The syntheses, characterisation and biological activities (IC 50 ; DNA binding) of four mononuclear Pt oxazoline complexes are reported. These materials are the compounds cis-[PtCl) and all four are shown to have slightly lower cytotoxicities in vitro when compared to cisplatin against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. These new materials all appear to be bio-active via the formation of DNA adducts. Complexes 1 and 2 have been further characterised in the solid-state by X-ray diffraction methods.

An exploration into the utility of the thermally-induced (metal oxide-mediated) CO 2 extrusion and subsequent rearrangement of N-acyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones to form 2-aryl(alkyl)-2-oxazolines is described. The reaction is found to give moderate yields of the corresponding 2-oxazolines. Attempts to employ the above methodology to give enantiopure (R)-or (S)-2,5-diphenyl-2-oxazoline (the latter form being the natural product Oxytriphine) from enantiopure (and crystallographically characterised) (S)-N-benzoyl-5-phenyl-2-oxazolidinone led to the isolation of an essentially racemic product. These protocols are compared to other common methods used to form the oxazoline ring system and are placed into context with previous investigations of such ring forming reactions.

. -High temperature and solvent-free production of 2-aryl-2-oxazolines from N-acyl-2-oxazolidinones is achieved in the presence of appropriate metal oxides such as CaO and ZnO. Although the method is rapid and cost-effective, the product yields are disappointing. Morover, a considerable loss of enantiopurity is noted at ring position C-5 of the product in reactions of enantiopure N-benzoyl-5-phenyl-2-oxazolidinone (III).