Metal(triphenylphosphine)-atovaquone Complexes: Synthesis, Antimalarial Activity, and Suppression of Heme Detoxification.

To ascertain the bioinorganic chemistry of metals conjugated with quinones, the complexes [Ag(ATV)(PPh)] (), [Au(ATV)(PPh)]·2HO (), and [Cu(ATV)(PPh)] () were synthesized by the coordination of the antimalarial naphthoquinone atovaquone (ATV) to the starting materials [Ag(PPh]NO, [Au(PPh)Cl], and [Cu(PPh)NO], respectively. These complexes were characterized by analytical and spectroscopical techniques. X-ray diffraction of single crystals precisely confirmed the coordination mode of ATV to the metals, which was monodentate or bidentate, depending on the metal center.