Synthesis, Spectral Characterization, and Nucleic Acids Interactions of Nickel (II)-Salen complex

Abstract

Around the world, cancer is one of the leading causes of death. DNA is the primary target molecule for most anticancer therapy. Transition metal complexes are known to have DNA binding and cleavage properties under physiological conditions. Currently, we are investigating the interactions between a number of nickel (II) complexes and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) in an attempt to design and develop metal complexes that can have more efficiency in nucleic acids binding and cleavage and therefore, could be used in cancer chemotherapy. We have synthesized Nickel (II)-Salen complex and the synthesized product was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and FT-IR. We are currently studying the interactions between the Nickel (II)-Salen complex and nucleic acids using UV-Vis spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. We will present the preliminary results of our study. Our overall goal is to synthesize transition metal complexes that could bind or cleave the target DNA/RNA molecules and effective in the cancer treatment. This study could have major implications on the drug and health industry and potentially be a cure for cancer.