Synthesis, crystal structure and biological activity of a planar copper complex derived from S-benzyldithiocarbazate

A planar transition metal complex Cu(L)(2) (L = (E)-benzyl-2-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-hydrazinecarbodithioate) has been prepared and determined by X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The crystal belongs to the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c with a = 6.7101(11), b = 16.952(3), c = 13.962(3) angstrom, beta = 92.458(4)degrees, V = 1586.7(5) angstrom(3), Z = 4, M-r = 724.33, D-c = 1.516 g.m(-3), mu = 0.998 mm-1, F(000) = 742, S = 1.021, R = 0.0634 and wR = 0.1077 for 813 observed reflections with I > 2 sigma(I) and 205 parameters. In the molecular structure of the title complex, the copper atom exhibits a slightly distorted square-planar geometry in which the basal plane is defined by two N and two S atoms from two bidentate ligands. The complex was evaluated for its antitumor activity against two kinds of cell lines (MKN45 and HepG2) by MTT method. The preliminary bioassay indicates that the complex exhibits weak antitumor activity.