Synthesis, structural characterization and in vitro cytotoxicity and anti-bacterial activity of some copper(I) complexes with N,N'-disubstituted thioureas.

A series of copper(I) complexes of N,N'-disubstituted thioureas, [C(6)H(5)CONHCSNHR]Cu(I)Cl where R=C(6)H(5) (1a), 2-ClC(6)H(4) (2a), 3-ClC(6)H(4) (3a), 4-ClC(6)H(4) (4a), 2,3-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (5a), 2,4-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (6a), 2,5-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (7a), 2,6-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (8a), 3,4-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (9a) and 3,5-Cl(2)C(6)H(3) (10a) have been synthesized. These complexes (1a-10a) have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and single crystal XRD for 1a and 8a, and for ligand 7. The X-ray crystal structures reveal that the complexes 1a and 8a are mononuclear in the solid state in which the copper atoms adopt a distorted tetrahedral geometry. In both the cases, the neutral N,N'-disubstituted thiourea ligands have been coordinated to the Cu(I) through the sulphur atom in a terminal mode. The complexes have been screened for their in vitro cytotoxic activity in human cell lines carcinomas A498 (Renal), EVSA-T (Breast), H226 (Lung), IGROV (Ovarian), M19 (Melanoma-Skin), MCF-7 (Breast) and WIDR (Colon). They show a moderate cytotoxicity against these seven human cancer cell lines comparable to that of the less active standard chemotherapeutic drugs used for comparison. They were also screened for their anti-bacterial activity and were found less active than the standard drug Imipenem.