N-(R)ethanolamine dithiocarbamate ligands and their Ni(II) and Pt(II) complexes. Evaluation of the in vitro anticancer activity of the Pt(II) derivatives

A series of Ni(II) and Pt(II) complexes with DTC ligands including a hydrophilic ethanol moiety [N-(R)ethanolamine (R=Me(1), Et(2), iPr(3), Bn (4))] have been prepared and fully characterized. The antitumor activity of the Pt(II) derivatives has been evaluated against different cancer cell lines, showing complex 4-Pt (including N-(benzyl)ethanolamine DTC ligand DTC-4) to be the most active of the series, exhibiting 100% inhibition on glial cells of nervous central system (U251), leukaemia (K562), colon (HCT-15), breast (MCF-7) and lung (SKLU-1). [Display omitted] •A series of dithiocarbamates (DTC) ligands derived from N-(R)ethanolamine were obtained.•The Ni(II) and Pt(II) derivatives of the DTC ligands were synthesized in high yields.•The DTC-Pt(II) complexes exhibit good cytotoxic activity against different human cancer cell lines. A series of Ni(II) and Pt(II) complexes with DTC ligands including a hydrophilic ethanol moiety [N-(R)ethanolamine (R=Me(1), Et(2), iPr(3), Bn (4))] have been prepared and fully characterized. The antitumor activity of the Pt(II) derivatives has been evaluated against different cancer cell lines, showing complex 4-Pt (including N-(benzyl)ethanolamine DTC ligand DTC-4) to be the most active of the series, exhibiting 100% inhibition on glial cells of nervous central system (U251), leukaemia (K562), colon (HCT-15), breast (MCF-7) and lung (SKLU-1). Finally, the Ni(II) derivatives were explored as catalyst in Suzuki-Miyaura couplings, however only decomposition of the complexes was observed with null conversions to biphenyls.