Metal carbonyl tracers and the ferrocifen family: Two facets of bioorganometallic chemistry

Our contribution to the domain of bioorganometallic chemistry is mainly focused on two different topics, namely the use of metal carbonyl complexes for infrared quantification of minute amount of tracers and the development of new organometallic drugs. In this review associated with the awarding of the 2012 Elsevier prize for outstanding contribution to bioorganometallic chemistry, I will focus on these two aspects that we helped to develop with the emphasis on our most recent works. Regarding the first topic we have recently synthesized antibodies multilabelled with metal carbonyl tracers. They open the way for the development of a full solid phase Carbonyl Metallo Immuno Assay (CMIA) based on their quantification by infrared. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of the cellular imaging of a Re(CO)3 complex in a single cell, by AFM-IR spectromicroscopy, a cutting edge technique using a set-up coupling atomic force microscopy and a tunable pulsed infrared laser. Precise localization of the rhenium complex in the cell nucleus is obtained by using detection of the characteristic ν(CO) bands of the complex. Concerning the second topic, we have prepared a large series of molecules possessing a ferrocenyl-diphenyl-butadiene skeleton, and recently their corresponding [3] ferrocenophane complexes leading to the selection of three hits (Fc-OH-Tam, Fc-diOH and DP1). These three complexes show a significant antiproliferative effect on cancer cells. However they seem to act via different mechanisms. In vivo experiments performed with Fc-diOH on rat with implanted tumors (9L cells from glioma) have shown that its formulation in lipid nanocapsules led to almost total disappearance of implanted tumors.

Graphical abstractThe ferrocifen family and metal carbonyl tracers: two facets of bioorganometallic chemistry.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Medicinal organometallic chemistry. ► Potent anticancer compounds with in vitro and in vivo activities. ► Cellular imaging of metal carbonyl complexes.