The coordination chemistry of substituted anthraquinones: Developments and applications

• Coordination chemistry of substituted anthraquinones.
• Incorporation of anthraquinone into ligand structures and their resultant chemistry with both d- and f-block metal ions.
• Self-assembled systems, coordination polymers and metal organic frameworks.
• Applications of metal–anthraquinone species to biological and chemosensing disciplines.

Anthraquinone has found diverse use within the sphere of coordination chemistry. The sheer breadth of application in this context has been driven by the remarkable physical and biological properties that are known for a wide variety of anthraquinone derivatives. This review discusses three main areas of research and development: (i) the coordination chemistry of substituted anthraquinones, including self-assembled systems, coordination polymers and metal organic frameworks; (ii) the incorporation of anthraquinone into ligand structures and their resultant chemistry with both d- and f-block metal ions; and (iii) the application of metal–anthraquinone species to biological and chemosensing disciplines. Key aspects regarding synthetic approaches and physical characteristics are discussed throughout, with particular attention and focus on the electronic and redox properties of the species in question.