New copper(II) paddle-wheel complexes
with different modified nucleobases
and simple molecules in the axial positions have been prepared by
direct reactions between copper(II) salts and the corresponding uracil-
or thymine-1-acetic acids under inert atmosphere to produce the two
homoleptic complexes, [Cu2(μ-OOCCH2-T)4(G)2] and [Cu2(μ-OOCCH2-U)4(G)2], and the heteroleptic one [Cu2(μ-OOCCH2-T)2(μ-OOCCH2-U)2(G)2] (where OOCCH2-T
= thymine-1-acetate, OOCCH2-U = uracil-1-acetate, and G
= dimethylformamide, water, dimethylacetamide, or dimethyl sulfoxide).
Interestingly, the crystal structures of this family of closely related
molecules present significant differences in their supramolecular
arrangements affecting the crystal networks mainly due to the interactions
defined between the different apical ligands and the coordinated modified
nucleobases. Thus, depending upon the dimetallic complex several H-bonding
interactions have been found in these series: (i) base pairing through
Watson–Crick faces of adjacent dimetallic units, (ii) between
a coordinated nucleobase and an oxygen atom from a carboxylic group
of a neighboring molecule, and (iii) between a nucleobase and a solvent
molecule. All these together with weaker π–π staking
interactions define different 1D and 2D supramolecular assemblies.
Interestingly, the magnetic studies show strong antiferromagnetic
Cu···Cu interactions in agreement with the presence
of four μ-κO:κO′ carboxylates bridging the
metallic centers in each dinuclear complex. Finally, the crystal-to-crystal
exchange reaction involving the ligands coordinated in the axial positions
of the dimetallic [Cu2(OOCCH2-T)4(DMF)2]3[Cu2(OOCCH2-T)4(DMF)(H2O)]2 to the related 1D coordination
polymer [Cu(OOCCH2-T)2(H2O)2]
n
has been confirmed in the presence
of water vapor. This transformation implies a chemical stimuli magnetic
response going from strong antiferromagnetic to almost paramagnetic,
respectively.