Bioorganometallics: Future Trends in Drug Discovery, Analytical Chemistry, and Catalysis

Bioorganometallic chemistry's beginnings 25 years ago were timid, modest and sporadic, overshadowed by the supremacy of organometallic catalysis at that time. Its development since the beginning of the present century has, however, been exponential. We provide examples of particularly innovative results that may serve as a springboard for future developments. Medicinal organometallic chemistry is illustrated by antimetastatic drugs, kinase inhibitors, and antiproliferative agents with redox activity. We also describe organometallic bioprobes for nuclear medicine, with Re-PNA conjugates that are non-toxic and photo-stable, and the related development of photothermal induced resonance. Particular stress is placed on organometallic enzymes, both the natural enzymes that are a source of inspiration for hydrogen-producing experimental systems, and artificial enzymes that mimic a different evolutionary path from the one created by the oxidizing atmosphere of the earth, itself the result of photosynthesis. These significant contemporary results may serve to shed light on future developments in this multidisciplinary field.