Drug delivery by water-soluble organometallic cages

Until recently, organometallic derivatives were generally viewed as moisture- and air-sensitive compounds, and consequently very challenging to synthesise and very demanding in terms of laboratory requirements (Schlenk techniques, dried solvent, glove box). However, an increasing number of stable, water-soluble organometallic compounds are now available, and organometallic chemistry in aqueous phase is a flourishing area of research. As such, coordination-driven self-assemblies using organometallic building blocks are compatible with water, thus opening new perspectives in bio-organometallic chemistry.This chapter gives a short history of coordination-driven self-assembly, with a special attention to organometallic metalla-cycles, especially those composed of half-sandwich complexes. These metalla-assemblies have been used as sensors, as anticancer agents, as well as drug carriers.