Complexes of dichloro[2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl-C1,N]gold(III), [Au(damp-C1,N)Cl2], with formylferrocene thiosemicarbazones: synthesis, structure and cytotoxicity

Dichloro2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl- phenyl-C1,N]gold(III), Au(damp-C1,N)Cl2], reacts with the formylferrocene thiosemicarbazones derived from 4-methyl-, 4-phenyl-, 4-ethyl- and 4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazides, HFcTSC, to give complexes of general formula Au(Hdamp-1C)Cl(FcTSC)]Cl. These complexes were isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and IR, 1H NMR and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. In some cases, cyclic voltammetric studies were carried out and these showed that the complexation of gold affects the redox behaviour of the ferrocene unit. The in vitro antitumor activity against the HeLa cell line was also determined for the more soluble complexes. The IC(50) values were found to be higher than that of cisplatin but the maximum antiproliferative activity was similar.