N-Acetylcysteine (H2NAC) is a potent antioxidant, a precursor for cysteine and glutathione, and a potential antidote against certain metal ions such as cadmium and mercury. Little is known about the structural aspects of complexes formed between Hg(II) and N-acetylcysteine, despite many biological tests on its ability to bind to organic and inorganic mercury, and a few reports on formation constants for Hg(NAC)n (n = 1-3) complexes. We have combined several techniques, including Hg L3-edge EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure), (199)Hg NMR and Raman spectroscopy, to investigate the nature and structure of Hg(II) N-acetylcysteine complexes formed in aqueous solution at pH 7.5 and 10.5. To allow measurements on the same samples, rather concentrated solutions containing CHg(II) = 0.1 M and variable H2NAC/Hg(II) mole ratios = 2.0-10.0 were used. At physiological pH, Hg(NAC)2(2-) and Hg(NAC)3(4-) complexes form, while in ligand excess and at alkaline pH (H2NAC/Hg(II) > 4), a novel tetra-thiolate species Hg(NAC)4(6-) dominates. Comparison between the Hg(II) complex formation with cysteine, penicillamine and N-acetylcysteine in alkaline aqueous solution has been made to elucidate the influence of the blocked amino group of N-acetylcysteine.

The complexes formed in methanol solutions of Cd(CF3SO3)2 with selenourea (SeU) or thiourea (TU), for thiourea also in aqueous solution, were studied by combining 113Cd NMR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. At low temperature (~200 K) distinct 113Cd NMR signals were observed, corresponding to CdLn2+ species (n = 0 - 4, L = TU or SeU) in slow ligand exchange. Peak integrals were used to obtain the speciation in the methanol solutions, allowing stability constants to be estimated. For cadmium(II) complexes with thione (C=S) or selone (C=Se) groups coordinated in Cd(S/Se)O5 or Cd(S/Se)2O4 (O from MeOH or CF3SO3-) environments the 113Cd chemical shifts were quite similar, within 93-97 ppm and 189 – 193 ppm, respectively. However, the difference in the chemical shift for the Cd(SeU)42+ (578 pm) and Cd(TU)42+ (526 ppm) species, with CdSe4 and CdS4 coordination, respectively, shows less chemical shielding for the coordinated Se atoms than for S, in contrast to the common trend with increasing shielding in the order: O > N > Se >S. In solutions dominated by mono- and tetra-thiourea / selenourea complexes, their coordination and bond distances could be evaluated by Cd K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. At ~200 K and high excess of thiourea a minor amount (up to ~30%) of [Cd(TU)5-6]2+ species was detected by an upfield shift of the 113Cd NMR signal (up to 423 ppm) and an amplitude reduction of the EXAFS oscillation. The amount was estimated by fitting linear combinations of simulated EXAFS spectra for [Cd(TU)4]2+ and [Cd(TU)6]2+ complexes. At room temperature, [Cd(TU)4]2+ was the highest complex formed, also in aqueous solution. Cd L3-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of cadmium(II) thiourea solutions in methanol were used to follow changes in the CdSxOy coordination at room temperature. The correlations found from the current and previous studies between 113Cd NMR chemical shifts and different Cd(II) coordination environments are generally useful for evaluating cadmium coordination to thione-containing or Se-donor ligands in biochemical systems or for monitoring speciation in solution.

The complex formation between Cd(II) ions and N-acetylcysteine (H(2)NAC) in aqueous solution was investigated using Cd K- and L(3)-edge X-ray absorption and (113)Cd NMR spectroscopic techniques. Two series of 0.1 M Cd(II) solutions with the total N-acetylcysteine concentration c(H2NAC) varied between 0.2-2 M were studied at pH 7.5 and 11.0, respectively. At pH = 11 a novel mononuclear [Cd(NAC)(4)](6-) complex with the average Cd-S distance 2.53(2) Å and the chemical shift δ((113)Cd) = 677 ppm was found to dominate at a concentration of the free deprotonated ligand [NAC(2-)] > 0.1 M, consistent with our previous reports on cadmium tetrathiolate complex formation with cysteine and glutathione. At pH 7.5 much higher ligand excess ([HNAC(-)] > 0.6 M) is required to make this tetrathiolate complex the major species. The (113)Cd NMR spectrum of a solution containing c(Cd(II)) = 0.5 M and c(H2NAC) = 1.0 M measured at 288 K showed three broad signals at 421, 583 and 642 ppm, which can be attributed to CdS(3)O(3), CdS(3)O and CdS(4) coordination sites, respectively, in oligomeric Cd(II)-NAC species with single thiolate bridges between the cadmium ions.