A Comprehensive Review of Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications
Keywords:
metal complexes; coordination chemistry; Schiff base; spectroscopic characterization; catalysis; biomedical applications; metal-organic frameworksAbstract
Metal complexes, formed through the coordination of central metal ions with surrounding ligands, occupy a central position in modern chemical research owing to their structural versatility and functional diversity. This review provides a consolidated account of the synthesis, characterization, and applications of metal complexes reported largely within the last decade. The introduction outlines the fundamental principles of coordination chemistry, the historical evolution of the field, and the significance of metal complexes across chemical, biological, and industrial domains. The literature review is organized around four themes: synthetic strategies, including classical, green, and template-assisted routes; spectroscopic and structural characterization techniques such as UV-Vis, FT-IR, NMR, EPR, and X-ray diffraction; biomedical applications encompassing antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, and DNA-binding activities; and catalytic, industrial, and materials-oriented applications such as cross-coupling catalysis, metal-organic frameworks, sensing, and energy conversion devices. Four summary tables consolidate representative examples drawn from the literature. A research methodology section describes the review's literature-search and synthesis approach, followed by a conclusion that draws together recurring structure-activity relationships, and a future work section that identifies emerging directions, including green and sustainable synthesis, artificial-intelligence-assisted complex design, and multifunctional theranostic agents. Collectively, the review underscores that rational ligand design and precise structural characterization remain the two pillars on which the expanding application landscape of metal complexes rests.
References
Abdel-Rahman, L. H., Abu-Dief, A. M., Ismael, M., Mohamed, M. A., & Hashem, N. A. (2022). Synthesis, characterization, potential antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, DNA binding, and molecular docking activities and DFT on novel Co(II), Ni(II), VO(II), Cr(III), and La(III) Schiff base complexes. Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 36(11), Article e6484.
Abu-Dief, A. M., Alsehli, M., Al-Farhan, B. S., & Ahmed, R. M. (2021). Synthesis and intensive characterization for novel Zn(II), Pd(II), Cr(III) and VO(II)-Schiff base complexes; DNA-interaction, DFT, drug-likeness and molecular docking studies. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1242, Article 130693.
Alkis, M. E., Öztürk, S., Turgut Cin, G., & Buldurun, K. (2021). Cobalt and ruthenium complexes with pyrimidine-based Schiff base: Synthesis, characterization, anticancer activities and electrochemotherapy efficiency. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1226, Article 129402.
Berrones Reyes, J., Kuimova, M. K., & Vilar, R. (2021). Metal complexes as optical probes for DNA sensing and imaging. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 61, 179–190.
Bodman, S. E., & Butler, S. J. (2021). Advances in anion binding and sensing using luminescent lanthanide complexes. Chemical Science, 12(8), 2716–2734.
Colombo, A., Dragonetti, C., Roberto, D., & Fagnani, F. (2021). Copper complexes as alternative redox mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells. Molecules, 26(23), Article 7076.
Fickenscher, Z. B. G., Lönnecke, P., Müller, A. K., Hollóczki, O., Kirchner, B., & Hey-Hawkins, E. (2023). Synergistic catalysis in heterobimetallic complexes for homogeneous carbon dioxide hydrogenation. Molecules, 28(6), Article 2574.
Hasan, M. S., Kayesh, R., Begum, F., & Rahman, S. M. A. (2016). Transition metal complexes of Naproxen: Synthesis, characterization, forced degradation studies, and analytical method verification. Journal of Chemistry, 2016, Article 3560695.
Loginova, N., Gvozdev, M., Osipovich, N., Khodosovskaya, A., Koval'chuk-Rabchinskaya, T., Ksendzova, G., Kotsikau, D., & Evtushenkov, A. (2022). Silver(I) complexes with phenolic Schiff bases: Synthesis, antibacterial evaluation and interaction with biomolecules. ADMET and DMPK, 10(4), 251–264.
Malinowski, J., Zych, D. D., Jacewicz, D., & Gawdzik, B. (2020). Application of coordination compounds with transition metal ions in the chemical industry — A review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(15), Article 5443.
Md Ishak, N. A. I., Kamarudin, S. K., & Timmiati, S. N. (2019). Green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles via plant extracts: An overview. Materials Research Express, 6(11), Article 112004.
Parker, D., Fradgley, J. D., & Wong, K.-L. (2021). The design of responsive luminescent lanthanide probes and sensors. Chemical Society Reviews, 50(14), 8193–8213.
Santos, A. C. F., Monteiro, L. P. G., Gomes, A. C. C., Martel, F., Santos, T. M., & Ferreira, B. J. M. L. (2022). NSAID-based coordination compounds for biomedical applications: Recent advances and developments. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(5), Article 2855.
Slimani, I., Mansour, L., Abutaha, N., Harrath, A. H., Al-Tamimi, J., Gürbüz, N., Özdemir, I., & Hamdi, N. (2020). Synthesis, structural characterization of silver(I)-NHC complexes and their antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor activities. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 28(1), 1–13.
Sun, G., Xie, Y., Sun, L., & Zhang, H. (2021). Lanthanide upconversion and downshifting luminescence for biomolecules detection. Nanoscale Horizons, 6(10), 766–780.
Tabrizi, L., Dao, D. Q., & Vu, T. A. (2019). Experimental and theoretical evaluation on the antioxidant activity of a copper (II) complex based on lidocaine and ibuprofen amide-phenanthroline agents. RSC Advances, 9(4), 1862–1874.
Viganor, L., Howe, O., McCarron, P., McCann, M., & Devereux, M. (2017). The antibacterial activity of metal complexes containing 1,10-phenanthroline: Potential as alternative therapeutics in the era of antibiotic resistance. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 17(11), 1280–1302.
Wang, Q., & Astruc, D. (2020). State of the art and prospects in metal-organic framework (MOF)-based and MOF-derived nanocatalysis. Chemical Reviews, 120(2), 1438–1511.
Wei, D., & Darcel, C. (2019). Iron catalysis in reduction and hydrometalation reactions. Chemical Reviews, 119(4), 2550–2610.
Zalevskaya, O. A., & Gur'eva, Y. A. (2021). Recent studies on the antimicrobial activity of copper complexes. Russian Journal of Coordination Chemistry, 47(11), 745–763.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
