Interaction of vanadyl (VO2+) with ligands containing serine, tyrosine, and threonine

Reaction of vanadyl sulfate with an aldehyde (2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (nap); 3-methoxysalicylaldehyde = o-vanillin (van)) and an amino acid carrying an OH group (L-tyrosine (L-tyr); L-serine (L-ser), L-threonine (L-thr)) yielded the complexes VO(nap-D-Tyr)(H2O)] 1a, VO(van-D,L-Tyr)(H2O)] 1c, VO(nap-Ser)(H2O)] 2a, VO(van-D,L-Ser)(H2O)] 2b, VO(nap-Thr)(H2O)] 3a, and VO(van-Thr)(H2O)] 3b. VO(nap-L-tyr(H2O)], 1b, was obtained from the reaction between VO(nap)(2)] and l-TyrOMe. The crystal and molecular structures of 1a.CH3OH, 1b.CH3OH, 1c.H2O, 2b.2H2O, and the Schiff base nap-D,L-TyrOMe (4) are reported. The ligands coordinate in a tridentate manner through the phenolate component of nap or van, the imine nitrogen, and the carboxylate of the amino acid. Direct coordination of the (deprotonated) OH amino acid functionality is not observed in these complexes. Instead, the OH groups are involved in hydrogen bonding, leading, along with pi-pi stacking, to extended one- and three-dimensional supramolecular networks. The relevance for the interaction between oxovanadium(IV,V) and proteins having serine, threonine, or tyrosine at their reactive sites is addressed.