Click Reaction Driven, Highly Fluorescent Dinuclear Organogold(I) Complex Exhibits a Dual Role: A Rare Au···H Interaction and an Antiproliferative Agent

Abstract

The metal-hydrogen (M···H) bonds in transition elements are well documented. However, the attractive AuI···H bond interaction is rare and significant experimental evidence for it still remains a challenge. Herein, we exhibit a rare example of a C-H···Au interaction in both the solid state and solution by employing a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and NMR spectroscopy for the novel dinuclear Au(I) complex 1, prepared by a click reaction between organized and strained internal alkynes ((PPh3Au-CC-)2-C6H4) as reacting partners. Furthermore, 1 was found to be highly fluorescent in nature and revealed remarkable antiproliferative properties against skin melanoma cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 3.12 to 8.5 μM. © 2019 American Chemical Society.