Recent advances in iridium(iii) complex-assisted nanomaterials for biological applications

Abstract

Phosphorescent iridium(iii) complexes have gained increasing attention in biological applications owing to their excellent photophysical properties and efficient transportation into live cells.

Lysosome‐targeted potent half‐sandwich iridium(III) α‐diimine antitumor complexes

“…Organometallic transition metal‐based complexes exhibit a wide range of applications for the design of antitumor drugs due to their potential redox features, diverse structural types and varied ligand bonding modes . Organometallic complexes of the group VIIIB elements platinum, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, palladium and iridium have received much attention as potential antitumor agents . Following the clinical success of platinum‐based antitumor drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, metal‐mediated antitumor drugs have attracted wide attention in chemotherapeutic research .…”

Developments in Platinum-Group Metals as Dual Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents

“…Additionally, bioimaging can trace metabolites that, when used as biomarkers, aid in disease identification and treatment reaction. In order to produce high-quality images for biological monitoring, magnetic resonance, optical signals, and ultrasound have been employed [29]. Qualities such as ability for long-term observing of a single sample, low cost, high detection sensitivity, and speedy response have speeded up the uses of bioimaging in recent years.…”

“…Qualities such as ability for long-term observing of a single sample, low cost, high detection sensitivity, and speedy response have speeded up the uses of bioimaging in recent years. Among the luminescent transition metal complexes which possess advantages as bioimaging reagents are iridium(III) complexes [29]. ese qualities are (i) high room temperature quantum yields, (ii) high photochemical and physicochemical stabilities, (iii) large Stokes shifts which lower the excitation beam and inner filter effects, (iv) long phosphorescence emission lifetimes which lower the interference of autofluorescence by the application of time-gated imaging techniques, (v) multichromophoric structures potentially allowing dual emission under single wavelength excitation, (vi) spherical molecular shape to lower harmful intermolecular impacts, such as aggregation, (vii) structural flexibility which enables preparation of coordinated saturated or unsaturated complexes, (viii) synthetic flexibility for fine-tuning photophysical property, and (ix) tunable phosphorescence emission spectra, to the extent of reaching the near-infrared region.…”

“…Ma et al introduced concept of nanoparticles, whereby iridium(III) complex-assisted nanoparticles were used for biological applications [29].…”

“…In addition, combination of iridium(III) complexes with nanomaterials, such as inorganic NPs, polymer NPs, upconversion NPs, and quantum dots, has contributed to the fields of drug delivery, intracellular sensing, and photodynamic therapy. In specific, the combination of iridium(III) complexes with several NPs might enhance a variety of their properties, such as aqueous solubility, cellular distribution, cytotoxicity, and uptake efficiency, in order to improve bioimaging applications [29].…”