Zn(II) complexes with thyazolyl-hydrazones: structure, photophysical properties, and antiproliferative activity

Abstract

Netoksični kompleksi na bazi Zn(II) privlače pažnju kao obećavajući kandidati za različite primene. U ovom radu je sintetisano i strukturno okarakterisano šest kompleksa Zn(II) (1‒3-NO3 i 1‒3-Cl) sa tiazolil-hidrazonskim ligandima na bazi piridina, koji se razlikuju po prirodi supstituenata na periferiji liganda, tipu anjona i geometriji oko jona metala. Simetrični kompleksi 2-Cl i 3-Cl, gde se atomi cinka nalaze na osi rotacije 2, ne pokazuju fotofizička svojstva, za razliku od drugih sintetisanih asimetričnih kompleksa. Poreklo fotoluminiscentnih svojstava je razjašnjeno korišćenjem DFT i TD-DFT proračuna. Antiproliferativna aktivnost kompleksa je bila u nanomolarnom opsegu na nekim od ispitivanih ćelijskih linija raka. Ukupni rezultati ukazuju na to da kompleksi Zn(II) sa tiazoil-hidrazonima imaju značajan potencijal kao multifunkcionalni materijali.

Non-toxic Zn-based complexes are drawing attention as promising candidates for various applications. In this study we report six Zn(II) complexes (1‒3-NO3 and 1‒3-Cl) with pyridyl-based thiazolyl-hydrazone ligands, which differ in the nature of substituents at the ligands’ periphery, anion type, and geometry around the metal ion. The symmetrical complexes 2-Cl and 3-Cl, where zinc atoms are located at a two-fold axis, do not exhibit photophysical properties, unlike other synthetized asymmetrical complexes. The origin of photoluminescent properties have been elucidated using DFT and TD-DFT calculations. Antiproliferative activity of the complexes was in the nanomolar range on some of the investigated cancer cell lines. The overall results suggest that Zn(II) thiazoyl-hydrazone complexes have considerable potential as multifunctional materials.