Synthesis and cytotoxic activities of transition-metal complexes of a binaphthyl-linked bipyridine ligand

Abstract

A binaphthyl-linked bipyridyl compound, 1,1 0 -bis(6-methyl-6 0 -oxymethylenyl-2,2 0 -bipyridine)binaphthyl, (L) has been synthesised and used as a ligand for the formation of Cu(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) complexes. The ligand and its transition-metal complexes were characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The complexes were also investigated for cytotoxic activity. The cytotoxicity of complexes, CuL(ClO 4 ) 2 , NiL(ClO 4 ) 2 (H 2 O), CoL(ClO 4 ) 2 , were tested in vitro applying seven wellcharacterized human tumor cell lines, MCF7, EVSA-T, WIDR, IGROV, M19 MEL, A498, H226, and the microculture sulforhodamine B (SRB) test. All complexes show a very high cytotoxicity (ID 50 \ 250 ng/ml) in these cell lines.