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The Diversity of Life: Light to Heavy Metal Coordination Compounds of Biological Relevance

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 639

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: coordination compounds; metal-based drugs; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral agents; cancer therapy; drug delivery systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coordination chemistry is a branch of science that reflects, in its diversity, the complexity of systems in living nature. Metal-containing coordination compounds possess specific properties that make them applicable in various fields of life, from metallurgy and analytical chemistry to biological systems and medicine. At present, the chemistry of complex compounds continues to intensively develop. Indeed, along with natural coordination compounds, those obtained in laboratory conditions may also express therapeutic potential due to their promising antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anticancer properties, among others. The design of novel metal-based compounds with specific functionalities can contribute significantly to advancements in both natural and industrial facets of life.

This Special Issue aims to spotlight the recent progress in the development of new metal complexes containing various ligands—natural and/or (semi)synthetic—with putative application in therapy of various diseases, targeted and controlled drug delivery systems, or diagnostic and imaging purposes. Ongoing research on fundamental coordination chemistry in solid state and in solution is also welcome. Original and review articles concerning the above topics and studies on computer-aided drug design, in silico studies, and drug repurposing are greatly encouraged. All scientists working in these fields are invited to submit their work for publication in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Ivayla Pantcheva
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • coordination compounds
  • metal-based drugs
  • antimicrobial
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antiviral agents
  • cancer therapy
  • drug delivery systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 5243 KiB  
Article
Crystal Structure and Properties of Thallium(I) Salinomycinate
by Nikolay Petkov, Petar Dorkov, Angel Ugrinov, Elzhana Encheva, Miroslav Abrashev, Diana Zasheva, Teodora Daneva and Ivayla N. Pantcheva
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(13), 6504; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136504 - 6 Jul 2025
Viewed by 442
Abstract
In this study, we present the preparation and characterization of a novel thallium(I) coordination compound of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin (SalH). The complex [TlSal(H2O)] exists as two subunits, SalTl1 and SalTl2, which differ slightly in their structural parameters. Salinomycin acts [...] Read more.
In this study, we present the preparation and characterization of a novel thallium(I) coordination compound of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin (SalH). The complex [TlSal(H2O)] exists as two subunits, SalTl1 and SalTl2, which differ slightly in their structural parameters. Salinomycin acts in a pentadentate coordination mode through oxygen donor atoms, and the six-fold arrangement around the metal centers is completed by interaction with a water molecule. In the overall complex structure, the two mononuclear species SalTl1 and SalTl2 are connected via a hydrogen bond network by a third water molecule. The inclusion of the heavy metal ion into the structure of the polyether ionophore reduces its biological activity against Gram-positive microorganisms and cervical cancer cells at in vitro conditions. Full article
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