NMR of Natural Products as Potential Drugs

This review outlines methods to investigate the structure of natural products with emphasis on intramolecular hydrogen bonding, tautomerism and ionic structures using NMR techniques. The focus is on 1H chemical shifts, isotope effects on chemical shifts and diffusion ordered spectroscopy. In addition, density functional theory calculations are performed to support NMR results. The review demonstrates how hydrogen bonding may lead to specific structures and how chemical equilibria, as well as tautomeric equilibria and ionic structures, can be detected. All these features are important for biological activity and a prerequisite for correct docking experiments and future use as drugs.     

New deuterium isotope effects on C and F chemical shifts across intramolecular hydrogen bonds of non-resonance assisted systems

A series of thioanilides and corresponding anilides, some of which contain fluorinated phenyl rings, have been synthesized as model compounds. They all contain rather strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds, the strength of which varies. Deuterium isotope effects on ¹⁹F and ¹³C chemical shifts due to deuteriation at the NH proton show interesting new long-range isotope effects on chemical shifts that may be related to the existence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond and to transmission of the isotope effect due to an electric field effect. Deuterium isotope effects on chemical shifts report on variations in hydrogen bonding, for example, as a function of changes in substituents or temperature. Deuteriation leads to a strengthening of the hydrogen bond.     

A Spectroscopic Overview of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds of NH…O,S,N Type

Intramolecular NH…O,S,N interactions in non-tautomeric systems are reviewed in a broad range of compounds covering a variety of NH donors and hydrogen bond acceptors. ¹H chemical shifts of NH donors are good tools to study intramolecular hydrogen bonding. However in some cases they have to be corrected for ring current effects. Deuterium isotope effects on ¹³C and ¹⁵N chemical shifts and primary isotope effects are usually used to judge the strength of hydrogen bonds. Primary isotope effects are investigated in a new range of magnitudes. Isotope ratios of NH stretching frequencies, νNH/ND, are revisited. Hydrogen bond energies are reviewed and two-bond deuterium isotope effects on ¹³C chemical shifts are investigated as a possible means of estimating hydrogen bond energies.     

Factor analysis of deuterium isotope effects on 13C NMR chemical shifts in Schiff bases

We have analyzed deuterium isotope effects on (13)C chemical shifts in a series of o-hydroxy Schiff bases by applying factor analysis. Two orthogonal factors were obtained that explain about 80 and 10 % of the variance of the data. The numerical values of these factors can be related to 1H NMR chemical shifts of the proton involved in the intramolecular bonds delta(XH) (X = O or N). Such a relation allows one to identify clusters of compounds with different tautomeric forms of hydrogen bonding. Application of a similar approach to solution 13C NMR chemical shifts produces three important factors, which have a different structure to factors describing isotope effects. This illustrates well the different nature of chemical shifts and isotope effects. The three factors explain about 54, 15, and 13 % of variance. They can be rationalized and are strongly related to the electronic properties and location of substituents.     

Long-range deuterium isotope effects on (13)C chemical shifts of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded N-substituted 3-(cycloamine)thiopropionamides or amides: a case of electric field effects

A series of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded N-substituted 3-(piperidine, morpholine, N-methylpiperazine)thiopropionamides and some corresponding amides have been studied with special emphasis on hydrogen bonding. The compounds have been selected in order to vary and to minimize the N...N distance. Geometries, charge distributions, and chemical shifts of these compounds are obtained from DFT-type BP3LYP calculations. 1H and 13C 1D and 2D NMR experiments were performed to obtain H,H coupling constants, 13C chemical shifts assignments, and deuterium isotope effects on13C chemical shifts. Variable-temperature NMR studies and 2D exchange NMR spectra have been used to describe the rather complicated conformational behavior mainly governed by the ring flipping of the piperidine (morpholine) rings and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Unusual long-range deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts are observed over as far as eight bonds away from the site of deuteriation. The isotope effects are related to the N...N distances, thus being related to the hydrogen bonding and polarization of the N-H bond. Arguments are presented showing that the deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts originate in electric field effects.     

NMR of a series of novel hydroxyflavothiones

Alkylated hydroxyflavothiones, namely flavothione, 5‐hydroxyflavothione, 5,7‐dihydroxyflavothione (chrysinthione), 7‐dodecyloxy‐5‐hydroxyflavothione, 7‐butyloxy‐5‐hydroxyflavothione, 2′,3,4′,7‐tetramethoxy‐5‐hydroxyflavothione, 3,3′,4′,7‐tetramethoxy‐5‐hydroxyflavothione, 7‐butyloxy‐4′,5‐dihydroxyflavothione and 7‐butyloxy‐4′,5‐hydroxyflavanonethione have been synthesized from the corresponding hydroxyflavones in two steps, alkylation of the non‐hydrogen‐bonded hydroxyl groups by bromoalkanes or dimethyl sulfate followed by conversion of the carbonyl group to a thione using Lawesson's Reagent under microwave irradiation and solvent‐free conditions. Part of the alkylated flavanone, 7‐butyloxy‐4′,5‐dihydroxyflavanone, was oxidized during the treatment with Lawesson's reagent to yield a second product 7‐butyloxy‐4′,5‐dihydroxyflavothione in addition to the target product butyloxy‐4′,5‐hydroxyflavanonethione. Deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts have been measured in hydroxyflavones, isoflavones, flavanones and the thio analogs. Formal four‐bond deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts, nΔC?S(OD) are very sensitive to variations in structures and substitution patterns. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out to obtain geometries. Correlations relating distances around the hydrogen bond system to the deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts are discussed. 13C chemical shifts are calculated by DFT methods. Effects of thiocarbonyl anisotropies are suggested. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous Estimation of Two Coupled Hydrogen Bond Geometries from Pairs of Entangled NMR Parameters: The Test Case of 4-Hydroxypyridine Anion

The computational method for estimating the geometry of two coupled hydrogen bonds with geometries close to linear using a pair of spectral NMR parameters was proposed. The method was developed based on the quantum-chemical investigation of 61 complexes with two hydrogen bonds formed by oxygen and nitrogen atoms of the 4-hydroxypyridine anion with OH groups of substituted methanols. The main idea of the method is as follows: from the NMR chemical shifts of nuclei of atoms forming the 4-hydroxylpyridine anion, we select such pairs, whose values can be used for simultaneous determination of the geometry of two hydrogen bonds, despite the fact that every NMR parameter is sensitive to the geometry of each of the hydrogen bonds. For these parameters, two-dimensional maps of dependencies of NMR chemical shifts on interatomic distances in two hydrogen bonds were constructed. It is shown that, in addition to chemical shifts of the nitrogen atom and quaternary carbon, which are experimentally difficult to obtain, chemical shifts of the carbons and protons of the CH groups can be used. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated computationally as well on three additional complexes with substituted alcohols. It was found that, for all considered cases, hydrogen bond geometries estimated using two-dimensional correlations differed from those directly calculated by quantum-chemical methods by not more than 0.04 Å.     

Tautomerism of sterically hindered schiff bases. Deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts

A series of sterically hindered o-hydroxy Schiff bases derived from o-hydroxyaceto- and benzophenones with very short intramolecular hydrogen bonds were described qualitative and quantitatively by deuterium isotope effects on (13)C chemical shift, (n)DeltaC(XD), (n)DeltaF(XD), (1)J(N,H) coupling constants, deltaNCH(3) chemical shifts and UV spectra. All the investigated compounds are found to be tautomeric. The tautomeric character is described by the signs of the deuterium isotope effects on the (13)C chemical shifts. For the 3-nitro-5-chloro derivatives at low temperature, the equilibrium is shifted almost fully toward the proton transferred form in CD(2)Cl(2). Intrinsic deuterium isotope effects on chemical shifts of these compounds as well as (1)J(N,H) coupling constants suggest that a zwitterionic resonance form is dominant for the proton transferred form. Structures, (1)H, (19)F, and (13)C chemical shifts, and deuterium isotope effects on (13)C chemical shifts are calculated by ab initio methods. The potential energy functions and the total deuterium isotope effects are calculated, and they are shown to correspond well with the experimental findings.     

Strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds and steric effects involving C═S groups: An NMR and computational study

A number of 5-acyl rhodanines and thiorhodanines with bulky acyl groups (pivaloyl and adamantoyl), not previously available, have been synthesized. The compounds are shown to exist in the enol form. Structures have been calculated using both the MP2 approach and the B3LYP-GD3BJ functional and the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. Hydrogen bond energies are estimated by subtracting energies of a structure with the OH group turned 180° from those of the intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded one. Properties such as OH chemical shifts, two-bond isotope effects on ¹³C chemical shifts, electron densities at the bond critical point from atoms in molecules analysis, and the hydrogen bond energies show that the sterically hindered compounds have stronger hydrogen bonds than methyl or isopropyl derivatives. The combination of oxygen and sulfur derivatives enables a detailed analysis of hydrogen bond energies.     

Deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts of negatively charged NH…N systems

Deuterium isotope effects on ¹³C chemical shifts are investigated in anions of 1,8‐bis(4‐toluenesulphonamido)naphthalenes together with N,N‐(naphthalene‐1,8‐diyl)bis(2,2,2‐trifluoracetamide) all with bis(1,8‐dimethylamino)napthaleneH⁺ as counter ion. These compounds represent both “static” and equilibrium cases. NMR assignments of the former have been revised. The NH proton is deuteriated. The isotope effects on ¹³C chemical shifts are rather unusual in these strongly hydrogen bonded systems between a NH and a negatively charged nitrogen atom. The formal four‐bond effects are found to be negative indicating transmission via the hydrogen bond. In addition, unusual long range effects are seen. Structures, ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts and changes in nuclear shieldings upon deuteriation are calculated using density functional theory methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deuterium isotope effects on 13C NMR chemical shifts of some α-(2-hydroxyaryl)-N-phenylnitrones (Schiff base N-oxides)

The deuterium isotope effect on the ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of some α-2-hydroxyaryl-N-phenylnitrones (Schiff base N-oxides) was studied. The existence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond with the proton localized on the phenolic oxygen atom was evidenced. Exceptionally large isotope effects ΔC-2(D) and ΔC-α(D) suggest that the substitution of the proton of the OH group by deuterium leads to a weakening of the hydrogen bond and some conformational changes in the molecule. This conclusion was drawn on the basis of a comparison of the deuterium isotope effects of Schiff base N-oxides and parent Schiff bases. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NMR,MP2, and DFT study of thiophenoxyketenimines (o‐thio‐Schiff bases): Determination of the preferred form

Five new thiophenoxyketinimines have been synthesized. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra as well as deuterium isotope effects on ¹³C chemical shifts are determined, and spectra are assigned. DFT and MP2 calculations of both structures, chemical shifts, and isotope effects on chemical shifts are done. The combined analysis reveals that the compounds are primarily on a zwitterionic form with an NH⁺ and a S⁻ group and with a little of the neutral form mixed in. Very strong intramolecular hydrogen bonding is found and very high NH chemical shifts are observed. The theoretical calculations show that calculations at the MP2 level are best to obtain correct “C═S” chemical shifts.     

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding of novel o-hydroxythioacetophenones and related compounds evaluated by deuterium isotope effects on 13C chemical shifts

A new class of compounds, the 2-hydroxythioacetophenones, and related compounds have recently been synthesized. The hydrogen-bond system has been characterized by NMR chemical shifts and deuterium isotope effects on these as well as by DFT calculations. Use of solid-state (13)C NMR has enabled measurements of the intrinsic deuterium isotope effects of the most abundant tautomer of beta-thioxoketones. The compounds show very interesting long-range deuterium isotope effects on the thiocarbonyl carbon. The intramolecular hydrogen bonds of o-hydroxythioacetophenones are found to be slightly stronger than those of the corresponding acetophenones. The reactivity and stability of the compounds can be related to hydrogen bonding and to the presence of electron donating substituents.     

1H/2H NMR studies of geometric H/D isotope effects on the coupled hydrogen bonds in porphycene derivatives

The 1H and 2H NMR spectra of porphycene (1), 2,3,6,7,12,13,16,17-octaethylporphycene (2), 2,7,12,17-tetra-n-propylporphycene (3), and 2,7,12,17-tetra-(tert-butyl)-3,6-13,16-dibenzo[cde;mno]porphycene (4) partially deuterated in the mobile proton sites are reported. These compounds exhibit two intramolecular NHN hydrogen bonds of increasing strength representing models of the concerted HH transfer in the parent compound, porphycene. The 1H chemical shifts of the mobile protons are correlated with the difference of the energies of the amino- and imino-N1s orbitals reported by Ghosh A.; Moulder J.; Br?ring M.; Vogel E. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2001, 113, 445-448. The chemical shifts of 4 indicate a reduced contribution of the aromatic ring current as compared to the other compounds which is associated to the nonplanarity of this molecule. The primary H/D isotope effects on the chemical shifts give information about the primary, secondary, and vicinal geometric isotope effects of the two inner hydrogen bonds of porphycenes. The vicinal effects indicate a cooperative coupling of the two hydrogen bonds which may favor a concerted double proton-transfer mechanism.     

NMR Spectra of Cyclic Nitrones. 7. The Influence of Substituents and a Hydrogen Bond on <Superscript>14</Superscript>N and <Superscript>17</Superscript>O Chemical Shifts in Derivatives of 3-Imidoazoline 3-Oxide

Derivatives of 3-imidazoline 3-oxide have been studied by ¹⁴N and ¹⁷O NMR methods. Regularities of the influence of substituents and of a hydrogen bond on chemical shifts have been made apparent. The range of changes of the chemical shifts of the nitrogen and oxygen nuclei of the nitrone group has been determined. Both in the ¹⁷O and in the ¹⁴N NMR spectra the signals of the amino derivatives are the highest field signals for the nitrone group, and the lowest field signals are the signals of the cyano derivatives in the series of derivatives investigated. Depending on the substituent (from amino to cyano group) the ¹⁷O chemical shifts varied over a range ∼155 ppm, but the interval of change of the ¹⁴N chemical shifts for the same substituents was ∼110 ppm. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1336–1341. September, 2005.     

Using equilibrium isotope effects to detect intramolecular OH/OH hydrogen bonds: structural and solvent effects

A comparative (1)H NMR study of partially deuterated 1,3- and 1,4-diols has demonstrated that intramolecular hydrogen bonds of different geometry can give rise to equilibrium isotope shifts of opposite sign in hydrogen-bond-accepting solvents such as DMSO-d(6), acetone-d(6), and THF-d(8). The sign inversion is interpreted in terms of the ability of solvent molecules to form competitive intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the diol and in terms of the limiting chemical shifts for the interior and exterior hydroxyl groups. Deuterium is shown to prefer the intermolecular solvent hydrogen bond by 10.9 +/- 0.5 cal/mol for 1,4-diol 3 dissolved in DMSO-d(6) at room temperature. Pyridine-d(5) is shown to be capable of amplifying positive (downfield) isotope shifts measured in DMSO-d(6), in some cases by as much as a factor of 3. Its use is demonstrated for the assignment of the syn or anti relative configuration of 2,4-pentanediol and for the amplification of isotope shifts used to detect intramolecular hydrogen bonds in alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin. Studies in apolar solvents such as CD(2)Cl(2) and benzene-d(6) reveal that the isotope shift is negative (upfield) for all hydrogen bond geometries studied. Larger isotope shifts are measured in benzene-d(6), and a rationale for this amplification is presented. The use of apolar solvents is particularly useful for assigning the syn or anti configuration of 2,4-pentanediol.     

Comparison of the effects of the intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds C-H...X (X = O,N) in1H and13C NMR spectra

A similarity between manifestations of the effects of the intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds C-H...X (X = O, N) in¹H and¹³C NMR spectra has been shown. A correlated increase in the direct spin-spin coupling constant¹³C—¹H and the chemical shifts of the proton participating in the interaction has been observed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriyo Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1205–1207, May, 1996.     

Proton and deuterium NMR of hydrogen bonds: Relationship between isotope effects and the hydrogen bond potential

The difference in chemical shift between hydrogen bonded protons and deuterons has been examined both theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that valuable information about the hydrogen bond potential can be extracted from this isotope effect on chemical shifts.     

Characterization of fluxional hydrogen-bonded complexes of acetic acid and acetate by NMR: geometries and isotope and solvent effects

1H, (2)H, and (13)C NMR spectra of enriched CH(3)(13)COOH acid without and in the presence of tetra-n-butylammonium acetate have been measured around 110 K using a liquefied Freon mixture CDF(3)/CDF(2)Cl as a solvent, as a function of the deuterium fraction in the mobile proton sites. For comparison, spectra were also taken of the adduct CH(3)(13)COOH.SbCl(5) 1 and of CH(2)Cl(13)COOH under similar conditions, as well as of CH(3)(13)COOH and CH(3)(13)COO(-) dissolved in H(2)O and D(2)O at low and high pH at 298 K. The low temperatures employed allowed us to detect several well-known and novel hydrogen-bonded complexes in the slow hydrogen bond exchange regime and to determine chemical shifts and coupling constants as well as H/D isotope effects on chemical shifts from the fine structure of the corresponding signals. The measurements show that self-association of both carboxylic acids in Freon solution gives rise exclusively to the formation of cyclic dimers 2 and 3 exhibiting a rapid degenerate double proton transfer. For the first time, a two-bond coupling of the type (2)J(CH(3)COOH) between a hydrogen-bonded proton and the carboxylic carbon has been observed, which is slightly smaller than half of the value observed for 1. In addition, the (1)H and (2)H chemical shifts of the HH, HD, and the DD isotopologues of 2 and 3 have been determined as well as the corresponding HH/HD/DD isotope effects on the (13)C chemical shifts. Similar "primary", "vicinal", and "secondary" isotope effects were observed for the novel 2:1 complex "dihydrogen triacetate" 5 between acetic acid and acetate. Another novel species is the 3:1 complex "trihydrogen tetraacetate" 6, which was also characterized by a complex degenerate combined hydrogen bond- and proton-transfer process. For comparison, the results obtained previously for hydrogen diacetate 4 and hydrogen maleate 7 are discussed. Using an improved (1)H chemical shift-hydrogen bond geometry correlation, the chemical shift data are converted into hydrogen bond geometries. They indicate cooperative hydrogen bonds in the cyclic dimers; i.e., widening of a given hydrogen bond by H/D substitution also widens the other coupled hydrogen bond. By contrast, the hydrogen bonds in 5 are anticooperative. The measurements show that ionization shifts the (13)C signal of the carboxyl group to low field when the group is immersed in water, but to high field when it is embedded in a polar aprotic environment. This finding allows us to understand the unusual ionization shift of aspartate groups in the HIV-pepstatin complex observed by Smith, R.; Brereton, I. M.; Chai, R. Y.; Kent, S. B. H. Nature Struct. Biol. 1996, 3, 946. It is demonstrated that the Freon solvents used in this study are better environments for model studies of amino acid interactions than aqueous or protic environments. Finally, a novel correlation of the hydrogen bond geometries with the H/D isotope effects on the (13)C chemical shifts of carboxylic acid groups is proposed, which allows one to estimate the hydrogen bond geometries and protonation states of these groups. It is shown that absence of such an isotope effect is not only compatible with an isolated carboxylate group but also with the presence of a short and strong hydrogen bond.     

The spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding in some 3,3'-derivatives of 2,2'-bipyridyl

Four 3,3'-derivatives of 2,2'-bipyridyl have been investigated by multinuclear NMR, IR and X-ray methods. In all cases the weak intramolecular hydrogen bonds between exocyclic nitrogen-containing substituent and pyridine-type ring nitrogen atom were found. In contrast to the previous results the nitrogen chemical shifts of pyridine ring atom do not provide valuable information about hydrogen bond strength. The presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds were confirmed by nitrogen chemical shifts of exocyclic amino and acetamide groups, deuterium isotope effects in the solid state and IR measurements in both chloroform solution and the solid state. The X-ray structures obtained for asymmetric 3-amino-3'-methylamino and 3,3'-diacetamide derivatives confirmed conclusions made on the base of spectral results.