The antitumor activity and the structure of bis(adeninato-N9) diphenyltin(IV).

Bis(adeninato-N9)diphenyltin(IV) has been selected as a tumor panel compound by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and tested against a number of tumors according to standard protocols. The activity criteria were not passed. The solid state structure of the environment of tin in the complex has been definitely established to be of the tetrahedral type by means of 119Sn Mössbauer-Zeeman spectroscopy; this configuration has been assumed to be maintained also in aqueous suspensions of the drug, in conditions corresponding to the administration to mice. The occurrence of strong Sn-N bonds, consistently resistant to hydrolytic processes, has been assumed, and correlated to the observed low toxicity of the drug. The extent of the antitumor action corresponds to the standard response to Ph2SnIV moieties.