Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry

Overview

The group works in the design, synthesis and study of new molecular architectures for the development of two main applications: 1) the selective uptake of anions, for detection, separation and determination of toxic anions from the environment, and 2) the binding of lanthanide or heavy metal ions. The study with lanthanides envisages the preparation of radiopharmaceutical drugs for diagnosis and therapy of tumours while the study with heavy metal ions (mercury, cadmium and lead) aims their selective uptake from biological media. Polyaza macrocycles and cryptands having benzene, pyridine, dibenzofuran, phenanthroline or other groups as further building blocks, are prepared with appropriate size and functionalities for each specific application. The attachment of pendant functionalized arms such as acetate and methylphosphonate to the nitrogen donor atoms is essential in order to obtain ligands for radionuclides with tumor specifity as well as in analytical chemistry for the construction of sensors with metal selectivity. The detection and removal from water of important anionic substrates such as herbicides, pesticides and toxic carboxylates by protonated polyaza frameworks are the objectives in the supramolecular field.