Organotin(IV) complexes of ethylsarcosinehydrochloride: synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer activity

The synthesis and characterization of new coordination compounds of some organotin(IV) chlorides with ethylsarcosine hydrochloride (N-methylglycine ethyl ester hydrochloride) is reported; the ligand molecules appear to be bound to the tin atoms through the carbonyl oxygen atoms by means of dative bonds. As single crystals were not obtained, a number of experimental techniques were used to accomplish a definitive characterization and determination of their structure. The results obtained by 1H, 13C, 119Sn NMR, FT-IR and 119mSn Mössbauer spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis suggested pentacoordination for the 1:1 (Sn:ligand (ESH)) derivatives, [R2SnCl2(ESH)]+Cl-, in a trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) structure, and hexacoordination for the 1:2 complexes, [R2SnCl2(ESH)2]2+2Cl-, in an octahedral structure (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph; ESH = protonated ethylsarcosine, CH3CH2O(O)CCH2N (CH3)H2+). The triphenyltin(IV) chloride ethylsarcosine hydrochloride derivative exists only as a 1:1 pentacoordinated adduct in a strongly distorted TBP structure. Finally, the compounds have been tested for in vitro cytotoxic activity against human adenocarcinoma HeLa cells, showing, in some cases, a high potency, even at low concentration.