Bismuth(III) halide complexes of aromatic thiosemicarbazones: Synthesis, structural characterization and biological evaluation

In Vitro and In Silico Studies on 4-Nitroacetophenone Thiosemicarbazone Potential Cytotoxicity Against A549 Cell Lines

Lung malignancy is a major worldwide issue that occurs due to the dysregulation of various growth factors. Lung cancer has no apparent signs in the early stages, which makes it harder to catch it in time and leads to a higher fatality rate. So, the goal of this work was to create and analyze a novel chemical molecule called 4-nitro acetophenone thiosemicarbazone (4-NAPTSc) against the lung cancer cell line A549 and human non-tumorigenic lung epithelial cell line BAES-2B. The ligand was synthesized by refluxing the reaction mixture of 4-nitro acetophenone and thiosemicarbazide and was further characterized by UV, FTIR, and 1H and 13C NMR and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) study. Cytotoxicity assay/MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl))2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the compound. Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) were chosen as the target proteins for molecular docking to find potential ligand binding sites and inhibit their function. A novel yellow-colored crystalline solid has been synthesized. 4-NAPTSc had an IC50 of 2.93 μg/mL against the A549 lung cancer cells. When the dosage is increased from 5 to 15 μg/mL along with time, the cell viability falls. Docking results showed that the compound binds with the targeted proteins' amino acid residues, and the likeness profile of the compound is also favorable. This study reveals that the compound has the potential for further investigation and can be used in multitargeted cancer therapies.

One-Year Water-Stable and Porous Bi(III) Halide Semiconductor with Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Performance

Hybrid metal halide semiconductors are a unique family of materials with immense potential for numerous applications. For this to materialize, environmental stability and toxicity deficiencies must be simultaneously addressed. We report here a porous, visible light semiconductor, namely, (DHS)Bi2I8 (DHS = [2.2.2] cryptand), which consists of nontoxic, earth-abundant elements, and is water-stable for more than a year. Gas- and vapor-sorption studies revealed that it can selectively and reversibly adsorb H2O and D2O at room temperature (RT) while remaining impervious to N2 and CO2. Solid-state NMR measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations verified the incorporation of H2O and D2O in the molecular cages, validating the porous nature. In addition to porosity, the material exhibits broad band-edge light emission centered at 600 nm with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 99 nm, which is maintained after 6 months of immersion in H2O. Moreover, (DHS)Bi2I8 exhibits bacteriocidal action against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. This performance, coupled with the recorded water stability and porous nature, renders it suitable for a plethora of applications, from solid-state batteries to water purification and disinfection.

Biological Activities of Bismuth Compounds: An Overview of the New Findings and the Old Challenges Not Yet Overcome

Bismuth-based drugs have been used primarily to treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori and other gastrointestinal ailments. Combined with antibiotics, these drugs also possess synergistic activity, making them ideal for multiple therapy regimens and overcoming bacterial resistance. Compounds based on bismuth have a low cost, are safe for human use, and some of them are also effective against tumoral cells, leishmaniasis, fungi, and viruses. However, these compounds have limited bioavailability in physiological environments. As a result, there is a growing interest in developing new bismuth compounds and approaches to overcome this challenge. Considering the beneficial properties of bismuth and the importance of discovering new drugs, this review focused on the last decade's updates involving bismuth compounds, especially those with potent activity and low toxicity, desirable characteristics for developing new drugs. In addition, bismuth-based compounds with dual activity were also highlighted, as well as their modes of action and structure-activity relationship, among other relevant discoveries. In this way, we hope this review provides a fertile ground for rationalizing new bismuth-based drugs.

Synthesis, characterization, and biological properties of mono-, di- and poly-nuclear bismuth(III) halide complexes containing thiophene-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazones

In order to investigate the coordination chemistry and pharmacological applications of bismuth compounds, a series of new bismuth(III) halide thiosemicarbazone complexes were synthesized. The reactions of thiophene-2-carbaldehyde-N-substituted thiosemicarbazones with bismuth(III) halides resulted in the formation of the {[[BiCl₂(η¹-S-Httsc)₄]⁺.Cl^-][BiCl₂(μ₂-Cl)(η¹-S-Httsc)₂]₂} (1), {[BiCl₃(η¹-S-Htmtsc)₃].CH₃OH} (2), {[BiCl₃(η¹-S-Htetsc)₃].CH₃OH} (3), {[BiBr₂(μ₂-Br)(η¹-S-Httsc)₂]₂.CH₃OH} (4), {[BiBr₂(μ₂-Br)(η¹-S-Htmtsc)₂]_n} (5), and {[BiI₂(μ₂-I)(η¹-S-Httsc)₂]₂} (6) complexes (Httsc: thiophene-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, Htmtsc: thiophene-2-carbaldehyde-N-methyl thiosemicarbazone, Htetsc: thiophene-2-carbaldehyde-N-ethyl thiosemicarbazone). The complexes were characterized by a number of different spectroscopic techniques and the crystal structures of all bismuth(III) complexes (1-6) were determined by using single crystal X-ray diffraction study. In addition, the thermal stability of the complexes was compared using Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. Crystal structures of the two free ligands, thiophene-2-carbaldehyde-N-methyl-thiosemicarbazone and thiophene-2-carbaldehyde-N-ethyl-thiosemicarbazone, were also determined by using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The Hirshfeld surface of the bismuth(III) complexes and free ligands were additionally analyzed to verify the intermolecular interactions. Biological studies showed that all six bismuth(III) thiosemicarbazone complexes (1-6) exhibited biological activities against selected bacteria and the human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line.