Vanadinocene Dichloride

Chemical Properties

dark green crystalline powder

Uses

Bis(cyclopentadienyl)vanadium(IV) dichloride is a catalyst for solvent free, room temperature preparation of vicinal amino alcohols as fungistatic agents, catalyst fot oligomerization reactions via the Aufbau propagation reaction and as a catalyst for aqueous polymerization reactions using oxygen as a co catalyst. It is used as a catalyst for dl-selective pinacol-type coupling reactions, as an affecter of crystal growth of calcium carbonate and and as an inhibitor of human topoisomerase II enzyme with antitumor activity.

Uses

Vanadocene dichloride is used like other metallocenes as a catalyst, ultraviolet absorber, reducing agent, free radical scavenger, antiknock agent in gasoline, and as a developmental anticancer drug.

General Description

Pale green crystals or green powder.

Air & Water Reactions

Extremely sensitive to exposure to air. Also extremely sensitive to moisture; decomposes in water

Reactivity Profile

Organometallics, such as BIS(CYCLOPENTADIENYL)VANADIUM DICHLORIDE, are reactive with many other groups. Incompatible with acids and bases. Organometallics are good reducing agents and therefore incompatible with oxidizing agents. Often reactive with water to generate toxic or flammable gases. Organometallics containing halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine) bonded to the metal typically with generate gaseous hydrohalic acids (HF, HCl, HBr, HI) with water.

Fire Hazard

Flash point data for BIS(CYCLOPENTADIENYL)VANADIUM DICHLORIDE are not available. BIS(CYCLOPENTADIENYL)VANADIUM DICHLORIDE is probably combustible.

Pharmaceutical Applications

Vanadocene dichloride [(η5-C5H5)2VCl2, dichloro bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)vanadium(IV)] is structurally very similar to Cp2TiCl2. It also consists of a metal centre with an oxidation number of +IV, in this case vanadium, and two Cp and two chloride ligands. Vanadocene dichloride is a 17-electron complex containing an unpaired electron and is therefore paramagnetic. Vanadocene dichloride has found application as a catalyst for polymerisation reactions, but was also intensively studied as an anticancer agent in parallel to Cp2TiCl2 because of their structural similarities. Vanadocene dichloride has proven to be even more effective than its titanium analogue as an antiproliferative agent against both animal and human cell lines in preclinical testing.

Pharmaceutical Applications

Vanadocene dichloride [( η⁵-C₅H₅)₂VCl₂, dichloro bis(η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)vanadium(IV)] is structurally very similar to Cp₂TiCl₂. It also consists of a metal centre with an oxidation number of +IV, in this case vanadium, and two Cp and two chloride ligands. Vanadocene dichloride is a 17-electron complex containing an unpaired electron and is therefore paramagnetic .
Vanadocene dichloride has found application as a catalyst for polymerisation reactions, but was also intensively studied as an anticancer agent in parallel to Cp₂TiCl₂ because of their structural similarities. Vanadocene dichloride has proven to be even more effective than its titanium analogue as an antiproliferative agent against both animal and human cell lines in preclinical testing. The main problems are the difficult characterisation of the active vanadium compounds and their fast hydrolysis.