The synergistic combination of vanadium and pincer ligands produces complexes with potential antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, and anticancer activities with enhanced stability, improved bioavailability, and greater specificity.

C–H bond activation is a crucial synthetic strategy widely utilized in both academic and industrial settings. Due to the strong and kinetically inert nature of the C–H bond, its functionalization typically requires metal-based catalysts. This review highlights the most significant advancements in homogeneously catalyzed reactions using pincer complexes with metals from groups 8–10, capable of promoting challenging C–H activation, published since 2010. In particular, it focuses on C–H bond activation for borylation, isomerization, and dehydrogenation, among other processes, discussing their scope and mechanistic insights.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss and limited therapeutic options. Metal-based drugs have emerged as promising alternatives in the search for effective treatments, and vanadium coordination complexes have shown significant potential due to their neuroprotective and anti-aggregant properties. This review explores the advances in the development of vanadium-based metallodrugs for AD, focusing on their ability to modulate amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies highlight the efficacy of oxovanadium (IV) and peroxovanadium (V) complexes in inhibiting Aβ fibril formation and reducing neuronal toxicity. Additionally, the interaction of vanadium complexes with key biological targets, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), suggests a multifaceted therapeutic approach. While these findings underscore the potential of vanadium compounds as innovative treatments for AD, further research is needed to optimize their bioavailability, selectivity, and safety for clinical applications.