Unexpected solution behaviour of ester-functionalized half-sandwich Ru(II) and Ir(III) complexes

Area of Science:

• Organometallic Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• Development of novel half-sandwich ruthenium(ii) and iridium(iii) complexes.
• Investigation of ester-functionalized complexes with potential bioactive substituents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel ruthenium(ii) and iridium(iii) complexes.
• To investigate the in-solution behavior of these complexes, including their interaction with esterase.
• To evaluate the antiproliferative activity of these complexes against human cancer cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of six novel complexes using NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.
• In-solution behavior studies under aqueous conditions, including experiments with porcine liver esterase (PLE).
• Antiproliferative activity screening using four human cancer cell lines (HCT116, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, DU145).

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and characterization of six ruthenium(ii) and iridium(iii) complexes.
• Elucidation of in-solution behavior and stability of the complexes.
• No significant antiproliferative activity was observed for the tested complexes (IC50 > 100 μM).

Conclusions:

• The studied ruthenium(ii) and iridium(iii) complexes, despite containing a dichloroacetate moiety, did not exhibit antiproliferative effects.
• These model compounds provide a basis for understanding the behavior of similar organometallic complexes in biological contexts.