The Chemistry of Polynuclear Silver N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes.

Authors

Jack Moerschel, Enrique Barragan, Héctor Mario Heras Martinez, Alejandro Bugarin

Published in

Coordination chemistry reviews. Volume 542. Nov 01, 2025. Epub Jun 20, 2025.

Abstract

Polynuclear (tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, polymeric-) silver N-heterocyclic carbene (Ag-NHC) complexes can be synthesized by reacting imidazolium salts (e.g., Cl, Br, PF₆) with Ag₂O, followed by anionic exchanges in some cases. The first polynuclear (tetra-) Ag-NHC complex was reported in 2002. Since then, these complexes have been explored in the literature for a variety of applications, including transmetallation, sensing, antimicrobial agents, and anticancer treatments, owing to their versatile properties. The labile silver-carbene bonds facilitate efficient ligand exchange with other transition metals such as Au, Cu, and Pd providing an efficient route to a variety of transition metal-NHC complexes with diverse applications. Tetranuclear Ag-NHC complexes that exhibit substantial fluorescence intensity have been used as sensors to detect persistent pollutants like 2,6-dichloronitroaniline with high sensitivity. Additionally, some trinuclear Ag-NHC complexes have demonstrated better antiproliferative activity than known chemotherapeutic drugs like 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin, highlighting the potential of these complexes as more stable and selective therapeutic agents. Overall, this review underscores the versatility of polynuclear Ag-NHC complexes across diverse fields, while emphasizing the importance of structural modifications to optimize their efficacy and minimize toxicity.

PMID:
42819519
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Oct 2026.

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