Cytotoxicity of osmium(II) and cycloosmated half-sandwich complexes from 1-pyrenyl-containing phosphane ligands.

Five metal-arene complexes of formula [MX(η--cymene)(diR(1-pyrenyl)phosphane)] (M = Os or Ru, X = Cl or I, R = isopropyl or phenyl) and symbolized as were synthesized and fully characterized, namely , , , and . Furthermore, nine cyclometalated half-sandwich complexes of formula [MX-(η--cymene)(C-diR(1-pyrenyl)phosphane)] (M = Os or Ru, X = Cl or I, R = isopropyl or phenyl) or [M(η--cymene)(S-dmso)(C-diR(1-pyrenyl)phosphane)]PF (M = Os or Ru, R = isopropyl or phenyl) and symbolized as were prepared; hence, , , , , , , , and were obtained and fully characterized. The crystal structures of ten out of the fourteen complexes were solved. All complexes exhibit notable cytotoxic properties against A549 (Lung Adenocarcinoma) human cells, with IC values ranging from 48 to 1.42 μM. In addition, complex shows remarkable toxic behaviours agains other cell lines, namely MCF7 (breast carcinoma), MCF10A (non-tumorigenic epithelial breast) and MDA-MB-435 (melanoma) human cells, as illustrated by IC values of 4.36, 4.71 and 2.32 μM, respectively. Finally, it has been found that affects the cell cycle of A549 cells, impeding their replication (, the cell cycle is blocked), whereas (namely with phenyl groups instead of isopropyl ones) does not induce this effect.