Application of Sublimation in the Synthesis and Crystal Growth of Organosulfones.

The solvent-free elimination of sulfinic acid and aromatization of 1,6-trans-substituted bis(arylsulfone) trienes is reported. It is shown that sublimation can be used as a 'green' method to combine the thermal transformation of six trienes and the crystal growth of the resulting 4-(phenylsulfonyl)biphenyls. When the sublimation conditions are carefully controlled, high quality single crystals of the 4-(phenylsulfonyl)biphenyls are obtained. Theoretical modelling of the reaction using the simplified triene Ph-(CH)6-SO2H showed that the cyclization is energetically feasible and that the complete conversion is possible during the timescale of the sublimation. At temperatures slightly higher than the optimum sublimation temperature two of the trienes transformed into 1,4-cyclohexadienes that did not eliminate phenylsulfinic acid. A reaction mechanism involving a 1,3-hydrogen shift induced by free PhS• radicals is proposed for the formation of the 1,4-cyclohexadienes.

Multiaction Pt(IV) Complexes: Cytotoxicity in Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines and Mechanistic Studies.

Ovarian cancer has the worst case-to-fatality ratio of all gynecologic malignancies. The main reasons for the high mortality rate are relapse and the development of chemoresistance. In this paper, the cytotoxic activity of two new multiaction platinum(IV) derivatives of cisplatin and oxaliplatin in a panel of ovarian cancer cells is reported. Cis,cis,trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(IPA)(DCA)] (1) and trans-[Pt(DACH)(OX)(IPA)(DCA)] (2) (IPA = indole-3-propionic acid, DCA = dichloroacetate, DACH = 1R,2R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, OX = oxalate) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS, FT-IR, and 1H, 13C, and195Pt NMR spectroscopy. The biological activity was evaluated in A2780, PEA1, PEA2, SKOV3, SW626, and OVCAR3 cells. Both complexes are potent cytotoxins. Remarkably, complex 2 is 14 times more active in OVCAR3 cells than cisplatin and is able to overcome cisplatin resistance in PEA2 and A2780cis cells, which are models of post-treatment patient-developed and laboratory-induced resistance. This complex also shows activity in 3D cancer models of the A2780 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the complexes induce apoptosis via DNA damage and ROS generation.

Gold(I) Complexes with a Quinazoline Carboxamide Alkynyl Ligand: Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, and Mechanistic Studies.

A series of gold(I) complexes with the general formula [Au(L2)(L')] (L2=4-phenyl-N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)quinazoline-2-carboxamide, L'=PPh3 (triphenylphosphine), 1; TPA (1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane), 2, and Me2-imy (1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene), 3) were synthesized and fully characterized by spectroscopic methods. The alkynyl ligand L2 belongs to the quinazoline carboxamide class of ligands that are known to bind to the translocator protein (TSPO) at the outer mitochondrial membrane. 1 and 2 exert cytotoxic effects in bladder cancer cells with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Further mechanistic analysis indicated that the two complexes both act by inducing reactive oxygen species and caspase-mediated apoptosis. The complexes inhibit thioredoxin reductase, an established target of anticancer gold(I) complexes. Docking studies confirmed that after ligand exchange the free ligand L2 can interact with the TSPO binding site.

Dual-drug amorphous formulation of gliclazide.

Amorphization is a well-established strategy to enhance the dissolution properties of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, the amorphous state is inherently unstable toward recrystallization. Coamorphous systems of a drug and a small-molecule excipient or of two complementary drugs often show an enhanced stability. Diabetes and hypertension are frequently coexistent. In this paper a study on the coamorphization of the poorly water-soluble antidiabetic drug gliclazide (glz) and the antihypertensive drug valsartan (val) is reported. Amorphous glz recrystallized after 1 d under ambient conditions, whereas coamorphous glz-val containing glz and val in a 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratio was stable for at least four months at 20 °C and 56% relative humidity. The dissolution rate of glz increased in the order crystalline glz < glz-val_1:1 < glz-val_1:2. Furthermore, ternary coamorphous systems of glz, val and an excipient were prepared; glz-val_1:1_PVP, glz-val_1:1_HPC, glz-val_1:1_ALM, glz-val_1:1_MCC (PVP = polyvinylpyrrolidone, HPC = hydroxypropyl cellulose, ALM = α-lactose monohydrate, MCC = microcrystalline cellulose). MCC and HPC did not affect the stability of the coamorphous system, while ALM promoted the recrystallization of glz in glz-val_1:1_ALM during storage and freshly prepared glz-val_1:1_PVP contained small amounts of crystalline glz. Glz-val_1:1_MCC showed enhanced dissolution properties compared to crystalline glz and glz-val_1:1 and is a viable fixed-dose formulation.

Anticancer activity, DNA binding and cell mechanistic studies of estrogen-functionalised Cu(II) complexes.

Four estrogen-functionalised copper complexes were synthesised and investigated as electrochemical active DNA binding and cleavage agents. These complexes strategically contain a biocompatible metal centre [Cu(II)], a planar aromatic ligand as DNA intercalative agent and an estradiol-derivative moiety which acts as delivery vector to target estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) cancer cells. Cytotoxic activity was studied over a panel of estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) and negative (ER-) human cancer cell lines by means of both 2D and 3D cell viability studies. The complexes showed high in vitro intercalative interaction with nuclear DNA and demonstrated to be strong DNA cleaving agents. This series of Cu compounds are potent anticancer agents with low and sub-micromolar IC50 values and the cellular uptake follows the lipophilicity order meaning that the internalisation mainly happened via passive diffusion. Finally, the estrogen-complexes are involved in the cellular redox stress by stimulating the production of ROS (reactive oxygen species).

Novel Pt(IV) Prodrugs Displaying Antimitochondrial Effects.

The design, synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of a series of platinum(IV) prodrugs containing the axial ligand 3-(4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamido)propanoate (L3) are reported. L3 is a derivative of the quinazolinecarboxamide class of ligands that binds to the translocator protein (TSPO) at the outer mitochondrial membrane. The cytotoxicities of cis,cis,trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(L3)(OH)] (C-Pt1), cis,cis,trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(L3)(BZ)] (C-Pt2), trans-[Pt(DACH)(OX)(L3)(OH)] (C-Pt3), and trans-[Pt(DACH)(OX)(L3)(BZ)] (C-Pt4) (DACH: R,R-diaminocyclohexane, BZ: benzoate, OX: oxalate) in MCF-7 breast cancer and noncancerous MCF-10A epithelial cells were assessed and compared with those of cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and the free ligand L3. Moreover, the cellular uptake, ROS generation, DNA damage, and the effect on the mitochondrial function, mitochondrial membrane potential, and morphology were investigated. Molecular interactions of L3 in the TSPO binding site were studied using molecular docking. The results showed that complex C-Pt1 is the most effective Pt(IV) complex and exerts a multimodal mechanism involving DNA damage, potent ROS production, loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial damage.

Glycosyl squaramides, a new class of supramolecular gelators.

Glycosyl squaramides were synthesised and evaluated as low molecular weight gelators. Amphiphilic glycosyl squaramides 5 and 6, with a C-16 aliphatic chain, formed thermoreversible gels in polar organic solvents and 1 : 1 ethanol/water mixtures with high efficiency. Rheological analysis showed these gels achieve their structural stability 120 h after gelation and were robust, making them particularly suitable for biomedical applications. The interactions between solvent and gelator strongly influence SAFiN (Self-Assembled Fibrillar Network) formation, critical gelation concentration (CGC) and subsequent gel structure, as evidenced by SEM imaging of xerogels. Spectroscopic studies indicate that H-bonding is involved in the self-assembly of the glycosyl squaramides in organic solvents, while hydrophobic interactions are the major driving force for gel formation in the presence of water. The compounds described herein are the first reported examples of carbohydrate-squaramide conjugates capable of forming supramolecular gels.

A phosphate-targeted dinuclear Cu(II) complex combining major groove binding and oxidative DNA cleavage.

Free radical generation is an inevitable consequence of aerobic existence and is implicated in a wide variety of pathological conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, ageing and neurodegenerative disorder. Free radicals can, however, be used to our advantage since their production is catalysed by synthetic inorganic molecules-termed artificial metallonucleases-that cut DNA strands by oxidative cleavage reactions. Here, we report the rational design and DNA binding interactions of a novel di-Cu2+ artificial metallonuclease [Cu2(tetra-(2-pyridyl)-NMe-naphthalene)Cl4] (Cu2TPNap). Cu2TPNap is a high-affinity binder of duplex DNA with an apparent binding constant (Kapp) of 107 M(bp)-1. The agent binds non-intercalatively in the major groove causing condensation and G-C specific destabilization. Artificial metallonuclease activity occurs in the absence of exogenous reductant, is dependent on superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, and gives rise to single strand DNA breaks. Pre-associative molecular docking studies with the 8-mer d(GGGGCCCC)2, a model for poly[d(G-C)2], identified selective major groove incorporation of the complex with ancillary Cu2+-phosphate backbone binding. Molecular mechanics methods then showed the d(GGGGCCCC)2 adduct to relax about the complex and this interaction is supported by UV melting experiments where poly[d(G-C)2] is selectively destabilized.

Investigation of Non-covalent Interactions of Metal Complexes with DNA in Cell-free Systems.

Non-covalent interactions of metallo compounds with DNA range from the simple, unspecific electrostatic binding of a positively charged metal complex to the sequence-selective recognition of DNA binding sites due to shape, size, symmetry and hydrogen bonding complementarity of a rationally designed system. Metal complexes that recognize and target specific DNA sequences or particular structures are of considerable interest as therapeutics, diagnostics or structural probes. To gain molecular level insight into DNA-metal complex interactions, binding studies are carried out in cell-free systems using isolated DNA or short oligonucleotides. For this, a powerful toolbox of complementary spectroscopic and biophysical techniques is available. This review focuses on the most frequently applied spectroscopic methods; UV/Vis, CD, LD, fluorescence emission and NMR spectroscopy and is aimed at giving the reader an overview of the qualitative and/or quantitative information that can be obtained. After a short introduction into DNA structures and non-covalent metal complex-DNA interactions, each spectroscopic method will be discussed. In the last section a few selected studies will be described as illustrative examples for the potential of the various spectroscopic methods.

Effects of material thickness and processing method on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) degradation and mechanical performance.

In this study, the effects of material thickness and processing method on the degradation rate and the changes in the mechanical properties of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) material during simulated physiological degradation were investigated. Two types of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) materials were considered: 0.12 mm solvent-cast films and 1 mm compression-moulded plates. The experimental results presented in this study were compared to the experimental results of Shirazi et al. (Acta Biomaterialia 10(11):4695-703, 2014) for 0.25 mm solvent-cast films. These experimental observations were used to validate the computational modelling predictions of Shirazi et al. (J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 54: 48-59, 2016) on critical diffusion length scale and also to refine the model parameters. The specific material processing methods considered here did not have a significant effect on the degradation rate and the changes in mechanical properties during degradation; however, they influenced the initial molecular weight and they determined the stiffness and hardness of the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) material. The experimental observations strongly supported the computational modelling predictions that showed no significant difference in the degradation rate and the changes in the elastic modulus of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) films for thicknesses larger than 100 µm.

Sulfamerazine: Understanding the Influence of Slip Planes in the Polymorphic Phase Transformation through X-Ray Crystallographic Studies and ab Initio Lattice Dynamics.

Understanding the polymorphism exhibited by organic active-pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), in particular the relationships between crystal structure and the thermodynamics of polymorph stability, is vital for the production of more stable drugs and better therapeutics, and for the economics of the pharmaceutical industry in general. In this article, we report a detailed study of the structure-property relationships among the polymorphs of the model API, Sulfamerazine. Detailed experimental characterization using synchrotron radiation is complemented by computational modeling of the lattice dynamics and mechanical properties, in order to study the origin of differences in millability and to investigate the thermodynamics of the phase equilibria. Good agreement is observed between the simulated phonon spectra and mid-infrared and Raman spectra. The presence of slip planes, which are found to give rise to low-frequency lattice vibrations, explains the higher millability of Form I compared to Form II. Energy/volume curves for the three polymorphs, together with the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic free energy computed from the phonon frequencies, explains why Form II converts to Form I at high temperature, whereas Form III is a rare polymorph that is difficult to isolate. The combined experimental and theoretical approach employed here should be generally applicable to the study of other systems that exhibit polymorphism.

Improved and Highly Reproducible Synthesis of Methacrylated Hyaluronic Acid with Tailored Degrees of Substitution.

Methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA) is a versatile material that has gained significant attention in various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. This biocompatible material can be photo-cross-linked in the presence of Irgacure 2959 (I2959) to produce hydrogels. Controlling the degree of methacrylation (DM) is crucial since it plays a pivotal role in determining the properties and thus the potential applications of the gels. We report herein a new green approach for the highly controlled and tailored modification of hyaluronic acid (HA) with methacrylic anhydride (MA). The reaction conditions of previously reported procedures were optimized, leading to a decreased reaction time (3 h instead of 24 h) and consumption of fewer equivalents of MA (5 equiv instead of 20) and water as the sole solvent. By changing the amount of base added, HAMA with three different DMs was obtained: 19, 35, and 60%. The influence of the molecular weight of HA, degree of substitution, and concentration of the HAMA solution prior to photo-cross-linking on the rheological, swelling, and degradation properties of HAMA hydrogels was also studied in this work.

Investigation of the capacity of low glass transition temperature excipients to minimize amorphization of sulfadimidine on comilling.

The coprocessing of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with an excipient which has a high glass transition temperature (T(g)) is a recognized strategy to stabilize the amorphous form of a drug. This work investigates whether coprocessing a model API, sulfadimidine (SDM) with a series of low T(g) excipients, prevents or reduces amorphization of the crystalline drug. It was hypothesized that these excipients could exert a T(g) lowering effect, resulting in composite T(g) values lower than that of the API alone and promote crystallization of the drug. Milled SDM and comilled SDM with glutaric acid (GA), adipic acid (AA), succinic acid (SA), and malic acid (MA) were characterized with respect to their thermal, X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic, and vapor sorption properties. SDM was predominantly amorphous when milled alone, with an amorphous content of 82%. No amorphous content was detected by dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) on comilling SDM with 50% w/w GA, and amorphous content of the API was reduced by almost 30%, relative to the API milled alone, on comilling with 50% w/w AA. In contrast, amorphization of SDM was promoted on comilling with 50% w/w SA and MA, as indicated by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Results indicated that the API was completely amorphized in the SDM:MA comilled composite. The saturated solubility of GA and AA in the amorphous API was estimated by thermal methods. It was observed that the T(g) of the comelt quenched composites reached a minimum and leveled out at this solubility concentration. Maximum crystallinity of API on comilling was reached at excipient concentrations comparable to the saturated concentration solubility of excipient in the API. Moreover, the closer the Hildebrand solubility parameter of the excipient to the API, the greater the inhibition of API amorphization on comilling. The results reported here indicate that an excipient with a low T(g) coupled with high solubility in the API can prevent or reduce the generation of an amorphous phase on comilling.

Amorphous solid dispersions of sulfonamide/Soluplus® and sulfonamide/PVP prepared by ball milling.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the physicochemical properties of binary amorphous dispersions of poorly soluble sulfonamide/polymeric excipient prepared by ball milling. The sulfonamides selected were sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfadimidine (SDM), sulfamerazine (SMZ) and sulfadiazine (SDZ). The excipients were polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft co-polymer, commercially known as Soluplus®. Co-milled systems were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. PVP was shown to form amorphous dispersions over a wider composition range than Soluplus® for the four sulfonamides tested. Moreover, amorphous dispersions made with PVP were homogeneous [single glass transition (Tg)], while amorphous dispersions made from Soluplus® were heterogeneous (two Tgs). This behaviour is consistent with the fact that all the sulfonamides tested presented a lower solubility in Soluplus® than in PVP, as evidenced by Flory-Huggins parameters determined. Amorphous dispersions of SDM with Soluplus® could be produced even though SDM does not amorphise alone upon milling and Soluplus® presents Tg at a lower temperature than SDM. Amorphous dispersions of SMZ could be prepared with a lower excipient concentration compared to STZ, SDM and SDZ, which may reflect the one-dimensional H-bonding network in SMZ compared to the 2D or 3D H-bonding network found in the other sulfonamides. Stability tests (60% RH/25°C) revealed that dispersions made with Soluplus® remained dry and powdery compared to those made with PVP that formed a sticky paste in less than 2 weeks, indicating a possible advantage of using Soluplus® in terms of increased physical stability under high humidity storage conditions.

17ß-Hy-droxy-17α-methyl-androsta-1,4-dien-3-one.

The title compound, C20H28O2, is a steroid with strong anabolic properties. The present solvent-free form crystallizes with two mol-ecules per asymmetric unit. In the crystal, both mol-ecules are involved in the formation of O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonded chains which extend along the b-axis direction.

Ethyl N-[2-(4-phen-oxy-phen-oxy)eth-yl]carbamate.

The title compound, C(17)H(19)NO(4), which is a non-toxic insect growth regulator with the common name fenoxycarb, contains two independent and conformationally different mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. Although the inter-ring dihedral angles are similar [62.21 (15) and 63.00 (14)°], the side-chain orientations differ. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked through N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding associations, giving chains which extend along [110], while intra- and inter-molecular aromatic C-H⋯π inter-actions give sheet structures parallel to [110].

Formation of Salts and Molecular Ionic Cocrystals of Fluoroquinolones and α,ω-Dicarboxylic Acids.

The cocrystallization of the fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin (cip), norfloxacin (nor), and enrofloxacin (enro) with the α,ω-dicarboxylic acids glutaric acid (glu), adipic acid (adi), pimelic acid (pim), suberic acid (sub), azeliac acid (az), and sebacic acid (seb) resulted in 27 new molecular salts and ternary molecular ionic cocrystals of compositions A+B-, A2 +B2-, A2 +B2-B, and A+B-A. Depending on the solvent, different stoichiomorphs, solvates, or polymorphs were obtained. All salts and cocrystals contain the robust R2NH2 +...-OOC or R3NH+...-OOC synthon but have different supramolecular ring motifs. Moderate solubility enhancements over the parent fluoroquinolones were observed. Salts in the ratio of 1:1 and 2:1 were also prepared by ball-milling. The milled sample nor/az (1:1) was shown to gel the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) solvent propylene glycol, and enro/sub (1:1) was shown to gel both propylene glycol and water. Dynamic rheology measurements confirmed that nor/az and enro/sub behave like viscoelastic materials and supramolecular gels.

Differences in Coformer Interactions of the 2,4-Diaminopyrimidines Pyrimethamine and Trimethoprim.

The identification and study of supramolecular synthons is a fundamental task in the design of pharmaceutical cocrystals. The malaria drug pyrimethamine (pyr) and the antibiotic trimethoprim (tmp) are both 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives, providing the same C-NH2/N=C/C-NH2 and C-NH2/N=C interaction sites. In this article, we analyze and compare the synthons observed in the crystal structures of tmp and pyr cocrystals and molecular salts with sulfamethazine (smz), α-ketoglutaric acid (keto), oxalic acid (ox), sebacic acid (seb), and azeliac acid (az). We show that the same coformer interacts with different binding sites of the 2,4-diaminopyrimidine ring in the respective tmp and pyr cocrystals or binds at the same site but gives H bonding patterns with different graph set notions. Pyr·smz·CH3OH is the first crystal structure in which the interaction of the sulfa drug at the C-NH2/N=C/C-NH2 site with three parallel NH2···N, N···NHsulfonamide, and NH2···O=S H bonds is observed. The main synthon in (tmp+)(keto-).0.5H2O and (tmp+)2(ox2-)·2CH3OH is the motif of fused R 2 1(6) and R 1 2(5) rings instead of the R 2 2(8) motif typically observed in tmp+ and pyr+ carboxylates. Tmp/az is a rare example of cocrystal-salt polymorphism where the two solid-state forms have the same composition, stoichiometry, and main synthon. Theoretical calculations were performed to understand the order of stability, which is tmp·az cocrystal > (tmp+)(az-) salt. Finally, two three-component tmp/sulfa drug/carboxylate cocrystals with a unique ternary synthon are described.

Factors Controlling Persistent Needle Crystal Growth: The Importance of Dominant One-Dimensional Secondary Bonding, Stacked Structures, and van der Waals Contact.

Needle crystals can cause filtering and handling problems in industrial settings, and the factors leading to a needle crystal morphology have been investigated. The crystal growth of the amide and methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and t-butyl esters of diflunisal have been examined, and needle growth has been observed for all except the t-butyl ester. Their crystal structures show that the t-butyl ester is the only structure that does not contain molecular stacking. A second polymorph of a persistent needle forming phenylsulfonamide with a block like habit has been isolated. The structure analysis has been extended to known needle forming systems from the literature. The intermolecular interactions in needle forming structures have been analyzed using the PIXEL program, and the properties driving needle crystal growth were found to include a 1D motif with interaction energy greater than -30 kJ/mol, at least 50% vdW contact between the motif neighbors, and a filled unit cell which is a monolayer. Crystal structures are classified into persistent and controllable needle formers. Needle growth in the latter class can be controlled by choice of solvent. The factors shown here to be drivers of needle growth will help in the design of processes for the production of less problematic crystal products.

Expanding the NUIG MOF family: synthesis and characterization of new MOFs for selective CO2 adsorption, metal ion removal from aqueous systems, and drug delivery applications.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to their use in a wide range of environmental, industrial and biomedical applications. The employment of benzophenone-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (bphdcH2) in MOF chemistry provided access to the 3D mixed metal MOFs [CoNa2(bphdc)2(DMF)2]n (NUIG2) and [ZnK2(bphdc)2(DMF)2]n (NUIG3), and the 2D homometallic MOF [Co2(OH)(bphdcH)2(DMF)2(H2O)2]n(OH)·DMF (1·DMF). 1·DMF is based on a dinuclear SBU and consists of interpenetrating networks with an sql topology. Dc magnetic susceptibility studies were carried out in 1·DMF and revealed the presence of weak antiferomagnetic exchange interactions between the metal centres. NUIG2 and NUIG3 are structural analogues of [ZnNa2(bphdc)2(DMF)2]n (NUIG1), which has shown an exceptionally high encapsulation for ibuprophen (Ibu), NO and metal ions. Both NUIG2 and NUIG3 display high metal ion (CoII, NiII, CuII) adsorption capacity, comparable to that of NUIG1, with NUIG2 exhibiting good performance in Ibu uptake (780 mg Ibu per g NUIG2). Monte Carlo simulations were conducted in NUIG1 in order to assess its adsorption capacity for other guest molecules, and revealed that it possesses an outstanding CO2 uptake at ambient pressure, which is larger than that of the previously reported best functioning species (104 vs. 100 cm3 (stp) per cm3). Furthermore, NUIG1 exhibits high selectivity for CO2 over CH4.