Complexes based on copper have demonstrated various biological activities and are among the most potent antivirial, antitumor and antiinflammatory agents. Anticancer copper (II) complexes synthesized recently appeared to act as either the inducers of apoptosis on human tumor cell lines or agents that alter the cell cycle and decrease the telomerase activity. Moreover, chemical species of this type possess Cu,Zn-superoxide dysmutase (SOD) mimicking properties.

The aim of this study was to synthesize a new series of copper complexes of ligands incorporating bidentate a-diimino moiety, such as 2-(imidazolin-2-yl)- (8, 10), 2-(tetrahydro-pirymidin-2-yl)- (9), 2-(oxazolin-2-yl)- (11), 2-(oxazin-2-yl)- (12, 13) and 2-(pirazin-2-yl)- (14) benzimidazoles.

Structures of the complexes obtained were confirmed by spectral (IR) data and C,H,N analysis. Important structural features were determined by X-ray crystallographic studies of compounds 12, 13 and 14 (Figure).

Figure. ORTEP drawings of complexes 12, 13 and 14.

2-(4,5-Dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1H-benzimidazole CuCl₂ (complex 8) showed a very potent Cu,Zn-SOD activity in vitro with IC₅₀ of 0.09 µM, comparable to those described in the literature for best low molecular weight CuZnSOD mimics.

The in vitro biological tests against seven human cancer cell lines showed that the most active 2-(4,5-Dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-nitro-1H-benzimidazole CuCl₂ (complex 10) possessed antitumor properties with IC₅₀ of 4.76 - 10.84 µM, depending on the cell line.

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