Complexes containing benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands and Ln(III) ions: Synthesis, spectroscopic studies and preliminary...

Fourteen new complexes were obtained from Ln(III)(NO₃)₃∙n-H₂O and the chromophores 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-phenol (Bzp1) or 2-(5-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-phenol (Bzp2). The complete characterization allowed us to assign unequivocally the structures of all the complexes. The techniques used for this purpose were Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies, High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS), Magnetic Susceptibility (MS), Elemental Analysis (EA) and Molar Conductivity (MC). HRMS allowed us to find the molecular ion and its isotopic pattern. The FT-IR spectral data suggested that benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands coordinate with Ln(III) ions through iminic nitrogen and phenolic oxygen. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) studies of NdBzp1 and GdBzp2 complexes indicate the presence of lattice water along with three nitrates and two benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands; the thermal decomposition was consistent with the minimal formula suggested by EA. The coordination type of the benzimidazolyl-phenol ligands, the geometry and the structural organization of these coordination complexes have been interpreted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, and they coincided with the physicochemical data suggesting a coordination number eight for the Ln(III) ions. The cytotoxicity of the chromophores and their coordination complexes was tested against a cancer cell line (HeLa), as compared with structure/support cells (NIH-3T3) and defense cells (J774A.1), revealing that three coordination complexes showed moderate cytotoxicity against the cell lines studied.