Abstract New sulfonated tetrahydrosalen‐type ligands and their water‐soluble palladium(II) complexes have been synthesized. The palladium(II) complexes catalyze the Sonogashira coupling (23 examples) of various aryl halides (including chloroarenes) with terminal alkynes, with good to excellent conversions under mild conditions (80 °C, air, no Cu I cocatalyst) in aqueous–organic mixtures and turnover frequencies of up to 2790 h −1 . Under optimized reaction conditions to minimize environmental contamination, diphenylacetylenes can be isolated in 76–98 % yield. The aqueous catalyst solution can be recycled four times with decreasing activity; however, yields between 93 and 98 % can still be achieved with extended reaction times. Several water‐insoluble products can be isolated in excellent yield by simple filtration and purification by washing with water; this method is used, for the first time, for this type of CC coupling procedure.
Complexation of deferasirox (4-[3,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid, H3LB) and its decarboxy derivative (H2LA) with Ru(III), Os(IV), Co(III) and Ga(III) was studied. These novel complexes with likely multitargeted capabilities are expected to show anticancer potential after biotransformation via both of the metal ion and the liberated ligand. Formation of 1:2 octahedral complexes with a (O,N,O) tridentate coordination of the ligands was found yielding K3[Ru(LB)2], K[Co(LA)2], K3[Co(LB)2] and (guanidinium)Na2[Ga(LB)2], respectively. The molecular structure obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction also confirmed the octahedral geometry for K[Co(LA)2]∙2PriOH. Unprecedented formation of K2[OsVILB(O)2(OH)] having a tridentate (O,N,O) coordinating ligand, two oxo groups and a hydroxide ion in the coordination sphere of the metal ion with + 6 oxidation state was also found. Simple synthesis and solid state structure of the novel disulfonated derivatives of H3LB, and H2LA, (H5LD and H4LC, respectively, with excellent water solubility) is also presented. Interaction of Ga(III) with H4LD− and H3LC− resulted in the formation of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes with different protonation degree in aqueous solution among them [Ga(LD)2]7− and [Ga(LC)2]5− being the major species under physiologically relevant conditions.