Identifying aspirin polymorphs from combined DFT-based crystal structure prediction and solid-state NMR

A combined experimental and computational approach was used to distinguish between different polymorphs of the pharmaceutical drug aspirin. This method involves the use of ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS), a density functional theory (DFT)-based crystal structure prediction method for the high-accuracy prediction of polymorphic structures, with DFT calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters and solid-state NMR experiments at natural abundance. AIRSS was used to predict the crystal structures of form-I and form-II of aspirin. The root-mean-square deviation between experimental and calculated ¹H chemical shifts was used to identify form-I as the polymorph present in the experimental sample, the selection being successful despite the large similarities between the molecular environments in the crystals of the two polymorphs.     

Über Pterinchemie. 49. Mitteilung. Eine neue Synthese von 5-Formyl-6, 7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin und 5,6,7-Trimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin

Starting with 5-formyl-6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterine (II), a new synthesis of 5,6,7-trimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterine (III) is described. Thereby the chemical behaviour of the 5-formyl group in II is investigated, in order to enable the unequivocal differentiation between formylation at position 5 and at position 10 in folic and tetrahydrofolic acid derivatives. ¹³C-NMR. spectra of II and III are discussed.     

Fluoroquinolone Antimicrobials: Singlet Oxygen, Superoxide and Phototoxicity

The fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents possess photo-sensitizing properties that lead to phototoxic responses in both human and animal subjects. The phototoxicity order reported in humans is: fleroxacin > lomefloxacin, pefloxacin > ciprofloxacin ? enoxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin. Studies both in vivo and in vitro have related this phototoxicity to the generation of reactive oxygen species including hydrogen peroxide and the hydroxyl radical. We determined the quantum yields of singlet oxygen generation (φ_Δ,) by detection of the singlet oxygen (¹O₂) luminescence at 1270 tun for several fluoroquinolones, naphthyridines and other structurally related compounds. All the fluoroquinolones examined have low φ_Δ values ranging from 0.06 to 0.09 in phosphate buffer at pD 7.5. We also determined the ¹O₂ quenching constants for these compounds and their values were on the order of 10⁶M^?1 s¹, except for lomefloxacin whose rate constant was 1.8 × 10⁷M^?1 s^?1. The φ_Δ values were significantly decreased in a solvent of lower polarity such as methanol (0.007 ≤φ_Δ≤ 0.02). The production of ¹O₂ by these antibiotics did not correlate with the order reported for their phototoxicity. We also measured the photogeneration (λ > 300 nm) of superoxide by these antibacterials in dimethylsulfoxide using electron paramagnetic resonance and the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroiine N-oxide. Although there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the relative rates of superoxide generation and the phototoxicity ranking of the fluoroquinolones, the more phototoxic compounds tended to produce superoxide at a faster rate. Nevertheless, the magnitudes of the observed differences do not appear sufficient to explain the range of fluoroquinolone phototoxicity potencies in human and animal subjects in general and the high activity of fleroxacin and lomefloxacin in particular. For these latter drugs the photoinduced loss of the F₈ atom as fluoride and the concomitant generation of a highly reactive carbene at C-8 provide a more plausible mechanism for their potent phototoxic and photocarcinogenic properties.     

Über Pterinchemie. 79. Mitteilung. 13C-und 15N-NMR.-spektroskopische Untersuchungen an der (6RS)-5, 10-Methylen-5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydro-L-folsäure; eindeutiger Beweis ihrer Struktur

¹³C- and ¹⁵N-NMR.-Spectroscopic Studies on (6RS)-5, 10-Methylene-5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydro-L -folic Acid; Unequivocal Proof of thier Structure The existence of a 5, 10-methylene bridge in the title compound has been established with the help of ¹⁵N-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR. spectroscopy. The simultaneous coupling of ¹³C(11) with ¹⁵N(5) and ¹⁵N(10) proves that C(11) must be bound as a methylene bridge to both N-atoms. Some other aspects of the NMR. spectra of the compound are discussed. Synthesis of the title product with the label ¹⁵N is described.     

Über Pterinchemie. Mitteilung. Die Kristallstruktur von 5,6,7-Trimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterindihydrochlorid-monohydrat

The crystal structure of 5,6,7-trimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterine-dihydrochloride-monohydrate The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined by X-ray analysis (direct methods) and refined with 947 structure amplitudes to R = 0.026. The crystal system is orthorhombic, space group Pna2₁, with unit cell dimensions a = 14.081, b = 14.623, c = 6.773 Å. The molecule is protonated at the N(1)- and N(5)-position. The tetrahydropyrazine ring exists in a conformation in which C(6) deviates markedly from the mean plane of the other five atoms. The CH₃-groups at N(5) and C(6) possess a trans configuration with a pseudoaxial and an axial conformation respectively. The CH₃-groups at C(6) and C(7) in return possess the cis configuration, whereby the CH₃-group at C(7) occupies an equatorial conformation.     

(Benzylthio)- und (Arylthio)-substituierte Nitril-ylide: Thermische Erzeugung und Reaktionen

Thermal Generation and Reactions of (Benzylthio)-and (Arylthio)-Substituted Nitrile Ylides Thermolysis of 4-(benzylthio)- and 4-(arylthio)-1,3-oxazol-5(2H)-ones 6 , at 110–155° in the presence of dipolarophiles with activated C≡C, C?C, C?O, C?S, and N?N bonds, led to 5-membered cyclo-adducts and CO² (cf. Schemes 3, 5-7). Heating 6a and 6c in the presence of ethyl propiolate yielded ethyl quinoline-3-carboxylate ( 19 ) and ethyl pyridine-3-carboxylate( 22 ), respectively (cf. Scheme 8). These results are rationalized on the basis of the intermediate formation of thio-substituted nitrile ylides of type 7 (cf. Scheme 2), which undergo regioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with reactive dipolarophiles. In the absence of such a dipolarophile, the nitrile ylides isomerize via a [1,4]-H shift to give 2-aza-1,3-butadienes of type 20 . The latter are trapped in a Diels-Alder reaction with ethyl propiolate (cf. Scheme 8).     

PHOTOINACTIVATION OF CATALASE

Abstract— Inactivation of catalase with visible light (>400nm) has been studied in purified bovine liver catalase and in peroxisomal catalase in the mitochondrial fraction of rat liver. Light corresponding to that of maximal absorbance of the heme site (405 nm) was most effective in inactivation. Although photoinactivation is O₂ dependent, scavengers of OH radical, ¹O₂ and O⁻₂ did not protect against loss of activity in either system. Superoxide dismutase partially protected purified catalase added into the mitochondrial fraction system. However, complete protection of catalase was afforded by low concentrations of substrates such as formic acid or methanol which rapidly convert Compound I to Ferricatalase.     

Adsorption kinetics, orientation, and self-assembling of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on gold: a combined ATR-IR, PM-IRRAS, and QCM study

The adsorption of N-acetyl-L-cysteine from ethanol solution on gold has been studied by in situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and a quartz crystal microbalance. After an initial fast adsorption, in situ ATR-IR revealed two considerably slower processes, besides further adsorption. The appearance of carboxylate bands and the partial disappearance of the carboxylic acid bands demonstrated that part of the molecules on the surface underwent deprotonation. In addition, the C=O stretching vibration of the carboxylic acid group shifted to lower and the amide II band to higher wavenumbers, indicating hydrogen-bonding interactions within the adsorbate layer. Based on the initial ATR-IR spectrum, which did not reveal deprotonation, the orientation of the molecule within the adsorbate layer was determined. For this, density functional theory was used to calculate the transition dipole moment vectors of the vibrational modes of N-acetyl-l-cysteine. The projections of the latter onto the z-axis of the fixed surface coordinate system were used to determine relative band intensities for different orientations of the molecule. The analysis revealed that the amide group is tilted with respect to and points away from the surface, whereas the carboxylic acid is in proximity to the surface, which is also supported by a shift of the C-O-H bending mode. This position of the acid group favors its deprotonation assisted by the gold surface and easily enables intermolecular interactions. Periodic acid stimuli revealed reversible protonation/deprotonation of part of the adsorbed molecules. However, only non-hydrogen-bonded carboxylic acid groups showed a response toward the acid stimuli.