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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Quantifying the Binding Interactions Between Cu(II) and Peptide Residues in the Presence and Absence of Chromophores
Published on: April 5, 2022
The relationship between the electrospray ionization behaviour and biological activity of some phosphino Cu(I)
Francesco Tisato1, Fiorenzo Refosco, Marina Porchia
1CNR Istituto di Chimica Inorganica e delle Superfici, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I 35127 Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was usefully employed for the characterization of three phosphino copper(I) complexes of medicinal interest. This technique revealed that the original [CuL(4)](+) pro-drugs (L = hydrophilic tertiary phosphine) underwent dissociation with production of coordinative unsaturated [CuL(3)](+) and [CuL(2)](+) species, which represented key intermediates for the activation of potential biological properties. The more favoured was the displacement of the ligands from the [CuL(4)](+) parent complex, the more favoured was in turn the possibility for the metal ion to directly interact with biological substrates, including pharmacological targets related to cancer proliferation. An inverse correlation between the stability and the cytotoxic activity of the three copper(I) complexes investigated has been clearly established.
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