Synthesis, crystal structures, and DNA-binding studies of two silver(I) complexes with 1,3-bis(1-ethylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2-thiapropane

Two new silver(I) complexes, [Ag(bebt)(methacrylate)] (1) and [Ag-2(bebt)(2)](pic)(2) (2) (bebt=1,3-bis(1-ethylbenzimidazol-2-yl)-2-thiapropane, pic=picrate), have been synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the structure of 1 was four-coordinate in a distorted tetrahedral geometry, while in 2, it may be described as a 2+1 coordinated silver(I) compound with a nearly linear N-Ag-N backbone and a weak Ag-S interaction. Two ligands are arranged in a face-to-face syn conformation to coordinate to two Ag(I) ions from opposite directions in 2, generating a U-type double layer structure around the metal ions. Experimental studies of the DNA-binding properties indicated that free bebt and both complexes bind to DNA via intercalation, and the order of the binding affinity is 2>1>bebt.