Vibrational Spectroscopy of Platinum(II) Complexes Relevant in Antitumor Activity

International audienceCisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) is the first platinum-based antitumor agent, and it is still widely used in chemotherapy. In the cytoplasm, the administered drug undergoes spontaneous hydrolysis by nucleophilic substitution of chloride with water. The cationic chloro-monoaqua form, cis-[PtCl(NH3)2(H2O)]+, characterized by a pKa value of 6.5, is the relevant intermediate at physiological pH, that can ultimately give rise to DNA and protein adducts through easy substitution of water by nitrogen/sulfur donor ligands. Electrospray ionization has allowed cis- and trans-[PtCl(NH3)2(H2O)]+ species to be obtained as free ions in the gas phase where they were sampled by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in the NH/OH stretching frequency range (3200−3800 cm−1), using a tabletop optical parametric oscillator/amplifier (OPO/OPA) laser system coupled to a quadrupole ion trap mass spectromete