Synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity of [Ru(Hdpa)2(N-S)]Cl complexes [N-S: mercapto ligands; Hdpa: 2,2’-dipyridylamine]

Five new Ru(II) complexes with Hdpa and various mercapto ligands were synthesized and characterized, with complex (1) demonstrating significant in vitro cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells (IC50 = 5.88 ± 0.40 µM). The complexes showed moderate binding to BSA and, despite interacting with the DNA minor groove, further studies targeting topoisomerases are proposed to fully understand their mechanism of action.