Molecular Structure, Solution Chemistry and Biological Propierties of the Novel [ImH][trans-IrCl4(Im)(DMSO)], (I) and of the Orange Form of [(DMSO)2H][trans-IrCl4(DMSO)2], (II), Complexes

The new iridium(III) complex, imidazolium[trans(DMSO,imidazole)tetrachloroiridate(III)], (I) (DMSO = dimethylsulfoxide), and the orange form of [(DMSO)2H][trans(DMSO)2tetrachloroiridate(III)], (II) have been prepared and characterized, both in the solid state and in solution, by X-ray diffraction and by various physicochemical techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies point out that complex (II) is isomorphous to the ruthenium(III) analogue, [(DMSO)2H][trans-RuCl4(DMSO)2], (III). Crystallographic data are the following : a = 16.028(2) Å, b = 24.699(3) Å, c = 8.262(1) Å, in space group Pbca (Z = 8) for (imidazolium)[trans(DMSO,imidazole)tetrachloroiridate(III)], (I); and a = 9.189(2) Å, b = 16.511(4) Å, c = 14.028(3) Å, b = 100.82(2)° in space group P2/n (Z = 4) for [(DMSO)2H][trans(DMSO)2tetrachloro iridate(III)], (II). Visible absorption spectra show that both complexes are stable for several days, at pH 7.4, at room temperature. No significant chloride hydrolysis is observed, even at high temperature (70°C), over 24 hours. The extreme stability of these iridium(III) complexes within a physiological buffer was further assessed by 1H NMR; in addition, cyclic voltammetry measurements evidenced a high stability of the oxidation state +3. Preliminary biological studies show that both complexes do not bind appreciably bovine serum albumin nor inhibit significantly the proliferation of representative human tumor cell lines suggesting that hydrolysis of coordinated chlorides is a crucial feature for the biological properties and the antitumor activity of the parent ruthenium(III) complexes.