Ruthenium(II)–arene and triruthenium-carbonyl cluster complexes with new water-soluble phopsphites based on glucose: Synthesis, characterization and antiproliferative activity

New water-soluble 3,5,6-bicyclophosphite ligands based on glucose modified with uracil, 5-fluorouracil or thymine are reported. The phosphite ligands were subsequently reacted with bis[dichlorido(η6-p-cymene)ruthenium(II)] and trirutheniumdodecacarbonyl to afford monoruthenium analogues of RAPTA-C and triruthenium clusters with 1–3 phosphite ligands, respectively. The influence of ligands on the stability of the compounds and the antiproliferative activity of the compounds was investigated.