title: New half sandwich-type Ru(II) coordination compounds characterized by the fac-Ru(dmso-S)3 fragment: influence of the face-capping group on the chemical behavior and in vitro anticancer activity.
abstract: The Ru(II) complex fac-[RuCl(dmso-S)(3)(dmso-O)(2)][PF(6)] (P2) was found to be an excellent precursor for the facile preparation in high yield of half sandwich-type compounds of the general formula fac-[RuCl(dmso-S)(3)(N)(2)][PF(6)] (e.g. (N)(2) = 1,2-diaminoethane (en, 4), trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dach, 5), or 2 NH(3) (6)). Neutral half sandwich-type compounds of the general formula fac-[RuCl(dmso-S)(3)(N-O)] where N-O is an anionic chelating ligand (e.g. N-O = picolinate (pic, 7)) are best prepared from the universal Ru(II)-dmso precursor cis-[RuCl(2)(dmso)(4)] (P1). These complexes, that were fully characterized in solution and in the solid state, are structurally similar to the anticancer organometallic compounds [Ru(η(6)-arene)(chel)Cl][PF(6)](n) but, in place of a face-capping arene, have the fac-Ru(dmso-S)(3) fragment. In contrast to what observed for the corresponding arene compounds, that rapidly hydrolyze the Cl ligand upon dissolution in water, compounds 4-6 are very stable and inert in aqueous solution. Probably their inertness is the reason why they showed no significant cytotoxicity against the MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy. jbratsos@units.it
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bratsos
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simonin
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zangrando
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gianferrara
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergamo
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alessio
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002460:Cell Line; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D012428:Ruthenium; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide