Recent Studies on the Antimicrobial Activity of Copper Complexes

The analysis of publications in 2020, devoted to the synthesis of copper(II) complexes and the study of their antimicrobial properties, indicates that this area of medicinal chemistry is promising. Organic compounds of various classes were studied as starting ligands. First of all, these are N-donor imines, amines, heterocyclic compounds, as well as N,O-donor ligands and sulfur-containing ligands. In most works, the fact of a higher biological activity of the metal complex in comparison with the corresponding ligand was established. Evaluating the influence of the nature of the metal on the antimicrobial activity of the metal complex, the authors most often come to the conclusion that it is copper(II) complexes that are the most effective inhibitors of the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The scale of the studies presented indicates a high interest in this group of metal complexes, and the results indicate good prospects for using copper complexes as antimicrobial drugs.