Green synthesis, in silico modeling, and biological evaluation of N-substituted (Z)-5-arylidene imidazolidine/thiazolidine-2,4-dione/4-thione derivatives catalyzed by Bu SO3H core–shell nanostructures

Abstract

In this effort, the immobilization of guanidine–sulfonate on the surface of Fe₃O₄ MNPs (magnetic nanoparticles) as a novel acid nanocatalyst has been successfully reported for the synthesis of N-substituted (Z)-5-arylidene thiazolidine-2,4-dione and related cyclic derivatives, including rhodanine (RHD) and hydantoin (HYD) via a one-pot multiple-component reaction under green conditions. The products were characterized by SEM, TEM, TGA, EDS, BET techniques, VSM, and FTIR. The novel compounds synthesized using this methodology, designated as series La (1-9), Lb (1-8), and Lc (1-8), were subjected to anticancer screening against A549 and MCF7cell lines via MTT assays. Notably, several compounds (L1a, L2a, L3a, L1b, L2b, L3b, and L4b) exhibited potent antiproliferative activities, with observed IC₅₀ values as low as 1.23 μM and 1.02 μM against MCF-7 cells, thereby outperforming the established anticancer drugs doxorubicin and cisplatin. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations revealed that ligands L1a, L2a, and L3a strongly interact with the protein target 3CD8, with L1a displaying significant hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions and L2a engaging in unique pi–pi stacking with key residues. For protein 2WGJ, ligand L4b exhibited exceptional binding affinity, characterized by robust hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and additional stabilizing mechanisms such as water bridges and pi interactions. Hence, N-substituted (Z)-5-arylidene thiazolidine-2,4-dione and its cyclic derivatives may serve as promising candidates for further exploration in the development of new multi-target cancer chemotherapy agents. These findings introduce promising anticancer agents and establish Fe₃O₄ MNPs as a versatile and environmentally sustainable catalytic platform in drug discovery.