文摘
The potential of structurally new ferrocene-functionalized guanidines as redox-active precursors for the synthesis of heterometallic platinum(II)鈥揼uanidine complexes with anticancer activity was studied. To this end, an atom-economical catalytic approach was followed by using ZnEt2 to catalyze the addition of aminoferrocene and 4-ferrocenylaniline to N,N鈥?diisopropylcarbodiimide. Furthermore, reaction of a platinum(II) source with the newly obtained guanidines Fc鈥揘鈺怌(NHiPr)2 (3) and Fc(1,4-C6H4)鈥揘鈺怌(NHiPr)2 (4) provided access to the heterometallic complexes [PtCl2{Fc鈥揘鈺怌(NHiPr)2}(DMSO)] (5), [PtCl2{Fc(1,4-C6H4)鈥揘鈺怌(NHiPr)2}(DMSO)] (6), and [PtCl2{Fc(1,4-C6H4)鈥揘鈺怌(NHiPr)2}2] (7). Electrochemical studies evidence the remarkable electronic effect played by the direct attachment of the guanidine group to the ferrocene moiety in 3, making its one-electron oxidation extremely easy. Guanidine-based Fe鈥揚t complexes 5 and 6 are active against all human cancer cell lines tested, with GI50 values in the range 1.4鈥?.6 渭M, and are more cytotoxic than cisplatin in the resistant T-47D and WiDr cell lines.