Palladacycles are versatile organometallic compounds that show potential for therapeutic use. Here are described the synthesis and characterization of mono-and dinuclear palladacycles bearing diphosphines. Their biological effect was investigated in A2780, an ovarian-derived cancer line, and in normal dermal fibroblasts. The compounds displayed selective cytotoxicity toward the A2780 cell line. Compound 3 decreased the cell viability through cell cycle retention in G0/G1, triggered apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway, and induced autophagy in A2780 cells. Compound 9 also induced cell cycle retention, apoptosis, and cellular detachment. Notably, compound 9 induced the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our work demonstrated that compound 3 enters A2780 cells via active transport, which requires energy, while compound 9 enters A2780 cells mostly passively. The potential effect of palladacycles in angiogenesis was investigated for the first time in an in vivo chorioallantoic membrane model, showing that while compound 3 displayed an antiangiogenic effect crucial to fighting cancer progression, compound 9 promoted angiogenesis. These results show that palladacycles may be used in different clinical applications where pro-or antiangiogenic effects may be desirable.

Palladacycles of the type [Pd(PhPCHPPh-P,P)(C,N:C,N)] (C,N:C,N = bis(N-2,3,4-trimethoxybenzylidene)-4,4'-sulfonyldianiline or -4,4'-oxydianiline) can undergo a spontaneous slow chelate-to-bridging diphosphane coordination shift in solution. Following this strategy a tailor-made synthetic procedure was devised that culminates in isolation of double A-frame tetranuclear palladium complexes.

A dinuclear iminophosphorane palladacycle produces the missing link in the triphenylphosphane chalcogenide series of metallacycles.

In the world of science, in particular the section concerning the field of chemistry, when the results encountered during the experiment do not meet our expectations, our shrewdness may play an important role to open up new unexplored fields that could be much more interesting than what we were seeking. In those cases, our research undergoes an unforeseen shift, delivering novel and challenging results that may altogether alter our point of view and our future work. We have then struck serendipity. Specifically, in our investigation linked to palladacycles we have found that the new trends in their reactivity, as well as in their structure, have been, in many cases, related to this experience, broadening our research scope within this field. Herein, we describe our most relevant findings, which have shed new light upon the reactivity of palladacycles, thus opening new routes that lead to novel unexpected structures.

A theoretical and experimental study of tetradentate [C,N : C,N] iminophosphorane palladacycles was carried out for the purpose of elucidating their behavior as compared to the parent Schiff base analogues to determine the prospect of encountering new A-frame structures for the iminophosphor-ane derivatives. The DFT calculations were in agreement with the experimental results regarding the performance of these ligands. New insights into the chemistry of the related dinuclear species have been obtained.

Treatment of bis(iminophosphorane)phosphane ligands 2a–2e with Li2PdCl4 gave a set of novel diphosphane-derived complexes bearing two metallacycle rings, each one enclosing a P=N double bond: the unprecedented bis(iminophosphorane)phosphane-[C,N,S] palladacycles. In the case of the ligand derived from bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, 2a, both the single and the double palladacycle complexes were obtained. Reaction of 3a with bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane did not yield the expected product with the diphosphane bonded to both palladium atoms, but rather the novel coordination compound 5. The crystal structures of 3c and 5 are described.

Cyclometallated compounds have been extensively studied, in particular those with palladium and platinum. This is because of their possible applications in medicinal chemistry, as anticancer or antimicrobial agents; in some cases, with similar results as cisplatin, carboplatin or oxaliplatin. What is also remarkable is their use as homogeneous catalysts, for example, in cross coupling reactions such as Suzuki–Miyaura or Mizoroki–Heck. Herein, we report the synthesis of different thiosemicarbazone ligands, which will be reacted with a palladium or platinum salt, to give the corresponding cyclometallated compounds; in addition, their reactivity with bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) will be studied. Characterization has been carried out by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, 1c has been studied by X-ray diffraction.

The Cover Feature shows four structures depicting (clockwise from the top‐left corner) a beautiful tetranuclear layered compound, a bis‐pseudopentacoordinated palladium moiety, the only known trinuclear thiosemicarbazone palladacycle, and the sandwiched coordination of the potassium cation by small crown ether rings attached to the metallated phenyl enclosures of a dinuclear diphosphine‐bridged palladium complex. All of these unexpected findings put forward the presence of serendipity in the reactivity of palladacycles and highlight the relevance of such an experience in their chemistry. More information can be found in the Review by A. Fernández‐Figueiras et al. on page 754 in Issue 10, 2018 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/open.201800036).