Abstract
Utilizing an ionic liquid strategy, we report crystal structures of salts of free anionic nucleobases and base pairs previously studied only computationally and in the gas phase. Reaction of tetrabutylammonium ([N4444]+) or tetrabutylphosphonium ([P4444]+) hydroxide with adenine (HAd) and thymine (HThy) led to hydrated salts of deprotonated adenine, [N4444][Ad]·2H2O, and thymine, [P4444][Thy]·2H2O, as well as the double salt cocrystal, [P4444]2[Ad][Thy]·3H2O·2HThy. The cocrystal includes the anionic [Ad−(HThy)] base pair which is a stable formation in the solid state that has previously not even been suggested. It exhibits Watson–Crick connectivity as found in DNA but which is unusual for the free neutral base pairs. The stability of the observed anionic bases and their supramolecular formations and hydrates has also been examined by electronic structure calculations, contributing to more insight into how base pairs can bind when a proton is removed and highlighting mechanisms of stabilization or chemical transformation in the DNA chains.
Funder
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Heavy Elements program
U.S. Department of Energy, BES Geosciences program
Swedish Research Council Tage Erlander professorship
Göran Gustafsson prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Science
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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