Abstract

The rate of hydrolysis of the aromatic rings of Cp2TiX2 [X = CI 1, O2CCCl3  8 and O2CCH2NH3Cl  13], in aqueous solutions, 10%DMSO and 100% DMSO have been studied by H1NMR spectroscopy. Rapid hydrolysis of both the carboxylate and cyclopentadienyl ligands in Cp2TiX2[X = O2CCCl3,O2CCH2NH3Cl] occurs in DMSO to give biologically inactive species. The rate of these reactions are concentration dependent as dilution of these samples with saline or water to give the therapeutic conditions of 10%DMSO/90%H2O slows the hydrolysis chemistry. In contrast, samples of Cp2TiX2 [X = CI 1, O2CCH2NH3Cl  13], dissolved in water give solutions containing the presumed antitumour active species in which the halide or glycine ligands have been hydrolysed but the Cp rings remain metal bound.