Antimicrobial efficacy of a hemilabile Pt(II)-NHC compound against drug-resistant S. aureus and Enterococcus.

Three platinum(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compounds [Pt(L1)Cl](PF6) (1), [Pt(L2)(COD)](PF6)2 (2) and [Pt(L2)Cl2] (3) were synthesized bearing pyridyl-functionalized butenyl-tethered (L1H) and n-butyl tethered (L2H) NHC ligands, and their antibacterial activity against clinically relevant human pathogens was evaluated. Complex 1 was designed to have one of its metal coordination sites masked with a hemilabile butenyl group. The antibacterial activity spectrum against the ESKAPE panel of pathogens shows superior activity of 1 compared to 2 and 3 against the Gram-positive S. aureus pathogen. Complex 1 showed equipotent activity against clinical drug-resistant S. aureus and Enterococcus isolates. Furthermore, 1 demonstrated concentration-dependent bactericidal activity with a long post-antibiotic effect, eradicated preformed S. aureus biofilm and synergized with gentamicin and minocycline for combinatorial antimicrobial therapy. Under in vivo conditions, 1 displayed potent activity in reducing bacterial load in a murine thigh infection model, similar to vancomycin, albeit at 2.5× less dosage. An array of experiments reveals key characteristics for the hemilabile complex 1 as a potential anti-staphylococcal drug.

A Proton-Responsive Pyridyl(benzamide)-Functionalized NHC Ligand on Ir Complex for Alkylation of Ketones and Secondary Alcohols.

A Cp*Ir(III) complex (1) of a newly designed ligand L1 featuring a proton-responsive pyridyl(benzamide) appended on N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been synthesized. The molecular structure of 1 reveals a dearomatized form of the ligand. The protonation of 1 with HBF4 in tetrahydrofuran gives the corresponding aromatized complex [Cp*Ir(L1 H)Cl]BF4 (2). Both compounds are characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography. The protonation of 1 with acid is examined by 1 H NMR and UV-vis spectra. The proton-responsive character of 1 is exploited for catalyzing α-alkylation of ketones and ß-alkylation of secondary alcohols using primary alcohols as alkylating agents through hydrogen-borrowing methodology. Compound 1 is an effective catalyst for these reactions and exhibits a superior activity in comparison to a structurally similar iridium complex [Cp*Ir(L2 )Cl]PF6 (3) lacking a proton-responsive pendant amide moiety. The catalytic alkylation is characterized by a wide substrate scope, low catalyst and base loadings, and a short reaction time. The catalytic efficacy of 1 is also demonstrated for the syntheses of quinoline and lactone derivatives via acceptorless dehydrogenation, and selective alkylation of two steroids, pregnenolone and testosterone. Detailed mechanistic investigations and DFT calculations substantiate the role of the proton-responsive ligand in the hydrogen-borrowing process.