7-Methylguanine: protonation, formation of linkage isomers with trans-(NH3)2Pt(II), and base pairing properties

Three protonated forms of 7-methylguanine (7-MeGH, 1) with different counter ions, [7-MeGH(2)]X (X = NO(3), 1a; ClO(4), 1b; BF(4), 1c) and two Pt(II) complexes, trans-[Pt(NH(3))(2)(7-MeGH-N9)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (4) and trans-[Pt(NH(3))(2)(7-MeGH-N9)(7-MeGH-N3)](ClO(4))(2)·3H(2)O (5) are described and their X-ray crystal structures are reported. 1a-1c form infinite ribbons via pairs of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between N1H···O6 and N3···N2H(2) sites, with anions connecting individual ribbons, thereby generating extended sheets. 4 and 5 do not display unusual features, except that 5 represents a rare case of a bis(nucleobase) complex of Pt(II) in which linkage isomers occur. Unlike in a previously reported compound, [Pt(dien)(7-MeGH-N9)](NO(3))(ClO(4)), the Pt coordination planes and the 7-MeGH planes are not coplanar in 4 and 5. The hydrogen bonding behaviour of 7-MeGH, free and when platinated at N9 (complex 4), was studied in Me(2)SO-d(6). It revealed the following: (i) there is no detectable self-association of 1 in Me(2)SO solution. (ii) 1 and 1-methylcytosine (1-MeC) form Watson-Crick pairs. (iii) 4 does not self-associate. (iv) 4 associates with 1-MeC in the Watson-Crick fashion. (v) 4 and 1 interact in solution, but no model can be proposed at present. (vi) Remarkable interaction shifts between 4 and 1 occur when NH(3) is liberated from trans-(NH(3))(2)Pt(II) to give NH(4)(+) in Me(2)SO-d(6). Feasible models, which imply the presence of deprotonated 7-MeG(-) species are proposed. Finally, DFT calculations were carried out to qualitatively estimate the effect of 7-MeGH acidity in [Pt(dien)(7-MeGH-N9)](2+) in dependence of the dihedral angle between the Pt coordination plane and the nucleobase.