As part of a long-term collaboration with Prof. Trnková, I was involved in a small project dedicated to the interaction of cuprous ion with nitrogen-containing nucleobases. These can be both the purine bases or their aminopurine and methylated analogues. Copper is one of the essential elements important for the proper functioning of an organism, especially metabolic, transport and synthetic processes. The binding of the nucleobase and the copper atom in its possible oxidation states and associated redox behaviour (Cu²⁺/Cu⁺) has a significant effect on the structure, conformation and stability of such complexes and, as a result, biological structures such as enzymes.

Initially, Cu(I) interactions with aminopurines were only observed in situ on electrode surfaces when measuring copper electrochemistry in aminopurine solutions. Recently, despite the general instability of the Cu⁺ cation, we have been able to prepare a stable material containing a Cu(I)Adenine complex for further study of its structure, stability and stereochemistry and understanding these interactions in the first phase using synthetic material chemistry (⁶³Cu NMR, EPR, Raman, FTIR, MS). The next phase should include further biophysical structural (RTG) and electrochemical studies of these interactions.

For more information and possible involvement in the project, just contact me.