Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered to be significant environmental carcinogens. Additionally, various planar ring systems are capable of intercalating with DNA, leading to a number of drugs that possess chemotherapeutic activity. In this study, three new polyaromatic compounds with a side chain were synthesized, and spectroscopic as well as elemental analyses were performed. The addition of the long chains to either chrysene or pyrene caused a red-shift in the spectral emission when compared to the corresponding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons itself. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the three novel polyaromatic compounds was evaluated
in vitro
in a panel of cultured mammalian cell lines. The pyrenyl ether demonstrated better cytotoxicity compared to cisplatin against colon (HT-29) as well as cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. In conclusion, three new compounds were synthesized and investigated in this study. This novel method is likely to play a role in other areas of research.