SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES ON NEW IRON(III) POLYHYDROXAM COMPLEXES WITH POTENTIAL APPLICATION IN NMR IMAGING

With a view to preparing stable iron(III) complexes that can be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, we have prepared a series of dihydroxamates that are analogs of rhodotorulic acid, a natural siderophore. These new ligands have been synthesized by condensation of 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid chloride with protected N-aminopropyl-N-acetylhydroxylamine. In addition to the ligand derived from 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid, four other ligands have thus been prepared, having substituents O-C2H5, O-nC5H11, O-nC3H6CN, O-nC4H8NH2 . HCl. respectively, in the 4 position.