A computational insight into structural analysis and electronic properties of altretamine anticancer drug complexed with group IIA (Mg2+, Ca2+) metal ions, quasi‑metal (Si2+, Ge2+) ions, and transition metal (Fe2+, Zn2+) ions
Pages 209-222
https://doi.org/10.22034/crl.2026.561943.1740
Fahimeh Alirezapour, Kourosh Bamdad, Marjan Jokar, Azadeh Khanmohammadi
Abstract In the current study, density functional theory (DFT/ωB97XD) is used to investigate the cation–π interactions in complexes of Altretamine-M (M = Fe2+, Zn2+, Si2+, Ge2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) in the gas phase and solution. Overall, metals contribute to drug interactions through coordination chemistry, redox activity, enzyme modulation, metabolic transformations, and impacts on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Metals as drug components or through metal ion interactions can also affect drug solubility, stability, and delivery, influencing absorption and bioavailability. The results display that the binding strength in the gas phase is higher than in the solution phase. The chemical bonding properties and population analysis of the structures are evaluated using the atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. According to the obtained results, all the cation-π interactions in the studied complexes have a closed-shell nature. The aromaticity of the complexes is assessed using two widely recognised indices, which facilitate detailed evaluation of the electronic structure and aromatic character of the molecules. The NMR analysis is performed to calculate some coupling constants and nitrogen shielding tensors in the complexes. Finally, the electronic properties of structures are estimated using different conceptual DFT parameters.













