Metallodrugs as Anticancer Chemotherapeutics and Diagnostic Agents: A Critical Patent Review (2010-2020).

Background: The development of metallodrugs with potential applications in cancer treatment and diagnosis has been a hot topic since the approval and subsequent marketing of the anticancer drug cisplatin in 1978. Since then, thousands of metal-based derivatives have been reported and evaluated for their chemotherapeutic or tumor imaging properties, but only a very limited number gained clinical status. Nonetheless, research in the field has been increasing exponentially over the years, especially in a view to exploiting novel drug designing approaches and strategies aimed at improving pharmacological outcomes and, at the same time, reducing side-effects.

cis-Semihydrogenation of alkynes with amine borane complexes catalyzed by gold nanoparticles under mild conditions.

Supported gold nanoparticles catalyze the semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes with ammonia borane or amine borane complexes in excellent yields and under mild conditions. Internal alkynes provide cis-alkenes, making this protocol an attractive alternative of the classical Lindlar's hydrogenation.