End-to-End Thiocyanato-Bridged Helical Chain Polymer and Dichlorido-Bridged Copper(II) Complexes with a Hydrazone Ligand: Synthesis, Characterisation by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Variable-Temperature Magnetic Studies, and Inhibitory Effects on Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cells

The reactions of the tridentate hydrazone ligand, N′-[1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]acetohydrazide (HL), obtained by condensation of 2-acetylpyridine with acetic hyadrazide, with copper nitrate trihydrate in the presence of thiocyanate, or with CuCl(2) produce two distinct coordination compounds, namely a one-dimensional helical coordination chain of [CuL(NCS)](n) (1) units, and a doubly chlorido-bridged dinuclear complex [Cu(2)L(2)Cl(2)] (2) (where L=CH(3)C(O)=N–N=CCH(3)C(5)H(4)N). Single-crystal X-ray structural determination studies reveal that in complex 1, a deprotonated hydrazone ligand L(−) coordinates a copper(II) ion that is bridged to two neighbouring metal centres by SCN(−) anions, generating a one-dimensional helical coordination chain. In complex 2, two symmetry-related, adjacent copper(II) coordination entities are doubly chlorido-bridged, producing a dicopper entity with a Cu⋅⋅⋅Cu distance of 3.402 (1) Å. The two coordination compounds have been fully characterised by elemental analysis, spectroscopic techniques including IR, UV–vis and electron paramagnetic resonance, and variable-temperature magnetic studies. The biological effects of 1 and 2 on the viability of human colorectal carcinoma cells (COLO-205 and HT-29) were evaluated using an MTT assay, and the results indicate that these complexes induce a decrease in cell-population growth of human colorectal carcinoma cells with apoptosis.