Interaction between transition metals and nucleic acids. Part III. Synthesis and structural studies of copper(II) complexes with Schiff base ligands derived from barbituric acid

Schiff bases have been prepared from 5-formyl-barbituric acid and 5-formyl-1,3-dimethyl-barbituric acid and various di- or tri-amines. The structures of the corresponding copper(II) complexes have been established by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. The molecular structure of one of the complexes, Cu(DiMeBardpt), was determined by X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical study shows that these complexes are reduced at slightly more negative potentials than the corresponding complexes obtained from uracil, which suggests that these new ligands are better electron-donors.