Tuning the coordination properties of phenothiazine by regioselective introduction of diphenylphosphanyl groups

The palladium and platinum complexes of the newly synthesized 1-(diphenylphosphino)-10-methyl-10H-phenothiazine (1) and the previously reported 3-(diphenylphosphino)-10-alkyl-10H-phenothiazine [alkyl = Me (2), Et (3)] and 4-(diphenylphosphino)-10-ethyl-10H-phenothiazine (4) were prepared. Density functional calculations were carried out to explain the electronic properties of compounds 1, 3 and 4. Compounds 1, 3 and 4 can interact with DNA, as was observed in agarose gel electrophoresis experiments. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the platinum complexes of ligands 2 and 4 towards breast, colorectal and hepatocarcinoma cell lines was studied.