Pyridine and Pyrimidine Functionalized Half-Sandwich Ru(II)-N Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis, Structures, Spectra, Electrochemistry and Biological Studies

Abstract New set of Ru-N-Heterocyclic Carbene (Ru-NHC) complexes 1a and 2a were synthesized from their ligand precursors 1-Methyl-2-pyridin-2-yl-2H-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-4-ylium hexafluorophosphate (1) and 1-Methyl-2-pyrimidin-2-yl-2H-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-4-ylium hexafluorophosphate (2). The molecules were characterized and their structures were investigated through single crystals X-ray diffraction. The overall coordination around the Ru center can be described as a half-sandwich geometry. Absorption spectra and electrochemical behavior of the complexes were also evaluated, supported by DFT analysis. The complexes were applied on lung (A549), colon (HCT116) and breast (MCF7) cancer cells to examine their in vitro cytotoxicity activity.