Ligand field and polarity tuning of Fe(II) complexes for selective ROS-mediated anticancer activity †

Key Points

• The aim is to enhance the anticancer properties of Fe(II) complexes through ligand modifications.
• Designed a new N5-type ligand with improved donating ability and reduced polarity.
• Synthesized Fe(II) complexes with the modified ligand.
• Analyzed the electronic structure to assess shifts in π-π* transitions.
• The redesigned ligand significantly altered the metal-centered electronic structure.
• Higher donor strength of the ligand led to improved selectivity in ROS-mediated effects against cancer cells.