Redox-active cytotoxic diorganotin(IV) cycloalkylhydroxamate complexes with different ring sizes: reduction behaviour and theoretical interpretation.

Two series of new diorganotin(IV) cycloalkylhydroxamate complexes with different ring sizes (cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl), formulated as the mononuclear [R(2)Sn(HL)(2)] (1:2) (a, R=(n)Bu and Ph) and the polymeric R(2)SnL (1:1) (b, R=(n)Bu) compounds, were prepared and fully characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction for [(n)Bu(2)Sn{C(5)H(9)C(O)NHO}(2)] (3a) discloses the cis geometry and strong intermolecular NH⋯O interactions. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the complexes were evaluated against HL-60, Bel-7402, BGC-823 and KB human tumour cell lines, the greater activity concerning [(n)Bu(2)Sn(HL)(2)] [HL=C(3)H(5)C(O)NHO (1a), C(6)H(11)C(O)NHO (4a)] towards BGC-823. The complexes undergo, by cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential electrolysis, one irreversible overall two-electron cathodic process at a reduction potential that does not appear to correlate with the antitumour activity. The electrochemical behaviour of [R(2)Sn{C(5)H(9)C(O)NHO}(2)] [R=(n)Bu (3a), Ph (7a)] was also investigated using density functional theory (DFT) methods, showing that the ultimate complex structure and the mechanism of its formation are R dependent: for the aromatic (R=Ph) complex, the initial reduction step is centred on the phenyl ligands and at the metal, being followed by a second reduction with SnO and SnC ruptures, whereas for the alkyl (R=(n)Bu) complex the first reduction step is centred on one of the hydroxamate ligands and is followed by a second reduction with SnO bond cleavages and preservation of the alkyl ligands. In both cases, the final complexes are highly coordinative unsaturated Sn(II) species with the cis geometry, features that can be of biological significance.