Gold(I) complexes bearing phosphole ligands: Synthesis and antimalarial activity

Abstract

A series of gold(I)-monophosphole complexes have been synthesized and characterized. The introduction of a nitrogen moiety in the complex structure was envisioned either by choosing the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imidate ligand as the X-ligand or by preparing a new pyrrolidinophosphole ligand as the L-ligand. All the complexes have been evaluated in vitro for their antimalarial activity. These gold–phosphole complexes showed moderate activities with IC 50 values ranging from 9.7 to 24 μM against Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant strains.