A dinuclear gold(I)–silver(I) derivative of 2-cyclopentylidene-2-sulfanylacetic acid and related complexes: synthesis, crystal structures, properties and antitumor activity

The dinuclear complex [AgAu(PPh3)2cpa] (H2cpa = 2-cyclopentylidene-2-sulfanylacetic acid) was prepared by treating the precursor [Au(PPh3)(Hcpa)] with Ag(PPh3)NO3. The complex was characterised by spectroscopic methods (IR; 1H, 13C, 31P NMR) and mass spectrometry, and the structure was solved by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. Luminescence and theoretical studies were carried out, and the antitumor activity was studied in vitro against HeLa-229, A2780 and A2780cis cell lines. The related gold(I)–gold(I), [(AuPPh3)2cpa], and silver(I)–silver(I), [(AgPPh3)2cpa], compounds were also prepared and studied in the solid state and in solution.