Organoselenium compounds containing pyrazole or phenylthiazole groups: Synthesis,structure, tin(IV) complexes and antiproliferative activity

The diorganodiselenides (pzCH₂CH₂)₂Se₂ ( 1 ) and (PhtzCH₂)₂Se₂ ( 2 ) were prepared by reacting Na₂Se₂ with 1‐(2‐bromoethyl)‐1H‐pyrazole and 4‐(chloromethyl)‐2‐phenylthiazole, respectively, while the reactions between 1‐(2‐bromoethyl)‐1H‐pyrazole or 4‐(chloromethyl)‐2‐phenylthiazole and the lithium organoselenolates 2‐(Et₂NCH₂)C₆H₄]SeLi and 2‐{O(CH₂CH₂)₂NCH₂}C₆H₄]SeLi in a 1:1 molar ratio resulted in the heteroleptic diorganoselenium(II) compounds 2‐(Et₂NCH₂)C₆H₄](R)Se (R = pzCH₂CH₂ ( 3 ) or PhtzCH₂ ( 5 )) and 2‐{O(CH₂CH₂)₂NCH₂}C₆H₄](R)Se (R = pzCH₂CH₂ ( 4 ) or PhtzCH₂ ( 6 )). The diorganotin(IV) bis(organoselenolato) derivatives of type R₂Sn(SeCH₂CH₂pz)₂ (R = 2‐(Me₂NCH₂)C₆H₄ ( 7 ) or Me ( 8 )) were obtained by reacting (pzCH₂CH₂)SeNa with the appropriate diorganotin(IV)dichloride in a 2:1 molar ratio. All compounds were investigated using NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ⁷⁷Se, ¹¹⁹Sn as appropriate) and ESI+ mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of 2 and 6 were determined using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The formation of a 10–Se–3 hypercoordinated species was evidenced for 6 in the solid state, as a consequence of the C,N coordination behaviour of the 2‐{O(CH₂CH₂)₂NCH₂}C₆H₄ group. Compounds 1 , 7 and 8 were investigated for their antiproliferative activity towards the mouse colon carcinoma C26 cell line with the preliminary results showing a better activity than 5‐fluorouracil.