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Probing CO Generation through Metal-Assisted Alcohol Dehydrogenation in Metal-2-(arylazo)phenol Complexes Using
Satabdi Roy1, Monalisa Mohanty1, Reece G Miller2
1Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
Inorganic Chemistry
|September 30, 2020
Summary
Ruthenium complexes catalyze ethanol decarbonylation and dehydrogenation, producing carbon monoxide and alkanes. These complexes also exhibit significant anticancer activity against cervical and colorectal cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Catalysis
- Medicinal Chemistry
Background:
- Metal-assisted reactions offer novel pathways for chemical transformations.
- Ruthenium and iridium complexes are explored for catalytic and medicinal applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel ruthenium and iridium complexes.
- To investigate the catalytic activity of these complexes in alcohol transformations.
- To evaluate the in vitro antiproliferative activity of the synthesized complexes.
Main Methods:
- Reaction of 2-{2-(benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)- diazo}-4-methylphenol (HL) with ruthenium and iridium precursors.
- Synthesis of carbonylated and acetonitrile-ligated ruthenium complexes.
- Synthesis of an organoiridium hydride complex.
- Use of 13C-labeled ethanol to trace reaction mechanisms.
- In vitro cytotoxicity assays against cancer cell lines (HeLa, HT-29) and noncancerous cells (NIH-3T3).
Main Results:
- Ruthenium complex [RuL(PPh3)2(CO)] (1) formed via metal-assisted ethanol decarbonylation and dehydrogenation.
- Acetonitrile solvent led to the formation of [RuL(PPh3)2(CH3CN)] (2) by trapping a common intermediate.
- Iridium complex [IrL(PPh3)2(H)] (3) was obtained without ethanol decarbonylation.
- 13C labeling confirmed CO generation via ruthenium-assisted ethanol oxidation.
- Complexes 1-3 demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against HeLa and HT-29 cells (IC50 values 3.3-4.5 μM).
- Complexes showed lower toxicity to noncancerous NIH-3T3 cells.
Conclusions:
- A ruthenium-assisted mechanism for alcohol decarbonylation and dehydrogenation is proposed.
- The synthesized ruthenium and iridium complexes possess potent in vitro anticancer properties.
- These complexes represent promising candidates for further investigation in cancer therapy.
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