Dinuclear Au(i) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes derived from unsymmetrical azolium cyclophane salts: potential probes for live cell imaging applications.

We have synthesized a new series of azolium cyclophanes and used them as precursors of inherently luminescent dinuclear Au(i)-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. The azolium cyclophanes contained two azolium groups (either imidazolium or benzimidazolium), an o-xylyl group, and an alkyl linker chain (either C2, C3 or C4). All of the azolium cyclophanes were characterised by X-ray diffraction studies and VT NMR studies, and all were fluxional in solution on the NMR timescale.

NanoSIMS multi-element imaging reveals internalisation and nucleolar targeting for a highly-charged polynuclear platinum compound.

Simultaneous multi-element imaging using NanoSIMS (nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry), exploiting the novel combination of (195)Pt and (15)N in platinum-am(m)ine antitumour drugs, provides information on the internalisation and subcellular localisation of both metal and ligands, and allows identification of ligand exchange.

Bromide ion binding by a dinuclear gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complex: a spectrofluorescence and X-ray absorption spectroscopic study.

Fluorescence and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to investigate the anion binding properties of a luminescent, dinuclear Au(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex ([1](2+)) with a short Au(I)···Au(I) contact. The addition of Br(-) ions to a DMSO solution of [1](PF(6))(2) caused a red-shift in the fluorescence emission band from 396 nm to 496 nm. Similarly, the addition of Br(-) ions to [1](PF(6))(2) caused a decrease in the energy of the Au L(3)-edge in the X-ray absorption spectrum, consistent with the formation of an association complex between the cation [1](2+) and Br(-) ions.

Visualising gold inside tumour cells following treatment with an antitumour gold(I) complex.

Gold(I) phosphine complexes, such as [Au(d2pype)(2)]Cl, (1, where d2pype is 1,2-bis(di-2-pyridyl phosphinoethane)), belong to a class of promising chemotherapeutic candidates that have been shown to be selectively toxic to tumourigenic cells, and may act via uptake into tumour cell mitochondria. For a more holistic understanding of their mechanism of action, a deeper knowledge of their subcellular distribution is required, but to date this has been limited by a lack of suitable imaging techniques. In this study the subcellular distribution of gold was visualised in situ in human breast cancer cells treated with 1, using nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry.