A Mitochondria‐Targeting Organotin(IV) Bifunctional Scaffold for Colorectal Carcinoma

Metal‐based chemotherapeutics were initially established as frontline anticancer agents, but their clinical utility is often limited by systemic toxicity and poor selectivity. To address these challenges, a dimethyltin(IV) complex ( SnF4T ) was developed using a TPP‐functionalized Schiff base ligand, (3‐(4‐fluorophenyl)(hydroxymethylenehydrazonomethyl)‐4‐hydroxybenzyl)triphenylphosphonium chloride ( F4T ), synthesized via a facile condensation reaction. The structures of compounds were characterized by FT‐IR, NMR, ESI‐MS, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Absorption and fluorescence studies demonstrated that SnF4T exhibited fluorescence enhancement upon complexation in organic and aqueous media, confirming its cellular bioimaging potential. In biological assays, F4T and SnF4T showed potent antiproliferative effects against human colorectal cancer cells (HCT 116 and HT‐29) with IC 50 values <20 µM. Notably, these compounds maintained minimal toxicity toward normal colon fibroblasts (IC 50 > 50 µM). Microscopic analysis revealed a dose‐ and time‐dependent loss of epithelial morphology in treated HCT 116 cells. Furthermore, SnF4T was localized within the mitochondria, triggering time‐dependent, caspase‐mediated apoptosis. These findings proposed dimethyltin(IV) complexes as promising bifunctional organometallic scaffold candidates for colorectal cancer, integrating selective therapeutic action with diagnostic imaging capabilities.