A review on recent advances of iron-based macrocyclic complexes as prominent candidate for several potential applications

The scope of possible applications such as catalysis, bioinorganic, medical region, coordination chemistry, bio-mimetic, etc., is the main driving force for the expansion of macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry as the demand for novel and superior complexes increased day by day for evident advanced applications. Herein this review article, we tried to succinct the chemistry of iron-based macrocyclic complexes published during the 2015–2023 period with their potent applications. Macrocycles with benign presence of first-row transition metals have gained more focus because of gigantic potent biological applications, namely, antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, antifertility, antioxidant, magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, anti-HIV activities, and many more. Broadly, these biological activities are influenced by metal ion’s chemical properties such as chelation, solubility, dipole moment, and conductivity and by the formation of their macrocyclic compounds. Iron-based macrocycles are involved in various biological functions such as metabolism, respiration, DNA synthesis, catalytic oxidation, etc., which are a few of them, so in this concise review, we presented the recent advancement of iron-based macrocycles complexes in a summarized systematic way, with synthetic routes, structural elucidation, catalytic performance, and their role as biologically active core for copious activities. We hope that it will be fruitful for young researchers working in this field.