether a certain structure could easily carry copper into cancer cells and consequently inhibit tumor proteasome activity and induce apoptosis. We observed that ternary complexes binding with 1,10-phenanthroline are more potent proteasome inhibitors and apoptosis inducers than dinuclear complexes in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, the ternary complexes potently inhibit proteasome activity before induction of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, but not in nontumorigenic MCF-10A cells. Our results suggest that copper complexes binding with 1,10-phenanthroline as the third ligand could serve as potent, selective proteasome inhibitors and apoptosis inducers in tumor cells, and that the ternary complexes may be good potential anticancer drugs.

The natural bentonite was purified and changed to sodium form by NaCl via exchange reaction. Their characteristics, such as swelling volume, swelling value, colloid valence, ethylene blue adsorbed and cation exchange capacity, were measured. The results indicate that the property of Na-bentonite is better than that of natural bentonite. Using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) and homopolymer of dimethyldiallyammomium chloride (PDMDAAC) as organo-intercalating reagents, two organic modified bentonites were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and BET surface area. The XRD results showed that the CTMAB-bentonite and PDMDAAC-bentonite had typical X-ray diffraction peaks, and the d(001) values increased to 1. 89 and 1. 45 nm, respectively. Combined with the results of FTIR, the modified reagents had been intercalated to the layer of bentonite. The BET areas, pore volumes and average pore diameters of the two organo-bentonites were decreased as compared to that of Na-bentonite.

To investigate the structure–activity relationship of L-glutamine and L-asparagine Schiff base copper complexes in applications, L-glutamine and L-asparagine Schiff bases (GV and AV) and their copper complexes [Cu₃(GV)₂(CH₃COO)₂(H₂O)] · 2H₂O (GVC) and [CuAV(H₂O)₃] (AVC) have been synthesized and characterized by molar conductance, elemental analysis, UV-Vis, IR, ¹H-NMR, and TG-DTG. We examined the geometries of GV, AV, GVC, and AVC through Hartree–Fock method and electronic absorption spectra. We also tested their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis bacteria and antiproliferation activity on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The side chain difference between L-glutamine and L-asparagine results in different geometry of GV and AV, which leads to different geometry of GVC and AVC. GVC, a trinuclear Cu(II) complex, shows the highest antibacterial activity and the highest growth inhibition activity on MDA-MB-231 cells. Our results suggest that GVC has potential as an antibacterial and anticancer agent.

A complex [Ni(C₂₀H₁₈N₂O₂)] [C₂₀H₁₈N₂O₂: N,N′‐1,2‐cyclohexenylenebis(salicylid‐eneimine)] has been synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis and X‐ray diffraction single crystal analysis. The crystal crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c with a=10.998(2) Å, b=12.774(3) Å, c=12.370(3) Å, α=90°, β=95.31(3)°, γ=90°, V=1.7304(8)nm³, Z=4, F(000)=832, S=1.272, Dc=1.447 g · cm⁻³, R ₁= 0.1027, wR ₂=0.2136, μ=1.136 mm⁻¹. The Ni(II) is four coordinated by two nitrogen and two oxygen atoms from the Schiff base ligand to furnish a planar quadrilateral geometry. The molecules are connected by hydrogen bonds to form a three‐dimensional network structure. The theoretical studies of the title complex were carried out by density functional theory(DFT) B3LYP method & 8226; CCDC: 287808

Schiff bases have been intensively investigated due to their antibacterial and antitumor properties. Copper is a cofactor essential for the tumor angiogenesis processes, whereas other transition metals are not. Consistently, high serum or tissue levels of copper were found in many types of human cancer including breast, prostate, colon, lung, and brain, supporting the idea that copper could be used as a novel selective target for cancer therapies. In the current study we hypothesize that a synthetic taurine Schiff base copper complex (Compound 1) could suppress tumor cell growth via the direct inhibition of proteasomal activity. Compound 1 potently inhibits the activity of purified 20S and 26S proteasome in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and leukemia Jurkat T cells. Inhibition of tumor cellular proteasomal activity by Compound 1 results in the accumulation of ubiquitinated protein and the proteasome target proteins p27 and Bax, followed by the induction of apoptosis. Our results strongly suggest that taurine Schiff base copper complexes, as potent proteasome inhibitors, have great potential to be developed into novel anticancer drugs.