Abstract

In this work, a pair of new palladium(II) complexes, Pd(Gly)(Phe) and Pd(Gly)(Tyr), (where Gly is glycine, Phe is phenylalanine, and Tyr is tyrosine) were synthesized and characterized by UV–Vis, FT-IR, elemental analysis, 1H-NMR, and conductivity measurements. The detailed 1H NMR and infrared spectral studies of these Pd(II) complexes ascertain the mode of binding of amino acids to palladium through nitrogen of -NH2 and oxygen of -COO− groups as bidentate chelates. The Pd(II) complexes have been tested for in vitro cytotoxicity activities against cancer cell line of K562. Interactions of these Pd(II) complexes with CT-DNA and human serum albumin were identified through absorption/emission titrations and gel electrophoresis which indicated significant binding proficiency. The binding distance (r) between these synthesized complexes and HSA based on Forsterʼs theory of non-radiation energy transfer were calculated. Alterations of HSA secondary structure induced by complexes were confirmed by FT-IR measurements. The results of emission quenching at three temperatures have revealed that the quenching mechanism of these Pd(II) complexes with CT-DNA and HSA were the static and dynamic quenching mechanism, respectively. Binding constants (Kb), binding site number (n), and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters were calculated and revealed that the hydrogen binding and hydrophobic forces played a major role when Pd(II) complexes interacted with DNA and HSA, respectively. We bid that Pd(Gly)(Phe) and Pd(Gly)(Tyr) complexes exhibit the groove binding with CT-DNA and interact with the main binding pocket of HSA. The complexes follow the binding affinity order of Pd(Gly)(Tyr) > Pd(Gly)(Phe) with CT-DNA- and HSA-binding. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group