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Exploring Schiff Base Ligands and Their Metal Complexes

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 1408

Special Issue Editor


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Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 90-92 Panduri Str., 050663 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: complexes with heterocyclic derivatives; antimicrobial and antitumor activity of coordination compounds; complexes with enzyme-like activity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Schiff bases are highly adaptable organic compounds formed through the condensation of amino compounds with aldehydes or ketones, leading to imines. Their straightforward synthesis and broad range of uses make them valuable ligands in various scientific and industrial applications. They play an essential role in fields such as medicine, pharmacy, coordination chemistry, biology, industry, food packaging, dyes, and polymers, and as oxygen sensors.

Schiff bases are particularly appealing as ligands due to their ability to readily form complexes with various transition metals. Furthermore, their diverse number and type of donor atoms enable them to act as versatile ligands, capable of coordinating with metal ions in different geometries and oxidation states.

Metallic complexes derived from Schiff bases have attracted considerable interest due to their distinct properties and multifunctional uses. These complexes are known for their wide spectrum of biological activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, cytostatic, and anticancer effects. In addition to their biological significance, they exhibit impressive catalytic efficiency across numerous chemical processes.

Prof. Dr. Mihaela Badea
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • schiff base ligands
  • complexes
  • X-ray structure
  • antimicrobial
  • antitumor
  • antiviral activity
  • catalysts

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 8627 KB  
Article
{ZnII2} and {ZnIIAuI} Metal Complexes with Schiff Base Ligands as Potential Antitumor Agents Against Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells
by Lora Dyakova, Tanya Zhivkova, Abedulkadir Abudalleh, Daniela C. Culita, Teodora Mocanu, Augustin M. Madalan, Anamaria Hanganu, Gabriela Marinescu, Emanuil Naydenov and Radostina Alexandrova
Molecules 2026, 31(1), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010173 - 1 Jan 2026
Viewed by 953
Abstract
The challenges of glioblastoma multiforme treatment are related to limitations in tumor removal surgery, its high heterogeneity and aggressiveness, development of resistance to standard therapy, the blood–brain barrier, and the side and toxic effects of the conventional antitumor agents used in clinical practice. [...] Read more.
The challenges of glioblastoma multiforme treatment are related to limitations in tumor removal surgery, its high heterogeneity and aggressiveness, development of resistance to standard therapy, the blood–brain barrier, and the side and toxic effects of the conventional antitumor agents used in clinical practice. Although new treatment strategies continue to emerge, progress remains slow and has not resulted in substantial improvements in patient survival. The main goal of research in recent years has been aimed at developing ways to deal with all these challenges. One of the ways to improve the control of glioblastomas is the introduction of effective new antitumor agents. Metal complexes represent a particularly promising class of compounds in this context. This is why the aim of this study was to assess the effects of six homo- and heterometallic coordination compounds bearing Schiff base ligands—[Zn2(Ampy)(µ-OH)(H2O)2](ClO4)2 (ZnAmpy), [Zn2(Dmen)(µ-OH)(H2O)2](ClO4)2 (ZnDmen), 1[{Zn2(Ampy)(μ3-OH)}2(H2O){μ-[Au(CN)2]}](ClO4)3·THF·H2O (ZnAmpyAu), [{Zn2(Dmen)(μ-OH)}2{μ-[Au(CN)2]}{[Au(CN)2]2}](ClO4)·H2O (ZnDmenAu), 1[Zn(Salampy){μ-Au(CN)2}] (ZnSalampyAu), and 1[Zn(Saldmen)(μ-Au(CN)2}] (ZnSaldmenAu)—on the viability and proliferation of 8MGBA and U251MG human glioblastoma multiforme cells (HDmen and HAmpy are bicompartmental Schiff base ligands resulting from the condensation of 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine and 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine, respectively, while HSaldmen and HSalampy are tridentate Schiff base ligands obtained via condensation of salicylaldehyde with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine and 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine, respectively). Among these compounds, ZnSaldmenAu is a new compound and is reported here for the first time. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated through analysis of cell viability, 2D/3D growth, cytopathological alterations, and induction of cell death. The results obtained by methods with different targets in cells and the associated mechanisms of action revealed that the compounds investigated show promising cytotoxic/potential antitumor activity in treated cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Schiff Base Ligands and Their Metal Complexes)
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