Synthesis, structural characterization and antitumor activities of manganese and cobalt isothiocyanate complexes with 2,2’-bipyridine

Abstract

[Mn(SCN)₂(2,2′-bipy)₂] (1) and [Co(SCN)₂(2,2′-bipy)₂] (2) were synthesized at ambient temperature by adding aqueous solutions of manganese(II) or cobalt(II) chloride hydrate to aqueous acetonitrile solutions of 2,2′-bipyridine (2,2′-bipy) and potassium thiocyanate. Elemental analyses, FT-IR and UV–vis spectra were used to characterize 1 and 2. Single crystal X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the crystal structures of 1 and 2, revealing that the two are structurally similar. The molecular structures of 1 and 2 consist of Mn or Co ion chelated by two molecules of 2,2′-bipy through four nitrogen atoms and two NCS anions, giving distorted octahedral geometries. The isothiocyanate group is not bridging, instead, two ligands coordinate in a cis arrangement to the manganese or cobalt center by their nitrogen atoms while the sulfur atoms are free. Through hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions, the discrete units of 1 and 2 extend to 3D supramolecular networks with flower and fishbone-like structures. The luminescence behavior of 2,2′-bipy, 1 and 2 were investigated. On HepG2 (liver) and MCF-7 (breast) cancer cells, the anticancer effects of 1 and 2 were evaluated. The activity of 1 and 2 on MCF-7 is more significant than that of HepG2. The IC₅₀ of 1 was lower in HepG2 and MCF-7 cells than for 2.

Keywords:

• Manganese(II)
• Cobalt(II)
• 2,2′-Bipyridine
• structure characterization
• antitumor activities
• luminescence

Acknowledgements

Therefore, the authors thank the University of Jeddah for its technical and financial support.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Data availability statement

No additional data are available.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under grant No. UJ-23-DR-130.