Two water-soluble, silver(I) complexes showing a wide spectrum of effective antibacterial and antifungal activities, i.e., ([Ag(Hhis)].0.2EtOH)2 (1; H2his = L-histidine) and [Ag(Hpyrrld)]2 (3; H2pyrrld = (S)-(-)-2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid) were prepared. In aqueous solution 1 and 3 were present as dimers, whereas in the solid state they were polymers. Crystallization of 1 by slow evaporation and/or vapor diffusion gave water-insoluble crystals of [Ag(Hhis)]n (2) showing modest antimicrobial activities. The complex 1 in the solid state is a polymer formed by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between dimeric [Ag(Hhis)]2 cores, while 2 is a different polymer without a core complex. X-ray crystallography revealed that 2 was a left-handed helical polymer consisting of a bent, 2-coordinate silver(I) atom bonding to the Namino atom of one Hhis- ligand and the N pi atom of a different Hhis- ligand. Of particular note is the fact that Ocarboxyl atoms do not participate in the coordination. X-ray crystallography also revealed that 3 was a left-handed helical polymer formed by self-assembly of dimeric [Ag(Hpyrrld)]2 cores with an intramolecular metal(I)-metal(I) interaction (Ag-Ag distance, 2.9022(7) A). The FT-IR and the solid-state 13C and 15N NMR spectra showed that the dimeric core of 1 was formed through Ag-N bonds, while that of 3 was formed through Ag-O bonds. The molecular ions of 1 and 3 were detected by the positive-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. For 1-3, characterization by elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FT-IR, and variable-temperature solid-state 13C NMR and room-temperature 15N NMR measurements was performed, and for 1 and 3, that by solution molecular weight measurements and solution (109Ag, 1H, and 13C) NMR spectroscopies was also carried out. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of 1 and 3 were remarkable and comparable to those of the previous silver(I)-N-heterocycle complexes.

The synthesis of a water-soluble anionic silver 2-mercaptonicotinate complex having effective antibacterial and antifungal properties is described. Its structure has been confirmed to be a hexameric cluster by an X-ray diffraction analysis of a mixed Na(+)/Tris(+) salt (Tris(+) = tris(hydroxymethyl)methylammonium cation). The [Ag(mna)](6)(6-) cluster has a Ag(6)S(6) core and an overall shape of twisted hexagonal cylinder with six sulfur atoms and six silver atoms alternating on a puckered drum-like surface. Each Ag atom is trigonally coordinated by one N and two S ligands. The overall [Ag(mna)](6)(6-).4Na(+).2[(HOCH(2))(3)CNH(3)](+).10H(2)O complex has a layered appearance in the crystal packing diagram, with a [Ag(mna)](6)(-) cluster layer alternating with a solvent layer consisting of sodium atoms, Tris buffer cations, and water molecules. The structure is almost identical to that of a neutral [Ag(Hmna)](6) complex reported earlier. The neutral and charged complexes are both known to possess antimicrobial activities, and some biological properties of these and related compounds are briefly discussed in this paper.

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