Applications of five-membered ring products of cyclometalation reactions as anticancer agents

•Cyclometalation reaction five-membered products such as Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Os and Au are applied for anticancer agents.•The platinum compounds of 2,6-phenylpyridylpyridine CNN pincer N-heterocyclic carbenes show very high cytotoxicity values.•The gold compounds of 2,6-diphenylpyridine CNC pincer alkylphosphine or N-heterocyclic carbenes show very high cytotoxicity values.•The osmium compounds of 2-phenylpyridine, phenyloxazole, m-bispyridylbenzenes show very high cytotoxicity values.

The use of metal compounds as anticancer agents is one of the applications of the five-membered ring products of cyclometalation reactions, including those with Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os and Au. The coordinating atoms in these anticancer agents are mainly N and, in very few cases, P, S and O. The substrates used for these cyclometalation reactions are mainly pyridine ring compounds, such as 2-phenylpyridines, benzo[h]quinolines, 2,6-diphenylpyridines and so on. The ancillary ligands used are bipyridines, 1,10-phenathrolines, 2,6-bispyridylpyridine, N-heterocyclic carbenes and so on.The platinum compounds of 2,6-phenylpyridylpyridine CNN pincer N-heterocyclic carbene, the gold compounds of 2,6-diphenylpyridine CNC pincer alkylphosphine or N-heterocarbene, and the osmium compounds of 2-phenylpyridine, phenyloxazole, m-bispyridylbenzenes cyclometalated 1,10-phenanthrolines or 2,6-bispyridylpyridines show very high cytotoxicity values compared to those of cisplatin.

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