Ferrocenylalkyl azoles: bioactivity,synthesis, structure

The toxicity of ferrocenylethyl benzotriazole ( 1 ) and other ferrocene compounds including ferrocenylmethyl benzimidazoles ( 4,5,6,11 ), ferricenium salts ( 3,9,10 ) and ferrocenylmethyl adenine ( 7 ), was studied. All ferrocene complexes under investigation showed low or medium toxicities. On the basis of an earlier model of chemical carcinogenesis, the antitumor activity of ferrocenylalkyl azoles 1, 8 and ferricenium salts 9, 10 was studied in vivo in the so‐called sub‐capsular test on human tumors. This effectiveness was compared with that of cisplatin. A series of ferrocenylalkyl azoles were synthesized by interacting azoles either with α‐hydroxyalkyl ferrocenes FcC(OH)R₁R₂ in organic solvent in the presence of aqueous HBF₄ in quantitative yields or with trimethyl(aminomethyl)ferrocene iodide in an aqueous‐basic medium in good yields. The X‐ray determinations of molecular and crystal structures of α‐(1‐benzotriazolyl)ethylferrocene ( 1 ) and α‐(1‐naphthatriazolyl)ethylferrocene ( 12 ) were performed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.