Novel chiral hexaazamacrocycles for the enantiodiscrimination of carboxylic acids

New enantiopure amines (R,R)-1 and (S,S)-1 were obtained from (R)- or (S)-2,2′-diamino-1,1′-binaphthyl and 2,6-diformylpyridine in a synthesis templated by lead(II) or lanthanide(III) ions, reduction with NaBH₄ and subsequent demetallation. Similarly new amines (R,R,R,R)-2 and (S,S,S,S)-2 were obtained from (1R, 2R)- or (1S, 2S)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine. The X-ray crystal structure of the Pb(II) complex with macrocyclic Schiff base precursor of (R,R)-1 indicates helical twisted conformation of this macrocycle, while the ROESY spectrum of R,R-1 suggests less twisted conformation. (R,R)-1 and (R,R,R,R)-2 were tested as chiral shift reagents (chiral solvating agents) for various α-substituted carboxylic acids, including non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Enantiodiscrimination of carboxylate ¹H NMR signals was observed with ΔΔδ values up to 0.1 ppm.     

Self-assembly of folic Acid: a chiral-aligning medium for enantiodiscrimination of organic molecules in an aqueous environment

Weak orienting medium: Self-assembly of alkaline salt of folic acid yielded a weak liquid-crystalline phase in an aqueous environment. This medium has the ability to discriminate enantiomers. The mesophase exists over a broad range and has the physical parameter dependent tunability of degree of alignment.     

Ring-expanded chiral rhombamine macrocycles for efficient NMR enantiodiscrimination of carboxylic acid derivatives

Novel 46-membered chiral rhombamine macrocycles (R,R,R,R)-8a and 8b were synthesized by [2+2] cyclocondensation reactions of (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with the corresponding dialdehydes and subsequent reduction with NaBH₄. The X-ray crystal structure of 1:4 dioxane complex with (R,R,R,R)-8a indicated a rhombus conformation of the chiral macrocycle. Compounds (R,R,R,R)-8a and 8b were tested as chiral shift reagents for a wide range of α-substituted carboxylic acids and amino acid derivatives. Enantiodiscrimination of ¹H NMR signals was observed with ΔΔδ values of up to 0.214 ppm.     

MolAlign: an algorithm for aligning multiple small molecules

In small molecule drug discovery projects, the receptor structure is not always available. In such cases it is enormously useful to be able to align known ligands in the way they bind in the receptor. Here we shall present an algorithm for the alignment of multiple small molecule ligands. This algorithm takes pre-generated conformers as input, and proposes aligned assemblies of the ligands. The algorithm consists of two stages: the first stage is to perform alignments for each pair of ligands, the second stage makes use of the results from the first stage to build up multiple ligand alignment assemblies using a novel iterative procedure. The scoring functions are improved versions of the one mentioned in our previous work. We have compared our results with some recent publications. While an exact comparison is impossible, it is clear that our algorithm is fast and produces very competitive results.     

Three-component chiral derivatizing protocols for NMR spectroscopic enantiodiscrimination of hydroxy acids and primary amines

The novel three-component chiral derivatization protocols have been derived for (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopic discrimination of a series of chiral hydroxy acids by their coordination and self-assembly with optically active α-methylbenzylamine and 2-formylphenylboronic acid. In addition, the optically pure (S)-mandelic acid in combination with 2-formylphenylboronic acid permits visualization of enantiomers of primary amines. These protocols have been demonstrated on enantiodiscrimination of chiral amines and hydroxy acids.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films as aligning layers for homeotropic alignment of liquid crystal molecules

The first single crystal structure of a Group VA halide salt with three equivalent long n-alkyl chains, benzyltrioctadecylammonium bromide (BzN18Br), is reported. It consists of alternating interdigitated and non-interdigitated regions of alkyl chains separated by ionic planes. Two chains per molecule are paired and extend to one side in a non-interdigitated region. The third chain is on the opposite side of the ionic plane and pairs intermolecularly to form an adjacent, interdigitated region. The thickness of two nearly extended molecules defines the bilayer unit-two ionic planes flanked by a region with intramolecularly paired chains and separated by an interdigitated chain region. Powder X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy data of liquid crystalline BzN18Br are consistent with an enantiotropic smectic A₂ (SmA₂) phase: the three n-alkyl chains of each molecule are projected from one side of an ionic plane, and head groups of neighbouring molecules are oriented head-to-head, in a non-interdigitated bilayer assembly. The structure of BzN18Br fills an important gap in our knowledge about the crystal packing of ammonium and phosphonium salts with one-four equivalent long n-alkyl chains. A comparison of their packing arrangements is made and the transitional nature of the BzN18Br structures is demonstrated. Although salts with one, two, or three long n-alkyl chains form SmA₂ phases, each is distinctive in its molecular packing. A large molecular reorganization accompanies the crystal-to-liquid crystal transition of BzN18Br.     

A styrene based water soluble polymer as a reaction medium for photodimerization of aromatic hydrocarbons in water

A styrene based water soluble polymer (polymer-A) has been explored as a host for solubilizing otherwise insoluble aromatic hydrocarbons in water. The increased local concentration of encapsulated aromatic hydrocarbons within the hydrophobic pockets of polymer-A was utilized for performing efficient photodimerization of acenaphthylene (1) and six 9-substituted anthracenes [AnCOOH, AnCHO, AnCH₂OH, AnCH₃, AnBr and AnCN] in water. Photodimerization of these aromatic hydrocarbons were more efficient than in water and yielded dimers even at low concentrations (∼10⁻⁴ M). At the same concentration of anthracenes in organic solvents such as benzene and methanol, no dimers were formed even after 48 h of irradiation. Although the polymer-A was able to increase the local concentration of the reactant aromatics it was unable to orient them towards a single dimer.     

Analysis of various very slightly water soluble drugs in micellar medium

A potentiometric and/or visual method for the determination of sulphamethoxazole (SULF) in pure form in the range of 5.3 × 10^–5 to 5.0 × 10^–4 mol/L is proposed. To enhance the solubility, the determination has been carried out in a micellar medium formed by an aqueous 5.0 × 10^–2 mol/L N-hexadecyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) solution which increases the dissociation constant K of SULF about tenfold. The titration is performed with NaOH (2.5 × 10^–3 or 5.0 × 10^–2 mol/L) and the end-point is determined by the second derivative graph. The results agree with those obtained by the official method of the USP XXIII. The method is simple, accurate, economical and can successfully replace the more complicated, more expensive and time-consuming existent procedures which are carried out in a non-aqueous medium.     

Analysis of various very slightly water soluble drugs in micellar medium

A potentiometric and/or visual method for the determination of sulphamethoxazole (SULF) in pure form in the range of 5.3 x 10(-5) to 5.0 x 10(-4) mol/L is proposed. To enhance the solubility, the determination has been carried out in a micellar medium formed by an aqueous 5.0 x 10(-2) mol/L N-hexadecyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) solution which increases the dissociation constant K(alpha) of SULF about tenfold. The titration is performed with NaOH (2.5 x 10(-3) or 5.0 x 10(-2) mol/L) and the end-point is determined by the second derivative graph. The results agree with those obtained by the official method of the USP XXIII. The method is simple, accurate, economical and can successfully replace the more complicated, more expensive and time-consuming existent procedures which are carried out in a non-aqueous medium.     

Novel chiral water soluble phosphines II. Applications in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation

The results of the homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of several dehydroamino acids by rhodium-diene complexes of the chiral ligands; 2,3-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino)butane, 2a; 2,4-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino)pentane, 3a; and 2,3-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino) butane, 4a; and their N-protonated and N-Me quaternized analogues are reported. The ligands comprise a versatile set which can be used both in organic and aqueous solvents. A detailed investigation of solvent and substituent effects is provided. The presence of p-NMe₂ groups enhances the rate of reaction in all cases. For the DIOP derivative, 2a, the presence of the dimethylamino group causes a reversal in the observed dominant product antipode. This is attributed predominantly to a change in preferred ligand conformation rather than to a kinetic difference between the two diastereomers of a single ligand conformation.     

Novel NMR chiral solvating agents derived from (1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane: synthesis and enantiodiscrimination for chiral carboxylic acids

A series of new compounds, (1R,2R)-1-(1′,8′-naphthalimide)-2-aminocyclohexane 1 and its 4′-derivatives 2 and 3 derived from (1R,2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane have been synthesized conveniently and efficiently. ¹H NMR spectroscopy was employed to investigate their enantiodiscriminating ability. Compared with α-phenylethylamine, a commercially available chiral solvating agent (CSA), these compounds exhibited better enantiodiscriminating ability toward the chiral carboxylic acids we had chosen, distinguishing them as promising and practical CSAs.     

Cinchona alkaloids as privileged chiral solvating agents for the enantiodiscrimination of N-protected aminoalkanephosphonates—a comparative NMR study

A series of chiral amines of increasing structural complexity, such as 1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine, ephedrine, quinine, quinidine, 9-O-tert-butylcarbamoylquinine, and 9-O-tert-butylcarbamoylquinidine were studied as chiral solvating agents for the enantiodifferentiation of N-benzyloxycarbonyl derivatives of 1-aminoalkanephosphonic and phosphinic acids by means of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. Among the cinchona alkaloids, that induced the most significant chemical shift non-equivalences, non-substituted quinidine exhibited the best effectiveness, excellent for analytical purposes (for example Δδ = 0.348 up to 1.008 ppm for phosphinic acid analogs). The signal separation of the diionic phosphonic acid enantiomers could be further optimized by the addition of an excess of the solvating agents. The newly obtained results appeared better when compared to the data set previously reported for the same analytes with the application of cyclodextrins.     

Exploring the spectral enantiodiscrimination potential of a DNA-based orienting medium using deuterium NMR spectroscopy

(2)H-{(1)H} 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy is used to evaluate the enantiodiscrimination potential of DNA-based, lyotropic chiral mesophases on a series of (pro)chiral amino acids.     

A novel method of aligning molecules by local surface shape similarity

A novel shape-based method has been developed for overlaying a series of molecule surfaces into a common reference frame. The surfaces are represented by a set of circular patches of approximately constant curvature. Two molecules are overlaid using a clique-detection algorithm to find a set of patches in the two surfaces that correspond, and overlaying the molecules so that the similar patches on the two surfaces are coincident. The method is thus able to detect areas of local, rather than global, similarity. A consensus overlay for a group of molecules is performed by examining the scores of all pairwise overlays and performing a set of overlays with the highest scores. The utility of the method has been examined by comparing the overlaid and experimental configurations of 4 sets of molecules for which there are X-ray crystal structures of the molecules bound to a protein active site. Results for the overlays are generally encouraging. Of particular note is the correct prediction of the `reverse orientation' for ligands binding to human rhinovirus coat protein HRV14.     

Classification of topologically chiral molecules

Graphs are partitioned into six classes from the perspective of chirality, depending on whether they are topologically achiral, whether there is at least one topologically achiral embedding, whether there is at least one rigidly achiral embedding, and whether there is at least one rigidly achiral presentation. Three of these classes are well represented by a variety of chemical structures: topologically chiral molecular graphs with no topologically achiral embeddings, topologically chiral molecular graphs with at least one rigidly achiral embedding, and topologically achiral molecular graphs with at least one rigidly achiral presentation. Known representatives of these three classes are described. Various meanings associated with the concepts molecular graph and intrinsic chirality are critically discussed. Previous arrangements of molecular graphs and molecules in a hierarchical order, ranging from the most to the least chiral, are interpreted in terms of the graph's and molecule's chiral persistence.     

Cycloalkane-1,2-diamine derivatives as chiral solvating agents. Study of the structural variables controlling the NMR enantiodiscrimination of chiral carboxylic acids

A family of pincer-like receptors (2-5) has been synthesized and tested for the NMR enantiodiscrimination (CSA) of chiral carboxylic acids. Starting from a previous design (1), different structural variables have been mapped on the receptor frame. The splitting of the signals of the acids upon the addition of the CSAs largely depends on these structural variables. Thus, we concluded that the C₂ symmetrical pyridine-2,6-biscarboxamide moiety is a key structural feature for the efficiency of the CSA. Structural studies by NMR and molecular modeling showed that this moiety promotes the U-shape-folded pincer-like conformation by intramolecular H-bonds. On the other hand, we also observed that the cyclohexane-1,2-diamine derivative 5 is a more versatile CSA than its cyclopentane analogue 1, as 5 shows a better performance for more structurally different acids. However, the original cyclopentane derivative (1) remained the best for the arylpropionic acids. Finally, combination of NMR and modeling studies allowed us to propose a reasonable model for the interaction and, accordingly, for the observed NMR enantiodiscrimination.     

Steric effects on the enantiodiscrimination of diproline chiral stationary phases in the resolution of racemic compounds

Eight diproline chiral stationary phases with different end-capping groups were prepared and evaluated for the enantio-selective resolution of 41 racemic analytes. The end-capping group on the N-terminal of the peptide proved to be important as the chiral separation efficiency was decreased significantly without it. In general, increasing steric bulkiness near the N-terminal of diproline increases the enantioselectivity. Electronic structures of the end-capping groups are also important. One stationary phase with an adamantanecarbonyl capping group was found to provide both higher average separation and resolution factors than our previous leader. Three other stationary phases with 2-methylpropanoyl, cyclopropanecarbonyl and cyclobutanecarbonyl end capping groups were found to provide comparable average separation factor but higher resolution factors than our previous leader.