Photophysics of Molecular Probes for Amyloid-β Detection: Computational Insights into the Roles of Probe Linker and Functional Groups.

In this computational study, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT methods (TD-DFT) were employed to study the optical properties of six families of molecules with donor (D), bridge (B), and acceptor (A) fragments that have potential for use as fluorescent molecular probes for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. After validating our computational method against experimental data, using X-ray and absorption data, the equilibrium geometries and wave functions of the ground and first singlet excited states were systematically studied. Our simulations demonstrate that the S states of these rod-like D-B-A fluorescent probes are twisted intramolecular charge transfer states with a predominant highest occupied molecular orbital-least unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) character, the former localized primarily at the donor, whereas the latter at the acceptor site.

The Versatile and Strategic -Carbamate Directed Metalation Group in the Synthesis of Aromatic Molecules: An Update.

The aryl -carbamate (ArOAm) group is among the strongest of the directed metalation groups (DMGs) in directed metalation (DM) chemistry, especially in the form Ar-OCONEt. Since the last comprehensive review of metalation chemistry involving ArOAms (published more than 30 years ago), the field has expanded significantly. For example, it now encompasses new substrates, solvent systems, and metalating agents, while conditions have been developed enabling metalation of ArOAm to be conducted in a green and sustainable manner.

Probing Alzheimer's pathology: Exploring the next generation of FDDNP analogues for amyloid β detection.

Fluorescent probes are a powerful tool for imaging amyloid β (Aβ) plaques, the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we report the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of 21 novel probes as well as their optical properties and binding affinities to Aβ fibrils. One of these dyes, 1Ae, exhibited several improvements over FDDNP, an established biomarker for Aβ- and Tau-aggregates.

Towards structurally versatile mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefin ligands and their coordination to palladium, gold, and boron hydride.

We have developed an efficient and versatile approach for the synthesis of a family of 1,2,3-triazole-based mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefin (mNHO) ligands and investigated their coordination to palladium, gold, and boron hydride experimentally and computationally. We reacted mNHOs obtained through deprotonation of the corresponding methylated and ethylated 1,3,4-triaryl-1,2,3-triazolium salts with [Pd(allyl)Cl] to give the corresponding [Pd(η-allyl)Cl(mNHO)] coordination complexes. C NMR data revealed the strong σ-donor character of the mNHO ligands, consistent with the calculated bond orders and atom-condensed charges.

Leveraging Ligand Affinity and Properties: Discovery of Novel Benzamide-Type Cereblon Binders for the Design of PROTACs.

Immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) such as thalidomide, pomalidomide, and lenalidomide are the most common cereblon (CRBN) recruiters in proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) design. However, these CRBN ligands induce the degradation of IMiD neosubstrates and are inherently unstable, degrading hydrolytically under moderate conditions. In this work, we simultaneously optimized physiochemical properties, stability, on-target affinity, and off-target neosubstrate modulation features to develop novel nonphthalimide CRBN binders.

Elucidating the reaction mechanism of a palladium-palladium dual catalytic process through kinetic studies of proposed elementary steps.

In the synergistic dual catalytic process, the kinetics of the catalytic cycles must be balanced for the successful outcome of the reaction. Therefore, the analysis of the kinetics of the independent catalytic cycles is essential for such reactions, as it enables their relational optimization as well as their design. Here we describe an analysis of the mechanism of a catalytic synergistic bimetallic reaction through the experimental study of a palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of aryl halides with terminal alkynes, an example of a monometallic dual catalytic process.

Deuterated Drugs and Biomarkers in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Initially identified in Wuhan (China) in December 2019, COVID-19 rapidly spread globally, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. Carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 can experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe (or no symptoms whatsoever).

Preparation of Quinoline-2,4-dione Functionalized 1,2,3-Triazol-4-ylmethanols, 1,2,3-Triazole-4-carbaldehydes and 1,2,3-Triazole-4-carboxylic Acids.

(1-(2,4-Dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-3-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl acetates substituted on nitrogen atom of quinolinedione moiety with propargyl group or (1-substituted 1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl group, which are available from the appropriate 3-(4-hydroxymethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)quinoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones unsubstituted on quinolone nitrogen atom by the previously described procedures, were deacetylated by acidic ethanolysis. Thus obtained primary alcohols, as well as those aforenamed unsubstituted on quinolone nitrogen atom, were oxidized to aldehydes on the one hand with pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), on the other hand with manganese dioxide, and to carboxylic acids using Jones reagent in acetone. The structures of all prepared compounds were confirmed by 1H, 13C and 15N NMR spectroscopy.

Scalable Synthesis of Salt-free Quaternary Ammonium Carboxylate Catanionic Surfactants.

Surfactants in commercial products commonly contain catanionic mixtures thus many studies of aqueous surfactant mixtures have been carried out. However, hardly any studies have been dedicated to pure catanionic surfactants often termed salt-free catanionic surfactants. One of the difficulties is in acquirement of samples with required purity due to difficult separation of these compounds from inorganic salts.

Database Independent Automated Structure Elucidation of Organic Molecules Based on IR, H NMR, C NMR, and MS Data.

Herein, we report a computational algorithm that follows a spectroscopist-driven elucidation process of the structure of an organic molecule based on IR, H and C NMR, and MS tabular data. The algorithm is independent from database searching and is based on a bottom-up approach, building the molecular structure from small structural fragments visible in spectra. It employs an analytical combinatorial approach with a graph search technique to determine the connectivity of structural fragments that is based on the analysis of the NMR spectra, to connect the identified structural fragments into a molecular structure.

Designing Homogeneous Copper-Free Sonogashira Reaction through a Prism of Pd-Pd Transmetalation.

Simultaneous introduction of two different palladium (pre)catalysts, one tuned to promote oxidative addition to (hetero)aryl bromide and another to activate terminal alkyne substrate, leads to productive Pd-Pd transmetalation, subsequent reductive elimination, and formation of disubstituted alkyne. This conceptually novel rational design of copper-free Sonogashira reaction enabled facile identification of the reaction conditions, suitable for the synthesis of alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl substituted alkynes at room temperature with as low as 0.125 mol % total Pd loading.

Pyridine Wingtip in [Pd(Py-NHC)] Complex Is a Proton Shuttle in the Catalytic Hydroamination of Alkynes.

The cationic palladium(II) complex of pyridyl-mesoionic carbene ligand catalyzes Markovnikov-selective intermolecular hydroamination between anilines and terminal alkynes into the corresponding imines. The reaction proceeds at room temperature, in the absence of additives, with exquisite selectivity and diverse functional group tolerance. The key intrinsic feature of the catalyst is the pyridine wingtip confined to the proximity of the alkynophilic metal active site, which mimics the function of enzyme-like architectures by assisting entropically favored proton transfers.

Arylation of Click Triazoles with Diaryliodonium Salts.

A robust, selective, and highly efficient method for the preparation of 1,3,4-triaryl 1,2,3-triazolium salts has been developed. It features arylation of a click triazole with a diaryliodonium salt in the presence of a copper catalyst under neat conditions. The presence of pyridine functionality is tolerated, enabling the first access to key precursors of pyridyl-mesoionic carbene ligands.

H- N HMBC NMR as a tool for rapid identification of isomeric azaindoles: The case of 5F-MDMB-P7AICA.

The high frequency of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) emergence renders this group of new psychoactive compounds particularly demanding in terms of detection, identification, and responding. Without the available reference material, one of the specific problems is differentiation and structure elucidation of constitutional isomers. Herein, we report a simple and efficient flow chart diagram applicable for a rapid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) identification and differentiation between azaindoles, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindole, which is a common structural motif of synthetic cannabinoids.

Mechanism of copper-free Sonogashira reaction operates through palladium-palladium transmetallation.

The seminal contributions by Sonogashira, Cassar and Heck in mid 1970s on Pd/Cu- and Pd-catalysed (copper-free) coupling of acetylenes with aryl or vinyl halides have evolved in myriad applications. Despite the enormous success both in academia and in industry, however, critical mechanistic questions of this cross-coupling process remain unresolved. In this study, experimental evidence and computational support is provided for the mechanism of copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction.

Synthesis of Bis(1,2,3-Triazole) Functionalized Quinoline-2,4-Diones.

Derivatives of 3-(1-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)quinoline-2,4(1,3)-dione unsubstituted on quinolone nitrogen atom, which are available by the previously described four step synthesis starting from aniline, were exploited as intermediates in obtaining the title compounds. The procedure involves the introduction of propargyl group onto the quinolone nitrogen atom of mentioned intermediates by the reaction of them with propargyl bromide in ,-dimethylformamide (DMF) in presence of a potassium carbonate and the subsequent formation of a second triazole ring by copper catalyzed cyclisation reaction with azido compounds. The products were characterized by ¹H, C and N NMR spectroscopy.

Versatile Coordination of Azocarboxamides: Redox-Triggered Change of the Chelating Binding Pocket in Ruthenium Complexes.

Azocarboxamides occupy a special place among azo ligands owing to their versatility for metal coordination. Herein ruthenium complexes with two different azocarboxamide ligands that differ in the presence (or not) of a coordinating pyridyl heterocycle are presented. By making full use of the O,N(amide), N(azo), and N(pyridyl) coordinating sites, the first diruthenium complex that is bridged by an azo ligand containing two different binding pockets was obtained.

Seasonal and spatial variations in the occurrence, mass loadings and removal of compounds of emerging concern in the Slovene aqueous environment and environmental risk assessment.

This study reports the development of a multi-residue method for determining 48 compounds of emerging concern (CEC) including three diclofenac transformation products (TP) in Slovenian wastewater (WW) and surface water (SW). For solid-phase extraction (SPE), Oasis™ Prime cartridges were favoured over Oasis HLB™. The validated method was then applied to 43 SW and 52 WW samples collected at nine locations.

The Value of In Vitro Binding as Predictor of In Vivo Results: A Case for [F]FDDNP PET.

Purpose: Caution is warranted when in vitro results of biomarkers labeled with tritium were perfunctorily used to criticize in vivo data and conclusions derived with the same tracers labeled with positron emitters and positron emission tomography (PET). This concept is illustrated herein with the PET utilization of [F]FDDNP, a biomarker used for in vivo visualization of β-amyloid and tau protein neuroaggregates in humans, later contradicted by in vitro data reported with [H]FDDNP. In this investigation, we analyze the multiple factors involved in the experimental design of the [H]FDDNP in vitro study that led to the erroneous interpretation of results.

Systematic Evaluation of 2-Arylazocarboxylates and 2-Arylazocarboxamides as Mitsunobu Reagents.

2-Arylazocarboxylate and 2-arylazocarboxamide derivatives can serve as replacements of typical Mitsunobu reagents such as diethyl azodicarboxylate. A systematic investigation of the reactivity and physical properties of those azo compounds has revealed that they have an excellent ability as Mitsunobu reagents. These reagents show similar or superior reactivity as compared to the known azo reagents and are applicable to the broad scope of substrates.

En Route to 2-(Cyclobuten-1-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-indole.

A six-step synthetic route from 4-chloro-2-methylaniline to 5-chloro-2-(cyclobut-1-en-1-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-indole (1) has been reported. Compound 1a is a key impurity of reverse transcriptase inhibitor efavirenz, an important anti-HIV/AIDS drug. Synthetic challenges, dead ends, and detours are discussed.

Synthesis and X-ray Structural Analysis of the Ruthenium(III) Complex Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO) (PyrDiaz)], the Diazene Derivative of Antitumor NAMI-Pyr.

Novel tetrachloridoruthenium(III) complex Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)(PyrDiaz)] (3) with pyridine-tethered diazenedicarboxamide PyrDiaz ligand (PyrDiaz = N1-(4-isopropylphenyl)-N2-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)diazene-1,2-dicarboxamide) was synthesized by direct coupling of PyrDiaz with sodium trans-bis(dimethyl sulfoxide)tetrachloridoruthenate(III) (Na-[trans-Ru(DMSO)2Cl4]). Compound 3 is the analogue of the antimetastatic Ru(III) complex NAMI-A and NAMI-Pyr. Single crystal X.

Design, Syntheses, and in Vitro Evaluation of New Fluorine-18 Radiolabeled Tau-Labeling Molecular Probes.

Deposition of aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein is a hallmark of tauopathies like Alzheimer and many other neurodegenerative diseases. A sensitive and selective method of in vivo detection of tau-aggregate presence and distribution could provide the means of an early diagnosis of tau-associated diseases. Furthermore, the use of selective molecular probes that enable histochemical differentiation of protein aggregates post-mortem would be advantageous for the insight into the properties of tau protein aggregates.

Synthesis and in vitro investigation of halogenated 1,3-bis(4-nitrophenyl)triazenide salts as antitubercular compounds.

The diverse pharmacological properties of the diaryltriazenes have sparked the interest to investigate their potential to be repurposed as antitubercular drug candidates. In an attempt to improve the antitubercular activity of a previously constructed diaryltriazene library, eight new halogenated nitroaromatic triazenides were synthesized and underwent biological evaluation. The potency of the series was confirmed against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lab strain H37Ra, and for the most potent derivative, we observed a minimal inhibitory concentration of 0.

Design, synthesis and antitubercular potency of 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-ones.

In this study, a 50-membered library of substituted 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-ones and two closely related analogues was designed, scored in-silico for drug likeness and subsequently synthesized. Thirteen derivatives, all sharing a common 3-phenyl substituent showed minimal inhibitory concentrations against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra below 10 μM and against Mycobacterium bovis AN5A below 15 μM but were inactive against faster growing mycobacterial species. None of these selected derivatives showed significant acute toxicity against MRC-5 cells or early signs of genotoxicity in the Vitotox™ assay at the active concentration range.