The ferrocidiphenol family brings together anticancer molecules featuring a ferrocene-alkene-(p-phenol)2 motif that can form upon oxidation a quinone methide metabolite targeting cellular proteins. Adding an imide group (imido-ferrocidiphenol) dramatically enhanced the anticancer activity of ferrocidiphenol. We aimed to explore whether molecules with two ferrociphenol motifs connected by bisimide moieties could provide even more effective compounds. Using amino-ferrocidiphenol and commercial bisanhydrides at reflux, for the first time, three symmetrical and bent bis(imido-ferrocidiphenols) were synthesized, with moderate yields, and characterized. However, these compounds were insoluble in most common organic solvents and unstable. This likely explains why their anticancer activity was nil.
Pascal Pigeon (Wed,) studied this question.