Cycloaurated GoId (III) complexes- Possible alternatives to cisplatin?

The serendipitous discovery of the anti-tumour activity of cisplatin [cis-PtCI₂(NH₃)₂] in 1969 has led to increased interest in the development of new metal-based anti-cancer drugs. However, regardless of the large numbers of new metal-containing compounds generated, many of which demonstrate anti-tumour activity, cisplatin still remains one of the most widely used anti-tumour drugs in the western world

The Chemistry of Cycloaurated Complexes

New cycloaurated complexes have been synthesised and characterised. The biological and catalytic activity (in the addition of 2-methylfuran to methyl vinyl ketone) of selected complexes was evaluated. New complexes reported in this thesis where fully characterised by NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P when appropriate) and IR spectroscopy, ESI-mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The simple cycloaurated iminophosphoranes (2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)Ph₂P=N-R (R = (R,S)-CHMePh, (S)-CHMePh, p-C₆H₄F or But) were synthesised by the reaction of the appropriate ortho-mercurated compound with [Me₄N][AuCl₄] and [Me₄N]Cl in acetonitrile; the complex (2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)Ph₂P=N-(S)-CHMePh was structurally characterised. The cis chloride ligands on the complexes were replaced by chelating dianionic ligands such as thiosalicylate and catecholate - the resulting bis-metallacyclic complexes have a better anti-tumour activity (against P388 murine leukemia cells) than the parent dichlorides. The nitrogen-gold coordinate bond is relatively robust and is not cleaved by cyanide or dithiocarbamate ligands. The reaction of (2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)Ph₂P=N-Ph with PPh₃ results in substitution of the chloride ligand trans to the nitrogen (shown by an X-ray crystal structure). Both the endo ((2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)Ph₂P=NC(O)Ph) and exo ((2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)C(O)N=PPh₃) cycloaurated isomers of the stabilised iminophosphorane Ph₃P=NC(O)Ph were synthesised and structurally characterised. Cycloaurated Ph₃P=S and Ph₃P=Se were synthesised by a transmetallation reaction from 2-Hg[(C₆H₄)P(E)Ph₂]₂ (E = S or Se). The synthesis of cycloaurated Ph₃P=O by an analogous method was unsuccessful. PhP(S)(NEt₂)₂ was also cycloaurated via a transmetallation reaction. X-ray crystallography confirmed the sulfur (not the nitrogen) was coordinated to the gold centre. The complexes show a similar stability and reactivity to the C,N cycloaurated species - the cis chloride ligands can be replaced by the chelating thiosalicylate ligand. Again the bis-metallacyclic species showed better biological activity than the parent dichloride. The direct reaction of the 2-pyridyl sulfonamide ligands 2-(C₅H₅N)CH₂NHSO₂R (R = p-tolyl, Ph or Me), 2-(C₅H₅N)CH₂CH₂NHSO₂R (R = p-tolyl or Ph) or 8-(p-tosylamino)quinoline with refluxing aqueous H[AuCl₄] gave N,N' coordinated complexes containing a five- or six-membered cycloaurated ring. The cycloaurated complexes derived from the ligands 2-(C₅H₅N)CH₂NHSO₂Me and 8-(p-tosylamino)quinoline were structurally characterised. The cycloaurated N,N' systems were not as stable as the C,N systems - reaction with reducing agents led to reduction of Au(III) to Au(I) and elemental gold. The 2-pyridine thiocarboxamide ligands 2-(C₅H₅N)C(S)NHR (R= p-tolyl, CH₂Ph, Me, p-C₆H₅OMe) also underwent direct cycloauration upon reaction with H[AuCl₄]. Coordination via the pyridyl nitrogen and sulfur atom was confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure of cycloaurated 2-(C₅H₅N)C(S)NHCH₂Ph. The N,S cycloaurated systems show poor stability in solution and decompose relatively quickly so applications are limited. The ligand with a 2 pyridyl substituent reacted with H[AuCl₄] in a different manner. Instead of cycloauration, the ligand was oxidised and an internal cyclisation occurred to give a 1,2,4-thiadiazolo[2,3-a]pyridinium heterocyclic ring. The reaction of the cycloaurated dichloride complexes (2-benzylpyridine)AuCl₂ and (2-AuCl₂C₆H₄)Ph₂P=N-Ph with the tripodal Kläui ligands (Na[(C₅H₅)Co{P(O)R₂}₃], R = OMe or OEt) and Tl[BF₄] resulted in the formation of cationic gold(III) salts. In the solid state the Kläui ligand is strongly coordinated through two of the three oxygen atoms, and weakly by the third, giving the gold a distorted square pyramidal geometry. In solution there is rapid interchange between the coordinated and non-coordinated oxygen atoms

Cycloauration of pyridyl sulphonamides

The pyridyl-2-alkylsulfonamides C₅H₄N(CH₂)nNHSO₂R (n = 1,2; R = Me, Ph or p-C₆H₄Me) and 8-(p-tosylamino)quinoline undergo facile cycloauration reactions with H[AuCl₄] in water, giving metallacyclic complexes coordinated through the pyridyl (or quinolyl) nitrogen atom and the deprotonated nitrogen of the sulfonamide group. The complexes have been fully characterised by NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The X-ray crystal structures of two derivatives reveal the presence of non-planar sulfonamide nitrogen atoms. The complexes show low activity against P388 murine leukaemia cells, possibly as a result of their ease of reduction with mild reducing agents

Five-coordinate gold(III) complexes of the Kläui ligands [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Co{P(O)(OR)₂}₃]− (R°=°Me, Et)

The reactions of cycloaurated gold(III) dichloride complexes [LAuCl₂] (L°=°2-C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂ or 2-C₆H₄PPh₂ NPh) with monoanionic tripodal oxygen donor Kläui ligands [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Co{P(O)(OR) ₂}₃]− (R°=°Me or Et) results in the formation of cationic gold(III) salts [LAu{OP(OR) ₂}₃Co(η⁵-C₅H₅)]+. An X-ray structure determination on [(2-C₆H₄PPh₂ NPh)Au{OP(OR) ₂}₃Co(η⁵-C₅H₅)]BF₄shows that the Kläui ligand coordinates strongly to the gold through two oxygen atoms, and weakly through the third, giving the gold(III) a distorted square pyramidal geometry. This is the first structurally characterised example of this geometry for gold(III) with ligands other than those containing rigid bipyridine or phenanthroline backbones. In solution at room temperature there is rapid interchange (on the NMR timescale) between the oxygen atoms of the Kläui ligands, which is frozen out on cooling

Synthesis and reactivity of gold(III) complexes containing cycloaurated iminophosphorane ligands

Transmetallation reactions of ortho-mercurated iminophosphoranes (2-ClHgC₆H₄)Ph₂P NR with [AuCl₄]⁻ gives new cycloaurated iminophosphorane complexes of gold(III) (2-Cl₂AuC₆H₄)Ph₂P NR [R = (R,S)- or (S)-CHMePh, p-C₆H₄F, tBu], characterised by NMR and IR spectroscopies, ESI mass spectrometry and an X-ray structure determination on the chiral derivative R = (S)-CHMePh. The chloride ligands of these complexes can be readily replaced by the chelating ligands thiosalicylate and catecholate; the resulting derivatives show markedly higher anti-tumour activity versus P388 murine leukaemia cells compared to the parent chloride complexes. Reaction of (2-Cl₂AuC₆H₄)Ph₂P NPh with PPh₃ results in displacement of a chloride ligand giving the cationic complex [(2-Cl(PPh₃)AuC₆H₄)Ph₂P NPh]⁺, indicating that the P N donor is strongly bonded to the gold centre

The cycloauration of pyridine-2-thiocarboxamide ligands

Reactions of H[AuCl₄] with N-substituted 2-pyridine thiocarboxamide ligands 2-(C₅H₄N)C(S)NHR (R= p-C₆H₄Me, CH₂Ph, Me, p-C₆H₄OMe) gave cycloaurated derivatives {(C₅H₄N)C(S)NR}AuCl₂, with the ligand bonded as the thiol tautomer through the deprotonated SH group and the pyridine N atom to give a five-membered metallacyclic ring. The X-ray structure determination of the R = CH₂Ph derivative shows a square-planar gold(III) complex that dimerises in the solid state by weak Au...S intermolecular interactions. In contrast, in the reaction of H[AuCl₄] with 2-(C₅H₄N)C(S)NHR where R = 2-pyridyl, the ligand was oxidised to give a 1,2,4-thiadiazolo[2,3-a]pyridinium heterocyclic ring that was crystallographically characterised

Cycloaurated triphenylphosphine-sulfide and –selenide

The first examples of cycloaurated phosphine sulfides and triphenylphosphine selenide have been synthesised; these complexes are fairly rare examples of gold(III) complexes with potentially reducing sulfur- and selenium-donor ligands. The cycloaurated complex (AuCl₂ (2-C₆H₄P(S)Ph₂) was synthesised in good yield by transmetallation of the organomercury precursor Hg(2-C₆H₄P(S)Ph₂)₂ with Me₄N[AuCl₄]. A route to the chloro-mercury analogue ClHg(2-C₆H₄P(S)Ph₂) was developed by reaction of the cyclomanganated triphenylphosphine sulfide (CO)₄Mn(2-C₆H₄P(S)Ph₂) with HgCl₂; this mercury substrate was also used in the synthesis of AuCl₂(2-C₆H₄P(S)Ph₂). The cycloaurated triphenylphosphine selenide complex AuCl₂(2-C₆H₄P(Se)Ph₂) was synthesised by an analogous methodology using the new phosphine selenide Hg(2-C₆H₄P(Se)Ph₂)₂ [prepared from Hg(2-C₆H₄PPh₂)₂ and elemental Se under sonication]. The phosphonamidic analogue AuCl₂(2-C₆H₄P(S)(Net₂)₂) has also been synthesised from PhP(S)(Net₂)₂via lithiation and mercuration. X-Ray crystal structures of several compounds are reported, and show the presence of puckered ring systems

A six-coordinate aryl-germanium complex formed by the Kläui ligand

PhGeCl₃ reacts with Na{[OP(OEt)₂]₃CoCp} to give the six-coordinate complex PhCl₂Ge{[OP(OEt)₂]₃CoCp}, characterised spectroscopically and by an X-ray crystal structure determination which showed a firmly-attached tridentate ligand [Ge–O 1.973(2) Å]

Synthesis and characterisation of isomeric cycloaurated complexes derived from the iminophosphorane Ph₃P=NC(O)Ph

Using different organomercury substrates, two isomeric cycloaurated complexes derived from the stabilised iminophosphorane Ph₃P NC(O)Ph were prepared. Reaction of Ph₃P NC(O)Ph with PhCH₂Mn(CO)₅ gave the manganated precursor (CO)₄Mn(2-C₆H₄C(O)N PPh₃), metallated on the C(O)Ph substituent, which yielded the organomercury complex ClHg(2-C₆H₄C(O)N PPh₃) by reaction with HgCl₂ in methanol. Transmetallation of the mercurated derivative with Me₄N[AuCl₄] gave the cycloaurated iminophosphorane AuCl₂(2-C₆H₄C(O)N PPh₃) with an exo PPh₃ substituent. The endo isomer AuCl₂(2-C₆H₄Ph₂P NC(O)Ph) [aurated on a PPh₃ ring] was obtained by an independent reaction sequence, involving reaction of the diarylmercury precursor Hg(2-C₆H₄P( NC(O)Ph)Ph₂)₂ [prepared from the known compound Hg(2-C₆H₄PPh₂)₂ and PhC(O)N₃] with Me₄N[AuCl₄]. Both of the isomeric iminophosphorane derivatives were structurally characterised, together with the precursors (2-HgClC₆H₄)C(O)N PPh₃ and (CO)₄Mn(2-C₆H₄C(O)N PPh₃). The utility of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy in monitoring reaction chemistry in this system is described

Orthomercurated and cycloaurated derivatives of the iminophosphorane Ph3P NPh

Ortho-lithiation of Ph3P NPh followed by reaction with HgCl2 gave good yields of [Hg{C6H4(PPh2 NPh)-2}Cl], 3, which was characterised spectroscopically and by an X-ray crystal structure determination. This is an isomer of the product of direct mercuration of Ph3P NPh which occurs on the N-bonded phenyl ring [J. Vicente, J.A. Abad, R. Clemente, J. Lopez-Serrano, M.C. Ramirez de Arellano, P.G. Jones, D. Bautista, Organometallics, 22 (2003) 4248]. Transmetallation of 3 with [AuCl4]− gave the corresponding cycloaurated complex [Au{κ2-C,N-C6H4(PPh2 NPh)-2}Cl2], with a five-membered metallocyclic ring incorporating four different elements