A facile bottom-up “green” synthetic route of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is described, using a leaf extract of the Malvaceae plant Corchorus olitorius as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The size and shape of the obtained nanoparticles were modulated by varying the amounts of the metal salt and the broth extract in the reaction medium. Only one hour was required for the complete conversion to Au NPs, suggesting that the reaction rate was higher or comparable to those of nanoparticles synthesized by chemical methods. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). While infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the various functional groups in the organic layer that stabilized the particles, TEM images were used to optimize the conditions for NPs growth. A low concentration of the C. olitorius extract yielded mixed triangular and hexagonal shapes; in contrast, quasi-spherical shapes of Au NPs with an average size of 37–50 nm were obtained at a higher extract broth concentration. The Au NPs displayed Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) bands at 535 nm. An in vitro cytotoxic assay of the biocompatible Au NPs revealed a strong cytotoxic activity in three human cancer cell lines, namely, colon carcinoma HCT-116, hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2, and breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7. In-silico bioactivity, drug-likeness, and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) predictions were conducted in order to examine the pharmacokinetic behavior of the compounds present in the C. olitorius extract.

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Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of chloroarene cyclopentadienyliron complexes were utilized to prepare new classes of oligomers and polymers containing both neutral and cationic organoiron complexes in their structures. Photolysis of these polymers resulted in the removal of the cationic cyclopentadienyliron moieties, while the neutral organoiron complexes remained intact within the polymer structures. The weight-average molecular weights of these polymers after photolysis ranged from 8700 to 56 200 with polydispersities from 1.1 to 3.1. Thermal analysis established that the cationic polymers possess higher glass transition temperatures, but lower thermal stability than the neutral ferrocene-based polymers. The glass transition temperatures of the cationic polymers ranged from 65 to 161 °C, while the T gs of the neutral polymers ranged from 10 to 92 °C. Electrochemical studies showed that the iron centers in the neutral complexes were oxidized, while the cationic complexes were reduced. Viscosity studies showed that the cationic polymers exhibited a polyelectrolyte effect.

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In our effort to develop novel and powerful agents with anti-proliferative activity, two new series of 1H-benzo[f]chromene derivatives, 4a–h and 6a–h, were synthesised using heterocyclocondensation methodologies under microwave irradiation condition. The structures of the target compounds were established on the basis of their spectral data, IR, 1H NMR, 13 C NMR, 13 C NMR-DEPT/APT, and MS data. The new compounds have been examined for their anti-proliferative activity against three cancer cell lines, MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG-2. Vinblastine and Doxorubicin have been used as positive controls in the viability assay. The obtained results confirmed that most of the tested molecules revealed strong and selective cytotoxic activity against the three cancer cell lines. Moreover, these molecules exhibited weak cytotoxicity on the HFL-1 line, which suggested that they might be ideal anticancer candidates. The SAR study of the new benzochromene compounds verified that the substituents on the phenyl ring of 1H-benzo[f]chromene nucleus, accompanied with the presence of bromine atom or methoxy group at the 8-position, increases the ability of these molecules against the different cell lines. Due to their high anti-proliferative activity, compounds 4c and 6e were selected to be examined their proficiency to inhibit the invasiveness of the highly sensitive and invasive breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. The anti-invasion behaviour of these molecules against the highly sensitive, non-oestrogen, and progesterone MDA-MB-231 cell line gave rise to their decreasing metastatic effect compared to the reference drug. Furthermore, this report explores the apoptotic mechanistic pathway of the cytotoxicity of the target compounds and reveals that most of these compounds enhance the Caspase 3/7 activity that could be considered as potential anticancer agents.

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A number of classes of polynorbornenes containing cationic iron moieties within their side chains were prepared via ring-opening metathesis polymerization with a ruthenium-based catalyst. The iron-containing polymers displayed excellent solubility in polar organic solvents. The weight-average molecular weights of these polymeric materials were estimated to be in the range of 18,000-48,000. Thermogravimetric analysis of these polymers showed two distinct weight losses. The first weight loss was in the range of 204-260 8C and was due to the loss of the metallic moieties, whereas the second weight loss was observed at 368-512 8C and was due to the degradation of the polymer backbone. Cyclic voltammetry studies of the iron-containing polymers showed that the 18 e À cationic iron centers underwent a reduction to give the neutral 19 e À complexes at half-wave potential (E 1/2 ) ¼ À1.105 V. Photolysis of the metallated polymers led to the isolation of the norbornene polymers in very good yields. Differential scanning calorimetry studies showed a sharp increase in the glass-transition temperatures up to 91 8C when rigid aromatic side chains were incorporated into the norbornene polymers.

Ternary clusters Cu(9)In(10)S(9)(SEt)(21)(PPh(3))(3) and Cu(11)In(6)S(7)(S(t)Bu)(15) were isolated from the UV-photolysis products of precursors (PPh(3))(2)CuIn(SEt)(4) and (PPh(3))(2)CuIn(S(t)Bu)(4), respectively, and structurally characterized.