Expanding the family of heteroleptic oxidovanadium(IV) compounds with salicylaldehyde semicarbazones and polypyridyl ligands showing anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity.

Searching for prospective vanadium-based drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease, a new series of heteroleptic [V(IV)O(L-2H)(NN)] compounds was developed by including the lipophilic 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (tmp) NN ligand and seven tridentate salicylaldehyde semicarbazone derivatives (L1-L7). The compounds were characterized in the solid state and in solution. EPR spectroscopy suggests that the NN ligand is bidentate bound through both nitrogen donor atoms in an axial-equatorial mode.