An Unusual 3D Coordination Polymer Based on Bridging Interactions of the Nucleobase Adenine

Cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks and derivatives: recent developments and applications

While there is a tremendous amount of scientific research on metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for gas storage/separation, catalysis and energy storage, the development and application of biocompatible MOFs still poses major challenges. In general, they can be synthesised from various biocompatible linkers and metal ions but particularly cyclodextrins (CDs) as cyclic oligosaccharides are an astute choice for the former. Although the field of CD-MOF materials is still in the early stages and their design and fabrication comes with many hurdles, the benefits coming from CDs built in a porous framework are exciting. Versatile host-guest complexation abilities, high encapsulation capacity and hydrophilicity are among the valuable properties inherent to CDs and offer extended and novel applications to MOFs. In this review, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art synthesis, design, properties and applications of these materials. Initially, a rationale for the preparation of CD-based MOFs is provided, based on the chemical and structural properties of CDs and including their advantages and disadvantages. Further on, the review exhaustively surveys CD-MOF based materials by categorising them into three sub-classes, namely (i) CD-MOFs, (ii) CD-MOF hybrids, obtained via combination with external materials, and (iii) CD-MOF-derived materials prepared under pyrolytic conditions. Subsequently, CD-based MOFs in practical applications, such as drug delivery and cancer therapy, sensors, gas storage, (enantiomer) separations, electrical devices, food industry, and agriculture, are discussed. We conclude by summarizing the state of the art in the field and highlighting some promising future developments of CD-MOFs.

Towards a Molecular Understanding of Cation-Anion Interactions and Self-aggregation of Adeninate Salts in DMSO by NMR and UV Spectroscopy and Crystallography

Rare anionic forms of nucleic acids play a significant biological role and lead to spontaneous mutations and replication and translational errors. There is a lack of information surrounding the stability and reactivity of these forms. Ion pairs of mono‐sodium and ‐potassium salts of adenine exist in DMSO solution with possible cation coordination sites at the N1, N7 and N9 atoms of the purine ring. At increasing concentrations π‐π stacked dimers are the predominant species of aggregates followed by higher order aggregation governed by coordination to metal cations in which the type of counter ion present has a central role in the aggregate formation.

Recent progress in the synthesis, structural diversity and emerging applications of cyclodextrin-based metal-organic frameworks

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials, especially metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of metals and organic linkers, have emerged as a new class of versatile materials owing to their tunable structure and controllable functionality. As typical biocompatible MOFs, cyclic oligosaccharide cyclodextrin-based carbohydrate metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) have recently attracted considerable attention due to their edible, renewable and biodegradable nature. Herein, we focus on the latest advances concerning these materials. First, the synthesis methods and structural diversity of CD-MOFs are introduced and summarized. Besides, the synthetic strategies of moisture-resistant CD-MOFs are also emphasized. Moreover, their applications, including gas adsorption, separation, sensing, memristor fabrication, as templates in nanoparticle synthesis, light emission and especially drug delivery, are systematically discussed and highlighted. Finally, to conclude the review, some insights and current challenges that need to be addressed for the further development of these materials are proposed. We anticipate that this review will result in a better understanding of CD-MOFs and will help maximize the potential functions of these materials.

Anion–Cation Recognition Pattern, Thermal Stability and DFT-Calculations in the Crystal Structure of H2dap[Cd(HEDTA)(H2O)] Salt (H2dap = H2(N3,N7)-2,6-Diaminopurinium Cation)

The proton transfer between equimolar amounts of [Cd(H2EDTA)(H2O)] and 2,6-diaminopurine (Hdap) yielded crystals of the out-of-sphere metal complex H2(N3,N7)dap[Cd(HEDTA)(H2O)]·H2O (1) that was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, FT-IR spectroscopy, density functional theory (DFT) and quantum theory of “atoms-in-molecules” (QTAIM) methods. The crystal was mainly dominated by H-bonds, favored by the observed tautomer of the 2,6-diaminopurinium(1+) cation. Each chelate anion was H-bonded to three neighboring cations; two of them were also connected by a symmetry-related anti-parallel π,π-staking interaction. Our results are in clear contrast with that previously reported for H2(N1,N9)ade [Cu(HEDTA)(H2O)]·2H2O (EGOWIG in Cambridge Structural Database (CSD), Hade = adenine), in which H-bonds and π,π-stacking played relevant roles in the anion–cation interaction and the recognition between two pairs of ions, respectively. Factors contributing in such remarkable differences are discussed on the basis of the additional presence of the exocyclic 2-amino group in 2,6-diaminopurinium(1+) ion.

Functional Systems Derived from Nucleobase Self-assembly

Dynamic and reversible non-covalent interactions endow synthetic systems and materials with smart adaptive functions that allow them to response to diverse stimuli, interact with external agents, or repair structural defects. Inspired by the outstanding performance and selectivity of DNA in living systems, scientists are increasingly employing Watson-Crick nucleobase pairing to control the structure and properties of self-assembled materials. Two sets of complementary purine-pyrimidine pairs (guanine:cytosine and adenine:thymine(uracil)) are available that provide selective and directional H-bonding interactions, present multiple metal-coordination sites, and exhibit rich redox chemistry. In this review, we highlight several recent examples that profit from these features and employ nucleobase interactions in functional systems and materials, covering the fields of energy/electron transfer, charge transport, adaptive nanoparticles, porous materials, macromolecule self-assembly, or polymeric materials with adhesive or self-healing ability.

Adenine nucleobase directed supramolecular architectures based on ferrimagnetic heptanuclear copper(II) entities and benzenecarboxylate anions

Two planar organic anions, benzoate and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (terephthalate), have been selected as potential π-stacking intercalators among ferrimagnetic [Cu₇(μ-adeninato)₆(μ₃-OH)₆(μ-H₂O)₆]²⁺ heptameric discrete entities. The resulting supramolecular architecture is highly dependent on the negative charge density distribution, mainly located in the carboxylate groups of the organic anions. In this sense, the benzoate anion, with just one carboxylate group, does not allow its intercalation between the adeninato ligands as it would imply a high steric hindrance among the heptameric entities. As a consequence, these benzoate anions are located inside the voids of the crystal structure reducing the accessible volume of compound [Cu₇(μ-adeninato)₆(μ₃-OH)₆(μ-H₂O)₆](benzoate)₂·~17H₂O (1). On the contrary, the terephthalate anion, containing two carboxylate groups at opposite sites, adopts a π-stacking sandwich arrangement between two adeninato ligands that affords the porous open structure of formula [Cu₇(μ-adeninato)₆(μ₃-OH)₆(μ-H₂O)₆](terephthalate)·nH₂O (2a, 2b; n: 12 and 24, respectively). In addition to that, the less directional nature of the π-stacking interactions in comparison to the complementary hydrogen bonding based supramolecular metal-organic frameworks (SMOFs), suits them with a flexible architecture able to reversibly adsorb/desorb water (up to a 25-30% at 20 °C) altogether with the expansion/shrinkage of the crystal structure. The bridging adeninato and hydroxido ligands are effective magnetic exchange mediators to provide a S_T = 5/2 ferrimagnetic state for the heptanuclear entity.

Shedding Light on the Protonation States and Location of Protonated N Atoms of Adenine in Metal-Organic Frameworks

We report the syntheses and structures of five metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based on transition metals (Ni^II, Cu^II, and Zn^II), adenine, and di-, tri-, and tetra-carboxylate ligands. Adenine, with multiple N donor sites, was found to coordinate to the metal centers in different binding modes including bidentate (through N7 and N9, or N3 and N9) and tridentate (through N3, N7, and N9). Systematic investigations of the protonation states of adenine in each MOF structure via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that adenine can be selectively protonated through N1, N3, or N7. The positions of H atoms connected to the N atoms were found from the electron density maps, and further supported by the study of C–N–C bond angles compared to the literature reports. DFT calculations were performed to geometrically optimize and energetically assess the structures simulated with different protonation modes. The present study highlights the rich coordination chemistry of adenine and provides a method for the determination of its protonation states and the location of protonated N atoms of adenine within MOFs, a task that would be challenging in complicated adenine-based MOF structures.

The protonation states and positions of hydrogen atoms in five adenine-based metal−organic frameworks were revealed using geometrical studies based on single-crystal XRD data supported by XPS spectra and DFT calculations.

Nucleobase-Containing Polymers: Structure, Synthesis, and Applications

Nucleobase interactions play a fundamental role in biological functions, including transcription and translation. Natural nucleic acids like DNA are also widely implemented in material realm such as DNA guided self-assembly of nanomaterials. Inspired by that, polymer chemists have contributed phenomenal endeavors to mimic both the structures and functions of natural nucleic acids in synthetic polymers. Similar sequence-dependent responses were observed and employed in the self-assembly of these nucleobase-containing polymers. Here, the structures, synthetic approaches, and applications of nucleobase-containing polymers are highlighted and a brief look is taken at the future development of these polymers.

Metal organic frameworks based on bioactive components

This review highlights the latest advances of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) in the promising biomedical domain, from their synthesis to their biorelated activities.

Silver-induced reconstruction of an adeninate-based metal-organic framework for encapsulation of luminescent adenine-stabilized silver clusters

Bright luminescent silver-adenine species were successfully stabilized in the pores of the MOF-69A (zinc biphenyldicarboxylate) metal-organic framework, starting from the intrinsically blue luminescent bio-MOF-1 (zinc adeninate 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate). Bio-MOF-1 is transformed to the MOF-69A framework by selectively leaching structural adenine linkers from the original framework using silver nitrate solutions in aqueous ethanol. Simultaneously, bright blue-green luminescent silver-adenine clusters are formed inside the pores of the recrystallized MOF-69A matrix in high local concentrations. The structural transition and concurrent changes in optical properties were characterized using a range of structural, physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques (steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, quantum yield determination, fluorescence microscopy). The presented results open new avenues for exploring the use of MOFs containing luminescent silver clusters for solid-state lighting and sensor applications.

Synthesis, structural characterization, cytotoxic properties and DNA binding of a dinuclear copper(II) complex

In this study a novel dinuclear copper(II) complex with adenine and phenanthroline has been synthesized and its structure determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the dinuclear complex [Cu₂(μ-adenine)₂(phen)₂(H2O)2](NO3)4·0.5H2O (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) (1) the two Cu(II) centres exhibit a distorted square pyramidal coordination geometry linked by two nitrogen donors from adenine bridges leading to a Cu-Cu distance of 3.242(3)Å. Intramolecular and intermolecular π⋯π interactions as well as an H-bonding network were observed. The antitumor capacity of the complex has been tested in vitro against human cancer cell lines, cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), by metabolic tests, using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide as reagent. The complex 1 has remarkable low IC50 values of 0.87±0.06μM (HeLa) and 0.44±0.06μM (Caco-2), when compared with values for cisplatin against the same cell lines. The interaction of complex 1 with calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) was further investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. A binding constant of 5.09×10(5)M(-1) was obtained from UV-vis absorption studies.

Porous materials based on metal–nucleobase systems sustained by coordination bonds and base pairing interactions

Two approaches to metal–nucleobase porous materials: coordination bond sustained MOFs and hydrogen bond pairing based SMOFs.

The coordination polymer poly[[aqua(μ-oxalato)[1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione]cadmium(II)] monohydrate]

The title complex, {[Cd(C2O4)(C2H3N3S)(H2O)]·H2O}n, has a two-dimensional metal-organic framework, with the Cd(II) cation coordinated by three oxalate ligands, a 1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione (H2trzS) ligand and a water molecule. The CdO6S and oxalate units form an extended two-dimensional layered structure, with the terminal H2trzS ligands bonded to the Cd(II) sites through the thione S atoms. Hydrogen-bond interactions exist between adjacent layers.

Ca2+ metal ion adducts with cytosine, cytidine and cytidine 5′-monophosphate: a comprehensive study of calcium reactivity towards building units of nucleic acids

Six new Ca(ii) adducts with cytosine (cyt), cytidine (H₂cyd) and cytidine 5′-monophosphate (CMP) are presented. H₂cyd and CMP show unprecedented binding sites for the calcium ion.

Rationally designed nucleobase and nucleotide coordinated nanoparticles for selective DNA adsorption and detection

Nanomaterials for DNA adsorption are useful for sequence-specific DNA detection. Current materials for DNA adsorption employ electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interaction, or π-π stacking, none of which can achieve sequence specificity. Specificity might be improved by involving hydrogen bonding and metal coordination. In this work, a diverse range of nucleobase/nucleotide (adenine, adenosine, adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), and guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP)) coordinated materials containing various metal ions (Au(III), Ag(I), Ce(III), Gd(III), and Tb(III)) are prepared. In most cases, nanoparticles are formed. These materials have different surface charges, and positively charged particles only show nonspecific DNA adsorption. Negatively charged materials give different adsorption kinetics for different DNA sequences, where complementary DNA homopolymers are adsorbed faster than other sequences. Therefore, the bases in the coordinated materials can still form base pairs with the DNA. The adsorption strength is mainly controlled by the metal ions, where Au shows the strongest adsorption while lanthanides are weaker. These materials can be used as sensors for DNA detection and can also deliver DNA into cells with no detectable toxicity. By tuning the nanoparticle formulation, enhanced detection can be achieved. This study is an important step toward rational design of materials to achieve specific interactions between biomolecules and synthetic nanoparticle surfaces.

Semiconductive and magnetic one-dimensional coordination polymers of Cu(II) with modified nucleobases

Four new copper(II) coordination complexes, obtained by reaction of CuX2 (X = acetate or chloride) with thymine-1-acetic acid and uracil-1-propionic acid as ligands, of formulas [Cu(TAcO)2(H2O)4]·4H2O (1), [Cu(TAcO)2(H2O)2]n (2), [Cu3(TAcO)4(H2O)2(OH)2]n·4H2O (3), and [Cu3(UPrO)2Cl2(OH)2(H2O)2]n (4) (TAcOH = thymine-1-acetic acid, UPrOH = uracil-1-propionic acid) are described. While 1 is a discrete complex, 2-4 are one-dimensional coordination polymers. Complexes 2-4 present dc conductivity values between 10(-6) and 10(-9) S/cm(-1). The magnetic behavior of complex 2 is typical for almost isolated Cu(II) metal centers. Moderate-weak antiferromagnetic interactions have been found in complex 3, whereas a combination of strong and weak antiferromagnetic interactions have been found in complex 4. Quantum computational calculations have been done to estimate the individual "J" magnetic coupling constant for each superexchange pathway in complexes 3 and 4. Compounds 2-4 are the first known examples of semiconductor and magnetic coordination polymers containing nucleobases.

Three-Membered Metal-Nucleobase-Carboxylate System Showing Interesting 2D and 3D Architecture: Synthesis, Structure, Thermostability, and Magnetic Properties

Via hydrothermal synthesis, we constructed four nucleobase metal-organic compounds, viz. Zn2(7H-ade)(oba)2·H2O (1), Zn(1H-hyp)(Hoba) (2), Ni(1H-ade)(ip) (3), and Cd(H2O)(9H-ade)(ip) (4), where ade, hyp, H2oba, and H2ip are adenine, hypoxanthine, 4,4′-oxybisbenzoic acid, and isophthalic acid, respectively. These polymers show novel 2D and 3D structures, such as 3-fold interpenetrating dmp net, supramolecular zeolite-type sra net, and exceptional 2D 44 net composed of three kinds of quadrangle, observed in polymers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Moreover, thermogravimetric studies of polymers 1, 2, and 4, and the magnetic properties of 3 are also explored.

Engineering homochiral metal-organic frameworks for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis and enantioselective separation

Owing to the potential applications in technological areas such as gas storage, catalysis, separation, sensing and nonlinear optics, tremendous efforts have been devoted to the development of porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) over the past ten years. Homochiral porous MOFs are particularly attractive candidates as heterogeneous asymmetric catalysts and enantioselective adsorbents and separators for production of optically active organic compounds due to the lack of homochiral inorganic porous materials such as zeolites. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress in homochiral MOF materials, including their synthetic strategy, distinctive structural features and latest advances in asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis and enantioselective separation.