Heteronuclear gold(I)-silver(I) sulfanylcarboxylates: Synthesis, structure and cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines.

Abstract Heteronuclear complexes of the type [AgAu(PPh 3 ) 2 ( x spa)] [H 2 x spa = 3-(aryl)-2-sulfanylpropenoic acids; ( x  = 3-phenyl-; 3-(2-chlorophenyl)-; 3-( o -methoxyphenyl)-; 3-( p -methoxyphenyl)-; 3-( p -hydroxyphenyl)-; 3-(2-furyl)-; 3-(2-thienyl)-; spa = 2-sulfanylpropenoate)] were prepared by reacting the appropriate [Au(PPh 3 )(H x spa)] precursor with Ag(PPh 3 )NO 3 . The compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods, (IR; 1 H, 13 C and 31 P NMR) and mass spectrometry and the structures of the phenyl and p -methoxyphenyl derivatives were determined by X-ray diffraction. The in vitro antitumor activity against the HeLa-229, A2780 and A2780 cis cell lines was determined and compared with that of cisplatin and the equivalent homonuclear gold(I) complexes.