Synthesis, characterization, supramolecular aggregation and biological activity of phosphine gold(I) complexes with monoanionic thiourea ligands

Abstract

Phosphine Au(I) complexes contg. monoanionic thiourea ligands were synthesized by reaction of the appropriate precursor chloro complex, Ph3PAuCl, Cy3PAuCl, dppf(AuCl)2 [dppf = Fe(h5-C5H4PPh2)2] or dppe(AuCl)2 (dppe = Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2) with the thiourea and Me3N base in MeOH soln. The complexes were fully characterized by elemental anal., NMR spectrometry, electrospray mass spectrometry, and in several cases, by single-crystal x-ray diffraction studies. The crystallog. studies show that the ligands coordinate as a thiolate in each case with systematic variations in geometric parameters being readily ascribed to the influence of the N-bound substituents. In four of the structures, discernable supramol. aggregation patterns are evident, leading to loosely assocd. dimers or chain motifs, the latter mediated by either Au???S, N-H???N or C-H???O interactions. Cytotoxicity data, against the P388 leukemia cell line, and anti-microbial data are also reported.