Some new [(thione)₂Au(diamine)]Cl₃ complexes: Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, computational and in vitro cytotoxic studies

Recent advances in oncology are focused on developing new complexes of gold(III) with various ligands that show augmented anti-proliferative potential and reduced toxicity as compared to cis-platin. In this study, new Au(III) complexes of the type [(thione)₂Au(diamine)]Cl₃ are reported, where thione = 1,3-imidazolidine-2-thione (Imt), 1,3-Diazinane-2- thione (Diaz) and diamine = 1,2-diaminoethane (en), 1,3-diaminopropane (pn) or 1,4-diaminobutane (bn). The solid state IR as well as ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR data indicate that Au(III) center is bonded via sulfur of thiocarbonyl S=C site of the thiones and also chelated by the diamines from the trans side of coordinated thiones. Spectroscopic data are evaluated by comparisons with calculated data from the built and optimized structure by GAUSSIAN 09 at the RB3LYP level with LanL2DZ bases set. These new Au(III) complexes based on mixed thione and diamine ligands are very similar to the square planar structure of tetracoordinate [Au(en)₂]Cl ₃complex. In this study, cytotoxicity data for these gold(III) complexes against C6 glioma cell lines are also reported, and the results indicate some complexes have cytotoxicity comparable to cis-platin.