Functionalized mercaptoacetic and propionic acid amides: synthesis, cyclopalladation features, and catalytic activity of metal complexes

Pd(II) complexes bearing NNS pincer ligands: unveiling potent cytotoxicity against breast and pancreatic cancer

The continuously increasing rate of breast cancer is one of the major threats to female health worldwide. Recently, palladium complexes have emerged as impressive candidates with effective biocompatibility and anticancer activities. Hence, in the present study, we report a new series of palladium complexes bearing NNS pincer ligands for cytotoxicity studies. The reaction of thiophenol/4-chlorothiophenol/4-methylthiophenol/4-methoxythiophenol with 2-bromo-N-quinolin-8-yl-acetamide in the presence of sodium hydroxide in ethanol at 80 °C gave [C9H6N-NH-C(O)-CH2-S-Ar] [Ar = C6H5 (L1), C6H4Cl-4 (L2), C6H4Me-4 (L3), and C6H4-OMe-4 (L4)]. The corresponding reaction of L1-L4 with Na2PdCl4 in methanol at room temperature for 3 h resulted in complexes [(L1-H)PdCl] (C1), [(L2-H)PdCl] (C2), [(L3-H)PdCl] (C3), and [(L4-H)PdCl] (C4). All new compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic analyses. The structures of complexes C1, C3, and C4 have also been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The cytotoxicities of L1-L4 and C1-C4 have been investigated for breast cancer 4T1 and pancreatic cancer MIA-PaCa-2 cells. The IC50 values for complexes C2 and C3 were observed to be comparable to or higher than those of cisplatin. The stressed morphology and cell death of cancerous cells were successfully observed through cellular morphology analysis and the assessment of cytoskeleton damage.

Tetrachloromethane as halogen bond donor toward metal-bound halides

Two annulated triazapentadiene systems, viz. 1,3,5,7,9-pentaazanona-1,3,6,8-tetraenate chloride complexes of PtII, form CCl4 solvates, containing the Cl3C–Cl···Cl–Pt halogen bonds. These halogen bonds are firstly reported type of Cl3C–Cl···Cl–M contacts. In the X-ray structures of two solvates different non-covalent interactions were detected and studied by DFT calculations and topological analysis of the electron density distribution within the framework of QTAIM method at the M06/DZP-DKH level of theory. Estimated energies of these supramolecular contacts vary from 0.6 to 2.4 kcal/mol.