Synthesis and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Potential Bis‐Intercalators: Tetramethylenebis(oxy)‐ and Hexamethylenebis(oxy)‐Linked Assemblies Consisting of Flavone,Xanthone, Anthraquinone,and Dibenzofuran

In a search for potential inhibitors of solid‐tumor growth, certain alkanediylbis(oxy)‐linked assemblies were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity as bis‐intercalators. Symmetrical assemblies 1b – 12b were synthesized from their respective Aryl‐OH and either dibromobutane or dibromohexane, while unsymmetrical ones 13 – 15 were prepared from Aryl¹‐OH and either Aryl²‐O‐(CH₂)₄Br or Aryl²‐O‐(CH₂)₆Br. These bis‐intercalators were inactive against the growth of leukemia cells. However, some of them were active against the growth of certain solid tumors such as HOP‐62, HOP‐92 (non‐small‐cell lung cancer), SF‐265, SNB‐75, U251 (CNS cancer), A498 (renal cancer), and HS578T (breast cancer). Among them, hexane‐1,6‐diylbis(oxy)bis(4,1‐phenylene)]bis4H‐1‐benzopyran] ( 6b ) was especially active against the growth of all CNS cancer cell lines and also the growth of A498, HOP‐62, and HOP‐92 with GI₅₀ values of 17.0, 20.0, and 21.8 μM , respectively.