Hydroxynaphthoquinone metal complexes as antitumor agents x: synthesis, structure, spectroscopy and in vitro antitumor activity of 3-methyl-phenylazo lawsone derivatives and their metal complexes against human breast cancer cell line mcf-7.

The C-3 substituted phenylazo derivatives of lawsone (2-hydroxy-l,4 p-naphthoquinone, III) were synthesized and characterized. The X-ray crystal structure was determined for the ligand 3-(3'-methyl phenylazo) lawsone. The copper complexes of these derivatives were found to possess 1:2 metal stoichiometry and square planar geometries with intermolecular stackings, resulting in antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. The in vitro activity of all the synthesized compounds was examined against human breast cancer cell-line, MCF-7, which revealed enhanced activities for the metal complexes, the highest activity being observed for the copper compound of 3-(3'-methyl phenylazo) lawsone.