One-pot synthesis of 4'-alkyl-4-cyanobiaryls on the basis of the terephthalonitrile dianion and neutral aromatic nitrile cross-coupling.

A convenient one-pot approach to alkylcyanobiaryls is described. The method is based on biaryl cross-coupling between the sodium salt of the terephthalonitrile dianion and a neutral aromatic nitrile in liquid ammonia, and successive alkylation of the long-lived anionic intermediate with alkyl bromides. The reaction is compatible with benzonitriles that contain methyl, methoxy and phenyl groups, fluorine atoms, and a 1-cyanonaphthalene residue. The variety of ω-substituted alkyl bromides, including an extra bromine atom, a double bond, cyano and ester groups, as well as a 1,3-dioxane fragment are suitable as alkylation reagents.

Cytotoxicity of new polyfluorinated 1,4-naphtoquinones with diverse substituents in the quinone moiety.

Fluorinated derivatives of 1,4-naphthoquinones are highly potent inhibitors of Cdc25A and Cdc25B phosphatases and growth of tumor cells. Eight new derivatives of polyfluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone were synthesized and their cytotoxicity in human myeloma, human mammary adenocarcinoma, mouse fibroblasts and primary mouse fibroblast cells as well as their mutagenic and antioxidant properties in a Salmonella tester strain were studied. The efficiency of suppressing the growth of two lines of tumor cells decreased in the order: 2-(2-hydroxy-ethylamino)-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1), 2,3-dimethoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (2), 2-[2-hydroxyethyl(methyl)amino]-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (3), 2-morpholino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (4), 2-[bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (5), 2-[(2-hydroxy)ethylsulfanyl)]-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (6), 2-methoxy-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (7), and 1,4-dioxo-3-(1-pyridinio)-1,4-dihydro-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoronaphthalene-2-olate (8). Taking into account these data together with the better cytotoxic effect against cancer cells as compared with normal mammalian cells, protecting of bacterial cells from spontaneous and H(2)O(2)-dependent mutagenesis, and lower general toxicity of the compounds towards different cells, one can propose that compounds 3-5 may be considered as useful potential inhibitors of growth of tumor cells.

Cytotoxicity of new alkylamino- and phenylamino-containing polyfluorinated derivatives of 1,4-naphthoquinone.

Fluorinated derivatives of 1,4-naphthoquinone are highly potent inhibitors of Cdc25A and Cdc25 phosphatases and growth of tumor cells. Five new N-substituted polyfluorinated derivatives of 2-amino-1,4-naphthoquinone were synthesized and their mutagenic and antioxidant properties in Salmonella cells, as well as cytotoxicity in human myeloma (RPMI 8226), human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), mouse fibroblasts (LMTK) and primary mouse fibroblast cells (PMF) were studied. 2-tert-Butylamino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1) inhibited the growth of normal control and tumor cells at the same concentration. Three compounds: 2-diethylamino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (2), 2-ethylamino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (3), 2-phenylamino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (4) exhibited a 50% decrease in the growth of cancer cells at low and comparable concentrations (2.4-8.6 microM) while being remarkably less cytotoxic toward normal LMTK and PMF cells. Quinones (1)-(4), but not 2-phenylamino-3-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (5), efficiently suppressed spontaneous mutagenesis in Salmonella cells, while all compounds 1-5 decreased the mutagenic effect of H2O2 on bacterial cells. Their possible perspectives as anticancer drugs are shortly discussed.

Cytotoxicity of new n-butylamino and sulfur-containing derivatives of polyfluorinated 1,4-naphthoquinone.

Four new n-butylamino and two sulfur-containing derivatives of polyfluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone were synthesized and their mutagenic and antioxidant properties in Salmonella cells, as well as the cytotoxicity in human myeloma (RPMI 8226), human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), mouse fibroblasts (LMTK) and primary mouse fibroblast cells (PMF) were studied. 2-n-Butylamino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1) showed efficient inhibition of the growth of the tumor cells. 2,8-Di-(n-butyl-amino)-3,5,6,7-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (2) had significantly less growth-inhibiting properties, while 2,6-di-(n-butylamino)-3,5,7,8-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (3) and 2,6,8-tri-(n-butylamino)-3,5,7-tetrafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (4), demonstrated very low cytotoxicity. Compounds 1 and 2 were remarkably less cytotoxic while compound 3 and 4 were not cytotoxic toward LMTK and PMF cells as compared with tumor human cell lines. Cytotoxicity of 2-(2'-methylthioethyl)amino-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone (5) and (2,2'-dithiodi-2)-3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone-2-ylamino)ethan (6) toward mammalian cells was compared with that for compounds 1 and 2.