Synthesis and reactivity of palladium and platinum diimine complexes containing boronate esters

Abstract

Condensation of α-diketones (2,3-butanedione, benzil, and acenaphthenequinone) with 3-H2NC6H4Bpin (pin = 1,2-O2C2Me4) gave the corresponding boron-containing α-diimines. The addition of these ligands to [MCl2(coe)]2 (coe = cis-cyclooctene, M = Pd or Pt) gave complexes of the type cis-MCl2(α-diimine) in moderate to high yields. The platinum complexes have been examined for their ability to bind to DNA using enzyme digest studies. These complexes were found to bind to single-stranded DNA as well as, or better than, the non-boron containing controls, and showed binding similar to that of cisplatin (cis-PtCl2(NH3)2).Key words: boronate esters, diazabutadienes, DNA-binding, platinum.