Synthesis, characterisation and biological activity of gold(III) catecholate and related complexes

The reactions of the cyclometallated gold(III) complexes LAuCl₂] L=2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl, 2-benzylpyridyl or 2-anilinopyridyl] with catechol, tetrachlorocatechol, or the cyclic α,β-diketone SCH(CO2Et)C(O)C(O)CH(CO2Et) give stable complexes containing five-membered Au-O-C-C-O rings. These represent the first examples of well-characterised gold(III) catecholate complexes. Similarly, reactions with 2-acetamidophenol HOC₆H₄NHC(O)CH₃] give complexes with the related AuNCCO ring. The complexes were characterised by NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, elemental microanalysis, and in the case of the complex (2-benzylpyridyl)Au{OC₆H₄NC(O)CH₃}] by an X-ray crystal structure determination. Several complexes show high activity towards P388 murine leukemia cells.