A novel cyclic dinuclear gold(I) complex induces anticancer activity an oxidative stress-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.

A new dinuclear cyclic gold(I) complex [Au(DCyPA)](PF), 1, based on bis[2-(dicyclohexylphosphano)ethyl]amine (DCyPA) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. In the dinuclear complex cation [Au(DCyPA)], the two gold(I) ions are bridged by the ligand bis[2-(dicyclohexylphosphano)ethyl]amine (DCyPA) giving rise to a 16-membered ring centrosymmetric metallacycle. The cytotoxicity of the complex was evaluated against the triple-negative human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231.