Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with the anions of the model nucleobases 1-methylthymine (1-MethyH), 1-methyluracil(1-MeuraH), and 1-methylcytosine (1-MecytH) of the types [Pd(d
mba)(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-L)]
2 [d
mba = N,C-chelating 2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl; L = 1-Methy, 1-Meura or 1-Mecyt] and [M(d
mba)(L)(L')] [L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; L' =PPh
3 (M = Pd or Pt), DMSO (M = Pt)] have been obtained. Palladium complexes of the types [Pd(C
6F
5)(N-N)(L)][L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; N-N =
N,
N,
N',
N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda), 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), or 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (Me
2bpy)] and [NBu
4][Pd(C
6F
5)(1-Methy)
2(H
2O)] have also been prepared. The crystalstructures of [Pd(d
mba)(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-1-Methy)]
2, [Pd(d
mba)(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-1-Mecyt)]
2·2CHCl
3, [Pd(d
mba)(1-Methy)(PPh
3)]·3CHCl
3, [Pt(d
mba)(1-Methy)(PPh
3)], [Pd(tmeda)(C
6F
5)(1-Methy)], and [NBu
4][Pd(C
6F
5)(1-Methy)
2(H
2O)]·H
2O have been established byX-ray diffraction. The DNA adduct formation of the new platinum complexes synthesized was followed by circulardichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Atomic force microscopy images of the modifications caused by the platinumcomplexes on plasmid DNA pB
R322 were also obtained. Values of IC
50 were also calculated for the new platinumcomplexes against the tumor cell line HL-60. All the new platinum complexes were more active than cisplatin (upto 20-fold in some cases).