Cis and trans platinum(ii) N-heterocyclic carbene isomers: synthesis, characterization and biological activity

The synthesis of cis and trans geometrical isomers of platinum(ii) complexes with a symmetric N-heterocyclic carbene ligand ((NHC)-N-Me) is reported. These complexes were obtained from 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate, a masked NHC precursor. Their cytotoxicity, oxidative nature, and antibacterial behavior were investigated. The highest cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 1.21 mu M) was observed with the cis-[Pt((NHC)-N-Me)(2)Cl-2] complex in the cervix cancerous cell line HeLa.