Reactions of copper(II) sulfate with
1,10-phenanthroline, l-serine, and a base were investigated
under different solution-based
and mechanochemical synthetic procedures. Six complexes with serine
were obtained: [Cu(l-ser)(H2O)(phen)]2SO4·xH2O
(x = 4, 6, or 10; 1·4H
2
O, 1·6H
2
O, and 1·10H
2
O), [Cu(l-ser)(H2O)(phen)][Cu(l-ser)(CH3OH)(phen)]SO4·3H2O·CH3OH (1·2·3H
2
O·CH
3
OH), [Cu(l-ser)(CH3OH)(phen)]2SO4·xCH3OH (x = 2 or 2.5; 2·2CH
3
OH and 2·2.5CH
3
OH), and two without serine: [Cu(SO4)(phen)2]·xH2O (x = 4.5 or 6.75; 3·4.5H
2
O and 3·6.75H
2
O) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, l-ser = l-serinato). The X-ray crystal structure analysis
of serine-containing complexes revealed extensive hydrogen bonding
and π-interactions that link complex cations, sulfate anions,
and solvent molecules into three-dimensional architectures. Most of
the water/methanol solvent molecules in these porous compounds are
found in channels, some in pockets connected to channels, and can
be exchanged in vapors of the other solvent. Along with the solvent
exchange, the solvent molecule apically coordinated to copper(II)
is also exchanged in some transformations. By neat grinding, all serine-containing
complexes transform into 1·6H
2
O. Quantum chemical calculations were done for
compounds 1·4H
2
O and 1·6H
2
O in the gas phase and an aqueous (or methanol) surrounding. 1·6H
2
O and 3·4.5H
2
O showed
pronounced antiproliferative activity toward human breast and lung
tumor cell lines.