Fluorinated -Heterocyclic Carbene Silver(I) Complexes with High Cancer Cell Selectivity.

This work presents the synthesis of five new functionalized (benz)imidazolium -heterocyclic (NHC) ligands () and four new (benz)imidazole silver(I) NHC (Ag(I)-NHC) complexes of mononuclear or binuclear type. The complexes have been fully characterized, including single crystal X-ray diffraction of three new structures. The complexes and their corresponding free NHC ligands have been screened against breast cancer and noncancerous cell lines, showing the mononuclear benzimidazole complex has the highest activity, while the binuclear benzimidazole complex has the highest cancer cell selectivity.