Synthesis and biological evaluation of bis-triazolyl imidazolium hybrids as anti-breast cancer agents

Hybrid molecules combining imidazolium and 1,2,3-triazole motifs represent attractive scaffolds for targeted anticancer drug development. In this study, a new series of chloro-substituted benzyl bis-triazole imidazolium hybrids was rationally designed and synthesized via a modular CuAAC click reaction. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized using FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Their anticancer potential was evaluated through in vitro cytotoxic assessment against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells using the MTT assay. The results demonstrated dose-dependent antiproliferative activity across the synthesized series, with compound 7 exhibiting the highest potency (IC 50 = 162.9 ± 2.35 μg/mL). Structure–activity relationship analysis revealed that the combined presence of the benzimidazole core, triazole linkers, and chloro-substituted aromatic rings plays a significant role in enhancing anticancer activity. Overall, this study identifies bis-triazole imidazolium hybrids as promising lead scaffolds for further optimization toward the development of targeted breast cancer therapeutics.