Oxovanadium(IV) and oxovanadium(V) complexes relevant to biological systems

Different aspects of the coordination chemistry of oxovanadium(IV) and oxovanadium(V), relevant to the bioinorganic chemistry of vanadium, are presented. Some of the investigated complexes are good models for different aspects of the metabolism and detoxification of vanadium or for a better characterization and understanding of the structural and electronic peculiarities of the coordination spheres of VO 2+ and VO 2 + in biomolecules. Their structural, spectroscopic and magnetic properties are briefly discussed. The investigated systems include ligands such as reduced and oxidized glutathione, l-ascorbic acid, nucleotides and related systems, carbohydrates, phosphates, carboxylic acids, oxine derivatives and some others.