ViscY nuclear magnetic resonance experiments for in situ chemical reaction monitoring under spin diffusion conditions.

Viscosity-enhanced spectroscopY (ViscY) offers a new way to analyze complex mixtures of time-varying composition. This communication reports the use of the viscous binary solvent DMSO-d6/water to induce NMR spin diffusion for in situ chemical reaction monitoring and real-time characterization of a 3-substituted 4-hydroxycoumarin derivative and its side-product.

Atropisomerism about aryl-C(sp3) bonds: chemically driven rotational pathway in cannabidiol derivatives.

The conformational behaviour arising from the restricted C(sp2)-C(sp3) axis in ortho O-substituted naphthylcyclohexane and naphthylcyclohexene oxide derivatives of cannabidiol was examined by means of VT-NMR experiments and DFT calculations. Atropisomeric compounds with barriers in the range of 91.1 to 95.1 kJ mol-1 were obtained at 298 K. Two possible transition states (TS1 and TS2) were located, one is more stable depending on the chemical modification made on the monoterpene ring close to the pivot bond. Extended analysis of TS structures to previously reported phenyl derivatives bearing the same O-substituent led to similar rotational pathways according to the series: through TS1 in arylcylohexenes and TS2 in arylcyclohexanes. Likewise, conversion of arylcyclohexenes into both series affects the rotation speed by decelerating it, and the nature of the aryl ring seems to have a very minor effect on this phenomenon.

Use of Diethanolamine as a Viscous Solvent for Mixture Analysis by Multidimensional Heteronuclear ViscY NMR Experiments.

Diethanolamine/DMSO-d6 as a viscous binary solvent is first reported for the individualization of low-polarity mixture components by multidimensional heteronuclear ViscY NMR experiments under spin diffusion conditions. Solvent viscosity induces the slowing down of molecular tumbling, hence promoting magnetization transfer by dipolar longitudinal cross-relaxation. As a result, all 1H nuclei resonances within the same molecule may correlate in a 2D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectrum, giving access to mixture analysis. We offer a new way to analyze mixtures by considering 3D heteronuclear heteronuclear single-quantum coherence-NOESY (HSQC-NOESY) experiments under viscous conditions. We state the individualization of four low-polarity chemical compounds dissolved in the diethanolamine/DMSO-d6 solvent blend using homonuclear selective 1D, 2D 1H-1H NOESY experiments and heteronuclear 1D, 2D 1H-19F heteronuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, 2D 1H-19F, 1H-31P HSQC-NOESY, and 3D 1H-19F-1H, 1H-31P-1H HSQC-NOESY experiments by taking profit from spin diffusion.

Effects of Two Natural Bisbenzylisoquinolines, Curine and Guattegaumerine, Extracted from Isolona hexaloba on Rhodamine Efflux by Abcb1b from Rat Glycocholic-Acid-Resistant Hepatocarcinoma Cells.

To develop new therapeutic molecules, it is essential to understand the biological effects and targets of clinically relevant compounds. In this article, we describe the extraction and characterization of two alkaloids from the roots of Isolona hexaloba-curine and guattegaumerine. The effect of these alkaloids on the multidrug efflux pump ABCB1 (MDR1/P-Glycoprotein) and their antiproliferative properties were studied. Compared to verapamil, a widely used inhibitor of P-gp, curine and guattegaumerine were found to be weak inhibitors of MDR1/P-Glycoprotein. The highest inhibition of efflux produced by verapamil disappeared in the presence of curine or guattegaumerine as competitors, and the most pronounced effect was achieved with curine. Altogether, this work has provided new insights into the biological effects of these alkaloids on the rat Mdr1b P-gp efflux mechanism and would be beneficial in the design of potent P-gp inhibitors.

ViscY NMR experiments in phosphoric acid as a viscous solvent for individualization of small molecules within mixtures by spin diffusion.

The analysis of small molecules within complex mixtures is a particularly difficult task when dealing with the study of metabolite mixtures or chemical reaction media. This issue has fostered in recent years an active search for effective and practical solutions. In this context, the ViscY NMR approach has been recently proposed. ViscY collectively designates the NMR experiments that take advantage of spin diffusion in highly viscous solvents or solvent blends for the individualization of the NMR spectra of small molecule mixture components. Two viscous media were prepared from ortho-phosphoric acid (85%) solution by dilution with either D2O or DMSO-d6, thus providing solvent blends with slightly different polarities in which all liquid-state NMR experiments can be carried out easily. Two mixtures, one of four structurally close dipeptides and one of four low-polarity phosphorus-containing compounds, were used for the method assessment, using ViscY experiments such as homonuclear selective 1D and 2D 1H NOESY experiments, heteronuclear 2D 1H-15N/1H-31P HSQC-NOESY and 1H-13C/1H-15N/1H-31P NOAH experiments.

Mixture Analysis in Viscous Solvents by NMR Spin Diffusion Spectroscopy: ViscY. Application to High- and Low-Polarity Organic Compounds Dissolved in Sulfolane/Water and Sulfolane/DMSO-d6 Blends.

The sulfolane/water and sulfolane/DMSO-d6 binary NMR solvents are reported for the individualization of mixture components by spin diffusion when molecular tumbling is slow due to solvent viscosity, thus strongly favoring magnetization transfer by dipolar cross-relaxation. All 1H nuclei resonances within the same molecule tend then to correlate in a 2D NOESY spectrum, opening the way to mixture analysis. Till now, analysis of organic compounds by NMR spin diffusion in viscous solvents involved 1H, 13C, 15N, and 19F. We offer a new way to analyze mixtures by considering 31P nuclei as chemical shift markers. We report the individualization of four polar dipeptides and of four nonpolar phosphorus-containing compounds respectively dissolved in sulfolane/water and sulfolane/DMSO-d6 solvents blends by means of homonuclear selective 1D and 2D 1H experiments and a heteronuclear 2D 1H-31P HSQC-NOESY experiment by taking advantage from spin diffusion. The name ViscY is proposed to refer to the class of all NMR spectroscopy experiments that rely on viscous solvents for mixture analysis.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Xylose-Derived 1,3-Disubstituted Alkoxyallenes: Scope, Structure, and Mechanism.

The deprotonation of differently substituted propargyl xylosides with s-BuLi/TMEDA followed by protonation with t-butanol at -115 °C provided a range of new axially chiral 1,3-disubstituted alkoxyallenes in a diastereoselective way. Numerous reaction parameters such as solvent, temperature, or protonating agent were examined as well as protecting groups on the xyloside moiety and the influence of the substituents on the alkyne part. The configuration of the main diastereoisomer of 3-methyl-1-xyloside-allene was determined for the first time by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and nOe NMR experiments. Furthermore, DFT calculations on the propargyl/allenyl lithium intermediates formed in the course of the deprotonation reaction provided new structural insights of these complexes. The subsequent protonation process with alcohols was investigated by theoretical surface exploration, revealing the importance of the approach of the alcohol toward the lithium compounds on the reaction outcome.

Polar mixture analysis by NMR under spin diffusion conditions in viscous sucrose solution and agarose gel.

The use of two new viscous solvents, sucrose solution and agarose gel, is reported for the first time for giving access to the individual NMR spectra of polar and potentially bioactive compounds in a mixture. Under viscous conditions, the tumbling rate of small and mid-sized molecules reduces in solution, so that the longitudinal cross-relaxation encourages the observation of spin diffusion. As a result, all of the resonances of the 1H nuclei within the same molecule tend to correlate together in a 2D NOESY spectrum, thus paving the way to mixture analysis. This work describes the individualization of four structurally close mixed dipeptides: Leu-Val, Leu-Tyr, Gly-Tyr and Ala-Tyr dissolved in each of sucrose solution and agarose gel, by means of spin diffusion in homonuclear selective 1D NOESY, selective 2D NOESY experiments and heteronuclear 2D HSQC-NOESY. Sucrose solution should be preferred to agarose gel for the investigation of mixtures made of small and flexible polar compounds, due to its capability to give rise to more suitable viscous conditions mandatory for efficient spin diffusion, even though agarose gel reveals the benefit of not offering intense residual solvent proton signals due to active transverse relaxation.

Design, synthesis and structure of novel G-2 melamine-based dendrimers incorporating 4-(n-octyloxy)aniline as a peripheral unit.

Background: 4-(n-Octyloxy)aniline is a known component in the elaboration of organic materials with mesogenic properties such as N-substituted Schiff bases, perylene bisimide assemblies with a number of 2-amino-4,6-bis[4-(n-octyloxy)phenylamino]-s-triazines, amphiphilic azobenzene-containing linear-dendritic block copolymers and G-0 monomeric or dimeric dendritic liquid crystals with photochromic azobenzene mesogens. The present ab initio study explores a previously unknown use of 4-(n-octyloxy)aniline in the synthesis, structure and supramolecular behaviour of new dendritic melamines. Results: Starting from 4-(n-octyloxy)aniline, seven G-2 melamine-based dendrimers were obtained in 29-79% overall yields. Their iterative convergent- and chemoselective synthesis consisted of SN2-Ar aminations of cyanuric chloride and final triple N-acylations and Williamson etherifications (→ G-2 covalent trimers) or stoichiometric carboxyl/amino 1:3 neutralisations (→ G-2 ionic trimers). These transformations connected G-1 chloro- and amino-termini dendrons to m-trivalent cores (triazin-2,4,6-triyl and benzene-1,3,5-triyl units) or tripodands (central building blocks), such as N-substituted melamines with 4-hydroxyphenyl or phenyl-4-oxyalkanoic motifs. Owing to the diversity of cores and central building blocks, the structural assortment of the dendritic series was disclosed by solvation effects (affecting reactivity), rotational stereodynamism and self-organisation phenomena (determining a vaulted and/or propeller macromolecular shape in solution). DFT calculations (in solution), (VT) NMR and IR (KBr) spectroscopy supported these assignments. TEM analysis revealed the ability of the title compounds towards self-assembling into homogeneously packed spherical nano-aggregates. Conclusions: The (non)covalent synthesis and step-by-step structural elucidation of novel G-2 melamine dendrimers based on 4-(n-octyloxy)aniline are reported. Our study demonstrates the crucial influence of the nature (covalent vs ionic) of the dendritic construction in tandem with that of its central building blocks on the aptitude of dendrimers to self-organise in solution and to self-assembly in the solid state.

Small Molecule Mixture Analysis by Heteronuclear NMR under Spin Diffusion Conditions in Viscous DMSO-Water Solvent.

Spin diffusion in NMR occurs for small- and medium-sized molecules when their tumbling rate reduces in solution so that magnetization exchange by longitudinal cross relaxation becomes highly efficient. Composite DMSO-water viscous solvents were used for the first time to access the individual NMR spectra of a mixture components in spin diffusion conditions. The easy handling and high dissolution power of [D6 ]DMSO/H2 O offers a wide range of potential applications for polar and moderately apolar mixture analysis. In addition to 2D 1 H-1 H NOESY and 1 H-13 C HSQC-NOESY, 1 H-15 N HSQC-NOESY, 1D and 2D 1 H-19 F heteronuclear NOESY (HOESY) experiments were set up to offer new ways to individualize molecules within a mixture. This article reports the analysis of a polar mixture of four dipeptides dissolved in [D6 ]DMSO/H2 O (7:3 v/v) and that of a medium-polarity fluorinated dinucleotide dissolved in [D6 ]DMSO/H2 O (8:2 v/v) by means of spin diffusion in NOESY, HOESY, and HSQC-NOESY experiments.

Highly Viscous Binary Solvents: DMSO-d6/Glycerol and DMSO-d6/Glycerol-d8 for Polar and Apolar Mixture Analysis by NMR.

The use of two new highly viscous binary solvents, DMSO-d6/glycerol (GL) and DMSO-d6/glycerol-d8 (GL-d8), is reported for the first time in order to give access to the individual NMR spectra of mixture components. Their high dissolution power offers a wide range of potential applications to mixture analysis, regardless of polarity. Under particular conditions of viscosity, the tumbling rate of small and medium-sized molecules slows down in solution, so that the longitudinal cross-relaxation regime favors the observation of spin diffusion. As a consequence, all the resonances of the (1)H nuclei within the same molecule tend to correlate together in a 2D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectrum, thus opening the way to mixture analysis. This work reports the analysis of a polar mixture composed of Leu-Val, Leu-Tyr, Gly-Tyr, and Ala-Tyr dissolved in DMSO-d6/GL (8:2, v/v) and of an apolar mixture made of ß-ionone, (±)-citronellal, (+)-limonene, and flavone dissolved in DMSO-d6/GL-d8 (5:5, v/v) by means of spin diffusion in homonuclear selective 1D NOESY, selective 2D NOESY, NOESY-correlation spectroscopy (COSY), NOESY-total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY) experiments, and 2D heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectroscopy (HSQC)-NOESY. DMSO-d6/GL must be preferred to DMSO-d6/GL-d8 for the study of biological active compounds in which labile protons must not be exchanged by deuterium nuclei. DMSO-d6/GL-d8 is more appropriate for organic compounds in which labile protons are not essential to the structure elucidation. DMSO-d6/GL and DMSO-d6/GL-d8 binary mixture solvents seem to be so far the most efficient viscous solvents described in the literature for the resolution of both polar and apolar complex mixtures components by NMR spin diffusion.

Atropisomerism about Aryl-C(sp(3)) Bonds: Conformational Behavior of Substituted Phenylcyclohexanes in Solution.

A catalytic hydrogenation of cannabidiol derivatives known as phenylcyclohexenes was used to prepare epimeric (1R,1S) and/or rotameric (M,P) phenylcyclohexanes. The reaction is diastereoselective, in favor of the 1S epimer, when large groups are attached to the phenyl ring. For each epimer, variable-temperature NMR experiments, including EXSY spectroscopy and DFT calculations, were used to determine the activation energies of the conformational exchange arising from the restricted rotation about the aryl-C(sp(3)) bond that led to two unequally populated rotamers. The conformational preference arises essentially from steric interactions between substituents vicinal to the pivot bond. The conformers of epimers (1S)-2e,f show high rotational barriers of up to 92 kJ mol(-1), unlike those of (1R)-2e,f and with much lower barriers of ∼72 kJ mol(-1). The height of the barriers not only depends on the substituents at the axis of chirality but also is influenced by the position of a methyl group on the monoterpene ring. The feature most favorable to high rotational barriers is when the methyl at C1 lies equatorially. This additional substituent effect, highlighted for the first time, seems fundamental to allowing atropisomerism in hindered ortho-substituted phenylcyclohexanes.

Atropisomerism about aryl-Csp(3) bonds: the electronic and steric influence of ortho-substituents on conformational exchange in cannabidiol and linderatin derivatives.

Terpenylation reactions of substituted phenols were used to prepare cannabidiol and linderatin derivatives, and their structure and conformational behavior in solution were investigated by NMR and, for some representative examples, by DFT. VT-NMR spectra and DFT calculations were used to determine the activation energies of the conformational change arising from restricted rotation about the aryl-Csp(3) bond that lead to two unequally populated rotameric epimers. The NBO calculation was applied to explain the electronic stabilization of one conformer over another by donor-acceptor charge transfer interactions. Conformational control arises from a combination of stereoelectronic and steric effects between substituents in close contact with each other on the two rings of the endocyclic epoxide atropisomers. This study represents the first exploration of the stereoelectronic origins of atropisomerism around C(sp(2))-C(sp(3)) single bonds through theoretical calculations.

Tailoring the nuclear Overhauser effect for the study of small and medium-sized molecules by solvent viscosity manipulation.

The nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) is a consequence of cross-relaxation between nuclear spins mediated by dipolar coupling. Its sensitivity to internuclear distances has made it an increasingly important tool for the determination of through-space atom proximity relationships within molecules of sizes ranging from the smallest systems to large biopolymers. With the support of sophisticated FT-NMR techniques, the NOE plays an essential role in structure elucidation, conformational and dynamic investigations in liquid-state NMR. The efficiency of magnetization transfer by the NOE depends on the molecular rotational correlation time, whose value depends on solution viscosity. The magnitude of the NOE between 1H nuclei varies from +50% when molecular tumbling is fast to -100% when it is slow, the latter case corresponding to the spin diffusion limit. In an intermediate tumbling regime, the NOE may be vanishingly small. Increasing the viscosity of the solution increases the motional correlation time, and as a result, otherwise unobservable NOEs may be revealed and brought close to the spin diffusion limit. The goal of this review is to report the resolution of structural problems that benefited from the manipulation of the negative NOE by means of viscous solvents, including examples of molecular structure determination, conformation elucidation and mixture analysis (the ViscY method).

MeLi + LiCl in THF: one heterodimer and no tetramers.

The structure of the aggregates formed when mixing methyllithium and lithium chloride in THF has been studied by multinuclear magnetic resonance at 170 K. The data suggest that only one new entity is observed, that is the dimer [(MeLi)(LiCl)], in equilibrium (K approximately 0.6) with [MeLi](4) and [LiCl](2). NMR diffusion measurements lead to the conclusion that this dimer is trisolvated in THF at 170 K, a solvation scheme in agreement with DFT computations.

Improved enantioselective synthesis of (-)-linderol A: hindered rotation about aryl-Csp(3) bond.

An improved enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-linderol A has been achieved via a five-step reaction with a 21% overall yield, starting from phloroacetophenone and (-)-alpha-phellandrene, two commercially available reagents. In the diastereoselective epoxidation step, the analysis of the two endocyclic epoxide intermediates reveals a hindered sp(2)-sp(3) rotation, which results in rotational diastereoisomers.

Intramolecular OH/π versus C-H/O H-Bond-Dependent Conformational Control about Aryl-C(sp3) Bonds in Cannabidiol Derivatives.

Conformational control in cannabidiol derivatives has been studied by NMR, XRD, and DFT. The stabilization of their axial M and P conformations about the aryl-C(sp3) bond is an effect of competing intramolecular OH/π and CH/O H-bonds. In a nonpolar solvent and in the solid state, the OH/π bond is a determinant of the M conformation. In polar solvents, the CH/O H-bond shifts the equilibrium toward the P conformer because of the breaking of the OH/π bond.

Structural characterization and in vivo pro-tumor properties of a highly conserved matrikine.

Elastin-derived peptides (EDPs) exert protumor activities by increasing tumor growth, migration and invasion. A number of studies have highlighted the potential of VGVAPG consensus sequence-derived elastin-like polypeptides whose physicochemical properties and biocompatibility are particularly suitable for in vivo applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. However, among the EDPs, the influence of elastin-derived nonapeptides (xGxPGxGxG consensus sequence) remains unknown. Here, we show that the AGVPGLGVG elastin peptide (AG-9) present in domain-26 of tropoelastin is more conserved than the VGVAPG elastin peptide (VG-6) from domain-24 in mammals. The results demonstrate that the structural features of AG-9 and VG-6 peptides are similar. CD, NMR and FTIR spectroscopies show that AG-9 and VG-6 present the same conformation, which includes a mixture of random coils and ß-turn structures. On the other hand, the supraorganization differs between peptides, as demonstrated by AFM. The VG-6 peptide gathers in spots, whereas the AG-9 peptide aggregates into short amyloid-like fibrils. An in vivo study showed that AG-9 peptides promote tumor progression to a greater extent than do VG-6 peptides. These results were confirmed by in vitro studies such as 2D and 3D proliferation assays, migration assays, adhesion assays, proteinase secretion studies and pseudotube formation assays to investigate angiogenesis. Our findings suggest the possibility that the AG-9 peptide present in patient sera may dramatically influence cancer progression and could be used in the design of new, innovative antitumor therapies.

An alkaloid, two conjugate sesquiterpenes and a phenylpropanoid from Pachypodanthium confine Engl. and Diels.

Two sesquiterpene-trimethoxystyrene conjugates (E)-1-[3'-(4'',8''-dimethylnona-3'',7''-dienyl)cyclohex-3'-enyl]-2,4,5-trimethoxybenzene (1) and (Z)-1-[3'-(4'',8''-dimethylnona-3'',7''-dienyl)cyclohex-3'-enyl]-2,4,5-trimethoxybenzene (2), a phenylpropanoid 1,2,4-trimethoxy-5-(1-methoxy-ethyl)-benzene (3), and an aporphine alkaloid N-acetylpachypodanthine (4), were isolated in addition to several known compounds from cyclohexane, dichloromethane and alkaloid extracts from bark of Pachypodanthium confine. The structures of these compounds were established based on the interpretation of their high resolution NMR (HSQC, HMBC, COSY and NOESY) spectral data.