Iron(III) Pincer Complexes as a Strategy for Anticancer Studies.

[Fe(NCN)2]PF6 ( 1·PF6) [NCHN = 1,3-di(pyridin-2-yl)benzene] was readily obtained by a transmetalation reaction between [Fe3(CO)12] and Hg(NCN)Cl followed by a metathesis reaction with KPF6. X-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry studies confirmed the proposed structure. Cytotoxic assays in human colon cancer (HCT-15), lung cancer (SKLU), and gastric cancer (AGS, KATOIII) cells were performed, and the IC50 data obtained for all cell lines showed that 1·PF6 has a much higher activity than cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]