Quantum Mechanical Assessment of Nitrosamine Potency.

Nitrosamines are in the cohort of concern (CoC) as determined by regulatory guidance. CoC compounds are considered highly potent carcinogens that need to be limited below the threshold of toxicological concern, 1.5 μg/day.

Conformational Sampling over Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Reaction Pathways: Toward Revealing Atroposelectivity.

The Py-Conformational-Sampling (PyCoSa) technique is introduced as a systematic computational means to sample the configurational space of transition-metal-catalyzed stereoselective reactions. When applied to atroposelective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to create axially chiral biaryl products, the results show a range of mechanistic possibilities that include multiple low-energy channels through which C-C bonds can be formed.

Uncovering the Most Kinetically Influential Reaction Pathway Driving the Generation of HCN from Oxyma/DIC Adduct: A Theoretical Study.

The combination of ethyl (hydroxyimino)cyanoacetate (Oxyma) and diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) has demonstrated superior performance in amino acid activation for peptide synthesis. However, it was recently reported that Oxyma and DIC could react to generate undesired hydrogen cyanide (HCN) at 20 °C, raising safety concerns for the practical use of this activation strategy. To help minimize the risks, there is a need for a comprehensive investigation of the mechanism and kinetics of the generation of HCN.

Mechanistic Study of Diketopiperazine Formation during Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis of Tirzepatide.

This study focused on investigating diketopiperazine (DKP) and the formation of associated double-amino-acid deletion impurities during linear solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) of tirzepatide (TZP). We identified that the DKP formation primarily occurred during the Fmoc-deprotection reaction and post-coupling aging of the unstable Fmoc-Pro-Pro-Ser-resin active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) intermediate. Similar phenomena have also been observed for other TZP active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) intermediates that contain a penultimate proline amino acid, such as Fmoc-Ala-Pro-Pro-Pro-Ser-resin, Fmoc-Pro-Pro-Pro-Ser-resin, and Fmoc-Gly-Pro-Ser-Ser-Gly-Ala-Pro-Pro-Pro-Ser-resin, which are intermediates for both hybrid and linear synthesis approaches.

Substituent Effect Transmission Power of Alkyl, Alkenyl, Alkynyl, Phenyl, Thiophenyl, and Polyacene Spacers.

The transmission of substituent effect through a variety of spacers, that is to say, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, thiophenyl, and polyacene has been studied by modeling Y-G-X type molecular systems (Y: reaction center; G: spacer moiety; X: substituent) using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) density functional theory calculations. The reaction center is always kept as a C=C double bond and the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) minimum (V ) observed for this bond showed subtle variation with respect to the changes in the spacer unit and the nature of substituent. Strong linear correlations are observed between Hammett substituent constants (σ and σ ) and V , which recommend the aptness of V as an electronic descriptor to quantify the substituent effect.

Correlation and Prediction of Redox Potentials of Hydrogen Evolution Mononuclear Cobalt Catalysts via Molecular Electrostatic Potential: A DFT Study.

Reduction potentials (E(0)) of six mononuclear cobalt catalysts (1-6) for hydrogen evolution reaction and electron donating/withdrawing effect of nine X-substituents on their macrocyclic ligand are reported at solvation effect-included B3P86/6-311+G** level of density functional theory. The electrostatic potential at the Co nucleus (V(Co)) is found to be a powerful descriptor of the electronic effect experienced by Co from the ligand environment. The V(Co) values vary substantially with respect to the nature of macrocycle, type of apical ligands, nature of substituent and oxidation state of the metal center.

The crucial roles of MgCl2 as a non-innocent additive in the Ni-catalyzed carboxylation of benzyl halide with CO2.

Ni-catalyzed carboxylation of the C(sp(3))-Cl bond with CO2 in the presence of MgCl2 was theoretically investigated. MgCl2 plays three crucial roles in stabilization of a Ni(I)-CO2 adduct and acceleration of the CO2 insertion as a non-innocent additive and the one-electron reduction process as one kind of reagent.

Nickel-catalyzed double carboxylation of alkynes employing carbon dioxide.

The nickel-catalyzed double carboxylation of internal alkynes employing carbon dioxide (CO2) has been developed. The reactions proceed under CO2 (1 atm) at room temperature in the presence of a nickel catalyst, Zn powder as a reducing reagent, and MgBr2 as an indispensable additive. Various internal alkynes could be converted to the corresponding maleic anhydrides in good to high yields.

σ-Bond activation of small molecules and reactions catalyzed by transition-metal complexes: theoretical understanding of electronic processes.

σ-Bond activations of R1-R2 and R1-X1 (R1, R2 = H, alkyl, aromatics, etc.; X1 = electronegative group) by transition-metal complexes are classified into two main categories: σ-bond activation by a metal (M) center and that by a metal-ligand bond. The former is classified into two subcategories: concerted oxidative addition to M and stepwise oxidative addition via nucleophilic attack of M.

The crucial role of a Ni(I) intermediate in Ni-catalyzed carboxylation of aryl chloride with CO2: a theoretical study.

In Ni(0)-catalyzed carboxylation reaction of aryl chloride with CO2, the formation of a Ni(I) species is crucial, because the CO2 insertion into the Ni(I)-Ph bond easily occurs but that into the Ni(II)-Ph bond cannot. This is a key point of this successful carboxylation reaction.

Resonance enhancement via imidazole substitution predicts new cation receptors.

Design and development of cation receptors represent a fascinating area of research, particularly in dealing with chemical and biological applications that require fine-tuning of cation-π interactions. The electronic nature of a substituent is largely responsible for tuning the strength of cation-π interaction, and recent studies have shown that substituent resonance effect contributes significantly to such interactions. Using substituent resonance effect as a key electronic factor, we have proposed new cation-π receptors (1···M(+)-4···M(+); M(+) = Li(+), Na(+), K(+), NH4(+), and NMe4(+)).

Accurate prediction of cation-π interaction energy using substituent effects.

Substituent effects on cation-π interactions have been quantified using a variety of Φ-X···M(+) complexes where Φ, X, and M(+) are the π-system, substituent, and cation, respectively. The cation-π interaction energy, E(M(+)), showed a strong linear correlation with the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) based measure of the substituent effect, ΔV(min) (the difference between the MESP minimum (V(min)) on the π-region of a substituted system and the corresponding unsubstituted system). This linear relationship is E(M(+)) = C(M(+))(ΔV(min)) + E(M(+))' where C(M(+)) is the reaction constant and E(M(+))' is the cation-π interaction energy of the unsubstituted complex.

Quantitative assessment of substituent effects on cation-π interactions using molecular electrostatic potential topography.

A molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) topography based approach has been proposed to quantify the substituent effects on cation-π interactions in complexes of mono-, di-, tri-, and hexasubstituted benzenes with Li(+), Na(+), K(+), and NH(4)(+). The MESP minimum (V(min)) on the π-region of C(6)H(5)X showed strong linear dependency to the cation-π interaction energy, E(M(+)). Further, cation-π distance correlated well with V(min)-π distance.

Substituent effects in cation-π interactions: a unified view from inductive, resonance, and through-space effects.

The quantification of inductive (I), resonance (R), and through-space (TS) effects of a variety of substituents (X) in cation-π interactions of the type C₆H₅X···Na⁺ is achieved by modeling C₆H₅-(Φ₁)(n)-X···Na⁺ (1), C₆H₅-(Φ₂)(n)-X···Na⁺ (2), C₆H₅-(Φ(2perpendicular))(n)-X···Na⁺ (2'), and C₆H₆ ···HX···Na⁺ (3), where Φ₁ = -CH₂CH₂-, Φ₂ = -CHCH-, Φ(2perpendicular) indicates that Φ₂ is perpendicular to the plane of C₆H₅, and n = 1-5. The cation-π interaction energies of 1, 2, 2', and 3, relative to X = H and fitted to polynomial equations in n have been used to extract the substituent effect E₀¹, E₀², E₀(2'), and E₀³ for n = 0, the C₆H₅X···Na⁺ systems. E₀¹ is made up of inductive (E(I)) and through-space (E(TS)) effects while the difference (E₀² - E₀(2')) is purely resonance (E(R)) and E₀³ is attributed to the TS contribution (E(TS)) of the X.

Appraisal of through-bond and through-space substituent effects via molecular electrostatic potential topography.

Through-bond (TB) and through-space (TS) substituent effects in substituted alkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl arenes are quantified separately using molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) topographical analysis. The deepest MESP point over the aromatic ring (V(min)) is considered as a probe for monitoring these effects for a variety of substituents. In the case of substituted alkyl chains, the TS effect (79.

Analysis of structural water and CH···π interactions in HIV-1 protease and PTP1B complexes using a hydrogen bond prediction tool, HBPredicT.

A hydrogen bond prediction tool HBPredicT is developed for detecting structural water molecules and CH···π interactions in PDB files of protein-ligand complexes. The program adds the missing hydrogen atoms to the protein, ligands, and oxygen atoms of water molecules and subsequently all the hydrogen bonds in the complex are located using specific geometrical criteria. Hydrogen bonds are classified into various types based on (i) donor and acceptor atoms, and interactions such as (ii) protein-protein, (iii) protein-ligand, (iv) protein-water, (v) ligand-water, (vi) water-water, and (vii) protein-water-ligand.