Quinoxaline-2-carboxamide as a carrier ligand in two new platinum(ii) compounds: Synthesis, crystal structure, cytotoxic activity and DNA interaction

The search for platinum compounds structurally different from cisplatin has led to two new platinum(II) compounds containing quinoxaline-2-carboxamide as a carrier ligand, i.e. cis-[Pt(qnxca)(MeCN)Cl2] (1) and the [Pt(qnxca-H)(dmso)Cl] (2). Both compounds have been synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic methods. In addition, single-crystal structures have been determined by X-Ray diffraction for both compounds. In each case a square planar Pt(II) is present; in (1) the qnxca is monodentate and neutral, whereas in (2) the ligand has lost a hydrogen, to form the anionic chelating ligand abbreviated as qnxca-H. The biological activity of both compounds has been investigated in a panel of seven human tumour cells, displaying poor cytotoxic activity, compared to cisplatin. The interaction of the new compounds with 1 or 2 equiv. of 9-ethylguanine has been studied using (1)H NMR, (195)Pt NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopy, finding poor reactivity of 1 towards the model base, forming only the monosubstituted adduct. Surprisingly, compound 2, which is more sterically crowded, interacts more efficiently with the 9-EtG, forming a bifunctional adduct with two 9-EtG with substitution of the dmso and the chloride ligand. Unwinding studies of pUC19 plasmid DNA by compound 1 show similar unwinding properties to cisplatin.