Cytosine and 1-methylcytosine Mg(II) complexes: Structural insights on the reactivity of magnesium(II) toward nucleic acid constituents

The reaction of MgX2·6H2O [X = Br−, Cl−] with 1-Mecyt gives rise to the supramolecular entity [Mg(H2O)6(1-Mecyt)2]Br2, with no evidences of other species formation. The reaction of the same metal salt with cyt generates instead the compound [Mg(cyt)2(H2O)4]X2 which, over time, transforms into [Mg(cyt)4(H2O)2]X2.70