Barbituric acids as a useful tool for the construction of coordination and supramolecular compounds

•Barbituric acids (BAs) are versatile ligands and building blocks in coordination and supramolecular chemistries.•Mono-, multi- and heteronuclear complexes can be synthesized using BAs.•Overview of synthetic methods, structural features and selected properties.•BAs are a useful tool for the development of new materials.

In spite of its impressive record in medicinal chemistry, the role of barbituric acid H3BA (pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione) in coordination, organometallic and supramolecular chemistries has not yet been analyzed and reviewed. However, H3BA can be readily functionalized and provides rich opportunities to create coordination bonds and non-covalent interactions. Thus, derivatives of H3BA (barbituric acids, BAs) are widely used for the preparation of a wide range of complexes with various metals of almost all groups of the periodic table. The review systematizes information on the synthesis, tautomerism, acid–base properties of BAs and their use for the construction of organometallic and coordination compounds, as well as coordination polymers and supramolecular assemblies. The role of different metal ions and the structure of BAs in directing the preparative pathways and tuning particular structural properties of the resulting compounds are discussed. Some valuable applications of BAs, in particular in the construction of molecular receptors, magnetic and nonlinear optic materials, bioactive compounds, drug cocrystal design, catalysis and photochemistry are also envisaged.

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