This chapter reviews the literature published on macrocyclic coordination chemistry during 2012. The aim is to describe the key advances, focusing on complexes formed with transition metal and lanthanide ions. Porphyrin ligands and supramolecular chemistry are not covered. New chelator design, coordination complex formation and characterisation are presented along with details on the most common applications including luminescent compound formation, MRI contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals.
HighlightsIn 2012, some elegant studies and new tools for radiopharmaceutical imaging were reported. Cooper and co-workers carried out a comparative study of bifunctional chelators for 64 Cu giving a definitive answer to which had the most favourable properties for in vivo imaging use. 1 This is extremely important when chemists are creating tools for use by biologists and medics. Denat and co-workers reported a new bifunctional chelator; a glutaric acid anhydride derivative of DOTA that will have high impact as a tool for labelling proteins and peptides. 2,3 Caravan and co-workers advanced MRI contrast agent technology by developing an amino acid derivative of DOTA that allows high rigidity and improved high field relaxivity properties when incorporated into a peptide. 4 These optimised tools will allow molecular imaging applications to reach their full potential.Catalysis is also an important area for macrocyclic chelator and metal complex design with the role of the zirconium(IV) cyclam complex in polylactide formation particularly interesting. 5 A key advance was made in the work of Williams and Kember, where they generated a highly active catalyst for copolymerisation of epoxides and carbon dioxide, offering a non-toxic and cost effective alternative to current processes. 6