Design to control the transport properties of photoactivatable platinum(IV) anticancer drugs

The first three chapters of this thesis focus on the design and synthesis of novel photoactivatable platinum(IV) anticancer complexes and the study of their photochemistry. The synthesis of photoactivatable platinum(IV) anticancer complexes utilizing either 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline dicyano iron complexes and cisplatin, carboplatin or oxaliplatin has been established previously. These complexes undergo a photodissociation to yield active platinum(II) chemotherapy drugs. This work expands upon that research and focuses on the synthesis of novel complexes that increase water solubility by the alteration of the iron complexes. The fourth chapter focuses on the synthesis of an all platinum cyanosol based on the cyanogel system.;The synthesis of novel, water soluble iron complexes was undertaken and achieved through the attachment of polar substituents onto either 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline. Using these substituted ligands, their respective dicyano iron complexes were formed. The complexes that showed the best water solubility were then chosen for further study for the formation of potential drug candidates. Utilizing the selected iron complexes, the overall trinuclear complexes were formed using cisplatin, carboplatin or oxaliplatin. The photodissociation of these complexes was then studied.;The synthesis of stable, soluble platinum nanoparticles was achieved using the cyanogel system. Utilizing potassium tetrachloroplatinatum(II) and potassium tetracyanoplatinum(II) as the platinum percursors, stable cyanosol nanoparticles were isolated by the addition of either cetyltrimethylammonium chloride or 11-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylundecan-1-aminium bromide. These nanoparticles had an average diameter of 5.5 nm with a narrow distribution range.