Reaction of pharmacological active tris-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium 4-chlorophenylsulfanylacetate with ZnCl2 or NiCl2: first conversion of a protic ionic liquid into metallated ionic liquid

The reaction of pharmacological active protic ionic liquid tris-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium 4-chlorophenylsulfanylacetate H+N(CH2CH2OH)3 ∙ (-OOCCH2SC6H4Cl-4) (1) with zinc or nickel chloride in a ratio of 2:1 affords stable at room temperature powder-like adducts [H+N(CH2CH2OH)3]2 ∙ [M(OOCCH2SC6H4Cl-4)2Cl2]2-, M = Zn (2), Ni (3). By recrystallization from aqueous alcohol compound 2 unexpectedly gives Zn(OOCCH2SC6H4Cl-4)2 ∙ 2H2O (4). Unlike 2, compound 3 gives crystals [N(CH2CH2OH)3]2Ni2+ · [-OOCCH2SC6H4Cl-4]2 (5), which have a structure of metallated ionic liquid. The structure of 5 has been proved by X-ray diffraction analysis. It is the first example of the conversion of a protic ionic liquid into potentially biological active metallated ionic liquid (1 → 3 → 5).