NMR
and X-ray diffraction studies were conducted on Pt(II)LCl2 complexes prepared with the new N-donor ligands N(SO2R)Me
n
dpa (R = Me, Tol; n = 2, 4). These ligands differ from N(H)dpa
(di-2-picolylamine) in having the central N within a tertiary sulfonamide
group instead of a secondary amine group and having Me groups at the
6,6′-positions (n = 2) or 3,3′,5,5′-positions
(n = 4) of the pyridyl rings. The N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa ligands
are coordinated in a bidentate fashion in Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes, forming a rare eight-membered chelate ring. The sulfonamide
N atom did not bind to Pt(II), consistent with indications in the
literature that tertiary sulfonamides are unlikely to anchor two meridionally
coordinated five-membered chelate rings in solutions of coordinating
solvents. The N(SO2R)6,6′-Me2dpa ligands coordinate in a monodentate fashion to form the
binuclear complexes [trans-Pt(DMSO)Cl2]2(N(SO2R)6,6′-Me2dpa). The monodentate instead of bidentate N(SO2R)6,6′-Me2dpa coordination is attributed
to 6,6′-Me steric bulk. These binuclear complexes are indefinitely
stable in DMF-d
7, but in DMSO-d
6 the N(SO2R)6,6′-Me2dpa ligands dissociate completely. In DMSO-d
6, the bidentate ligands in Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes also dissociate, but incompletely; these complexes provide
rare examples of association–dissociation equilibria of N,N
bidentate ligands in Pt(II) chemistry. Like typical cis-PtLCl2 complexes, the Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes
undergo monosolvolysis in DMSO-d
6 to form
the [Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)(DMSO-d
6)Cl]+ cations.
However, unlike typical cis-PtLCl2 complexes,
the Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes surprisingly do not react readily
with the excellent N-donor bioligand guanosine. A comparison of the
structural features of over 50 known relevant Pt(II) complexes having
smaller chelate rings with those of the very few relevant Pt(II) complexes
having eight-membered chelate rings indicates that the pyridyl rings
in Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes are well positioned to form strong
Pt–N bonds. Therefore, the dissociation of the bidentate ligand
and the poor biomolecule reactivity of the Pt(N(SO2R)3,3′,5,5′-Me4dpa)Cl2 complexes arise from steric consequences imposed by the −CH2–N(SO2R)–CH2– chain
in the eight-membered chelate ring.