Cationic tetrakis(nucleobase)complexes of PtII as metalloligands and potential building blocks for molecular architectures

Three cationic tetrakis(nucleobase) complexes of Pt(II) have been synthesized: Pt(Hmhyp-N7)4](NO3)2.H2O 1, Pt(Hegua-N7)4](NO3)2.2KNO(3).5H2O and trans-Pt(Hmcyt-N3)2(Hegua-N7)2](NO3)2 3 (Hmhyp = 9-methylhypoxanthine, Hegua = 9-ethylguanine, Hmcyt = 1-methylcytosine). The X-ray crystal structure of has been determined. All three cationic compounds rapidly react with Hg(II), but gel formation prevented an adequate characterization of the products formed. However, a Cu(II) adduct of was isolated in crystalline form and characterized crystallographically. {(H2O)Cu(Hmhyp)4Pt}2Cu(ClO4)4)](ClO4)2(NO3)4.6H2O crystallizes in a centrosymmetric Cu-Pt-Cu-Pt-Cu chain structure with Cu-Pt separations of 2.791(1)A(outside) and 3.8980(9)A(inside). Two of the three Cu(II) ions are bound via exocyclic O(6) sites of the Hmhyp nucleobases. At neutral and moderate alkaline pH both and form virtually insoluble precipitates, which redissolve at strongly alkaline pH to give eventually anionic Pt(L)4]2- species (L = mhyp, egua). Finally, interacts with complementary Hmcyt to give Watson-Crick associates, as demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopy in DMSO-d(6).