Anticancer, photoluminescence and electrochemical properties of structurally characterized two imine derivatives

Abstract

Two imine compounds, 4-[(E)-(2-methoxybenzylidene)amino]phenol (L1) and 4-[(E)-(3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)amino]phenol (L2) were synthesized and characterized by the analytical and spectroscopic methods. The electrochemical and photoluminescence properties of the imine compounds L1 and L2 were investigated in different solvents. The compounds L1 and L2 show different redox processes at some potentials. The molecular structures of two Schiff base compounds are broadly similar, differing principally in the position, the number of methoxy (OCH3) groups and dihedral angles between aromatic rings. While the compound L1 has only one methoxy group located on the o-position with respect to the imine bond (CN), the L2 contains two methoxy groups on the p–m-positions with respect to the imine bond. The imine compounds show two or three emission bands in the 619–832nm range in organic solvents. In the 1.0×10−3M concentration, the compounds have the highest excitation and emission bands. The imine compounds L1 and L2 were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity on HeLa cell lines using the xCELLigence system (Real Time Cell Analyzer).