Synthesis, characterization and antiproliferative activity of metal complexes with the Schiff base derived from the condensation 1:2 of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol and 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil

A series of mononuclear complexes with Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), Mo(VI) and Pd(II) containing the ligand derived from the 1:2 condensation of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol and 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil (hereafter denoted as BDFDAAU) were synthesized. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), IR, 1H, 13C and 15N NMR, UV–visible–near IR (UV–VIS–NIR), EPR and magnetic measurements. The deprotonated ligand in the phenolic oxygen shows a symmetric tridentate coordination mode through the two azomethine nitrogen atoms and the phenolic oxygen atom whereas the coordination of the neutral ligand takes place through the phenolic oxygen atom and one azomethine nitrogen atom. In the Mo(VI) complex, the ligand is bideprotonated in the phenolic oxygen and an amino group from one uracil unit; so, the coordination mode changes again into an asymmetric way: phenolic oxygen atom, one azomethine nitrogen atom and the nitrogen atom from the deprotonated amino group. The antiproliferative behaviour against the five human tumor cell lines (human neuroblastoma NB69, human breast cancer MCF-7 and EVSA-T, human glioma H4 and human bladder carcinoma cell line ECV) suggested a modulator behaviour, according to the concentration, of cell growth due to their estrogen-like characteristics.