De novo design of thioredoxin reductase-targeted heterometallic titanocene–gold compounds of chlorambucil for mechanistic insights into renal cancer

Abstract

Here we report the design and synthesis of a chlorambucil-alkynyl (CHL-CCH) ligand, mononuclear gold(I) complex K[(CHL-CC)AuCl], 1, and heteronuclear complex (CHL-CC)Au(μ²-η²-CS₃)Ti(η⁵-Cp)₂, 2 for renal cancer. Complex 2 is significantly more cytotoxic than complex 1 and cisplatin against renal cancer cells with a high selectivity index value. The mechanism of action of these complexes against renal cancer cells was studied in detail by experimental and computational methods.