COORDINATION CHEMISTRY OF IBUPROFEN WITH SELECTED TRANSITION METALS; FORMATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS.

This study investigates the coordination chemistry of ibuprofen, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with selected first-row transition metals—nickel(II), copper(II), and iron(II)—to explore the structural, physicochemical, and potential therapeutic enhancements resulting from metal complexation. The research was motivated by the need to improve the pharmacological performance of ibuprofen, particularly by increasing its solubility, reducing gastrointestinal toxicity, and enhancing its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Ibuprofen-metal complexes were synthesized via ligand exchange reactions under mild ethanol-based conditions using stoichiometric ratios of metal salts to ibuprofen. The resulting coordination complexes were characterized using standard physicochemical methods, including solubility testing and melting point determination. The observed changes in solubility and thermal properties, relative to the free ligand, provided preliminary evidence of successful coordination. The metal complexes generally exhibited higher melting points and altered solubility profiles compared to uncomplexed ibuprofen, indicating increased thermal stability and modified physicochemical behavior. The results support the hypothesis that transition metal ions, through coordination with the carboxylate group of ibuprofen, significantly influence the structural and pharmacodynamic properties of the parent drug. The synthesized metal–ibuprofen complexes hold promise for further exploration as metallotherapeutics, especially in the design of anti-inflammatory agents with improved efficacy and reduced adverse effects. Further studies involving spectroscopic characterization (e.g., FTIR, UV-Vis, elemental analysis) and biological assays are recommended to establish the full pharmacological potential of these complexes