Parallel studies of the preparation of Re and (99m)Tc agents aid in interpreting the nature of tracer (99m)Tc radiopharmaceuticals. Aqueous solutions of the fac-[(99m)Tc(CO)(3)(H(2)O)(3)](+) cation are gaining wide use and are readily prepared, but such solutions of the fac-[Re(CO)(3)(H(2)O)(3)](+) cation (1) are not so easily accessible. Herein we describe a new, reliable, and straightforward preparation of aqueous solutions of 1, characterized by HPLC and ESI-MS. Treatment of solutions of 1 with thioether-bearing amino acids, AAH = S-methyl-l-cysteine (MECYSH), S-propyl-l-cysteine (PRCYSH), and methionine (METH), gave high yields of fac-Re(CO)(3)AA complexes. X-ray crystallographic and NMR analyses indicated that MECYS(-), PRCYS(-), and MET(-) were bound in fac-Re(CO)(3)AA complexes as tridentate monoanionic ligands through amino, thioether, and alpha-carboxyl groups. In CD(3)OD, (1)H NMR spectra have broad signals but have two sets of signals at -10 degrees C, consistent with two isomers with different configurations at the pyramidal sulfur; these interconvert slowly on the NMR time scale at low temperatures. Indeed, the crystal structure of the fac-Re(CO)(3)(PRCYS) reveals a mixture of the two possible diastereoisomers. S-(Carboxymethyl)-l-cysteine (CCMH(2)) and 1 gave two products, 5A (kinetically favored) and 5B (thermodynamically favored). X-ray crystallographic analyses of a crystal of 5B and of a 1:1 cocrystal of 5A and 5B showed that 5A and 5B are diastereoisomers with the CCMH(-) alpha-carboxyl group dangling. In addition to the amino and thioether groups, the S-(carboxymethyl) carboxyl group is coordinated, a feature that slows interconversion of diastereoisomers relative to the other fac-Re(CO)(3)AA complexes because interconversion can now occur only after the rupture of Re-ligand bonds. These N, O, and S tridentate adducts are quite stable, and the grouping has promise in (99m)Tc(CO)(3) tracer development.

Coordinated N,N',N"-trimethyldiethylenetriamine (Me3dien) has several possible configurations: two have mirror symmetry (R,S configurations at the terminal nitrogens) and the terminal N-Me's anti or syn with respect to the central N-Me (anti-(R,S) and syn-(R,S) isomers, respectively), and two are nonsymmetrical (R,R and S,S configurations at terminal nitrogens, rac denotes a 1:1 mixture of the two isomers). For each configuration, two Me3dienPtG atropisomers can be formed (anti or syn orientation of central N-Me and G 06, G = guanine derivative), and these can be observed since the terminal N-Me's decrease the rate of G rotation about the Pt-N7 bond. In symmetrical syn-(R,S)-Me3dienPtG derivatives with G = 9-EtG and 3'-GMP, the anti rotamer, which can form O6-NH H-bonds, was slightly favored over the syn rotamer but never more than 2:1. This anti rotamer is also favored by lower steric repulsion between the terminal N-Me's and G O6; thus, the contribution of O6-NH H-bonding to the stability of the anti rotamer could be rather small. With G = 5'-GMP, an O6-NH H-bond in the anti rotamer and a phosphate-NH H-bond in the syn rotamer can form. Only the syn rotamer was detected in solution, indicating that NH H-bonds to 5'-phosphate are far more important than to O6, particularly since steric factors favor the anti rotamer. Interconversion between rotamers was faster for syn-(R,S)- than for rac-Me3dien derivatives. This appears to be determined by a smaller steric impediment to G rotation of two "quasi equatorial" N-Me's, both on one side of the platinum coordination plane (syn-(R,S) isomer), than one "quasi equatorial" and one "quasi axial" N-Me on either side of the coordination plane (rac isomer).

Complexes of the type syn-(R,S)-Me(3)dienPtL (Me(3)dien = N,N',N' '-trimethyldiethylenetriamine; L = guanine or hypoxanthine derivative) have two rotamers, a feature useful for assessing hydrogen-bond interactions between a Me(3)dien NH group and either the O6 or the phosphate group of the coordinated L. The two rotamers are defined as endo and exo for the rotamer with the six-membered ring of the purine on the same side and on the opposite side, respectively, of the coordination plane as the N-Me's. For L = 5'-GMP and 5'-IMP the endo rotamer is the exclusive form (at neutral and basic pH) or is present at 90% and more (low pH where 5'-phosphate group is protonated). A 5'-phosphate group can be positioned to form a direct H-bond with a Me(3)dien NH group only in the endo form; such an H-bond explains this high endo preference. Such a direct phosphate-NH H-bond is not possible for other complexes used in this study because either L has no phosphate group (9-EtG, Guo) or the phosphate is at the 3'-position (3'-GMP and 3'-IMP), too far for H-bonding. Nevertheless, a preference for the endo rotamer was observed for these L also. This result is opposite to that expected both from potential steric repulsion of the L O6 with the N-Me groups and also from the lack of a potential favorable H-bond interaction between L O6 and a Me(3)dien NH. For the 9-EtG adduct, the temperature dependence of the endo/exo equilibrium and the activation parameters for endo/exo interconversion suggest that the preference for the endo rotamer arises from the hydration of the Me(3)dien NH groups; such hydration is favorable in the endo rotamer. At basic pH, N1H deprotonation increases the H-bond capacity of O6, and the exo rotamer increases in stability, becoming the dominant rotamer for the 9-EtG and Guo adducts. For L = 3'-GMP and 3'-IMP, stabilization of the endo form upon phosphate deprotonation at neutral pH was observed. This result is attributed to an H-bonding network involving water, the 3'-phosphate, and the Me(3)dien NH groups.