UNIT – I GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BIOINORGANIC CHEMISTRY:
Occurrence and availability of inorganic elements in biological systems – Porphyrin and corrin systems in biology- Vitamin B12 – Structure and function. Function and transport of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions: characterization of K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ – complexes of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions with macrocycles – ion channels – ion pumps, catalysis and regulation of bioenergetic processes by the alkaline earth metal ions – Mg2+ and Ca2+. Metals at the center of photosynthesis – primary processes in photosynthesis – photosystems I and II-light absorption (energy acquisition) – exciton transport (direct energy transfer) – charge separation and electron transport – manganese catalyzed oxidation of water to O2.
UNIT – II HEME AND NON-HEME PROTEINS AND ENZYMES:
Heme and non-heme proteins – haemoglobin and myoglobin – oxygen transport and storage – electron transfer and oxygen activation – cytochromes, ferredoxins and rubredoxin – model systems, mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes. Copper containing proteins – classification and examples – electron transfer – oxygen transport-oxygenation – oxidases and reductases – cytochrome oxidase – superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn) – nickel containing enzyme: urease.
UNIT – III METALS IN MEDICINE:
Bioinorganic chemistry of quintessentially toxic metals – lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminium, chromium, copper and plutonium – detoxification by metal chelation – drugs that act by binding at the metal sites of metalloenzymes. Chemotherapy – chemotherapy with compounds of certain non-essential elements – platinum complexes in cancer therapy – cisplatin and its mode of action – cytotoxic
compounds of other metals. Gold containing drugs as anti-rheumatic agents and their mode of action – lithium in psychopharmacological drugs – radiopharmaceuticals – technetium.
UNIT – IV ORGANOMETALLICS:
Hapticity – The 18 electron rule – applications and limitations – preparation, properties, structure and bonding in metal carbonyls, metal nitrosyls – metal alkenes (Zeise salt)- metal alkyne – metallocene (Ferrocene)- metal arenes- dinitrogen complexes – fluxional molecules.Isolobal concept and its applications.
UNIT – V CATALYSIS IN ORGANOMETALLICS:
Organometallic reactions – ligand association and dissociation – oxidative addition and reductive elimination – insertion reactions- reactions of coordinated ligands. Hydrogenation of olefins (Wilkinson’s catalyst), hydroformylation(Oxo process), olefin oxidation (Wacker process) and carbonylation of methanol (acetic acid synthesis)- epoxidation of olefin, polymerization of olefins (Ziegler Natta catalyst)- olefin metathesis.