Ruthenium imidazole oxime carbonyls and their activities as CO-releasing molecules

Carbon monoxide has been found to possess various beneficial effects in living organisms. To study the effects of CO further and to develop potential pharmaceutical agents, a meaningful method for delivering CO to the target organ is needed. It has been found that under physiological conditions various metal carbonyl complexes release carbon monoxide. In this study six novel ruthenium carbonyl complexes Ru(IMOX)(CO)(2)(COOR)Cl-1 (IMOX: imidazolecarbaldehyde oxime, R: Me, Et) were prepared and tested as carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs). Synthesis of the complexes was performed under mild conditions in alcoholic solutions. The ability to release CO was tested spectrophotometrically by following the transformation of deoxymyoglobin to carbonmonoxy myoglobin. All of the complexes studied were found to release CO. Compared to formerly studied ruthenium-based CORMs these complexes offer a way for slower CO release.