Communication: synthesis of a novel triphenyltin(IV) derivative of 2- mercaptonicotinic acid with potent cytotoxicity in vitro.

A novel triphenyltin(IV) derivative of 2-mercaptonicotinic acid (H(2)mna) of formula {[(C(6)H(5))(3)Sn](2)(mna).[(CH(3))(2)CO]} (1) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and (1)H, (13)C-NMR, and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The crystal structure of complex (1) has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis at 173(1) K. Compound (1) contains two triphenyltin moieties linked by a doubly de-protonated 2,mercaptonicotinic acid (H(>2)mna). It is an example of a pentacoordinated Ph(3)SnXY system with an axial-equatorial arrangement of the phenyl groups at Sn(1). Compound (1), exhibits potent, in vitro, cytotoxicity against sarcoma cancer cells (mesenchymal tissue) from the Wistar rat, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH, benzo[a]pyrene) carcinogenesis.