Ligand exchange and complex formation kinetics studied by NMR exemplified on fac-[(CO)3M(H2O)] (M = Mn, Tc, Re)

In this review ligand exchange and complex formation reactions on fac-[(CO)₃M(H₂O)₃]⁺ (M = Mn, Tc, Re) and on fac-[(CO)₂(NO)Re(H₂O)₃]²⁺ are presented. A variety of experimental NMR techniques are described and it is shown that sometimes combinations of techniques applied at variable temperature or variable pressure allowed to measure exchange rate constants and their activation parameters as well as thermodynamic parameters. Furthermore, the use of uncommon nuclei for NMR like ¹⁷O or ⁹⁹Tc extends considerably the range of applications especially in aqueous solutions when ¹H NMR is often not very useful.Tricarbonyl triaqua complexes of technetium(I) and rhenium(I) became important precursors for a variety of radiopharmaceuticals under development. It has been shown that the fac-[(CO)₃M]-unit is kinetically inert and that water molecules bound to it can be easily replaced. Reactivity of the Re^I complexes is one to two orders of magnitude slower than its Tc^I analogues. Furthermore, it shows a marked acidity dependence which has not been observed for Tc^I and Mn^I species.     

Characterization of 99mTc(CO)3-iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and its comparison with 99mTc-(IDA)2 using compounds for hepatobiliary scintigraphy

The organometallic precursor of fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ has attracted much attention because of the robustness and small size of Tc(I)-tricarbonyl complexes compared to Tc(V) complexes and the good labeling affinity with a variety of donor atoms. Among various ligand systems, an iminodiacetic acid (IDA) was proven as a good chelating group to form a Tc(III)-compelx as well as has been shown its potential as a chelating system for fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃] precursor. In an attempt to confirm the similarity and the difference between ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA and ^99mTc-(IDA)₂-complex, M(CO)₃-IDA (M = ^99mTc, Re) complexes of disofenin, mebrofenin and N-(3-iodo-2,4,6-trimethyl phenylcarbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetic acid were prepared, and the biological evaluation of ^99mTc(CO)₃-disofenin was performed. The ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA complexes were prepared with a high radiolabeling yield (>98%) in a quantitative manner and showed a negative charge. The in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior of ^99mTc(CO)₃-disofenin showed a similar biological activity to ^99mTc-(disofenin)₂ in that those complexes were quickly cleared from the blood by the hepatocytes and excreted into the gallbladder and intestine. Accordingly, the ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA derivatives of disofenin and mebrofenin might be used as hepatobiliary imaging agents. Since an IDA is a promising chelator for ^99mTc-based radiopharmaceutical and the biological properties of ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA derivative shows similar to that of ^99mTc-complex, a biomolecule containing IDA can be freely radiolabeled with fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃]-precursor or ^99mTc. However, the radiolabeling efficiency and the biological behavior demonstrates the favorable properties of ^99mTc(CO)₃-IDA compound for the development of a new imaging agent.     

Syntheses of High‐Valent fac‐[99mTcO3]+ Complexes and [3+2] Cycloadditions with Alkenes in Water as a Direct Labelling Strategy

Reported herein is a new concept for the labelling of biomolecules with small [^{99 m}TcO₃]⁺ complexes through a [3+2] cycloaddition with alkenes for radiopharmaceutical applications. We developed convenient reactions for the synthesis of small, water stable fac‐[TcO₃(tacn‐R)]⁺ complexes (⁹⁹Tc and ^99mTc, tacn=1,4,7‐triazacyclononane, R=H, ‐CH₂‐C₆H₅, ‐CH₂‐C₆H₄COOH). With alkenes, these high valent [^99mTcO₃]⁺ complexes undergo [3+2] cycloaddition with formation of the corresponding Tc^V–glycolato complexes. The ^99mTc^V and ^99mTc^VII complexes are stable at 37 °C in water and in the presence of serum proteins. Therefore, new opportunities in technetium chemistry are enabled with a high potential for medicinal and biological applications. In contrast to classical labelling, the presented strategy is ligand and not metal‐centred.     

Synthesis, Radiolabelling and in vitro Stability Study of 99mTc(CO)+3 Labeled Dendrimer PAMAM-Folic Acid Conjugate

Dendrimer polyamidoamine generation five‐folic acid conjugate was synthesesed and radiolabelled with fac‐[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺, its in vitro stability was evaluated further. Both of the labeling yield and radiochemical purity of the G5‐FA‐DTPA‐^99mTc(CO)₃ conjugate exceeded 95%. More than 95.7% and 93.1% of the conjugate still keeps its original structure in PBS and new‐born calf serum solution respectively.     

Rhenium(I) and technetium-99m(I) fac-tricarbonyl complexes with 4-(imidazolin-2-yl)-3-thiabutanoic acid derivatives as tridentate ligands: Synthesis and structural characterization

Two rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes, with the monoanionic tridentate NSO type ligand, 4-(imidazolin-2-yl)-3-thiabutanoic acid and 4-(N-ethylimidazolin-2-yl)-3-thiabutanoic acid were synthesized and isolated in pure form. Both complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. The solid-state structure of 4-(imidazolin-2-yl)-3-thiabutanoic acid and of both complexes was established by X-ray crystallography. The geometry about the rhenium is octahedral. The analogous technetium-99m complexes were also prepared quantitatively by the reaction of both ligands with the fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ synthon and their identity was established by chromatographic comparison to their rhenium congeners.     

[M(CO)2(NO)], a new core in bioorganometallic chemistry: model complexes of [Re(CO)2(NO)] and [Tc(CO)2(NO)]

In this study selected bidentate (L²) and tridentate (L³) ligands were coordinated to the Re(I) or Tc(I) core [M(CO)₂(NO)]²⁺ resulting in complexes of the general formula fac-[MX(L²)(CO)₂(NO)] and fac-[M(L³)(CO)₂(NO)] (M = Re or Tc; X = Br or Cl). The complexes were obtained directly from the reaction of [M(CO)₂(NO)]²⁺ with the ligand or indirectly by first reacting the ligand with [M(CO)₃]⁺ and subsequent nitrosylation with [NO][BF₄] or [NO][HSO₄]. Most of the reactions were performed with cold rhenium on a macroscopic level before the conditions were adapted to the n.c.a. level with technetium (^99mTc). Chloride, bromide and nitrate were used as monodentate ligands, picolinic acid (PIC) as a bidentate ligand and histidine (HIS), iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as tridentate ligands. We synthesised and describe the dinuclear complex [ReCl(μ-Cl)(CO)₂(NO)]₂ and the mononuclear complexes [NEt₄][ReCl₃(CO)₂(NO)], [NEt₄][ReBr₃(CO)₂(NO)], [ReBr(PIC)(CO)₂(NO)], [NMe₄][Re(NO₃)₃(CO)₂(NO)], [Re(HIS)(CO)₂(NO)][BF₄], [⁹⁹Tc(HIS)(CO)₂(NO)][BF₄], [^99mTc(IDA)(CO)₂ (NO)] and [^99mTc(NTA)(CO)₂(NO)]. The chemical and physical characteristics of the Re and Tc-dicarbonyl-nitrosyl complexes differ significantly from those of the corresponding tricarbonyl compounds.     

Chemistry at High Dilution: Dinuclear 99 mTc Complexes

The formation of di- or polynuclear complexes at nanomolar concentrations is generally too slow to be observed with ^99mTc. It is reported in this communication that an appropriate choice of potentially bridging ligands, herein thiols HS-R, accelerates the dimerization reaction to an extent that dinuclear complexes are formed at very high dilution. The dinuclear nature of [^99mTc₂(μ₂-SR)₃(CO)₆]⁻ is shown by chromatographic comparison, not only with its rhenium homologue as commonly done, but also with the true ⁹⁹Tc analogue.     

Tricarbonyl complexes of rhenium(I) and technetium(I) with thiourea derivatives

fac-[M(CO)₃X₃]²⁻ complexes (M=Re, X=Br; M=Tc, X=Cl) react with thiourea derivatives under formation of stable rhenium(I) and technetium(I) complexes. The composition of the products can be controlled by the steric requirements of the ligands and their ability to form chelates.The products of reactions with tetramethylthiourea, Me₄tu (I), N,N-diethylthiocarbamoylbenzamidine, H₂Et₂tcb (II), and morpholinylthiocarbamoylbenzamidine, H₂morphtcb (III), have been studied by X-ray crystallography showing that the products belong to three different structural types. A mononuclear complex of the composition fac-[Re(CO)₃Br(Me₄tu)₂] has been isolated with tetramethylthiourea, whereas the thiocarbamoylbenzamidines deprotonate and act as N,S-chelating ligands. This results in the formation of a dimeric [Tc(CO)₃(HEt₂tcb-N,S)]₂ complex with a central, almost square Tc₂S₂ unit and a monomeric compound of the composition [Tc(CO)₃(Hmorphtcb-N,S)(H₂morphtcb-S)]. The latter compound contains a neutral, S-bonded morpholinylthiocarbamoylbenzamidine in the unusual imine form in addition to a chelate-bonded Hmorphtcb⁻ ligand.     

Organometallic Tc-technetium(I)- and Re-rhenium(I)-folate derivatives for potential use in nuclear medicine

The folate receptor (FR) is a high affinity membrane protein which is overexpressed on a wide variety of tumor cells, but highly restricted in normal tissues. Therefore folate derivatives labeled with short living isotopes such as ^99mTc (γ, t_1/2 = 6 h) or ¹⁸⁸Re (β⁻, t_1/2 = 17 h) could be used for tumor diagnosis and therapy. In this respect there is a great interest to develop organometallic technetium(I) and rhenium(I) modified folate radiopharmaceuticals. For this purpose folic acid was functionalized with a tridentate picolylamine monoacetic acid chelating system. The chelating system was selectively coupled via an aminohexane spacer to the γ- or α-carboxyl group of the glutamate moiety of folic acid to obtain the corresponding γ- or α-folate derivative or - if directly attached to pteroic acid - the pteroate derivative. The derivatives were reacted with the precursor [M(OH₂)₃(CO)₃]⁺ (M = ^99mTc, Re) to form uniform organometallic folate complexes under mild reaction conditions. All compounds were chemically characterized by means of NMR, MS, IR and HPLC. The determination of the IC₅₀-values for the PAMA-γ-folate derivative (100 nM) and the corresponding organometallic rhenium complex (110 nM) proved retained receptor binding properties. The radiolabeling with [^99mTc(OH₂)₃(CO)₃]⁺ was achieved in excellent yield (>95%) at low ligand concentration (10⁻⁴ M). The cell binding (>45% of total activity) and internalization (>15% of total activity) of all ^99mTc-complexes was very high and specificity for the FR was proved by their complete displacement with excess folic acid. The ^99mTc-complexes were positively tested for their plasma stability and for the absence of binding to plasma proteins.     

Rhenium(I) and technetium(I) fac-M(NSO)(CO)3 (M = Re,Tc) tricarbonyl complexes,with a tridentate NSO bifunctional agent: Synthesis,structural characterization,and radiochemistry

The synthesis and structural characterization of the neutral rhenium complex fac-[Re(NSO)(CO)₃], Re-1, where (NSO) is a tridentate bifunctional chelating agent, 3-(carboxymethylthio)-3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoic acid (1), is presented. The complex crystallized from methanol–water and its structure was assigned by IR and ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the analogous technetium complex fac-[^99mTc(NSO)(CO)₃], ^99mTc-1, was synthesized in high yield by reacting ligand 1 with the fac-[^99mTc(OH₂)₃(CO)₃]⁺ precursor for 30 min at 85 °C. The tracer complex was found to be more than 95% stable in the L-histidine challenge experiment. Our data indicate that the bifunctional NSO chelating agent 1 can be successfully applied for the development of potential ^99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals.     

Contribution to the coordination chemistry of technetium

The universal use of radiophamaceuticals labeled with^99mTc has led to the development of many Tc complexes containing^99mTc⁴⁺ or⁹⁹Tc⁵⁺. In order to assess the correlation between the physiological properties and the chemcial structure of a^99mTc complex, milligramm amounts of the corresponding long-lived^99gTc compound have to be synthesized and analyses. This report describes the synthesis and characterization of several new technetium complexes with ligands containing N, O and S as donor atoms.     

From TcVII to TcI; facile syntheses of bis-arene complexes [99(m)Tc(arene)2]+ from pertechnetate

Bis-arene complexes of technetium represent a fundamental class of organometallic compounds. Due to complex synthetic routes, no detailed insights into their properties have been reported so far. Reacting [⁹⁹TcO₄]^– with arenes in the exclusive presence of AlCl₃ gives highly stable [⁹⁹Tc(arene)₂]⁺ in good yields. These complexes have extraordinarily high stabilities, where oxidation is found to occur at potentials higher than +1.3 V and reduction at potentials below –2 V vs. Fc/Fc⁺. The ^99mTc analogues are similarly synthesised by applying a novel ionic liquid extraction pathway. Complexes of ^99mTc with suitably functionalized arenes will represent new building blocks for bioorganometallic pharmaceuticals in molecular imaging.     

Evaluation of two chelators for labelling a PNA monomer with the fac-[Tc(CO)3] moiety

A PNA monomer containing thymine as nucleobase (1) was synthesized, characterized and coupled to the pyrazolyl containing ligand 3,5-Me₂pz(CH₂)₂N((CH₂)₃COOH)(CH₂)₂NHBoc (2) and to a modified cysteine S-(carboxymethyl-pentafluorphenyl)-N-[(trifluor)carbonyl]-l-cysteine methyl ester (3) yielding the bifunctional chelators 6 and 7, respectively. Reactions of 6 and 7 with the Re(I) tricarbonyl starting material [Re(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]Br afforded the complexes fac-[Re(CO)₃(κ³-6)]⁺ (8) and fac-[Re(CO)₃(κ³-7)] (9), respectively. The identity of 8 and 9 has been established based on IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, ESI-MS spectrometry and HPLC. The multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, g-COSY, g-HSQC) has also been very informative in the case of complex 8, showing the presence of rotamers in solution. For 9 the NMR spectrum was too complex due to the presence of rotamers and diastereoisomers. The radioactive congeners of complexes 8 and 9, fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(κ³-6)]⁺ (8a) and fac-[^99mTc(CO)³(κ³-7)] (9a), have been prepared by reacting the precursor fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ with the corresponding ligands being their identity established by comparing their HPLC chromatograms with the HPLC of the rhenium surrogates.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of novel neutral fac-M(CO)3(NSO) complexes (M = Re,Tc) with N-acetylcysteine derivatives as tridentate NSO ligands

The reaction of [NEt₄]₂[Re(CO)₃Br₃] with equimolar amount of a tridentate NSO ligand in methanol leads to the formation of neutral tricarbonyl rhenium(I) complexes of the general formula Re(CO)₃(NSO), where the NSO ligand is o-C₅H₄N-CH₂CH₂-S-CH₂CH(NHCOCH₃)COOH (L₁H), complex 1 or o-C₅H₄N-CH₂CH₂-S-C(CH₃)₂CH(NHCOCH₃)COOH (L₂H), complex 2. Both complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods, while complex 2 has also been characterized by X-rays analysis. At technetium-99m level, the corresponding fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(NSO)] complexes 3 and 4, were obtained in high yield by reacting ligands L₁H or L₂H with the fac-[^99mTc(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ precursor in water. Their structure was established by chromatographic comparison to the prototype rhenium complex using high-performance liquid chromatographic techniques.     

Influence of the ligand donor atoms on the in vitro stability of rhenium(I) and technetium (I)-99m complexes with pyrazole-containing chelators: Experimental and DFT studies

The new pyrazole-containing ligand 3,5-Me₂pz(CH₂)₂S(CH₂)₂COOH (L¹H) was synthesized and used to prepare the complexes fac-[M(κ³-L¹)(CO)₃] (M = Re (1), ^99mTc(1a)), which were obtained in high yield albeit with a low specific activity in the case of ^99mTc. The X-ray diffraction analysis of 1 confirmed that L¹ coordinates to the metal as monoanionic and through a (N,S,O) donor atom set. Challenge experiments of 1a against cysteine and histidine showed that this complex suffers considerable transchelation in vitro. This contrasts with the behavior exhibited by the related complex fac-[^99mTc(κ³-L²)(CO)₃] (2a) (L² = 3,5-Me₂pz-(CH₂)₂NH-CH₂-COO), anchored by a (N₂O)-tridentate ligand. Biodistribution studies of 1a and 2a in mice indicated that both compounds have a relatively similar biological profile. Nevertheless, the fastest blood clearance and minor hepatic retention found for 2a has shown that this complex is more adequate to be further explored in radiopharmaceutical sciences. DFT calculations (ADF program) were performed for these neutral complexes and related cationic M(I) (M = Re, Tc) tricarbonyl complexes anchored by pyrazole-containing ligands, in order to have a better understanding of the influence of the donor atom set (N,N,O vs. N,O,S; N,N,N vs. N,N,S vs. N,S,S) on their in vitro stability. The differences of the calculated binding energies are not significant, suggesting that the in vitro behavior of these Re(I)/Tc(I) tricarbonyl complexes is not determined by thermodynamic factors.     

The interaction of <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc with pyrimidine compounds

The reaction of ^99mTc of different oxidation states (+7, +4) with 2-thiouracil and 5-nitrobarbituric acid have been studied at different temperatures, pH and concentrations. The reaction mixtures have been analyzed at different times using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and a radio detector to show the peaks at the plates. ^99mTc is obtained from the Mo generators with oxidation state (+7). The use of SnCl₂ as a reducing agent gave ^99mTc with oxidation state (+4). It is very difficult to separate the complexes formed from the reactions in very small concentration. The percentage of ^99mTc and its oxidation state involved in the complexes can be determined. The labeling efficiencies (percentage of complex) in the reaction of ^99mTc⁺⁷ with 5-nitro-barbituric-acid increases mostly at pH  10. Both oxidation states of ^99mTc(+7, +4) can be detected at pH’s 4 and 10, but at pH  4, the reduced form ^99mTCO₂, is more pronounced. At pH  7 no complexes were detected and most of ^99mTc remains as ^99mTCO₄ ⁻ . By increasing the ligand concentration, the labeling efficiencies of the complex increases. For the reaction of ^99mTc of oxidation states (+4, +7) with 2-thiouracil at different temperatures and analytical times it is concluded that several complexes with different R_f values were observed in equilibrium and most of these complexes were unstable.     

Solution fluxionality of some pyridine-2,6-dialdehydes, -diketones and -diesters when acting as bidentate ligands in rhenium(I) and platinum(IV) complexes. Crystal structure of [ReBr(CO)3L] (L=methylethyldipicolinate)

2,6-Disubstituted pyridines, where the substituents are aldehyde, ketone or ester functions, form bidentate chelate complexes with the transition metal moieties fac-Re^IX(CO)₃ (X=halogen). 2-Substituted pyridines, where the substituents are aldehyde or ester functions, form similar types of complexes with the isoelectronic transition metal moieties fac-Re^IX(CO)₃ and Pt^IVXMe₃. The fac-Re^IX(CO)₃ complexes of the 2,6-disubstituted pyridine ligands were shown by ¹H NMR spectra to undergo metallotropic shifts whereby the Re coordination switches between adjacent ON pairs of the ONO ligand donor set. Rates and activation energies of these fluxional shifts were measured by dynamic NMR bandshape analysis. Magnitudes of ΔG³ (298.15 K) were in the range 59–64 kJ mol⁻¹ for the diketone and diester ligands. The dialdehyde ligand, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde, formed an appreciably less-stable Re^I complex that was highly fluxional and showed a tendency to dissociation at ambient solution temperatures. The unsymmetrical diester ligand, methylethyldipicolinate, formed two distinct Re^I complex species in solution, in the approximate abundance ratio of 2:1, the more abundant structure involving coordination to the carbonyl of the ethyl ester function. This particular complex forms exclusively in the solid state and an X-ray crystal structure of [ReBr(CO)₃L] (L=methylethyldipicolinate) is reported.     

A perspective on <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc and <Superscript>125/131</Superscript>I labeled receptor targeted compounds and their in vitro/in vivo affinities

A novel quinoline derivative, 2,2′-[(5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline-7-yl) methylazanediyl] diacetic acid (CHQMADA) was labeled with ^99mTc using SnCl₂·2H₂O as a reducing agent to give a complex with a labeling yield 94 %. Also [^99mTc(H₂O)₃(CO)₃]⁺ was prepared by heating at 100 °C for 30 min using 2 mg CHQMADA at pH 8 to give a labeling yield >99 %. ^99mTc-(CO)₃ CHQMADA and ^99mTc-Sn(II)-CHQMADA showed tissue uptake (target to non target T/NT = 6.80 ± 0.22) and (T/NT = 5.65 ± 0.34) respectively in Escherichia coli induced infection, which is higher than the commercially available ^99mTc-ciprofloxacin (T/NT = 3.80 ± 0.80). In conclusion, both complexes were able to differentiate between septic and aseptic inflammation with superiority of [^99mTc-(CO)₃ CHQMADA].     

S-bridged complex of <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc with <Emphasis Type="Italic">fac</Emphasis>(S)-[Rh(aet)<Subscript>3</Subscript>]: Quality control,characterization and biodistribution studies in rats

fac(S)-[Rh(aet)₃] (aet = 2-aminoethanethiolate) is N₃S₃ metalloligand which can coordinate to transition metal ions to form S-bridge polynuclear complexes. The reaction was carried out between ^99mTcO₄Na and fac(S)-[Rh(aet)₃] in the presence of SnCl₂·2H₂O. A complex analogous to [Re{Rh(aet₃)}₂]³⁺ is formed.⁶ A simple method for radiolabeling of fac(S)-[Rh(aet)₃] with ^99mTc has been developed and radiolabeling efficiency was higher than 99%. Effect of SnCl₂·2H₂O concentration, electrophoresis, HPLC, UV-Visible absorption spectra and biodistribution studies in rats were performed. Higher uptake by kidneys showed rapid distributions of the labeled fac(S)-[Rh(aet)₃]. Liver uptake was significant, stomach, lungs and intestine uptake was high at 4 hours post injection time.     

Contributions to the coordination chemistry of technetium

The radionuclide^99mTc is widely used in nuclear medical diagnostics. Radiopharmaceuticals containing coordination compounds labeled with^99mTc⁴⁺ or^99mTc⁵⁺ can be rapidly prepared from pertechnetate eluted from a⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generator. For the optimization of the imaging agent it is essential to determine the exact chemical structure of the Tc complex. This can be achieved by synthesizing macroscopic amounts of the analogous long-lived^99gTc compound and by its analysis by appropriate spectroscopy methods. We have successfully synthesized and characterized new technetium complexes with amino acids and also with ligands containing nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur atoms.