Applications and Future Trends for Novel Copper Complexes

A special issue of Inorganics (ISSN 2304-6740). This special issue belongs to the section "Coordination Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 17857

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, Venezuela
Interests: metal complexes; plasmodium; chloroquine; malaria; cancer; DNA; ferriprotoporphytin

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Copper is a major industrial metal, used in biotechnology, medicine, agriculture, and biomimetic compounds. Its widespread use, alongside its cost, accessibility, and biocompatibility, has led several researchers to place it at the center of their studies, with various applications. Therefore, a Special Issue dedicated to this metal is essential and of the utmost importance.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute original research articles and reviews discussing current research, uses, and future applications of copper complexes in catalytic, bio-inorganic, industrial, environmental, medical, and microbiological applications, which are within the scope of this journal.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. William Castro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Inorganics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • copper complexes
  • catalytic
  • bio-inorganic
  • industrial
  • environmental
  • medical
  • microbiological

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

27 pages, 19227 KiB  
Article
Copper(II) Complex with a 3,3′-Dicarboxy-2,2′-Dihydroxydiphenylmethane-Based Carboxylic Ligand: Synthesis, Spectroscopic, Optical, Density Functional Theory, Cytotoxic, and Molecular Docking Approaches for a Potential Anti-Colon Cancer Control
by Ayman H. Ahmed, Ibrahim O. Althobaiti, Kamal A. Soliman, Yazeed M. Asiri, Ebtsam K. Alenezy, Saad Alrashdi and Ehab S. Gad
Inorganics 2025, 13(5), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13050151 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 146
Abstract
The chemical interaction of salicylic acid, formaldehyde, and sulfuric acid produced a disalicylic ligand (3,3′-dicarboxy-2,2′-dihydroxydiphenylmethane, DCM), which was then allowed to coordinate with copper (II) ions. The solid compounds’ chemical structures were determined using elemental analysis, UV-Vis, FT-IR, MS, 1H-NMR, PXRD, SEM, [...] Read more.
The chemical interaction of salicylic acid, formaldehyde, and sulfuric acid produced a disalicylic ligand (3,3′-dicarboxy-2,2′-dihydroxydiphenylmethane, DCM), which was then allowed to coordinate with copper (II) ions. The solid compounds’ chemical structures were determined using elemental analysis, UV-Vis, FT-IR, MS, 1H-NMR, PXRD, SEM, TEM, magnetic studies, as well as molecular modeling based on DFT (density functional theory) calculations. It was proposed that the ligand coordinates in a tetradentate fashion with the copper ion to give a square-planar binuclear complex. A significant difference in the diffraction patterns between Cu(II)–DCM (amorphous) and DCM (crystalline) was displayed using an X-ray diffraction analysis. Spherical granules were identified throughout through morphology analysis using SEM and TEM. UV-Vis spectra were used to quantify the optical characteristics such as the energy gap, optical conductivity, refractive index, and penetration depth. The band gap values that lie within the semiconductor region suggested that the compounds could be used for electronic applications. The optimized structure of the synthesized Cu(II)–DCM complex was investigated using DFT and TD-DFT (time-dependent density functional theory) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) level, with the LANL2DZ basis set for Cu in an ethanol solvent and the gas environment modeled by CPCM. The experimental data suggest a square-planar geometry of the Cu(II) binuclear complex. The theoretical calculations support the proposed structure of the compound. The cytotoxicity of the DCM against HCT–116 (human colon cancer) cells was tested, and the outcome exhibited good inhibitions of growth. A molecular docking (MD) examination was carried out to illustrate the binding mode/affinity of the prepared compounds (DCM and Cu(II)–DCM) in the active site of the receptor protein [CDK2 enzyme, PDB ID: 6GUE]. The compounds formed hydrogen bonds with the amino acid residues of the protein, increasing the binding affinity from −7.2 to −9.3 kcal/mol through the coordination process. The information from this current study, particularly the copper complex, is beneficial for exploring new compounds that have anticancer potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Future Trends for Novel Copper Complexes)
Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1945 KiB  
Communication
Homo-Chromophores in Cu(I)(XXX), (X3 = N3, C3, Cl3, S3, P3, Br3, or I3) Derivatives—Structural Aspects
by Milan Melník, Veronika Mikušová and Peter Mikuš
Inorganics 2025, 13(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13020036 - 25 Jan 2025
Viewed by 17525
Abstract
The structural aspects of homo-chromophores in Cu(I)(XXX) complexes, where X3 = N3, C3, Cl3, S3, P3, Br3, or I3, are analyzed in this study. These copper(I) derivatives crystallize [...] Read more.
The structural aspects of homo-chromophores in Cu(I)(XXX) complexes, where X3 = N3, C3, Cl3, S3, P3, Br3, or I3, are analyzed in this study. These copper(I) derivatives crystallize in five distinct crystal systems as follows: rhombohedral (1 example), trigonal (1 example), orthorhombic (4 examples), triclinic (5 examples), and monoclinic (15 examples). The angular distortion from regular trigonal geometry increases in the following order: Cu(ClClCl) < Cu(NNN) < Cu(PPP) < Cu(BrBrBr) < Cu(III) < Cu(CCC) < Cu(SSS). For Cu(I)(XX) complexes, the deviation from linear geometry increases in the order: Cu(SeSe) < Cu(SS) < Cu(OO) < Cu(ClCl) < Cu(NN) < Cu(CC) < Cu(PP) < Cu(BrBr). The structural parameters of Cu(I)(XXX) are examined, discussed, and compared with those of homonuclear Cu(I)(XX) complexes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Future Trends for Novel Copper Complexes)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop