Mixed-metal (platinum, palladium), mixed-pyrimidine (uracil, cytosine) self-assembling metallacalix[n]arenes: dynamic combinatorial chemistry with nucleobases and metal species.

Reactions between the mononuclear mixed-nucleobase complex [Pt(en)(UH-N1)(CH2-N3)]+ (1; en: ethylenediamine; UH-N1: uracil monoanion bonded through the N1 atom; CH2-N3: neutral cytosine bonded through the N3 atom) and [Pd(II)(en)] or [Pd(II)(2,2'-bpy)] (2,2'-bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine) lead to libraries of compounds of different stoichiometries and different connectivities. In these compounds, the palladium entity binds to or cross-links either the N3 sites of uracil and/or the N1 sites of cytosine, following deprotonation of these positions to give uracil dianions (U) and cytosine monoanions (CH). Cyclic species, which can be considered as metallacalix[n]arenes, have been detected in several cases, with n being 4 and 8. The complexity of the compounds formed not only results from the possibility of the two different nucleobases in building block 1 engaging in different connectivities with the Pd entities, but also from the potential for the formation of oligomers of different sizes and different conformations; in the case of cyclic tetranuclear Pt(2)Pd(2) species, this can, in principle, lead to the various arrangements (cone, partial cone, 1,2-alternate, 1,3-alternate) known from calix[4]arene chemistry. A further complication arises from the fact that, depending on the mutual orientation of the exocyclic groups of the two nucleobases (O2 and O4 of uracil, O2 and N4 of cytosine), these sites can be engaged in additional chelation of [Pd(II)(en)] and [Pd(II)(2,2'-bpy)]. Thus, penta-, hexa-, and octanuclear complexes, Pt(2)Pd(3), Pt(2)Pd(4), and Pt(2)Pd(6), derived from cyclic Pt(2)Pd(2) tetramers have been isolated and characterized.

N1 and N3 linkage isomers of neutral and deprotonated cytosine with trans-[(CH3NH2)2PtII.

A series of complexes obtained from the reaction of trans-[(CH3NH2)2PtII] with unsubstituted cytosine (CH) and its anion (C), respectively, has been prepared and isolated or detected in solution: trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)Cl]Cl.H2O (1), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)2](ClO4)2 (1a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N3)2].2H2O (1b), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)2](ClO4)(2).2DMSO (1c), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N1)2] (NO3)(2).3H2O (2a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N1)2].2H2O (2b), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N1)(CH-N3)](ClO4)2 (3a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N1)(C-N3)] (3b), and trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(N1-CN3)(N3-C-N1)Cu(OH)]ClO(4).1.2H2O (4). X-ray crystal structures of all these compounds, except 3a and 3b, are reported. Complex 2a is of particular interest in that it contains the rarer of the two 2-oxo-4-amino tautomer forms of cytosine, namely that with the N3 position protonated. Since the effect of PtII on the geometry of the nucleobase is minimal, bond lengths and angles of CH in 2a reflect, to a first approximation, those of the free rare tautomer. Compared to the preferred 2-oxo-4-amino tautomer (N1 site protonated) of CH, the rare tautomer in 2a differs particularly in internal ring angles (7-11 sigma). Formation of compounds containing the rare CH tautomers on a preparative scale can be achieved by a detour (reaction of PtII with the cytosine anion, followed by cytosine reprotonation) or by linkage isomerization (N3-->N1) under alkaline reaction conditions. Surprisingly, in water and over a wide pH range, N1 linkage isomers (3a, 2a) form in considerably higher amounts than can be expected on the basis of the tautomer equilibrium. This is particularly true for the pH range in which the cytosine is present as a neutral species and implies that complexation of the minor tautomer is considerably promoted. Deprotonation of the rare CH tautomers in 2a occurs with pKa values of 6.07 +/- 0.18 (1 sigma) and 7.09 +/- 0.11 (1 sigma). This value compares with pKa 9.06 +/- 0.09 (1 sigma) (average of both ligands) in 1a.