Synthesis, structure and antibacterial activity of ferrocenyl diphopshine chelated iron – telluride cluster

•Synthesis of new ferrocenyl diphopshine chelated iron telluride clusters and their reactivity study with metal carbonyl.•Structural characterization of chelated iron telluride cluster using single crystal X-ray crystallography.•Promising antibacterial and protein binding properties of ferrocenyl diphosphine chelated triiron ditelluride cluster.

Synthesis and characterization of new ferrocenyl diphopshine chelated iron telluride cluster, [Fe3(μ3-YTe)2(CO)8PPh2(Fc)PPh2}] {Y = S (8), Se (9), Te(10)} have been carried out at room temperature reaction condition, while low temperature reaction study revealed the mechanistic aspects of the cluster formation and result in the isolation of intermediate cluster compounds (5–7). The reactivity study of 7 with metal carbonyl showed their ability to form hetero-metallic cluster compounds, [Fe3Te2(CO)n(η2-dppf)W(CO)5] (n = 8, 9). Molecular structure of cluster 10 was confirmed using single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Antibacterial and BSA protein interaction studies have been carried out with compound 10 which showed promising inhibition activity and protein binding ability.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide