Synthesis, characterization and interaction with bovine serum albumin of cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes containing arylimine and salicylaldimine co-ligands

•Synthesis of cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes containing arylimine and salicylaldimine co-ligands.•The substituent of ligands affects the stereochemistry of cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes.•A strong binding of all the complexes with the BSA was observed.

Cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes containing arylimine and salicylaldimine co-ligands were synthesized by the reactions of cyclopalladated chloro dimers [Pd{(4-R)C6H3CHN–C6H3-2,6-i-Pr2}(μ-Cl)]2 (R = H; OMe) with salen-based ligands derived from rimantadine. The complexes were characterized by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. Interaction of cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes with BSA was studied by fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence intensities of protein are decreased gradually with increasing concentration of complexes. In the synchronous fluorescence spectra of BSA at Δλ = 15 nm and Δλ = 60 nm, the fluorescence of intensities of protein also are decreased with increasing concentration of complexes.

Graphical abstractCyclometallated Pd(II) complexes containing arylimine and salicylaldimine co-ligands were synthesized. The interaction between novel cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes and BSA has been investigated.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide