Ruthenium- and Osmium-Arene Complexes of 2-Substituted Indolo[3,2-c]quinolines: Synthesis, Structure, Spectroscopic Properties, and Antiproliferative Activity

The synthesis of new modified indolo[3,2-c]quinoline ligands L-1-L-8 with metal-binding sites is reported. By coordination to ruthenium- and osmium-arene moieties 16 complexes of the type [(eta(6)-p-cymene)M(L)Cl]Cl (1a,b-8a,b), where M is Ru-II or Os-II and L is L-1-L-8, have been prepared. All compounds were comprehensively characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, IR, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (2a, 4a, 4b, 5a, 7a, and 7b). The complexes were tested for antiproliferative activity in vitro in three human cancer cell lines, namely, CH1 (ovarian carcinoma), SW480 (colon adenocarcinoma), and A549 (non-small-cell lung cancer), yielding IC50 values in the submicromolar or low micromolar range.