Effect of the Nature of Substituents in the Oxyacridine Ligands on the Luminescence Properties and Cytotoxicity of the Zinc Complexes

Zinc complexes with oxyacridine ligands (Zn(Acr)2 and [Zn(Acr)Et]2) are synthesized, and their structures are determined by X-ray structure analysis (CIF files CCDC nos. 2063229 and 2063230, respectively). The complexes exhibit a medium-intensity emission with maxima at 700 and 630 nm upon photoexcitation (λ = 405 nm). Both compounds also manifest weak electroluminescence properties. The complexes with methyl substituents in the ligands are the most luminescence-active of the whole series of the synthesized zinc compounds with the oxyacridine ligands Zn(AcrR)2 and [Zn(AcrR)Et]2 (R = Me, Br, H). The results of the MTT assay show a moderate cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds.