Organometallic complexes play a key role in medicinal chemistry, especially in the development of anticancer therapies [1]. Among this class of inorganic compounds Rhodium and Iridium complexes are recently attracting an increasing interest in treatment of cancer since they possess several features that make them appealing alternative metallodrugs [2]. Dibenzoylmethane is a natural β-diketone that can be found in small amount in licorice roots. It possesses biological activity against different kind of cancer such as skin, prostate, lung and mammary tumors, lymphomas and leukemia [3].
Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Rh(III) and Ir(III) complexes bearing dibenzoylmethane and their respective derivatives with PTA (1,3,5-triaza-7- phosphaadamantane) have been synthetized and fully characterized. Preliminary results on their biological and biochemical activity will also be reported
