A general approach to the synthesis of nucleoside conjugates containing carborane and metallocarborane complexes, based on Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition ("chemical ligation"), is described. Boron-cluster-donors bearing terminal azide or ethynyl groups were prepared in the ring-opening reaction of dioxane-boron-cluster adducts and an azide anion or suitable alkynol-derived alcoholate nucleophile. Analogous derivatives bearing terminal sulfhydryl groups were also prepared. Nucleosides with various spacers containing terminal azide or ethynyl groups, located within nucleobases or sugar residues, were used as boron-cluster acceptors. The proposed methodology provides a convenient way to synthesize libraries of boron-cluster-modified nucleosides for various applications.

We report the first evidence that boron-containing nucleoside conjugates have a tendency to associate in water solutions. The size, charge, and exoskeletal pattern of the boron cluster can strongly influence the aggregation. The aggregation of nucleosides with attached boron clusters was observed using light scattering and atomic force microscopy techniques. Although the species containing either the bulky amphiphilic [3-cobalt(III) bis(1,2-dicarbollide)]- anion or the electroneutral dicarba-closo-dodecaboranyl moiety tend to form stable nanoparticles in aqueous solutions, the compounds bearing the smaller, negatively charged dicarba-nido-undecaboranyl moiety as well as the unmodified nucleosides do not aggregate. The light scattering measurements also showed that the aggregated species can interact with nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 in solution. The partition coefficients P in the water-octanol system correlate fairly well with the aggregation tendency observed by light scattering measurements. This finding allows us to predict the association behavior of boron-cluster-containing nucleosides on a qualitative level. The observed phenomenon can contribute to a better understanding of biological properties of boronated nucleosides and the design of boronated nucleoside-based drugs such as boron carriers for boron neutron capture therapy of tumors (BNCT) and antiviral agents.

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