Syntheses, Structures and Reactivity of Metal Complexes of Trindane, Trindene, Truxene, Decacyclene and Related Ring Systems: Manifestations of Three-Fold Symmetry.

The triple condensation of cyclopentanone or indanone to trindane (C15H18) or truxene (C27H18), respectively, provides convenient access to molecular skeletons on which major fragments of the prototypical fullerene C60 can be assembled. In particular, early approaches (both organic and organometallic) towards sumanene, as well as the final successful synthesis, are described. Organometallic derivatives of trindane have been prepared in which Cr(CO)3, Mo(CO)3, [Mn(CO)3]+ or [(C5H5)Fe(CO)2]+ are η6-bonded to the central arene ring. The debromination of hexabromotrindane yields trindene, which forms a tri-anion to which as many as three organometallic fragments, such as Mn(CO)3, W(CO)3Me, or Rh(CO)2, may be attached. Truxene forms complexes whereby three metal fragments can bind either to the peripheral arene rings, or to the five-membered rings, and these can be interconverted via η6 ↔ η5 haptotropic shifts. Truxene also forms a double-decker sandwich with Ag(I) bridges, and decacyclene, C36H18, forms triple-decker sandwiches bearing multiple cyclopentadienyl-nickel or -iron moieties. The organic chemistry of trindane has been investigated, especially with respect to its unexpectedly complex oxidation products, which were only identified unambiguously via X-ray crystallography. The three-fold symmetric trindane framework has also been used as a template upon which a potential artificial receptor has been constructed. Finally, the use of truxene and truxenone derivatives in a wide range of applications is highlighted.

Crystal Engineering of Ionic Cocrystals Sustained by Azolium···Azole Heterosynthons.

Crystal engineering of multi-component molecular crystals, cocrystals, is a subject of growing interest, thanks in part to the potential utility of pharmaceutical cocrystals as drug substances with improved properties. Whereas molecular cocrystals (MCCs) are quite well studied from a design perspective, ionic cocrystals (ICCs) remain relatively underexplored despite there being several recently FDA-approved drug products based upon ICCs. Successful cocrystal design strategies typically depend on strong and directional noncovalent interactions between coformers, as exemplified by hydrogen bonds. Understanding of the hierarchy of such interactions is key to successful outcomes in cocrystal design. We herein address the crystal engineering of ICCs comprising azole functional groups, particularly imidazoles and triazoles, which are commonly encountered in biologically active molecules. Specifically, azoles were studied for their propensity to serve as coformers with strong organic (trifluoroacetic acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid) and inorganic (hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid and nitric acid) acids to gain insight into the hierarchy of NH+···N (azolium-azole) supramolecular heterosynthons. Accordingly, we combined data mining of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) with the structural characterization of 16 new ICCs (11 imidazoles, 4 triazoles, one imidazole-triazole). Analysis of the new ICCs and 66 relevant hits archived in the CSD revealed that supramolecular synthons between identical azole rings (A+B-A) are much more commonly encountered, 71, than supramolecular synthons between different azole rings (A+B-C), 11. The average NH+···N distance found in the new ICCs reported herein is 2.697(3) Å and binding energy calculations suggested that hydrogen bond strengths range from 31-46 kJ mol-1. The azolium-triazole ICC (A+B-C) was obtained via mechanochemistry and differed from the other ICCs studied as there was no NH+···N hydrogen bonding. That the CNC angles in imidazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles are sensitive to protonation, the cationic forms having larger (approximately 4.4 degrees) values than comparable neutral rings, was used as a parameter to distinguish between protonated and neutral azole rings. Our results indicate that ICCs based upon azolium-azole supramolecular heterosynthons are viable targets, which has implications for the development of new azole drug substances with improved properties.

Novel 7-Chloro-(4-thioalkylquinoline) Derivatives: Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity through Inducing Apoptosis and DNA/RNA Damage.

A series of 78 synthetic 7-chloro-(4-thioalkylquinoline) derivatives were investigated for cytotoxic activity against eight human cancer as well as 4 non-tumor cell lines. The results showed, with some exceptions, that sulfanyl 5-40 and sulfinyl 41-62 derivatives exhibited lower cytotoxicity for cancer cell lines than those of well-described sulfonyl N-oxide derivatives 63-82. As for compound 81, the most pronounced selectivity (compared against BJ and MRC-5 cells) was observed for human cancer cells from HCT116 (human colorectal cancer with wild-type p53) and HCT116p53-/- (human colorectal cancer with deleted p53), as well as leukemia cell lines (CCRF-CEM, CEM-DNR, K562, and K562-TAX), lung (A549), and osteosarcoma cells (U2OS). A good selectivity was also detected for compounds 73 and 74 for leukemic and colorectal (with and without p53 deletion) cancer cells (compared to MRC-5). At higher concentrations (5 × IC50) against the CCRF-CEM cancer cell line, we observe the accumulation of the cells in the G0/G1 cell phase, inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis, and induction of apoptosis. In addition, X-ray data for compound 15 is being reported. These results provide useful scientific data for the development of 4-thioalkylquinoline derivatives as a new class of anticancer candidates.

Chemistry of transition-metal complexes containing functionalized phosphines: synthesis and structural analysis of rhodium(I) complexes containing allyl and cyanoalkylphosphines.

A series of related acetylacetonate-carbonyl-rhodium compounds substituted by functionalized phosphines has been prepared in good to excellent yields by the reaction of [Rh(acac)(CO)2] (acac is acetylacetonate) with the corresponding allyl-, cyanomethyl- or cyanoethyl-substituted phosphines. All compounds were fully characterized by 31P, 1H, 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures of (acetylacetonato-κ2O,O')(tert-butylphosphanedicarbonitrile-κP)carbonylrhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(CO)(C8H13N2)] or [Rh(acac)(CO)(tBuP(CH2CN)2}] (2b), (acetylacetonato-κ2O,O')carbonyl[3-(diphenylphosphanyl)propanenitrile-κP]rhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(C15H14N)(CO)] or [Rh(acac)(CO){Ph2P(CH2CH2CN)}] (2h), and (acetylacetonato-κ2O,O')carbonyl[3-(di-tert-butylphosphanyl)propanenitrile-κP]rhodium(I), [Rh(C5H7O2)(C11H22N)(CO)] or [Rh(acac)(CO){tBu2P(CH2CH2CN)}] (2i), showed a square-planar geometry around the Rh atom with a significant trans influence over the acetylacetonate moiety, evidenced by long Rh-O bond lengths as expected for poor π-acceptor phosphines. The Rh-P distances displayed an inverse linear dependence with the coupling constants JP-Rh and the IR ν(C[triple-bond]O) bands, which accounts for the Rh-P electronic bonding feature (poor π-acceptors) of these complexes. A combined study from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and an evaluation of the intramolecular H...Rh contacts from X-ray diffraction data allowed a comparison of the conformational preferences of these complexes in the solid state versus the isolated compounds in the gas phase. For 2b, 2h and 2i, an energy-framework study evidenced that the crystal structures are mainly governed by dispersive energy. In fact, strong pairwise molecular dispersive interactions are responsible for the columnar arrangement observed in these complexes. A Hirshfeld surface analysis employing three-dimensional molecular surface contours and two-dimensional fingerprint plots indicated that the structures are stabilized by H...H, C...H, H...O, H...N and H...Rh intermolecular interactions.

[(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)amino]acetophenones and their copper(II) derivatives: Synthesis, characterization, computational studies and antimalarial activity.

The synthesis of the compounds [(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)amino]acetophenones (4, 5) and their copper(II) complexes (4a, 5a) is reported. The compounds were characterized using a wide range of spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques, such as FTIR, UV-vis, NMR, EPR, ESI-CID-MS2. The spectral results suggested that the ligand acted as chelating species coordinating the metal through the endocyclic nitrogen of the quinoline ring in both complexes, with general formulae expressed in two ways, according to the phase in which they are: [Cu(L)2Cl2] for solid phase and [Cu(L)2][2Cl] for liquid phase. The EPR study of the Cu (II) complexes indicated a probable distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. This result was confirmed by the calculated optimized structures at the DFT/B3LYP method with the 6-31G (d,p) basis set. The characterization of the fragmentation pattern of protonated free ligands was extended here to fragments as low as m/z 43, while for coordination complexes it extends to fragments at m/z 80 and m/z 111. The antimalarial activity of the compounds was determined through three different tests: inhibitory activity against in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum (W2), inhibition of hemozoin formation (ß-hematin) and in vitro inhibitory activity against recombinant falcipain-2, where compound 5 showed considerable activity. However, the activity of free ligands against P. falciparum was increased by complexing with the Cu (II) metal ion. The values of the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of 3.847 eV (4a) and 3.932 eV (5a) were interpreted with high chemical activity and thus, could influence on biological activity. In both compounds, the total electron density surface mapped with electrostatic potential clearly revealed the presence of high negative charge on the Cu atom. Also, this study reported the molecular docking of free ligands (4, 5) using software package ArgusLab 4.0.1. The results revealed the importance of water molecules as interaction bridges through hydrogen bonds between free ligands and ß-hematin; at the same time, the hypothesis that π-π interaction between quinoline derivatives and the electronic system of hematin governs the formation of adducts was confirmed.

NMR elucidation and crystal structure analysis of 1-hydroxy-3, 6-dimethoxy-8-methyl-9h-xanthen-9-one (lichexanthone) isolated from Vismia baccifera (Guttiferae) / Elucidación por RMN y análisis de la estructura cristalina de 1-hidroxi-3,6-dimetox1-8-methil-9h-xanten-9-ona (lichexanthone)

In the present investigation the structural analysis of 1-hydroxy-3,6-dimethoxy-8-methyl-9h-xanthen-9-one (lichexanthone) isolated from Vismia baccifera var. dealbata collected in Mérida-Venezuela, was established by NMR (1H and 13C), mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Lichexanthone crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/c (No 14) with unit cell parameters a = 11.6405(5) Å; b = 7.5444(3) Å; c = 15.2341(6) Å; = 102.280(1)°; V = 1307.26(9) Å3; Z = 4. The structure refinement converged to R = 0.0397, wR2 = 0.1076, S = 1.04. Lichexanthone had been isolated before from Parmotrema sp and Ruprechtia tangarana (Polygonaceae). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this compound obtained from V. baccifera var. dealbata (Guttiferae).

En la presente investigación el análisis estructural de 1-hidroxi-3,6-dimetoxi-8-metil-9h-xanten-9-ona (lichexanthone) aislada de Vismia baccifera var. dealbata colectada en Mérida-Venezuela, fue determinado por RMN (1H y 13C), espectrometría de masas y difracción de rayos X. La lichexanthona cristaliza en un sistema monoclínico con un grupo espacial P21/c (No 14) y parámetros de celda de a = 11.6405 (5) Å; b = 7.5444 (3) Å; c = 15.2341 (6) Å; = 102.280(1)°; V = 1307.26(9) Å3; Z = 4. El refinamiento de la estructura convergió a los valores de R = 0.0397, wR2 = 0.1076, S = 1.04. La lichexanthona ha sido aislada de Parmotrema sp y Ruprechtia tangarana (Polygonaceae). Sin embargo, para nuestro conocimiento, esta es la primera vez que se reporta el aislamiento de este compuesto en la especie V. baccifera var. dealbata (Guttiferae).