New potentially cytotoxic thiolatogold(I) complexes of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino) ferrocene

Abstract 1,1′-Bis[chlorogold(I) diphenylphosphino] ferrocene (1) was chosen as the starting material to synthesize new thiolato gold(I) complexes. This has been achieved by substituting the chlorine atoms by monofunctional and bifunctional thiolates affording ‘open’ thiolatogold complexes and trimetallic ferrocenophane-type structures, respectively. The new 1,1′-bis(2,6-dithia-1-phosphanyl)ferrocene (7) containing directly linked P and S atoms was also prepared but no gold complex was obtained. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with a=10.2632), b=21.064(4), c=16.259(3) A , β=97.06(2)° and V=3.488(1) A 3 . The distance between the two gold atoms (3.06 A) indicates a significant contact interaction. Compounds 2–5 have allowed antitumoral efficiency on human bladder and colon carcinoma.