Numerous medications when used do not target a specific problem which results in the ineffectiveness of the medication. Our project focused on the preparation of site-specific ruthenacarborane molecules composed of ruthenium, an arene ring, and a carborane cluster all arranged as (arene)Ru(H2C2B9H9). Each part of the molecule has a specific function: the arene ring allows the molecule to target specific cells in the body; the ruthenium has a low toxicity level which allows it to be used as a linking group within possible pharmaceuticals; and the carborane which offers the possibility of boron neutron capture therapy, BNCT, for difficult to treat cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme. This research focused on the preparation and characterization of [(7-dehydrocholesterol)RuCl2]2 by combining commercially available reagents, 7-dehydrocholesterol and RuCl3 in THF. This molecule would introduce a steroid as the target specific arene to the (arene)ruthenacarborane.
