Spectroscopic, thermal characterization and cytotoxic activity of bi-, tri- and tetra-nuclear Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with diSchiff base ligands

•Poly-nuclear Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes of diSchiff base ligands were synthesized.•Structures are characterized by different spectroscopic techniques.•Geometries of metal complexes are suggested using various methods.•The cytotoxic results show promising chemotherapeutic antitumor activity.

In this paper; new di-, tri-, and tetra-nuclear Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes of N,N′-bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)ethan-1,2-diamine (EDH4), N,N′-bis(3,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene)-benzene-1,2-diamine (PDH4) and N,N′-bis-(3,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)-4,5-dimethyl-1,2-diamine (MPDH4) ligands were synthesized by two different methods. The first method involve the synthesis of the three ligands from condensation reaction of 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (L′H2) with ethylenediamine (en), o-phenylenediamine (o-PD), or 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylendiamine (DMPD) in a mole ratio of 2:1 followed by the reaction of the resulting Schiff bases ligands with Pd(II) or Pt(II) ions in the presence of 2,2′-dipyridyl (L) to form the di- and tri-nuclear metal complexes. The second method involve the condensation of the Pd complex LPd(II)L′, (L = 2,2′-dipyridyl, L′ = 4-formylbenzene-1,2-bis(olate)) with en, o-PD, or DMPD in a mole ratio of 2:1, respectively, followed by reaction with PdCl2 to form di-, tri-, and tetra-nuclear palladium(II) complexes, respectively. Structures of ligands and metal complexes are characterized by physical properties, FT-IR spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance. The geometries of metal complexes are suggested according to elemental analysis, electronic absorption spectra, thermal analysis, atomic absorption, magnetic susceptibility and molar conductance. Cytotoxic activity against lung large cell carcinoma (H460), prostate carcinoma (DU145), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), amelanotic melanoma (M-14), colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562) is also reported.

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