Alkyl chain-modified cyclometalated iridium complexes as tunable anticancer and imaging agents.

Five mononuclear cyclometalated iridium complexes [1](PF6)-[5](PF6) were prepared using imidazole-based ligands of varying alkyl chain length. The complexes were characterised by various analytical techniques. The single crystal X-ray structures of [2](PF6), [3](PF6) and [4](PF6) revealed the expected distorted Oh structures around the metal centre; however, the chain length was found to play a crucial role in deciding the overall geometry. Theoretical investigations demonstrated that the HOMOs were mainly contributed by iridium and cyclometalated ligands, whereas the LUMOs were constituted from bpy/phen units. The complexes were found to be luminescent with a moderate emission quantum yield and lifetime in CH3CN. The in vitro growth inhibition assay of the complexes with a shorter alkyl chain ([4]+ and [5]+) displayed higher anticancer activity (IC50 < 0.5 µM) compared to the complexes with a longer alkyl chain ([1]+-[3]+) (IC50 < 30 µM) against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. The complexes [4]+ and [5]+ also displayed moderate cancer cell selectivity (∼3 times) over normal breast (MCF-10) cells. The flow cytometry assay and fluorescence microscopy analysis suggested that cellular accumulation was primarily responsible for the variation in anticancer activity. Interestingly, without possessing any anticancer activity or toxicity ((IC50 > 50 µM), the complex [1]+ mainly accumulated near the cell membrane outside the cell and displayed a clear image of the cell membrane. The light microscopy images and western blot analysis reveal that complex [4]+ induced combined apoptosis and paraptosis. Thus, tuning the anticancer activity and cellular imaging property mediated by the alkyl chain would be of great importance and would be useful in anticancer research.

Preparation and mechanistic aspect of natural xanthone functionalized gold nanoparticle.

Herein, a facile scale up and shape variable synthesis of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and reaction mechanism by natural xanthone derivative (mangiferin) has been reported. Mangiferin (C19H18O11; 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C2-ß-d-glucoside), a xanthone derivative is isolated from Mangifera indica L. leaves which efficiently reduces Au3+ ions to Au0 and stabilizes the formed AuNP. The structural, optical and plasmonic properties of synthesized AuNP have been investigated through different instrumental techniques like UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, powder XRD, FESEM and TEM analysis. It is observed that variation of the concentration of Au3+ ions and mangiferin has a great effect on controlling size and shape of nanoparticles. The role of reaction temperature is also notable. An interesting observation is that with same concentration ratio of HAuCl4/mangiferin (0.025 mM/0.002%) at the room temperature kidney shaped AuNP is produced, whereas it is spherical at boiling temperature. Moreover, mangiferin allows high scale synthesis of AuNPs (0.025 mM to 10 mM) without changing the particles size and shape. The mechanistic investigation through UV-Vis, FTIR and GCMS analyses reveal the cleavage of glucose unit and oxidation of phenolic OH groups during AuNP formation. Non-toxicity of mangiferin conjugated AuNP on normal human breast cell line (MCF-10A) suggesting its future application as a drug delivery system and other related medicinal purposes.

Long-Lived Polypyridyl Based Mononuclear Ruthenium Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Azo Dye Decomposition.

Two mononuclear ruthenium complexes [(bpy)2RuIIL1/L2](ClO4)2 ([1]2+/[2]2+) (bpy-2,2' bipyridine, L1 = 2,3-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline) and L2 = 2,3-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline have been synthesized. The complexes have been characterized using various analytical techniques. The complex [1]2+ has further been characterized by its single crystal X-ray structure suggesting ruthenium is coordinating through the N donors of phenanthroline end. Theoretical investigation suggests that the HOMOs of both complexes are composed of pyridine and pyrazine unit of ligands L1 and L2 whereas the LUMOs are formed by the contribution of bipyridine units. The low energy bands at ∼480 nm of the complexes can be assigned as MLCT with partial contribution from ligand transitions, whereas the rest are ligand centered. The complexes have shown RuII/RuIII oxidation couples at E1/2 at 1.26 (70 mV) V and 1.28 (62 mV) V for [1]2+ and [2]2+ vs Ag/AgCl, respectively, suggesting no significant role of distal thiophene or pyridine units of the ligands. The complexes are emissive and display solvent dependent emission properties. Both complexes have shown highest emission quantum yield and lifetime in DMSO (ϕ = 0.05 and τavg = 460 ns and λmaxem at 620 nm for [1]2+; ϕ = 0.043 and τavg = 425 ns and λmaxem at 635 nm for [2]2+). Further, the long luminescent lifetime of these complexes has been utilized to generate reactive oxygen species for efficient azo dye decomposition.

Cyclometallated iridium complexes inducing paraptotic cell death like natural products: synthesis, structure and mechanistic aspects.

Six mononuclear Ir complexes (1-6) using polypyridyl-pyrazine based ligands (L1 and L2) and {[cp*IrCl(µ-Cl)]2 and [(ppy)2Ir(µ-Cl)]2} precursors have been synthesised and characterised. Complexes 1-5 have shown potent anticancer activity against various human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, LNCap, Ishikawa, DU145, PC3 and SKOV3) while complex 6 is found to be inactive. Flow cytometry studies have established that cellular accumulation of the complexes lies in the order 2 > 1 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 6 which is in accordance with their observed cytotoxicity. No changes in the expression of the proteins like PARP, caspase 9 and beclin-1, Atg12 discard apoptosis and autophagy, respectively. Overexpression of CHOP, activation of MAPKs (P38, JNK, and ERK) and massive cytoplasmic vacuolisation collectively suggest a paraptotic mode of cell death induced by proteasomal dysfunction as well as endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial stress. An intimate relationship between p53, ROS production and extent of cell death has also been established using p53 wild, null and mutant type cancer cells.

A dinuclear [{(p-cym)Ru(II)Cl}2(µ-bpytz˙(-))](+) complex bridged by a radical anion: synthesis, spectroelectrochemical, EPR and theoretical investigation (bpytz = 3,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)1,2,4,5-tetrazine; p-cym = p-cymene).

The reaction of the chloro-bridged dimeric precursor [{(p-cym)Ru(II)Cl}(µ-Cl)]2 (p-cym = p-cymene) with the bridging ligand 3,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (bpytz) in ethanol results in the formation of the dinuclear complex [{(p-cym)Ru(II)Cl}2(µ-bpytz˙(-))](+), [1](+). The bridging tetrazine ligand is reduced to the anion radical (bpytz˙(-)) which connects the two Ru(II) centres. Compound [1](PF6) has been characterised by an array of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The radical anion character has been confirmed by magnetic moment (corresponding to one electron paramagnetism) measurement, EPR spectroscopic investigation (tetrazine radical anion based EPR spectrum) as well as density functional theory based calculations. Complex [1](+) displays two successive one electron oxidation processes at 0.66 and 1.56 V versus Ag/AgCl which can be attributed to [{(p-cym)Ru(II)C}2(µ-bpytz˙(-))](+)/[{(p-cym)Ru(II)Cl}2(µ-bpytz)](2+) and [{(p-cym)Ru(II)Cl}2(µ-bpytz)](+)/[{(p-cym)Ru(III)Cl}2(µ-bpytz)](2+) processes (couples I and II), respectively. The reduction processes (couple III-couple V), which are irreversible, likely involve the successive reduction of the bridging ligand and the metal centres together with loss of the coordinated chloride ligands. UV-Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical investigation reveals typical tetrazine radical anion containing bands for [1](+) and a strong absorption in the visible region for the oxidized form [1](2+), which can be assigned to a Ru(II) → π* (tetrazine) MLCT transition. The assignment of spectroscopic bands was confirmed by theoretical calculations.

Synthesis, characterisation and antibacterial activity of [(p-cym)RuX(L)](+/2+) (X = Cl, H2O; L = bpmo, bpms) complexes.

Mononuclear half-sandwiched complexes [(p-cym)RuCl(bpmo)](ClO4) {[1](ClO4)} and [(p-cym)RuCl(bpms)](PF6) {[2](PF6)} have been prepared by reacting heteroscorpionate ligands bpmo = 2-methoxyphenyl-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)methane and bpms = 2-methylthiophenyl-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)methane, respectively, with a dimeric precursor complex [(p-cym)RuCl(µ-Cl)]2 (p-cym = 1-isopropyl-4-methylbenzene) in methanol. The corresponding aqua derivatives [(p-cym)Ru(H2O)(bpmo)](ClO4)2 {[3](ClO4)2} and [(p-cym)Ru(H2O)(bpms)](PF6)2 {[4](PF6)2} are obtained from {[1](ClO4)} and {[2](PF6)}, respectively, via Cl(-)/H2O exchange process in the presence of appropriate equivalents of AgClO4/AgNO3 + KPF6 in a methanol-water mixture. The molecular structures of the complexes {[1]Cl, [3](ClO4)2 and [4](PF6)(NO3)} are authenticated by their single crystal X-ray structures. The complexes show the expected piano-stool geometry with p-cym in the η(6) binding mode. The aqua complexes [3](ClO4)2 and [4](PF6)2 show significantly good antibacterial activity towards E. coli (gram negative) and B. subtilis (gram positive) strains, while chloro derivatives ({[1](ClO4)} and {[2](PF6)} are found to be virtually inactive. The order of antibacterial activity of the complexes according to their MIC values is [1](ClO4) (both 1000 µg mL(-1)) < [2](PF6) (580 µg mL(-1) and 750 µg mL(-1)) < [3](ClO4)2 (both 100 µg mL(-1)) < [4](PF6)2 (30 µg mL(-1) and 60 µg mL(-1)) for E. coli and B. subtilis strains, respectively. Further, the aqua complexes [3](ClO4)2 and [4](PF6)2 show clear zones of inhibition against kanamycin, ampicillin and chloramphenicol resistant E. coli strains. The detailed mechanistic aspects of the aforesaid active aqua complexes [3](ClO4)2 and [4](PF6)2 have been explored, and it reveals that both the complexes inhibit the number of nucleoids per cell in vivo and bind to DNA in vitro. The results indeed demonstrate that both [3](ClO4)2 and [4](PF6)2 facilitate the inhibition of bacterial growth by binding to DNA.

Facile tandem Suzuki coupling/transfer hydrogenation reaction with a bis-heteroscorpionate Pd-Ru complex.

Design and synthesis of the bis(pyrazol-1-yl)methane based bis-heteroscorpionate Pd-Ru complex results in efficient tandem Suzuki coupling/transfer hydrogenation reaction with a broad range of substrate reactivity.

Dinuclear [{(p-cym)RuCl}2(µ-phpy)](PF6)2 and heterodinuclear [(ppy)2Ir(µ-phpy)Ru(p-cym)Cl](PF6)2 complexes: synthesis, structure and anticancer activity.

Phpy bridged homodinuclear Ru-Ru () and heterodinuclear Ir-Ru complexes () have been developed. Complex induces autophagy towards the cisplatin resistant human breast cancer (MCF7) cell line, whereas is inactive.