Yu. S. Nekrasov

Ferrocenes as potential anticancer drugs. Facts and hypotheses

We analyzed the research data on antitumor effects of a wide range of ferrocene compounds and discussed possible mechanisms of their bioactivities. Current trends in the study of anticancer effects of ferrocene derivatives were considered. Promising ways in the design of low-toxicity anticancer ferrocene-based drugs of new generation were outlined.

Qualitative and quantitative compositions of fluids for electronic cigarettes

The composition of fluids used in “electronic cigarettes” was studied without preliminary preparation procedures using one- and two-dimensional homo- and heteronuclear 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy in addition to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). It was shown that the main components of the mixtures were non-tobacco products.

Redox-active ferrocene-modified pyrimidines and adenine as antitumor agents: structure, separation of enantiomers, and inhihibition of the DNA synthesis in tumor cells

The structures, electrochemical properties, enantiomeric separation of ferrocenyl-(alkyl)pyrimidines and ferrocenyl(ethyl)adenine and their effects on the DNA synthesis in tumor cells were studied. Enantiomeric mixtures were separated by HPLC on modified cellulose as the chiral selector. The electrochemical properties of compounds were studied by cyclic voltammetry. All compounds have reversible single-electron redox transition in the region of 0.52–0.60 V, which belongs to ferrocene—ferrocenium with a positive shift compared to ferrocene (0.52 V). The molecular structure of 1-N-(ferrocenylbenzyl)-5-iodocytosine was studied by X-ray diffraction. 1-N-(Ferrocenylethyl)adenine was studied for ability to inhibit the DNA synthesis in the human ovarian cancer cell culture by the 3H-thymidine test.

Metallation reaction in the synthesis of functional derivatives of cyclopentadienyl metal carbonyl complexes with σ-bound ligands

Studies on the use of the metallation reaction for the functionalization of a cyclopentadienyl ring in half-sandwich metal complexes with σ-bound ligands are reviewed. The areas of application for the prepared complexes are noted.

α-Ferrocenylalkylation of Some Biologically Active Compounds

a-Ferrocenylalkylation reactions [1] are used to prepare various ferrocene derivatives exhibiting a wide spectrum of biological activity [2, 3]. With the goal of further search for more efficient compounds of this series, in the present work we effected for the first time a-ferrocenylalkylation of some biologically active compounds [4], such as Cyclophosphan, 5-fluorouracil (as sodium salt), and glycine and phenylalanine ethyl esters, by the action of ferrocenylmethanol (I) in the two-phase system CH2Cl23 48% aqueous HBF4 at room temperature under vigorous stirring. It is known [5] that under these conditions a-ferrocenylcarbocation II is readily generated from alcohol I. Cation II reacts with the above nucleophilic substrates at their most electron-rich centers. As a result, we obtained in high yields ferrocene-containing compounds III3VI (Scheme 1) whose structure was confirmed by the data of elemental analysis, IR and H NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry and by chemical transformations. The IR spectra of compounds III3VI contain absorption bands typical of vibrations of the ferrocenyl fragment [6] and other functional groups (PIO, CIO, NAH). Their H NMR spectra were also consistent with the assumed structures. Compound VI showed in the H NMR spectrum a double set of signals due to the presence of two isomers (N and and N) which we failed to separate by column chromatography on Al2O3 (compound VI turned out to be unstable). According to the H signal intensities, the ratio of the Nand N-isomers is 65 : 35. The mass spectra of III3VI contained low-intense (538%) molecular ion peaks; the most abundant ions were [FcCH2] +