Synthesis and cytotoxic activities of novel phenacylimidazolium bromides.

A series of novel phenacylimidazolium derivatives, bearing an aryl or alkyl substituent at position-1 and a phenacyl substituent at position-3 of the imidazole ring, has been prepared and evaluated in vitro against a panel of human tumor cell lines. Phenacylimidazolium bromides bearing a highly sterically hindered aryl group at position-1 and an electron-rich phenacyl or naphthylacyl substituent at position-3 of imidazole ring proved to be more active than imidazolium bromides with other substituted groups. In particular, compound 5j was found to be the most potent compounds with IC(50) values lower than 5.0 microM against 8 strains human tumor cell lines and more active than cisplatin (DDP).