Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2025

Synthesis and Evaluation of a Ruthenium-based Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake Inhibitor
Published on: October 26, 2017
Synthesis and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of RuCp(II) Complexes Bearing (Iso)nicotinic Acid Based Ligands
Bárbara Marques1, Diogo M Engrácia2, João Franco Machado1
1Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Background/Objectives:
Cancer remains one of the major challenges of our century. Organometallic ruthenium complexes are gaining recognition as a highly promising group of compounds in the development of cancer treatments.
Methods:
Building on the auspicious results obtained for [Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)(bipy)][CF3SO3] (TM34), our focus has shifted to examining the effects of incorporating bioactive ligands into the TM34 framework, particularly within the cyclopentadienyl ring.
Results:
In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of two new ruthenium(II) complexes with the general formula [Ru(η5-C5H4CCH3=R)(PPh3)(bipy)][CF3SO3], where R represents a nicotinic acid derivative (NNHCO(py-3-yl)) (1) or an isoniazid derivative (NNHCO(py-4-yl)) (2). The complexes were fully characterized using a combination of spectroscopic techniques and computational analysis, revealing the presence of E/Z-hydrazone isomerism. Stability studies confirmed the robustness of both complexes in biological media, with compound 1 maintaining good stability in buffer solutions mimicking physiological (pH 7.4) and tumor-like (pH 6.8) environments. The cytotoxicity of the complexes was evaluated in vitro in several human cancer cell lines, namely melanoma (A375), alveolar adenocarcinoma (A549), epidermoid carcinoma (A431), and breast cancer (MDA-MB 231).
Conclusions:
Both compounds exhibited moderate to high cytotoxic activity, with complex 1 showing a greater propensity to induce cell death, particularly in the A431 and MDA-MB 231 cell lines.
More Related Videos
10:51The Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of a Series of Ruthenium N-triphosPh Complexes
Published on: April 10, 2015
07:20Amide Coupling Reaction for the Synthesis of Bispyridine-based Ligands and Their Complexation to Platinum as Dinuclear Anticancer Agents
Published on: May 28, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Structural Isomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can...
Stereoisomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...