Fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes: One-pot synthesis, characterization, fluorescence studies, and cytotoxic activity against human MDA-MB-231 breast, CCl-227 colon and BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry communications 2012-07, Vol.21, p.35-38
• Main Authors: Mbagu, Michael K., Kebulu, Divine N., Winstead, Angela, Pramanik, Saroj K., Banerjee, Hirendra N., Iwunze, Maurice O., Wachira, James M., Greco, George E., Haynes, Gregory K., Sehmer, Amanda, Sarkar, Fazlul H., Ho, Douglas M., Pike, Robert D., Mandal, Santosh K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cell lines; CCL-227 colon cancer cell lines; Fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes; Fluorescence; MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines; X-ray
• ISSN: 1387-7003; 1879-0259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2012.04.004

A series of pentylcarbonato complexes of the general formula fac-(CO)3(α-diimine)ReOC(O)O(CH2)4CH3 (1–7) was synthesized from the reactions of Re2(CO)10 with the corresponding α-diimines in refluxed 1-pentanol while CO2 was bubbled through the solutions. The α-diimines in 1–7 are 2,2′-bipyridyl, 1,10-phenanthroline, 5-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline, neocuproin, 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, bathophenanthroline, and bathocuproin, respectively. Complexes 1–7 have been characterized spectroscopically and by elemental analyses. Additionally, 1 and 6 have been characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. The electronic absorption spectra of 1–7 exhibit metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorption maxima in the range 343–371nm in acetonitrile. The emission maxima range from 513 to 532nm. The average life-time and quantum yield are 1.074ns and 0.011 respectively. Cytotoxicity studies using a few of these pentylcarbonato complexes reveal that the complexes are cytotoxic against BxPC-3 pancreatic, CCL-227 colon, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Seven new fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes have been synthesized from one-pot reactions. In vitro studies reveal that each of the seven compounds (1–7) is active against colon cancer cell lines CCL-227 (blue) and breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 (red). [Display omitted] ► One-pot synthesis of fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes. ► Fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes exhibit fluorescence. ► Fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(α-diimine)rhenium complexes are cytotoxic against breast, colon and pancreatic cancer cells. ► X-ray structure of fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(2,2′-bipyridyl)rhenium. ► X-ray structure of fac-tricarbonyl(pentylcarbonato)(bathophenanthroline)rhenium.