The effect of protic electron donor aromatic substituents on ferrocenic and [3]ferrocenophanic anilines and anilides: Some aspects of structure–activity relationship studies on organometallic compounds with strong antiproliferative effects

A new family of nitrogenous derivatives is synthesized, characterized and evaluated for the investigation of the impact of some structural motifs such as functionalization and conjugation on the antiproliferative activity of ferrocenic complexes against cancer cells. These compounds are 4,4′-([3]ferrocenophan-1-ylidenemethylene)dianilides and tetramethylated dianilines derived from Michlerʹs ketone. An alternative McMurry direct heterocoupling method for 4,4′-([3]ferrocenophan-1-ylidenemethylene)dianiline synthesis is described and electrochemical studies are also discussed.