Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic activity of complexes of diorganotin(IV) dihalides with mepirizole

Reaction of mepirizole (M) with diorganotin(IV) dihalides yielded compounds of type [SnR2X2(M)] (R, X = Et, Cl; Et, Br; Bu, Cl; Bu, Br; Ph, Cl), The s tructure of dichlorodiphenyl (mepirizole)tin(IV) was determined by X-ray di ffractometry, The crystal consists of discrete [SnPh2Cl2(M)] units in which an N,N'-bidentate mepirizole, the trans phenyl rings and the cis chlorine atoms define a pseudo-octahedral coordination polyhedron around the tin ato m, Mossbauer and vibrational spectroscopic data suggest similar structures for the other compounds prepared. The H-1 NMR spectra show that the mepiriz ole ligand is largely dissociated in CDCl3, The most active compounds again st the human carcinoma cell line KB were the butyl derivatives. Copyright ( C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.