Are electrocyclization reactions of (3Z)-1,3,5-hexatrienone and nitrogen derivatives pseudopericyclic? A DFT study

[reactions: see text] Electrocyclization reactions of (3Z)-1,3,5-hexatrienone and nitrogen derivatives were studied by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations together with the 6-31+G* basis set. Reactants, products, and transition states for each reaction were localized and the IRC connecting reactants and products was also obtained. Magnetic properties were evaluated along the reaction path to elucidate the characteristics of the reactions studied. As obtained from the calculations, electrocyclization of (3Z)-1,3,5-hexatrienone is a pericyclic process, as indicated by a variety of indexes, such as Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS), anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility, or anisotropy of the current-induced density (ACID). This reaction presents characteristics of pericyclic reactions despite the activation energy lowering relative to the electrocyclization of (4Z)-1,2,4,6-heptatetraene, and the relatively small NICS values observed in the transition state. Magnetic properties indicate that an enhancement of the aromaticity relative to reactants and products occurs revealing the absence of orbital disconnections on the cyclic loop of interacting orbitals. Only two reactions among those studied exhibit pseudopericyclic character due to the in-plane attack of the lone pair on nitrogen. In these cases, the reactions showed no barrier for the electrocyclization process, and no aromaticity enhancement was observed.     

Determination of promethazine hydrochloride with bromophenol blue by a turbidimetric method and flow injection analysis

A flow injection analysis procedure for the turbidimetric determination of promethazine is proposed. The sample solution is injected directly into the carrier reagent stream, which is composed of 1.16 × 10⁻³M bromophenol blue at pH 1.20. The calibration graph is linear over the range 25–197 ppm of promethazine. The influence of some foreign substances was also investigated. The method is applied to promethazine determination in a pharmaceutical formulation.     

Base promoted transformation on thiadiazolopyridinium chlorides

1,2,4-Thiadiazolo[2,3-a]pyridinium chlorides undergo a very facile base promoted transformation to give bispyridilimino-1,2,4-thiadiazolidines. The unequivocal structural assignment of these last compounds was achieved by spectroscopic ¹H, 13C and ¹⁵N two dimensional methods.     

Engineering reactions in crystalline solids: predicting photochemical decarbonylation from calculated thermochemical parameters

A detailed thermochemical analysis of the alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation reactions of acetone and several ketodiesters was carried out with the B3LYP/6-31G* density functional method. The heats of formation of several ground-state ketones and radicals were calculated at 298 K to determine bond dissociation energies (BDE) and radical stabilization energies (RSE) as a function of substituents. Results show that the radical-stabilizing abilities of the ketone substituents play a very important role on the thermodynamics of the alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation steps. An excellent correlation between calculated values and previous experimental observations suggests that photochemical alpha-cleavage and decarbonylation in crystals should be predictable from knowledge of excitation energies and the RSE of the substituent.     

Proton induced P-H and Mo-H bond activation at the phosphide bridged dimolybdenum complexes [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PHR)(CO)4](R = Cy, 2,4,6-C6H2R'3; R'= H, Me, tBu)

The new hydride complexes [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PHR)(CO)4] having bulky substituents (R = 2,4,6-C(6)H2tBu3= Mes*, R = 2,4,6-C6H2Me3= Mes) have been prepared in good yield by addition of Li[PHR] to the triply bonded [Mo2Cp2(CO)4] and further protonation of the resulting anionic phosphide complex [Mo2Cp2(mu-PHR)(CO)4]-. Protonation of the Mes* compound with either [H(OEt2)2][B{3,5-C6H3(CF3)2}4] or HBF4.OEt2 gives the cationic phosphinidene complex [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PMes*)(CO)4]+ in high yield. In contrast, protonation of the analogous hydride compounds with Mes or Cy substituents on phosphorus give the corresponding unsaturated tetracarbonyls [Mo2Cp2(mu-PHR)(CO)4]+, which are unstable at room temperature and display a cis geometry. Decomposition of the latter give the electron-precise pentacarbonyls [Mo2Cp2(mu-PHR)(mu-CO)(CO)4]+, also displaying a cis arrangement of the metal fragments. In the presence of BF4- as external anion, fluoride abstraction competes with carbonylation to yield the neutral fluorophosphide hydrides [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PFR)(CO)4]. Similar results were obtained in the protonation reactions of the hydride compounds having a Ph substituent on phosphorus. In that case, using HCl as protonation reagent gave the chloro-complex [Mo2ClCp2(mu-PHPh)(CO)4] in good yield. The structures and dynamic behaviour of the new compounds are analyzed on the basis of solution IR and 1H, 31P, 19F and 13C NMR data as well as the X-ray studies carried out on [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PHMes)(CO)4](cis isomer), [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PFMes)(CO)4](trans isomer), [Mo2Cp2(mu-PHCy)(mu-CO)(CO)4](BF4) and [Mo2ClCp2(mu-PHPh)(CO)4].     

2-Mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines use conserved aromatic–S interactions to achieve broad-range inhibition of metallo-β-lactamases

Infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria are a major public health threat. Carbapenems are among the most potent antimicrobial agents that are commercially available to treat MDR bacteria. Bacterial production of carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) challenges their safety and efficacy, with subclass B1 MBLs hydrolysing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. MBL inhibitors would fulfil an urgent clinical need by prolonging the lifetime of these life-saving drugs. Here we report the synthesis and activity of a series of 2-mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines (MMTZs), designed to replicate MBL interactions with reaction intermediates or hydrolysis products. MMTZs are potent competitive inhibitors of B1 MBLs in vitro (e.g., K_i = 0.44 μM vs. NDM-1). Crystal structures of MMTZ complexes reveal similar binding patterns to the most clinically important B1 MBLs (NDM-1, VIM-2 and IMP-1), contrasting with previously studied thiol-based MBL inhibitors, such as bisthiazolidines (BTZs) or captopril stereoisomers, which exhibit lower, more variable potencies and multiple binding modes. MMTZ binding involves thiol coordination to the Zn(ii) site and extensive hydrophobic interactions, burying the inhibitor more deeply within the active site than d/l-captopril. Unexpectedly, MMTZ binding features a thioether–π interaction with a conserved active-site aromatic residue, consistent with their equipotent inhibition and similar binding to multiple MBLs. MMTZs penetrate multiple Enterobacterales, inhibit NDM-1 in situ, and restore carbapenem potency against clinical isolates expressing B1 MBLs. Based on their inhibitory profile and lack of eukaryotic cell toxicity, MMTZs represent a promising scaffold for MBL inhibitor development. These results also suggest sulphur–π interactions can be exploited for general ligand design in medicinal chemistry.

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are major culprits of resistance to carbapenems in bacteria. A series of thiazolidines are potent MBL inhibitors, restoring the activity of carbapenems. Metal binding and sulphur–π interactions are key to inhibition.     

Signatures andS-discrete lattice-ordered groups

The central theme of this article is the approximation of lattice-ordered groups (l-groups) first by Specker groups and, subsequently, by the so-calledS-discretel-groups. The sense of these approximations is made precise via the notion of a signature, defined below, and by that ofa ^*-subgroups. Sample result: ifG is a projectablel-group then it has anl-subgroupH which is Specker and for which the mapPPH defines a boolean isomorphism between the algebras of polars ofG andH.Presented by L. Fuchs.This article was written while this author was a Stouffer Visiting Professor at the University of Kansas. He wishes to thank the members of the Mathematics Department of that institution for their hospitality.