Fine tuning through valence bond tautomerization of ancillary ligands in ruthenium(ii) arene complexes for better anticancer activity and enzyme inhibition properties

Abstract

Four new ruthenium arene PTA type complexes have been synthesized using substituted picolinamide derivatives as ancillary ligands and characterized by spectroscopic methods. In one of the complexes, the ancillary ligand has shown an unprecedented valence-bond tautomerization in the presence of an ammonium salt to act as a polar neutral donor ligand making the ligand more prone towards substitution. The same compound has shown remarkable antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines with GI50 values comparable to Adriamycin, a known therapeutic drug. Along with this it also strongly inhibits the action of thioredoxin reductase, which might be a probable reason for the enhanced proliferative action of the valence-bond tautomerized compound. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.