Regioselective quinazoline C2 modifications through the azide-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium.

2-Chloro-4-sulfonylquinazolines undergo functional group swap when treated with an azide nucleophile: 1) the azide replaces the sulfonyl group at the C4 position; 2) the intrinsic azide-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium directs the nucleofugal sulfinate from the first step to replace chloride at the C2 position. This transformation is effective with quinazolines bearing electron-rich substituents. Therefore, the title transformations are demonstrated on the 6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline core, which is present in pharmaceutically active substances. The methodology application is showcased by transforming the obtained 4-azido-6,7-dimethoxy-2-sulfonylquinazolines into the α1-adrenoceptor blockers terazosin and prazosin by further C2-selective SNAr reaction and azide reduction.

Synthesis of Fluorescent C-C Bonded Triazole-Purine Conjugates.

A design toward C-C bonded 2,6-bis(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine and 2-piperidinyl-6-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine derivatives was established using the combination of Mitsunobu, Sonogashira, copper (I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and SNAr reactions. 11 examples of 2,6-bistriazolylpurine and 14 examples of 2-piperidinyl-6-triazolylpurine intermediates were obtained, in 38-86% and 41-89% yields, respectively. Obtained triazole-purine conjugates expressed good fluorescent properties which were studied in the solution and in the thin layer film for the first time. Quantum yields reached up to 49% in DMSO for bistriazolylpurines and up to 81% in DCM and up to 95% in DMSO for monotriazolylpurines. Performed biological studies in mouse embryo fibroblast, human keratinocyte, and transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate cell lines showed that most of obtained triazole-purine conjugates are not cytotoxic. The 50% cytotoxic concentration of the tested derivatives was in the range from 59.6 to 1528.7 µM.

SnAr Reactions of 2,4-Diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine and Azide-Tetrazole Equilibrium Studies of the Obtained 5-Substituted Tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidines.

A straightforward method for the synthesis of 5-substituted tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidines from 2,4-diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine in SnAr reactions with N-, O-, and S- nucleophiles has been developed. The various N- and S-substituted products were obtained with yields from 47% to 98%, but the substitution with O-nucleophiles gave lower yields (20-32%). Furthermore, the fused tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives can be regarded as 2-azidopyrimidines and functionalized in copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) and Staudinger reactions due to the presence of a sufficient concentration of the reactive azide tautomer in solution. In total, seven products were fully characterized by their single crystal X-ray studies, while five of them were representatives of the tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidine heterocyclic system. Equilibrium constants and thermodynamic values were determined using variable temperature 1H NMR and are in agreement of favoring the tetrazole tautomeric form (ΔG298 = -3.33 to -7.52 (kJ/mol), ΔH = -19.92 to -48.02 (kJ/mol) and ΔS = -43.74 to -143.27 (J/mol·K)). The key starting material 2,4-diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine presents a high degree of tautomerization in different solvents.

Nucleophile-nucleofuge duality of azide and arylthiolate groups in the synthesis of quinazoline and tetrazoloquinazoline derivatives.

5-Arylthio-tetrazolo[1,5-c]quinazolines (tautomers of 2-arylthio-4-azido-quinazolines) undergo facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions with amines, alcohols and alkylthiols. This, combined with the recently reported arylsulfanyl group dance, provides straightforward access to 4-azido-2-N-, O-, S-substituted quinazolines and/or their tetrazolo tautomers from commercially available 2,4-dichloroquinazoline. The azidoazomethine-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium and the electron-withdrawing character of the fused tetrazolo system plays a central role in the developed transformations. 5-Amino-substituted tetrazolo[1,5-c]quinazolines undergo media-controlled tautomeric equilibrium, which permits them to demonstrate the reactivity traditionally associated with the azido substituent. Furthermore, a method for 5-O-substitited tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinazolines from 2,4-diazidoquinazoline was developed during the structural elucidation of the substitution products. The developed methodology will facilitate medicinal chemistry investigations into quinazoline derivatives and the discovered fluorescent properties of some of the products (e.g., 4-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)quinazoline: λem. = 461 nm, ΦDCM = 0.89) could serve as a starting point for their further applications in analytical and materials science.

1,2,3-Triazoles as leaving groups: SNAr reactions of 2,6-bistriazolylpurines with O- and C-nucleophiles.

A new approach was designed for the synthesis of C6-substituted 2-triazolylpurine derivatives. A series of substituted products was obtained in SNAr reactions between 2,6-bistriazolylpurine derivatives and O- and C-nucleophiles under mild conditions. The products were isolated in yields up to 87%. The developed C-O and C-C bond forming reactions clearly show the ability of the 1,2,3-triazolyl ring at the C6 position of purine to act as leaving group.

1,2,3-Triazoles as leaving groups in SNAr-Arbuzov reactions: synthesis of C6-phosphonated purine derivatives.

A new method for C-N bond transformations into C-P bonds was developed using 1,2,3-triazoles as leaving groups in SNAr-Arbuzov reactions. A series of C6-phosphonated 2-triazolylpurine derivatives was synthesized for the first time, with the isolated yields reaching up to 82% in the C-P-bond-forming event. The SNAr-Arbuzov reaction of 2,6-bistriazolylpurines follows the general regioselectivity pattern of the C6-position being more reactive towards substitution, which was unambiguously proved by X-ray analysis of diethyl (9-heptyl-2-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-9H-purin-6-yl)phosphonate.

Sulfonyl Group Dance: A Tool for the Synthesis of 6-Azido-2-sulfonylpurine Derivatives.

9-Substituted 2-chloro-6-sulfonylpurines provide 6-azido-2-sulfonylpurine derivatives with 61-83% yields when treated with sodium azide. Under optimized reaction conditions, the title compounds are obtained in a one-pot process, which involves a sequential treatment of 2,6-dichloropurines with a selected sodium sulfinate and sodium azide. Such a sulfonyl group dance (functional group swap) results from a cascade of SNAr reactions, which are facilitated by azidoazomethine-tetrazole (azide-tetrazole) tautomeric equilibrium. The formation of Meisenheimer-type intermediates as tetrazolopurine tautomers was supported by various spectroscopic methods, including 15N NMR.

Proof of principle of a purine D-A-D' ligand based ratiometric chemical sensor harnessing complexation induced intermolecular PET.

A comprehensive photophysical study of a series of purines, doubly decorated at C2 and C6 positions with identical fragments ranging from electron acceptor to donor groups of different strengths, is presented. The asymmetry of substitutions creates a unique molecular D-A-D' structure possessing two independent electronic charge transfer (CT) systems attributed to each fragment and exhibiting dual-band fluorescence. Moreover, the inherent property of coordination of metal ions by purines was enriched due to a presence of nearby triazoles used as spacers for donor or acceptor fragments. New molecules present a bidentate coordination mode, which makes the assembly of several ligands with one metal cation possible. This property was exploited to create a new concept of a ratiometric chemical fluorescence sensor involving the photoinduced electron transfer between branches of different ligands as a mechanism of fluorescence modulation.

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of N(9)-alkylated 2-amino-6-triazolylpurines and 7-deazapurines.

The synthesis of novel fluorescent N(9)-alkylated 2-amino-6-triazolylpurine and 7-deazapurine derivatives is described. A new C(2)-regioselectivity in the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of 9-alkylated-2,6-diazidopurines and 7-deazapurines with secondary amines has been disclosed. The obtained intermediates, 9-alkylated-2-amino-6-azido-(7-deaza)purines, were transformed into the title compounds by CuAAC reaction. The designed compounds belong to the push-pull systems and possess promising fluorescence properties with quantum yields in the range from 28% to 60% in acetonitrile solution. Due to electron-withdrawing properties of purine and 7-deazapurine heterocycles, which were additionally extended by triazole moieties, the compounds with electron-donating groups showed intramolecular charge transfer character (ICT/TICT) of the excited states which was proved by solvatochromic dynamics and supported by DFT calculations. In the 7-deazapurine series this led to increased fluorescence quantum yield (74%) in THF solution. The compounds exhibit low cytotoxicity and as such are useful for the cell labelling studies in the future.

2-Methoxypyridine as a Thymidine Mimic in Watson-Crick Base Pairs of DNA and PNA: Synthesis, Thermal Stability, and NMR Structural Studies.

The development of nucleic acid base-pair analogues that use new modes of molecular recognition is important both for fundamental research and practical applications. The goal of this study was to evaluate 2-methoxypyridine as a cationic thymidine mimic in the A-T base pair. The hypothesis was that including protonation in the Watson-Crick base pairing scheme would enhance the thermal stability of the DNA double helix without compromising the sequence selectivity. DNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) sequences containing the new 2-methoxypyridine nucleobase (P) were synthesized and studied by using UV thermal melting and NMR spectroscopy. Introduction of P nucleobase caused a loss of thermal stability of ≈10 °C in DNA-DNA duplexes and ≈20 °C in PNA-DNA duplexes over a range of mildly acidic to neutral pH. Despite the decrease in thermal stability, the NMR structural studies showed that P-A formed the expected protonated base pair at pH 4.3. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of cationic unnatural base pairs; however, future optimization of such analogues will be required.

Synthesis and Applications of Silyl 2-Methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinates in Preparative Silylation and GC-Derivatization Reactions of Polyols and Carbohydrates.

Trimethylsilyl, triethylsilyl, tert-butyldimethylsilyl, and triisopropylsilyl 2-methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinates were prepared through (CuOTf)2⋅C6H6-catalyzed sila-ene reactions of the corresponding methallylsilanes with SO2 at 50 °C. Sterically hindered, epimerizable, and base-sensitive alcohols gave the corresponding silyl ethers in high yields and purities at room temperature and under neutral conditions. As the byproducts of the silylation reaction (SO2 +isobutylene) are volatile, the workup was simplified to solvent evaporation. The developed method can be employed for the chemo- and regioselective semiprotection of polyols and glycosides and for the silylation of unstable aldols. The high reactivity of the developed reagents is shown by the synthesis of sterically hindered per-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-α-D-glucopyranose, the X-ray crystallographic analysis of which is the first for a per-O-silylated hexopyranose. The per-O-silylation of polyols, hydroxy carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates with trimethylsilyl 2-methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinate was coupled with the GC analysis of nonvolatile polyhydroxy compounds both qualitatively and quantitatively.

2,6-Di-chloro-9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-d-ribo-furanos-yl)-9H-purine.

The title synthetic analog of purine nucleosides, C16H16Cl2N4O7, has its acetyl-ated ß-furan-ose ring in a 3'ß-envelope conformation, with the corresponding C atom deviating by 0.602 (5) Šfrom the rest of the ring. The planar part of the furan-ose ring forms a dihedral angle of 65.0 (1)° with the mean plane of the purine bicycle. In the crystal, mol-ecules form a three-dimensional network through multiple C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯π interactions.

Synthesis of 6-Selanyl-2-triazolylpurine Derivatives Using 2,6-Bistriazolylpurines as Starting Materials.

Two pathways toward 6-selanyl-2-triazolylpurine derivatives were designed. The first method involved the synthesis of 2-chloro-6-selanylpurine derivatives, further SNAr reaction with NaN3, and following CuAAC using different alkynes. The second method was based on the synthesis of 2,6-bistriazolylpurine derivatives as starting materials followed by SNAr reaction with commercial or in situ generated selenols as nucleophiles. A series of 2-chloro-6-selanylpurine derivatives were obtained in yields up to 84%. It was found that in the latter compounds, 6-selanyl moiety was the better leaving group compared to 2-chlorosubstituent in SNAr reactions. On the other hand, the SNAr reaction between 2,6-bistriazolylpurines and selenols or diselenides was successful, and 13 examples of 6-selanyl-2-triazolylpurine derivatives were obtained in yields up to 87%. This direct approach for the Se-C bond formation proved the ability of the 1,2,3-triazolyl ring at the C6 position of purine to act as a good leaving group.

Photophysical and Electrical Properties of Highly Luminescent 2/6-Triazolyl-Substituted Push-Pull Purines.

New push-pull N(9)-alkylated 6-piperidino-2-triazolylpurine and 2-piperidino-6-triazolylpurine derivatives are synthesized, and their optical and optoelectronic properties are comprehensively characterized with experimental and computational methods. The compounds possess intense violet or blue fluorescence with fluorescence quantum yields of up to 91% in solution and 40% in host-free films. Depending on their structural composition, the compounds have ionization energy in the range of 5.25-6.04 eV, electron affinity of 2.18-3.15 eV, and triplet energy of 2.52-2.95 eV. Due to the presence of hole-transporting purine and electron-transporting triazole fragments, compounds exhibit bipolar charge-transportation ability. Despite the favorable emissive properties of the studied push-pull purines, their electroluminescence in thin films is quenched owing to large current densities that are present even at a moderate driving voltage. This marks application directions related to a predominantly charge-transportation functionality as the most suitable for this compound class.

Synthesis of Azido and Triazolyl Purine Ribonucleosides.

Here, we describe detailed synthetic protocols for preparation of 6-amino/thio-2-triazolylpurine ribonucleosides. First, 9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-D-ribofuranosyl)-2,6-diazido-9H-purine, to be used as a key starting material, is synthesized in an SN Ar reaction with NaN3 starting from commercially available 9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-D-ribofuranosyl)-2,6-dichloro-9H-purine. Next, 2,6-bis-triazolylpurine ribonucleoside is obtained in a CuAAC reaction between diazidopurine derivative and phenyl acetylene, and used in SN Ar reactions with N- and S-nucleophiles. In these reactions, the triazolyl ring at the purine C6 position acts as a good leaving group. Cleavage of acetyl protecting groups from the ribosyl moiety is achieved in presence of piperidine. In the SN Ar reaction with amino acid derivatives, the acetyl groups remain intact. Moreover, 9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-D-ribofuranosyl)-2,6-diazido-9H-purine is selectively reduced at the C6 position using a CuSO4 ·5H2 O/sodium ascorbate system. This provides a straightforward approach for synthesis of 9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-D-ribofuranosyl)-6-amino-2-azido-9H-purine. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of 6-amino-2-triazolylpurine ribonucleosides Basic Protocol 2: Synthesis of 6-thio-2-triazolylpurine ribonucleosides Basic Protocol 3: Synthesis of 6-amino-2-azidopurine ribonucleoside.

A Single Amide Linkage in the Passenger Strand Suppresses Its Activity and Enhances Guide Strand Targeting of siRNAs.

Potential in vivo applications of RNA interference (RNAi) require suppression of various off-target activities. Herein, we report that replacement of a single phosphate linkage between the first and second nucleosides of the passenger strand with an amide linkage almost completely abolished its undesired activity and restored the desired activity of guide strands that had been compromised by unfavorable amide modifications. Molecular modeling suggested that the observed effect was most likely due to suppressed loading of the amide-modified strand into Ago2 caused by inability of amide to adopt the conformation required for the backbone twist that docks the first nucleotide of the guide strand in the MID domain of Ago2. Eliminating off-target activity of the passenger strand will be important for improving therapeutic potential of RNAi.

Structural characterization of cevimeline and its trans-impurity by single crystal XRD.

Cevimeline is muscarinic receptor agonist which increases secretion of exocrine glands. Cevimeline base is a liquid (m.p. 20-25 °C) at ambient conditions, therefore its pharmaceutical formulation as a solid hydrochloride hemihydrate has been developed. The synthesis of cevimeline yields its cis- and trans-isomers and only the cis-isomer is recognized as the API and used in the finished formulation. In this study structural and physicochemical investigations of hydrochloride hemihydrates of cis- and trans-cevimelines have been performed. Single crystal X-ray analyses of both cis- and trans-isomers of cevimeline are reported here for the first time. It was found that the cis-isomer, the API, has less dense crystal packing, lower melting point and higher solubility in comparison to the trans-isomer.