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Updated: May 24, 2026

Amide Coupling Reaction for the Synthesis of Bispyridine-based Ligands and Their Complexation to Platinum as Dinuclear Anticancer Agents
Published on: May 28, 2014
Charged behaviour from neutral ligands: synthesis and properties of N-heterocyclic pseudo-amides
Robert J Thatcher1, David G Johnson, John M Slattery
1Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
Abstract:
Deprotonation of the 1-isopropyl-3-(phenylamino)pyridin-1-ium iodide gives the corresponding neutral betaine, which is formalised as a pyridinium-amido ligand when coordinated to a metal. Spectroscopic, structural and theoretical methods have been used to investigate the metal-ligand bonding, ligand dynamics and electron distribution. Collectively, the data show that the ligand can be characterised as a pseudo-amide and is a strong donor akin to alkyl phosphines and N-heterocyclic carbenes. Furthermore, rotation about both N substituent C-N bonds occurs, which is in contrast to the two alternative pyridinium positional isomers that exhibit neutral resonance structures. For comparison, compounds and complexes derived from norharman were prepared, which contain an additional C-C bond supporting conjugation and the accessibility of a neutral resonance structure. Notwithstanding the formal neutral structure, norharman-derived ligands are comparably strong donors, and have the additional advantage of exhibiting stability to dioxygen and water.
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