Issue 6, 2024

Strategies to address key challenges of metallacycle/metallacage-based supramolecular coordination complexes in biomedical applications

Abstract

Owing to their capacity for dynamically linking two or more functional molecules, supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs), exemplified by two-dimensional (2D) metallacycles and three-dimensional (3D) metallacages, have gained increasing significance in biomedical applications. However, their inherent hydrophobicity and self-assembly driven by heavy metal ions present common challenges in their applications. These challenges can be overcome by enhancing the aqueous solubility and in vivo circulation stability of SCCs, alongside minimizing their side effects during treatment. Addressing these challenges is crucial for advancing the fundamental research of SCCs and their subsequent clinical translation. In this review, drawing on extensive contemporary research, we offer a thorough and systematic analysis of the strategies employed by SCCs to surmount these prevalent yet pivotal obstacles. Additionally, we explore further potential challenges and prospects for the broader application of SCCs in the biomedical field.

Graphical abstract: Strategies to address key challenges of metallacycle/metallacage-based supramolecular coordination complexes in biomedical applications

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
28 Nov 2023
First published
22 Feb 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024,53, 3167-3204

Strategies to address key challenges of metallacycle/metallacage-based supramolecular coordination complexes in biomedical applications

D. Xu, Y. Li, S. Yin and F. Huang, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53, 3167 DOI: 10.1039/D3CS00926B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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