Therapeutic potential of Ag()-, Au()-, and Au()-NHC complexes of 3-pyridyl wingtip N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) against lung cancer

Herein, we report the easy synthetic approaches, structural features, theoretical studies, and extensive bioactivity of [Ag(1) 2 ][PF 6 ] ( 2 ), [Au(1) 2 ][PF 6 ] ( 3 ), and [Au(1)Cl 3 ] ( 4 ) compounds prepared from the NHC precursor 3-[(pyridin-3-yl)]imidazo[1,5- a ]pyridin-4-ylium hexafluorophosphate ( 1 ·HPF 6 ). All the compounds were prepared and characterized by employing various spectroscopic techniques. The geometry of Au( i ) complex, 3 , was further confirmed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies. DFT studies were performed to optimize the geometry and gain insights into the structure. The new compounds were implicated in studying their anti-oncogenic role in the most prevalent lung cancer. Anti-proliferative properties and very outstanding cytotoxicity were observed against various cancer cell lines but high potency towards lung cancer cells (A549) was observed. An MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay of the drugs revealed their cytotoxicity and further study revealed that the drug plays a pivotal role in the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway. These studies widened the array of bioactive organometallics and revealed the remarkable efficacy of such compounds in solving therapeutic challenges. The therapeutic potential of Ag( i )-, Au( i )-, and Au( iii )-NHC complexes of 3-pyridyl-imidazolidine was studied against a panel of cancer cell lines.