Total synthesis of reblastatin: convenient preparation of coupling partners and scaled assembly

Potentially scalable total synthesis of reblastatin was achieved based on Panek's previous study. Novel and convenient synthetic routes were developed for the known C8–C20 and C1–C7 coupling partners. The challenging C8–C20 fragment was prepared from TBS protected (S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (6) in nine steps (20% overall yield), and the C1–C7 fragment was synthesized from commercially available 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal (9) in eight steps (35% overall yield). On a larger scale, Panek's eight-step assembly of the target molecule from the two partners was also slightly modified, giving 45 mg reblastatin (19% overall yield) in the first batch synthesis. Notable feature of our study is the settlement of the C14 chirality through a diastereoselective α-alkylation of 6 followed by a three-step full reduction of the lactone carboxyl, making vastly available 6 a universally applicable C11–C14 synthon for benzenoid/benzoquinone ansamycins.     

Rhodium(I) catalysis of cycloprop[a]acenaphthylene isomerizations

Cycloprop [a] acenaphthylene was found to rearrange to phenalene in the presence of rhodium dicarbonyl chloride dimer. Deuterium labeling of this molecule at C(7) (both exo and endo), at C(8), at C(7) (exo) and C(8) and at C(7) (exo), C(8), and C(8') indicated that the C(7) (exo) deuterium was migrating stereospecifically. Furthermore, all of the isotopic label present in the cycloprop[a]acenaphthylene was found statistically distributed over positions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 of the phenalene product. Control experiments established the need of the catalyst, the inability to achieve rearrangement of the exo-7-methyl derivative, and the susceptibility of a monodeuterated phenalene for extensive isotopic scrambling in its own right when exposed to rhodium(I). These results have been interpreted on the basis of oxidative addition by rhodium(I) into the central bond of cycloprop[a]acenaphthylene from above the “flap”, followed by shifting of the C(7) (exo) hydrogen (or deuterium) to give a η³-allylrhodim-(III) complex. The experimental data further support a mechanism involving subsequent rearrangement of this intermediate around the periphery of the phenalene ring. This process which is otherwise degenerate is thought to be facilitated by the special electronic features of the phenalenyl system.     

Columnar mesophases and phase behaviors of novel polycatenar mesogens containing bi-1,3,4-oxadiazole

A new series of liquid-crystalline bi-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (2,2′-bis(3,4,5-trialkoxyphenyl)-bi-1,3,4-oxadiazole, BOXD-Tn, n=3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14) were designed and synthesized. They have been confirmed to give rise to columnar mesophases. The columnar mesophases for BOXD-Tn (n=5, 6, 7, 8, 10) could be supercooled to −20 °C on the cooling runs. A room temperature Col_ho phase was obtained for BOXD-T14. All BOXD-Tn exhibit good fluorescence properties either in cyclohexane or in solid state.     

Solvothermal synthesis of a bimetallic thiometallate containing germanium in two oxidation states

A new layered germanium-antimony sulphide, [Ge(C₂N₂H₈)₃][GeSb₂S₆], has been prepared at 463 K under solvothermal conditions in the presence of ethylenediamine. The compound has been characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis and reflectance spectroscopy. [Ge(C₂N₂H₈)₃][GeSb₂S₆] crystallises in the space group Pbca (a=13.3284(5), b=17.4801(6), c=18.5447(7) Å). The structure consists of cyclic [GeSb₂S₈]⁶⁻ units that form chains which are cross-linked through Sb₂S₂ rings to generate layers of stoichiometry [GeSb₂S₆]²⁻, between which [Ge(en)₃]²⁺ cations are located. [Ge(C₂N₂H₈)₃][GeSb₂S₆] contains germanium in both the divalent and tetravalent states. The optical band gap of 2.49(4) eV is in excellent agreement with the value expected on the basis of the correlation with the density of metal centres previously identified for thioantimonates, and is consistent with states at the top of the valence band being predominantly of sulphur 3p character.     

BF3-activated oxidation of alkanes by MnO4 -

The oxidation of alkanes and arylalkanes by KMnO(4) in CH(3)CN is greatly accelerated by the presence of just a few equivalents of BF(3), the reaction occurring readily at room temperature. Carbonyl compounds are the predominant products in the oxidation of secondary C-H bonds. Spectrophotometric and kinetics studies show that BF(3) forms an adduct with KMnO(4) in CH(3)CN, [BF(3).MnO(4)](-), which is the active species responsible for the oxidation of C-H bonds. The rate constant for the oxidation of toluene by [BF(3).MnO(4)](-) is over 7 orders of magnitude faster than by MnO(4)(-) alone. The kinetic isotope effects for the oxidation of cyclohexane, toluene, and ethylbenzene at 25.0 degrees C are as follows: k(C6H12)/k(C6D12) = 5.3 +/- 0.6, k(C7H8)/k(C7D8) = 6.8 +/- 0.5, k(C8H10)/k(C8D10) = 7.1 +/- 0.5. The rate-limiting step for all of these reactions is most likely hydrogen-atom transfer from the substrate to an oxo group of the adduct. A good linear correlation between log(rate constant) and C-H bond energies of the hydrocarbons is found. The accelerating effect of BF(3) on the oxidation of methane by MnO(4)(-) has been studied computationally by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. A significant decrease in the reaction barrier results from BF(3) coordination to MnO(4)(-). The BF(3) coordination increases the ability of the Mn metal center to achieve a d(1) Mn(VI) electron configuration in the transition state. Calculations also indicate that the species [2BF(3).MnO(4)](-) is more reactive than [BF(3).MnO(4)](-).     

An efficient approach to isoindolo[2,1-b][2]benzazepines via intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of maleic anhydride to 4-α-furyl-4-N-benzylaminobut-1-enes

Acylation of 4-α-furyl-4-N-benzylaminobut-1-enes with maleic anhydride gave 4-oxo-3-aza-10-oxatricyclo[5.2.1.0^1,5]dec-8-ene-6-carboxylic acid via amide formation followed by intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of furan (IMDAF). The cycloaddition proceeded under mild reaction conditions (25 °C) and provided only the exo-adduct in quantitative yield. Treatment of this compound with PPA gave isoindolo[2,1-b][2]benzazepine derivatives via ring opening, aromatization and intramolecular electrophilic alkylation. In order to extend the scope of the reaction sequence, 7-oxo-5,11b,12,13-tetrahydro-7H-isoindolo[2,1-b][2]benzazepine-8-carboxylic acids were further transformed into useful synthetic intermediates.     

Solid-State Structures and Photoluminescence of Lamellar Architectures of Cu(I) and Ag(I) Paddlewheel Clusters with Hydrogen-Bonded Polar Guests

Two hexanuclear paddlewheel-like clusters appending six carboxylic-acid pendants have been isolated with the inclusion of polar solvent guests: [Cu₆(Hmna)₆]·7DMF (1·7DMF) and [Ag₆(Hmna)₆]·8DMSO (2·8DMSO), where H₂mna = 2-mercaptonicotininc acid, DMF = N,N’-dimethylformamide, and DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide. The solvated clusters, together with their fully desolvated forms 1 and 2, have been characterized by FTIR, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, TG-DTA analysis, and DFT calculations. Crystal structures of two solvated clusters 1·7DMF and 2·8DMSO have been unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Six carboxylic groups appended on the clusters trap solvent guests, DMF or DMSO, through H-bonds. As a result, alternately stacked lamellar architectures comprising of a paddlewheel cluster layer and H-bonded solvent layer are formed. Upon UV illumination (λ_ex = 365 nm), the solvated hexasilver(I) cluster 2·8DMSO gives intense greenish-yellow photoluminescence in the solid state (λ_PL = 545 nm, Φ_PL = 0.17 at 298 K), whereas the solvated hexacopper(I) cluster 1·7DMF displays PL in the near-IR region (λ_PL = 765 nm, Φ_PL = 0.38 at 298 K). Upon complete desolvation, a substantial bleach in the PL intensity (Φ_PL < 0.01) is observed. The desorption–sorption response was studied by the solid-state PL spectroscopy. Non-covalent interactions in the crystal including intermolecular H-bonds, CH⋯π interactions, and π⋯π stack were found to play decisive roles in the creation of the lamellar architectures, small-molecule trap-and-release behavior, and guest-induced luminescence enhancement.     

The synthesis, structural characterization and in vitro anti-cancer activity of novel N-(3-ferrocenyl-2-naphthoyl) dipeptide ethyl esters and novel N-(6-ferrocenyl-2-naphthoyl) dipeptide ethyl esters

N-(3-ferrocenyl-2-naphthoyl) dipeptide esters (5-7) and N-(6-ferrocenyl-2-naphthoyl) dipeptide esters (8-10) were prepared by coupling either 3-ferrocenylnaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid 2 or 6-ferrocenylnaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid 4 to the dipeptide ethyl esters GlyAla(OEt) (5, 8), AlaGly(OEt) (6, 9), and AlaAla(OEt) (7, 10) using the standard N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) protocol. All the compounds were fully characterized using a combination of ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT-135 and ¹H-¹³C COSY (HMQC) spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In vitro, the cytotoxic effects of compounds 5-10 show improvements over the corresponding N-(ferrocenyl)benzoyl derivatives, with IC₅₀ values against the H1299 lung cancer cells ranging from 1.2 μM to 8.0 μM. N-(6-ferrocenyl-2-naphthoyl)-glycine-l-alanine ethyl ester 8 was found to be the most active derivative of the naphthoyl series so far, displaying an IC₅₀ value of 1.3 ± 0.1 μM. This value is slightly lower than that found for the clinically employed anti-cancer drug cisplatin (IC₅₀ = 1.5 ± 0.1 μM against H1299).     

Aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols in the presence of activated secondary alcohols

Chemoselective aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols in the presence of activated secondary alcohols was effected under irradiation of visible light by using (nitrosyl)Ru(salen) complex 6 that possesses bulky 1-ethyl-1-methylpropyl groups at C3, C3′, C5 and C5′, as catalyst. For example, oxidation of n-decanol was >50 times faster than oxidation of 1-phenylethanol at 10 °C.     

Enthalpy change and mechanism of oxidation of o-phenylenediamine by hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase

The hydrogen peroxide-oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) at 37 °C in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) was studied by calorimetry. The apparent molar reaction enthalpy with respect to OPD and hydrogen peroxide were −447 ± 8 kJ mol⁻¹ and −298 ± 9 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Oxidation of OPD by H₂O₂ catalyzed by HRP (1.25 nM) at pH 7.0 and 37 °C follows a ping-pong mechanism. The maximum rate V_max (0.91 ± 0.05 μM s⁻¹), Michaelis constant for OPD K_m,S (51 ± 3 μM), Michaelis constant for hydrogen peroxide Km,H₂O₂ (136 ± 8 μM), the catalytic constant k_cat (364 ± 18 s⁻¹) and the second-order rate constants k₊₁ = (2.7 ± 0.3) × 10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and k₊₅ = (7.1 ± 0.8) × 10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ were obtained by the initial rate method.     

The effect of oxidation on the stability of G:C base pair: a MP2 study

The base-pairing energies of eleven oxidized G:C base pairs were characterized by Møller–Plesset perturbation theory. The analysis was focused on the base pairs consisting of guanine and one of the following cytosine derivatives: G:C1 (5-hydroxycytosine); G:C2 (5-hydroxyuracil); G:C3 (5,6-dihydroxy-cytosine); G:C4 (5,6-dihydroxy-uracil); G:C5 (cytosine glycol);G:C6 (isodialuric acid); G:C7 (uracil glycol), and the base pairs between cytosine and one of the following guanine derivatives: G8:C (8-oxo-guanine); G9:C (6-enol-8-keto-guanine); G10:C (xantho-sine); and G11:C (8-hydroxy-guanine). Full geometry optimizations have been performed for the studied complexes by MP2 method. The interaction energies were corrected for the basis-set superposition error (BSSE), using the full Boys-Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme. The results obtained show that the interaction energies of the base pairs decrease in the following order: G8:C > G:C5 ~ G:C1 > G:C3 ~ G:C ~ G11:C > G:C2 > G:C4 > G:C7 > G:C6 > G10:C > G9:C.     

Inhibiting effect of 6-methyluracil derivatives on the free -radical oxidation of 1,4-dioxane

The antioxidation activity of 5-substituted 6-methyluracils was quantitatively estimated in the model system of initiated radical-chain oxidation of 1,4-dioxane. The rate constants of the reactions of 1,4-dioxane peroxide radicals with 6-methyluracil (1), 6-methyl-5-piperidinouracil (2), 6-methyl-5-morpholinomethyluracil (3), 6-methyl-5-morpholinouracil (4), 6-methyl-5-methylaminouracil (5), 5-ethylamino-6-methyluracil (6), and 5-hydroxy-6-methyluracil (7) were measured. Among compounds 1–7, derivative 7 is most efficient with an inhibition rate constant of (5.2±0.1) · 10⁴ L mol^-1 s^-1 (60 °C).     

Synthesis of indole-based oxadiazoles and their interaction with bacterial peptidoglycan and SARS-CoV-2 main protease: In vitro,molecular docking and in silico ADME/Tox study

In the present study, Indole-based-oxadiazole (1A-17A) compounds were successfully synthesized. The structures of all synthesized compounds were fully characterized by different sophisticated spectroscopic techniques such 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HREI-MS. Further, the synthesized compounds were explored to investigate their broad-spectrum antibacterial and antibiofilm potential against multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The compounds possessed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity having MIC values of values 1–8 mg/ml against the tested microorganisms. Compound A6 and A7 shows maximum antibacterial activity against MDR-PA, whereas A6, A7 and A11 shows highest activity against MRSA. Furthermore, antibiofilm assay shows that A6, A7 and A11 showed maximum inhibition of biofilm formation and it was found that at 4 mg/ml; A6, A7 and A11 inhibit MRSA biofilm formation by 81.1, 77.5 and 75.9%, respectively; whereas in case of P. aeruginosa; A6 and A7 showed maximum biofilm inhibition and inhibit biofilm formation by 81.5 and 73.7%, respectively. Molecular docking study showed that compounds A6, A7, A8, A10, and A11 had high binding affinity to bacterial peptidoglycan, indicating their potential inhibitory activity against tested bacteria, whereas A6 and A11 were found to be the most effective inhibitors of SARS CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro), with a binding affinity of ? 7.78 kcal/mol. Furthermore, SwissADME and pkCSM-pharmacokinetics online tools was applied to calculate the ADME/Tox profile of the synthesized compounds and the toxicity of these chemicals was found to be low. The Lipinski, Veber, Ghose, and Consensus LogP criteria were also used to predict drug-likeness levels of the compounds. Our findings imply that the synthesized compounds could be a useful for the preventing and treating biofilm-related microbial infection as well as SARS-CoV2 infections.     

The facile preparation of p-(methoxy)calix[n]arenes (n = 6, 7, or 8) and their permethylated derivatives

The mixture of p-(methoxy)calix[n]arenes (n = 6, 7 or 8) was prepared in one step from p-methoxyphenol under basic conditions, and their fully methylated derivatives p-(dimethyloxy)calix[n]arenes (n = 6, 7 or 8) were also prepared and purified by column chromatography to indentify their structures. In this process, the single crystal of p-(dimethyloxy)calix[7]arene was obtained and its structure was confirmed. The proportion of p-(methoxy)calix[6]-, [7]- and [8]-arenes in the mixture obtained from the reaction was investigated under different reaction conditions, and p-(methoxy)calix[6]- and [8]-arenes could be separated from the mixture by solvent extraction. In addition, the host-guest interaction of p-(dimethyloxy)calix[6]arene with methyl-4,4′-bipyridinium hexafluorophosphate in organic solvents was investigated.     

Efficient synthesis of 2,6,7,8-tetrahydroxyindolizidines (castanospermine analogues) via the dipolar cycloadditions of N-benzyl-C-(tetrofuranos-4-yl)nitrones to methyl acrylate

The dipolar cycloaddition of (Z)-N-benzyl-(3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-d-ribofuranos-5-ylidene)amine N-oxide to methyl acrylate gives a 53:16:26:5 diastereomeric mixture of isoxazolidine derivatives. The dipolar cycloaddition of the xylo analogue to methyl acrylate is more diastereoselective, producing a 44:13:43 mixture of only three diastereomers. The ribo-configured adducts have been converted (4 steps only) into the new (2R,6S,7S,8R,8aR)-, (2S,6S,7S,8R,8aR)-, (2S,6S,7S,8R,8aS)- and (2R,6S,7S,8R,8aS)-2,6,7,8-tetrahydroxyindolizidines. Similarly, the two xylo-configured major isoxazolidine derivatives were converted into the known derivatives (2R,6S,7R,8R,8aS)- and (2S,6S,7R,8R,8aR)-2,6,7,8-tetrahydroxyindolizidines. The six isomeric indolizidine derivatives obtained have been evaluated for their inhibiting activities towards 15 glycosidases. Only the (2R,6S,7S,8R,8aR)-configured isomer is a selective inhibitor of amyloglucosidases from Aspergillus niger (IC₅₀ = 350 μM) and from Rhizopus mold (IC₅₀ = 90 μM, K_i = 195 μM, non-competitive), the other indolizidines show very little inhibitory activity at 1 mM concentration.     

Four Novel Phenanthrene Derivatives with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity from Gastrochilus bellinus

Four new phenanthrene derivatives, gastrobellinols A-D (1–4), were isolated from the methanolic extract of Gastrochilus bellinus (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, along with eleven known phenolic compounds including agrostophyllin (5), agrostophyllidin (6), coniferyl aldehyde (7), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (8), agrostophyllone (9), gigantol (10), 4-(methoxylmethyl)phenol (11), syringaldehyde (12), 1-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-imbricartin (13), 6-methoxycoelonin (14), and imbricatin (15). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Each isolate was evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15 showed higher activity than the drug acarbose. Gastrobellinol C (3) exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 45.92 μM. A kinetic study of 3 showed competitive inhibition on the α-glucosidase enzyme. This is the first report on the phytochemical constituents and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of G. bellinus.     

Annulated benzotetrazine 1,3-dioxides 2.* [1,2,5]Oxadiazolo[3,4-f ][1,2,3,4]benzotetrazine 1,3,7-trioxide

Thermolysis of 8-azido-7-nitrobenzotetrazine 1,3-dioxide led to benzotetrazine 1,3-dioxide annulated with the furoxan ring at the C(7)—C(8) bond. Complete assignment of the signals in the ¹³C NMR spectrum of the compound obtained was performed. Attempted syntheses of benzotetrazine 1,3-dioxides annulated with a furoxan ring at the C(6)—C(7) bond or two furoxan rings at the C(5)—C(6) and C(7)—C(8) bonds were unsuccessful. Published in russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 341–345, February, 2006.     

Spectrophotometric determination of trace nitrite based on catalytic oxidation of thionine by potassium bromate

A kinetic method for the determination of trace nitrite (7 × 10^?9–1.2 × 10^?6 M) based on its catalytic effect on the reaction between potassium bromate and thionine in strongly acidic media is reported. The reaction is monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the decreasing colour of thionine at 602 nm by the fixed-time method. At a given time of 5 min at 30°C, the detection limit is 2 × 10^?9 M (0.001 absorbance ratio, b = 1 cm) and the relative standard deviation for 1 × 10^?6 M nitrite is 2.6% (n = 6). The method is free from most interferences, especially from large amounts of nitrate. The procedure was successfully applied to the determination of trace nitrite in natural water and sausage samples without preconcentration and separation.     

An efficient synthesis of novel spiro[[8H]indeno[2,1-b]-thiophene-8,9′-fluorene] building block for blue light-emitting materials

We have developed efficient synthetic routes to obtain a novel building block spiro[[8H]indeno[2,1-b]thiophene-8,9′-fluorene] (SITF), a monothiophene-containing spirobifluorene analogue, and constructed blue light-emitting materials, including 2′,7′-bis([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-spiro[indeno[2,1-b]thiophene-8,9′-fluorene] (BBP-SITF) and 2′,7′-bis(9,9′-spirobifluoren-2-yl)spiro[[8H]indeno[2,1-b]-thiophene-8,9′-fluorene] (BSBF-SITF). BSBF-SITF has shown to be a stable blue light-emitting material with high PL quantum efficiency (89%) and unique regioselective feature at the C2 of thiophene, which indicate that BSBF-SITF will be useful for constructing complicated optoelectronic systems.     

GC-MS,LC-MS/MS,Docking and Molecular Dynamics Approaches to Identify Potential SARS-CoV-2 3-Chymotrypsin-Like Protease Inhibitors from Zingiber officinale Roscoe

This study aims to identify and isolate the secondary metabolites of Zingiber officinale using GC-MS, preparative TLC, and LC-MS/MS methods, to evaluate the inhibitory potency on SARS-CoV-2 3 chymotrypsin-like protease enzyme, as well as to study the molecular interaction and stability by using docking and molecular dynamics simulations. GC-MS analysis suggested for the isolation of terpenoids compounds as major compounds on methanol extract of pseudostems and rhizomes. Isolation and LC-MS/MS analysis identified 5-hydro-7, 8, 2′-trimethoxyflavanone (9), (E)-hexadecyl-ferulate (1), isocyperol (2), N-isobutyl-(2E,4E)-octadecadienamide (3), and nootkatone (4) from the rhizome extract, as well as from the leaves extract with the absence of 9. Three known steroid compounds, i.e., spinasterone (7), spinasterol (8), and 24-methylcholesta-7-en-3β-on (6), were further identified from the pseudostem extract. Molecular docking showed that steroids compounds 7, 8, and 6 have lower predictive binding energies (MMGBSA) than other metabolites with binding energy of −87.91, −78.11, and −68.80 kcal/mole, respectively. Further characterization on the single isolated compound by NMR showed that 6 was identified and possessed 75% inhibitory activity on SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease enzyme that was slightly different with the positive control GC376 (77%). MD simulations showed the complex stability with compound 6 during 100 ns simulation time.