A novel palladium (II) complex with a ferrocene-based ligand: Synthesis, X-ray crystallography and in vitro anticancer activity study

Abstract A novel palladium (II) complex with a ferrocene-based ligand (Fc-Ppd-2) was synthesized and thoroughly characterized. Its configuration was confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction. In vitro anticancer study showed excellent activity of Fc-Ppd-2 against ACHN, Mcf-7 and its drug-resistant cell line, with potency up to 25-fold better than cisplatin while remaining less toxic in normal cells. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that the complex exerted antiproliferation activity through induction of cell apoptosis.