Synthesis of a bisindole enyne with anticancer properties

We herein synthesize a bisindole enyne using the iron-catalyzed environmentally benign dimerization method. The enyne kills cancer cells by arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase via the necroptosis pathway, a non-apoptotic form of cell death that is also considered a promising and attractive pathway to induce cancer cell death. The inherent fluorescent property has been used to study its localization in cells and its binding interactions with genomic DNA. This work demonstrates bisindole enyne motifs could be a new pharmacophore for developing anticancer agents.