Stacking interactions of nucleobases: NMR-investigations. I. Self association of N6, N9-dimethyladenine and N6-dimethyl-N9-ethyladenine.

The selfassociation of N6,N9-dimethyladenine and N6-dimethyl-N9-ethyladenine has been studied by means of NMR technique. The thermodynamic quantities have been calculated using an isodesmic NMR model with three NMR parameters (the monomer shift deltaM and two complex shifts delta2 and delta3). The dependence of the thermodynamic quantities on the NMR parameters is discussed. Special attention is given to the determination of deltaM and its temperature dependence. Calculations with delta3 = 2 - delta2 and deltaM taken independently of temperature result in an average entropy deltaS = - 17.9 +/- 1.8 e.u. for N6,N9-dimethyladenine and deltaS = - 16.7 +/- 1.7 e.u. for N6-dimethyl-N9-ethyladenine and in an average enthalpy deltaH = - 7.2 +/- 0.6 kcal - mol-1 for both substances investigated.