1,10-phenanthroline

Description

1,10-Phenanthroline, also known as phen, is a heterocyclic organic compound with the formula C₁₂H₈N₂. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents and sparingly soluble in water. It is commonly used as a chelating agent, particularly for transition metals such as iron and copper. 1,10-Phenanthroline forms stable complexes with these metals, which have applications in analytical chemistry, catalysis, and materials science. The compound can be synthesized by various methods, including the Skraup synthesis, which involves the reaction of o-phenylenediamine with glycerol in the presence of sulfuric acid and nitrobenzene. The effects of 1,10-phenanthroline on biological systems are complex and vary depending on the concentration and the specific metal ion involved. 1,10-Phenanthroline is a potent inhibitor of some enzymes, including DNA polymerase, which is involved in DNA replication. It has also been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. 1,10-Phenanthroline is studied extensively because of its wide range of applications. It is used as a chelating agent in analytical chemistry, for example, in spectrophotometric methods for determining the concentration of metal ions. Its ability to form stable complexes with metal ions makes it a useful reagent in catalysis, where it can act as a ligand for transition metal catalysts. In materials science, 1,10-phenanthroline is used as a building block for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are porous materials with potential applications in gas storage, separation, and catalysis. The study of 1,10-phenanthroline is driven by its versatility and potential for new applications in various fields.'

1,10-phenanthroline: RN given refers to parent cpd; inhibits Zn-dependent metalloproteinases [Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), National Library of Medicine, extracted Dec-2023]