Metal-doped fullerenes as promising drug carriers of hydroxycarbamide anticancer: Insights from density functional theory

Assessing an idea of metal-doped fullerenes (MF) as promising drug carriers of hydroxycarbamide; also known as hydroxyurea, (Hyd) anticancer was done in this work by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A model of carbon fullerene was doped by each of iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) transition metal atoms to provide enhanced FeF, NiF, and ZnF doped fullerenes for working towards the Hyd anticancer regarding the drug delivery issues. The model were optimized and their evaluated features indicated a possibility of occurrence of MF → Hyd@MF mechanism through the involving O…M and H…C interactions from the Hyd side to the MF side. The longest recovery time duration was supposed to be found for the Hyd@ZnF complex because of the largest strength and the highest conductance rate variation was supposed to be found for the Hyd@NiF complex because of the smallest energy gap. However, all the complex models were in a reasonable level of formations and electronic variations to be monitored for approaching a sensing or detecting function. In this regard, the enhanced models of FeF, NiF, and ZnF doped fullerenes were found suitable to work as promising carriers of Hyd anticancer regarding the drug delivery issues by the formation of interacting Hyd@FeF, Hyd@NiF, and Hyd@ZnF complexes in meaningful levels of structural and electronic features.