Crystal Structures and Anti-Colon Cancer Activity of Two Lanthanide Complexes with O-Donor Diacetone Ligands

Two new lanthanide–organic complexes, [Ho4(μ3-OH)4{(μ-O)-η2-acac}4(η2-acac)4]·(C7H8)0.5 (1, acac = acetylacetone) and [Nd2(phen){(μ-O)-η2-phacac}4(SO4)] (2, phen = phenanthroline, phacac = phenylazoacetylacetone) with different structural architectures have been obtained via a ligand-directed synthesis method. The molecular networks of the as-prepared compounds were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and their phase purities have been confirmed via power X-day diffraction analysis. Furthermore, the crystal size for the as-prepared two complexes could be conveniently decreased to nanometre size via a grinding method. The anticancer activities of the as-prepared two nanostructures have been evaluated via the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against the human colon cancer cell line SW60.