Abstract

SYNTHESIS OF ORGANOTIN POLYETHERS FROM CHLORAMPHENICOL AND THEIR ABILITY TO INHIBIT A BROAD RANGE OF HUMAN CANCER CELL LINES INCLUDING PANCREATIC, BREAST, AND BRAIN CANCERS

Charles E. Carraher Jr.*, Zachary Rabinowitz, Michael R. Roner, Paul Slawek, Francesca Mosca, Jessica Frank and Lindsey C. Miller

Abstract

Organotin polymers were rapidly synthesized from the antibiotic chloramphenicol in moderate yield employing the interfacial polymerization process. Percentage yield increases as the size of the alkyl-tin moiety increases and the chain length decreases consistent with steric hindrance playing a role in product chain growth. Infrared spectroscopy showed the formation of Sn-O ester units. Matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectroscopy (MALDI) showed the formation of ion fragments consistent with the presence of tincontaining polyethers. The polymers showed good inhibition of all tested human cancer cell lines including pancreatic, breast, and brain cancers thus offer a new family of materials that exhibit the ability to inhibit a broad range of human cancers.

Keywords: Metal-containing polymers, organotin containing polymers, chloramphenicol, brain cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, organotin polyesters, interfacial polymerization.