Synthesis, X‐ray characterization and density functional theory studies of N6‐benzyl‐N6‐methyladenine–M(II) complexes (M = Zn, Cd): The prominent role of π–π, C–H···π and anion–π interactions

Abstract

We report the synthesis and X‐ray characterization of the N6‐benzyl‐N6‐methyladenine ligand (L) and three metal complexes, namely [Zn(HL)Cl3]·H2O (1), [Cd(HL)2Cl4] (2) and [H2L]2[Cd3(μ‐L)2(μ‐Cl)4Cl6]·3H2O (3). Complex1consists of the 7H‐adenine tautomer protonated at N3 and coordinated to a tetrahedral Zn(II) metal centre through N9. The octahedral Cd(II) in complex2is N9‐coordinated to two N6‐benzyl‐N6‐methyladeninium ligands (7H‐tautomer protonated at N3) that occupy apical positions and four chlorido ligands form the basal plane. Compound3corresponds to a trinuclear Cd(II) complex, where the central Cd atom is six‐coordinated to two bridging μ‐L and four bridging μ‐Cl ligands. The other two Cd atoms are six‐coordinated to three terminal chlorido ligands, to two bridging μ‐Cl ligands and to the bridging μ‐L through N3. Essentially, the coordination patterns, degree of protonation and tautomeric forms of the nucleobase dominate the solid‐state architectures of1–3. Additionally, the hydrogen‐bonding interactions produced by the endocyclic N atoms and NH groups stabilize high‐dimensional‐order supramolecular assemblies. Moreover, energetically strong anion–π and lone pair (lp)–π interactions are important in constructing the final solid‐state architectures in1–3. We have studied the non‐covalent interactions energetically using density functional theory calculations and rationalized the interactions using molecular electrostatic potential surfaces and Bader's theory of atoms in molecules. We have particularly analysed cooperative lp–π and anion–π interactions in1and π+–π+interactions in3.