Synthesis, structures and anticancer activities of two coordination polymers based on 1,4-bis((1H-benzo[d] imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene ligand

Solvothermal reactions of Co(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O or Ni(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O with 1,4-bis((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene (bimb) and 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid (H(2)tdc) afforded two three-dimensional coordination polymers with the chemical formulas of [Co-2(bimb)(2)(tdc)(2)]center dot 2H(2)O (1) and [Ni-2(bimb)(2)(tdc)(2)]center dot 2H(2)O (2). Complexes 1-2 were characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. To evaluate the anti-proliferation ability of the compounds 1 and 2, the Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed firstly. After that, the Hoechst staining assay was carried out to determine whether the anti-cancer activity of compound has relationship with the cell apoptosis. Next, the western blot detection of the apoptotic proteins was detected to further prove the effect of compound on cells apoptosis.