LAUSR

Abstract Despite the availability of some drugs, there is an urgent need for effective anti-cancer medication. It is due to various side effects and non-functionality of the present drugs; especially at the late stage of cancer. Therefore, three series (4a-e, 6a-e and 8a-j; 21 compounds) of benzotriazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrids (carrying different pharmacophores) have been designed and synthesized (by both conventional and microwave syntheses) through the Cu(I)-catalyzed click 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of the propargylated benzotriazole with the appropriate aliphatic, aromatic and phenyl/benzyl acetamide azides. The syntheses times were from 6 to 12 h and 4 to 8 min in conventional and microwave syntheses. The yields were 80 to 86% and 89 to 95% in conventional and microwave syntheses; confirming microwave synthesis as an economic and eco-friendly method. These compounds were characterized by proper spectroscopic methods. The anticancer activities with A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines were in the range of 70.0 to 90.0% for 4a-e series, 78.0 to 90.0% for 6a-e series and 81.0 to 90.0% for 8a-j series. The reported compounds showed good DNA binding constants in the range of 1.3 × 103 to 11.90 × 105 M−1. The docking results suggested strong DNA bindings of the reported compounds in the minor grooves of DNA; through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The quite good anticancer activities and high DNA binding constants have indicated that the reported molecules may be future anticancer agents.