Experimental and theoretical investigation of a pyridine containing Schiff base: Hirshfeld analysis of crystal structure, interaction with biomolecules and cytotoxicity

A pyridine containing Schiff base (E)-2-methoxy-6-(((pyridin-2-ylmethyl)imino)methyl) phenol (L) was isolated in single crystals. The molecular structure of L was studied by FT-IR, NMR, UV-Vis techniques, single crystal XRD analysis and computationally by DFT method. L prefers enol form in the solid state. Electronic spectrum of L was recorded in different organic solvents to investigate the dependence of tautomerism on solvent types. The polar solvents facilitate the proton transfer by decreasing the activation energy needed for transition state. Potential energy curve for the intramolecular proton transfer in the ground state is generated in gas and solution phases. The 3D Hirshfeld surfaces and the associated 2D fingerprint plots were investigated. The percentages of various interactions were analyzed by fingerprint plots of Hirshfeld surface. The interaction of L with CT DNA was investigated under physiological conditions using UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching and molecular docking methods. Molecular docking studies reveal that binding of L to the groove of B-DNA is through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The in vitro cytotoxicity of L was carried out in two different human tumor cell lines, MCF 7 and MIA-Pa-Ca-2 exhibits moderate activity. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.