Development of New Materials Based on Multinuclear Ruthenium Complexes. The program aims to design new materials for use in applications such as catalysis and light-activated devices (including light harvesting or solar energy conversion), for the detection and analysis of specific small molecules and anions of particular interest, and to provide an insight to the operation of biological systems such as metal-containing enzymes. The particular molecules will also be investigated for the developm ....Development of New Materials Based on Multinuclear Ruthenium Complexes. The program aims to design new materials for use in applications such as catalysis and light-activated devices (including light harvesting or solar energy conversion), for the detection and analysis of specific small molecules and anions of particular interest, and to provide an insight to the operation of biological systems such as metal-containing enzymes. The particular molecules will also be investigated for the development of a new type of therapeutic agent for the treatment of a range of diseases, with a particular interest in this work on a drug for the treatment of HIV-AIDS. Read moreRead less
Dinuclear Ruthenium Complexes as Sequence- and Structure-Selective Binding Agents for DNA. Studies of the interaction of mononuclear metal complexes with DNA have greatly increased our understanding of the ways that small molecules recognise particular sites on DNA. However, in order to design drugs that target specific genes, and hence be potentially capable of controlling gene expression, it is necessary to study the binding of metal complexes that can associate with larger segments of DNA. ....Dinuclear Ruthenium Complexes as Sequence- and Structure-Selective Binding Agents for DNA. Studies of the interaction of mononuclear metal complexes with DNA have greatly increased our understanding of the ways that small molecules recognise particular sites on DNA. However, in order to design drugs that target specific genes, and hence be potentially capable of controlling gene expression, it is necessary to study the binding of metal complexes that can associate with larger segments of DNA. Using the combined expertise of the applicants, it is proposed to stereospecifically synthesise dinuclear complexes and study their DNA binding. This will greatly assist in the development of drugs that can selectively target genes and altered DNA.Read moreRead less
Spotlighting biologically active Iron (Fe) chelators within cells. Anti-cancer drugs that act in ways different from traditional chemotherapeutics offer hope in evading acquired drug resistance. Previously we have studied compounds that can enter cancer cells, bind iron and halt cellular proliferation. However, there are many sources of iron in cells and we do not know from where these iron chelators acquire their iron or how these iron complexes kill cancer cells. We will tackle this problem by ....Spotlighting biologically active Iron (Fe) chelators within cells. Anti-cancer drugs that act in ways different from traditional chemotherapeutics offer hope in evading acquired drug resistance. Previously we have studied compounds that can enter cancer cells, bind iron and halt cellular proliferation. However, there are many sources of iron in cells and we do not know from where these iron chelators acquire their iron or how these iron complexes kill cancer cells. We will tackle this problem by attaching light emitting probes to known iron chelators and mapping their location within cells with high resolution fluorescence microscopy. These experiments will spotlight the cellular location of these potential drugs bound to iron for the first time, providing crucial information on their mode of action.Read moreRead less
Challenging targets in rare earth metal-organic chemistry. This project aims to prepare highly reactive rare earth organometallic and metal-organic compounds, especially from the free metals, and to determine their structures and reactivity. Abundant rare earth resources position Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements. The challenging target systems include coordination stabilised novel ligands, pseudo-Grignard reagents LnR(X) including the rare fluorides, complexes primed ....Challenging targets in rare earth metal-organic chemistry. This project aims to prepare highly reactive rare earth organometallic and metal-organic compounds, especially from the free metals, and to determine their structures and reactivity. Abundant rare earth resources position Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements. The challenging target systems include coordination stabilised novel ligands, pseudo-Grignard reagents LnR(X) including the rare fluorides, complexes primed for carbon-fluorine activation, and intermediates from use of lanthanoid reagents in organic synthesis. The project will provide a knowledge base and expertise for the utilisation of Australia's abundant rare earths and will transform the current behaviour of the elements. It builds the expertise and knowledge needed to underpin Australian rare earth processing and develops the breakthrough science needed for new applications in fine chemical manufacturing, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electr ....Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electronic factors can be used to modify and advance rare earth chemistry. This project should provide significant benefit such as are a better knowledge base in rare earth chemistry to underpin future applications in chemical manufacturing, new materials, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Advancing the chemistry of topical rare earth metals. Abundant rare earth resources positions Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements and overcome the shortage created by the Chinese monopoly and export restrictions. This project will build the expertise and knowledge needed to underpin Australian rare earth processing and develop the breakthrough science needed for new applications.
Targeting Bio-Compatible Homo- and Hetero-bimetallic Cages and their Application in High Energy and Dual Energy Computed Tomography. The project is focused on the synthesis, characterisation and stability of novel homo-metallic and hetero-metallic oxygen and sulfur based cage compounds which have the potential to be suitable for high energy and Dual Energy CT imaging (DECT), and also for optical imaging where rare-earth metals are involved. Pre-requisites for cage design are that they be stable ....Targeting Bio-Compatible Homo- and Hetero-bimetallic Cages and their Application in High Energy and Dual Energy Computed Tomography. The project is focused on the synthesis, characterisation and stability of novel homo-metallic and hetero-metallic oxygen and sulfur based cage compounds which have the potential to be suitable for high energy and Dual Energy CT imaging (DECT), and also for optical imaging where rare-earth metals are involved. Pre-requisites for cage design are that they be stable and soluble in aqueous media, and be resistant to anionic ligand exchange at the cluster surface. The targeted metals are based on good attenuation at high (100 to 140 keV) and low X-ray (less than 30 keV) energies, and the possibility of high stability and low toxicity.Read moreRead less
Reactive metal-organics embracing the rare earth and alkaline earth metals. This project aims to study the structure and reactions of highly reactive rare earth/lanthanoid and heavy alkaline earth (calcium, strontium, barium) organometallic and metal–organic compounds. The target systems include pseudo-Grignard reagents Ln(Ae)R(X) including the rare fluorides, intermediates from use of lanthanoid reagents in organic synthesis, compounds in unusual high oxidation states, complexes primed for carb ....Reactive metal-organics embracing the rare earth and alkaline earth metals. This project aims to study the structure and reactions of highly reactive rare earth/lanthanoid and heavy alkaline earth (calcium, strontium, barium) organometallic and metal–organic compounds. The target systems include pseudo-Grignard reagents Ln(Ae)R(X) including the rare fluorides, intermediates from use of lanthanoid reagents in organic synthesis, compounds in unusual high oxidation states, complexes primed for carbon–fluorine activation, and Ln(Ae)/Al bimetallics as isoprene polymerisation catalysts. Abundant rare earth resources position Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements. The project aims to develop the knowledge base and expertise needed to underpin the use of Australia's abundant rare earth and calcium resources in chemical manufacture, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Chemical and Biochemical Characterisation of Novel Iron Chelators with Therapeutic Potential. Resistance by cancers to established chemotherapeutics is a growing problem in the community and one that demands the development of new strategies. Chelators that target the essential element iron within cancer cells represent a novel and promising approach to this problem. The Chief Investigators represent a unique combination of expertise in coordination chemistry and the biochemistry of iron chelati ....Chemical and Biochemical Characterisation of Novel Iron Chelators with Therapeutic Potential. Resistance by cancers to established chemotherapeutics is a growing problem in the community and one that demands the development of new strategies. Chelators that target the essential element iron within cancer cells represent a novel and promising approach to this problem. The Chief Investigators represent a unique combination of expertise in coordination chemistry and the biochemistry of iron chelation. They have discovered and characterised new chelators that show marked anticancer activity, and act by a new mechanism that overcomes problems of resistance. In this project they will pursue a course that will lead to a greater understanding of how these compounds work with the outcome that new effective anticancer drugs may emerge.Read moreRead less
Studies of Group 15 complexes of the Lanthanoids and Group 2 metals-An unexploited field of research. The project will initially explore new amido chemisty of the lanthanoids. This chemistry will develop towards complexes with lanthanoid-or Group 2-phosphorus, -arsenic, -antimony or -bismuth connectivities. This chemistry is surprisingly underdeveloped given the wealth of applications found for oxo and amido complexes of the same metals. Structural studies involving the complexes using cutting e ....Studies of Group 15 complexes of the Lanthanoids and Group 2 metals-An unexploited field of research. The project will initially explore new amido chemisty of the lanthanoids. This chemistry will develop towards complexes with lanthanoid-or Group 2-phosphorus, -arsenic, -antimony or -bismuth connectivities. This chemistry is surprisingly underdeveloped given the wealth of applications found for oxo and amido complexes of the same metals. Structural studies involving the complexes using cutting edge ligands will reveal interesting coordination modes. The discovery of new reaction pathways will be of interest to the wider chemical community. The chemical reactivity and potential catalytic or luminescent properties of these compounds will be studied and will result in publications in international journals.Read moreRead less