Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium compounds incorporating keto-amine ligands. The applications of catalytic transfer hydrogenation and cancer cell inhibition

•A series of arene ruthenium compounds containing keto-amine bidentate ligands were synthesized.•Potential anti-cancer activity of ruthenium derivatives against human hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (HRMPC) cell lines.•The ruthenium derivatives catalyzed the conversion rate in transfer hydrogenation of substituted acetophenone.

A series of keto-amine bidentate precursors 1–5, OCCH3CHCCH3NHR (where 1, R = C6H3-2,6-iPr2; 2, R = C6H2-2,4,6-Me3; 3, R = C6H4-2-tBu; 4, R = C6H4-2-OMe; 5, R = C6H4-2-OMe-5-Me) were synthesized and combined with [Ru(ɳ6-p-cymene)Cl2]2 to generate the monomeric arene-Ru derivatives, [Ru(ɳ6-p-cymene)(OCCH3CHCCH3NR)Cl] (where 6, R = C6H3-2,6-iPr2; 7, R = C6H2-2,4,6-Me3; 8, R = C6H4-2-tBu; 9, R = C6H4-2-OMe; 10, R = C6H4-2-OMe-5-Me) in moderate yield. The ruthenium derivatives effectively catalyzed the conversion rate in transfer hydrogenation of substituted acetophenone. The molecular structures of 2, 6–10 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffractometry in the solid state, revealing a four-coordination environment around the Ru atom. The potential anti-cancer activity of ruthenium derivatives against human hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (HRMPC) cell lines was also studied.

Graphical abstractA series of ruthenium compounds containing keto-amine bidentate ligands were synthesized and their potential anti-cancer activity and transfer hydrogenation activity were also studied.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide