Synthesis,characterization and antitumor activity of some metal complexes of 3- and 5-substituted salicylaldehyde o-hydroxybenzoylhydrazones

Complexes of Mn(II), Fe(III), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pt(II) with 3- and 5-substituted salicylaldehyde o-hydroxybenzoylhydrazones (XSBH, X = H, 3-NO₂, 3-CH₃O, 5-Cl, 5-Br, 5-CH₃ or 5-NO₂) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, conductance measurements, magnetic susceptibilities (from room temperature down to liquid nitrogen temperature) and spectral studies. These studies indicate the following structures: monomeric, high-spin, distorted octahedral for Mn(XSBH)₂; monomeric, high-spin, five-coordinate for Fe(XSBH)SO₄·H₂O; dimeric, high-spin phenoxide bridged, five-coordinate for Fe(XSBH)Cl; dimeric, high-spin five-coordinate for Co(XSBH)Cl·2H₂O; dimeric low-spin, five-coordinate for Ni(XSBH)Cl·2H₂O; dimeric, four-coordinate for Zn(XSBH); and a square-planar structure for M(XSBH)Cl·H₂O (M = Cu(II) or Pt(II).Intermolecular antiferromagnetic exchange interactions are present in Fe(III) complexes, where the exchange parameter (J) is ca. −8.0 cm⁻¹ for these complexes. The Fe(III) complexes exhibit asymmetric quadrupole split doublets in their ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra. The asymmetry is found to be temperature dependent with relatively symmetrical doublets seen at low temperature. The polycrystalline ESR spectra of Cu(II) complexes are isotropic and indicate a d_x²−y² ground state in square-planar stereo-chemistry. All these metal complexes have been screened for their antitumor activity against the P 388 lymphocytic leukaemia test system in mice and enhanced antitumor activity relative to the free ligand was found but no significant activity at the dosages used.