A theoretical study of topomerization of imine systems: inversion, rotation or mixed mechanisms?

Coordination Chemistry of Potentially S,N,Npy-Tridentate Thiosemicarbazones with the {Re(CO)3}+ Fragment and Formation of Hemiaminal Derivatives

Nine potentially S,N,N_py-tridentate thiosemicarbazones (HL) derived from pyridine-2-carbaldehyde or 1-(2-pyridyl)ethanone have been prepared and fully characterized. The X-ray crystal structures of six of them and two hydrochlorides were determined and analyzed. The reaction of the [ReX(CH₃CN)₂(CO)₃]/[ReX(CO)₅] (X = Cl and Br) precursors with these ligands yielded different kinds of compounds: the adducts [ReX(HL)(CO)₃], in which the ligands were S,N-bidentate; the trinuclear species [Re₃Cl₂(L²³)(HL²³)(CO)₉]; and the thiosemicarbazonate compounds [Re(L)(CO)₃], where the ligand is S,N,N_py-tridentate. Besides, the reaction in methanol or ethanol of the thiosemicarbazones derived from aldehydes yielded S,N,N_py-tridentate hemiaminal cationic [Re(HL^OR)(CO)₃]X and neutral [Re(L^OMe)(CO)₃] complexes after the coordinated ligand underwent addition of the alcohol group to the imine bond. The reactivity of the complex [ReX(HL)(CO)₃] in MeOH and NEt₃ led to the formation of dinuclear [Re₂(L)₂(CO)₆], where the thiosemicarbazonate is again S,N-bidentate. The influence that the substituents on the thiosemicarbazone ligands have on the stability of the complexes and the effect of the reaction medium on the resulting compounds have been analyzed.

Unusually Chemoselective Photocyclization of 2-(Hydroxyimino)aldehydes to Cyclobutanol Oximes: Synthetic, Stereochemical, and Mechanistic Aspects

Photocyclization of carbonyl compounds (known as the Norrish-Yang reaction) to yield cyclobutanols is, in general, accompanied by fragmentation reactions. The latter are predominant in the case of aldehydes so that secondary cyclobutanols are not considered accessible via the straightforward Norrish-Yang reaction. A noteworthy exception has been reported in our laboratory, where cyclobutanols bearing a secondary alcohol function were observed upon UV light irradiation of 2-(hydroxyimino)aldehydes (HIAs). This reaction is here investigated in detail by combining synthesis, spectroscopic data, molecular dynamics, and DFT calculations. The synthetic methodology is generally applicable to a series of HIAs, affording the corresponding cyclobutanol oximes (CBOs) chemoselectively (i.e., without sizable fragmentation side-reactions), diastereoselectively (up to >99:1), and in good to excellent yields (up to 95%). CBO oxime ether derivatives can be purified and diastereomers isolated by standard column chromatography. The mechanistic and stereochemical picture of this photocyclization reaction, as well as of the postcyclization E/Z isomerization of the oxime double bond is completed.

Aminotroponiminates: Impact of the NO2 Functional Group on Coordination, Isomerisation, and Backbone Substitution

Aminotroponiminate (ATI) ligands are a versatile class of redox-active and potentially cooperative ligands with a rich coordination chemistry that have consequently found a wide range of applications in synthesis and catalysis. While backbone substitution of these ligands has been investigated in some detail, the impact of electron-withdrawing groups on the coordination chemistry and reactivity of ATIs has been little investigated. We report here Li, Na, and K salts of an ATI ligand with a nitro-substituent in the backbone. It is demonstrated that the NO₂ group actively contributes to the coordination chemistry of these complexes, effectively competing with the N,N-binding pocket as a coordination site. This results in an unprecedented E/Z isomerisation of an ATI imino group and culminates in the isolation of the first "naked" (i. e., without directional bonding to a metal atom) ATI anion. Reactions of sodium ATIs with silver(I) and tritylium salts gave the first N,N-coordinated silver ATI complexes and unprecedented backbone substitution reactions. Analytical techniques applied in this work include multinuclear (VT-)NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and DFT calculations.

Remarkable and Unexpected Mechanism for (S)-3-Amino-4-(difluoromethylenyl)cyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxylic Acid as a Selective Inactivator of Human Ornithine Aminotransferase

Human ornithine aminotransferase (hOAT) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that was recently found to play an important role in the metabolic reprogramming of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via the proline and glutamine metabolic pathways. The selective inhibition of hOAT by compound 10 exhibited potent in vivo antitumor activity. Inspired by the discovery of the aminotransferase inactivator (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-(difluoromethylene)cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (5), we rationally designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of six-membered-ring analogs. Among them, 14 was identified as a new selective hOAT inactivator, which demonstrated a potency 22× greater than that of 10. Three different types of protein mass spectrometry approaches and two crystallographic approaches were employed to identify the structure of hOAT-14 and the formation of a remarkable final adduct (32') in the active site. These spectral studies reveal an enzyme complex heretofore not observed in a PLP-dependent enzyme, which has covalent bonds to two nearby residues. Crystal soaking experiments and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to identify the structure of the active-site intermediate 27' and elucidate the order of the two covalent bonds that formed, leading to 32'. The initial covalent reaction of the activated warhead occurs with *Thr322 from the second subunit, followed by a subsequent nucleophilic attack by the catalytic residue Lys292. The turnover mechanism of 14 by hOAT was supported by a mass spectrometric analysis of metabolites and fluoride ion release experiments. This novel mechanism for hOAT with 14 will contribute to the further rational design of selective inactivators and an understanding of potential inactivation mechanisms by aminotransferases.

Z,E-Isomerism in a Series of Substituted Iminophosphonates: Quantum Chemical Research

Esters of iminophosphonic acids (iminophosphonates, or IPs), including a fragment, >P(=O)-C=N, can be easily functionalized, for instance to aminophosphonic acids with a wide range of biological activity. Depending on the character of the substitution, the Z- or E-configuration is favorable for IPs, which in turn can influence the stereochemistry of the products of chemical transformations of IPs. While the Z,E-isomerism in IPs has been thoroughly studied by NMR spectroscopy, the factors stabilizing a definite isomer are still not clear. In the current work, density functional theory (DFT, using M06-2X functional) and ab initio spin-component–scaled second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (SCS-MP2) calculations were carried out for a broad series of IPs. The calculations reproduce well a subtle balance between the preferred Z-configuration inherent for C-trifluoromethyl substituted IPs and the E-form, which is more stable for C-alkyl- or aryl-substituted IPs. The predicted trend of changing activation energy values agrees well with the recently determined experimental ΔG≠298 magnitudes. Depending on the substitution in the aromatic moiety, the Z/E-isomerization of N-aryl-substituted IPs proceeds via two types of close-in energy transition states. Not a single main factor but a combination of various contributions should be considered in order to explain the Z/E-isomerization equilibrium for different IPs.

Synthesis and Characterization of Two "Tied-Back" Lithium Ketimides and Isolation of a Ketimide-Bridged [Cr2]6+ Dimer with Strong Antiferromagnetic Coupling

Reaction of 1 equiv of KN(SiMe₃)₂ with 9-fluorenone results in the formation of (Me₃Si)N═C₁₃H₈ (1) in high yield after work-up. Addition of 1 equiv of phenol to 1 results in rapid desilylation and formation of 9-fluorenone imine, HN═C₁₃H₈ (2). Subsequent reaction of 2 with 1 equiv of LiNⁱPr₂ results in deprotonation and formation of [Li(Et₂O)]₄[N═C₁₃H₈]₄ (3) in good yield. Reaction of 1 equiv of KN(SiMe₃)₂ with 2-adamantanone for 7 days at room temperature results in the formation of (Me₃Si)N═C₁₀H₁₄ (4) in good yield. Dissolution of 4 in neat MeOH results in rapid desilylation concomitant with formation of 2-adamantanone imine, HN═C₁₀H₁₄ (5). Subsequent reaction of 5 with 1 equiv of LiNⁱPr₂ results in formation of [Li(THF)]₄[N═C₁₀H₁₄]₄ (6). Both 3 and 6 were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Finally, reaction of CrCl₃ with 3.5 equiv of 6 results in formation of the [Cr₂]⁶⁺ dimer, [Li][Cr₂(N═C₁₀H₁₄)₇] (7), which can be isolated in modest yield after work-up. Complex 7 features a Cr-Cr bond length of 2.653(2) Å. Additionally, solid-state magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two Cr centers, with J = -200 cm^-1.

Investigations on the E/Z-isomerism of neonicotinoids

We investigate the minimum-energy path for the rotation of formal C=N double bonds in molecules with guanidine-like substructures as present in the chemical class of neonicotinoids. The transitions between the E- and Z-isomers of several neonicotinoids using scans of the torsional potential energy hypersurfaces are quantified at the DFT-level of theory. The validity of using this ansatz is checked by single-point CCSD(T) calculations for model systems like nitroguanidine. A combined approach of theory and experiment permits to unambiguously identify the relevant isomers present at ambient conditions. As an example, MP2-GIAO predictions of the NMR spectra of E- and Z-Clothianidin are experimentally confirmed by low-temperature NMR-experiments identifying for the first time the hitherto unknown Z-Isomer of Clothianidin.

Combining the Advantages of Alkene and Azo E-Z Photoisomerizations: Mechanistic Insights into Ketoimine Photoswitches

We carried out CASPT2//(TD)DFT and CASPT2//CASSCF studies on the working mechanism of imine switches, including a camphorquinone-derived ketoimine (shortened as k-Imine) switch designed by Lehn as well as a model camphorquinone alkene-imine (a-Imine) proposed in this study. Under the experimental conditions (light irradiation with 455 and 365 nm for E and Z, respectively), k-Imine is excited to the S₁:(n_N,π*) state and then decays toward a perpendicular intermediate following the C═N bond rotation coordinate. During the bond rotation, a mild energy barrier caused by the strong interaction of S₁:(n_N,π*) and S₂:(n_O,π*) states will more or less slow down the rotation speed of k-Imine. The large difference in irradiation light wavelength supports k-Imine as a two-way photoswitch. The photoisomerization of a-Imine obeys a similar but fully barrierless pattern while requiring a higher excitation energy to reach the (n_N,π*) state. The good directionality of thermal isomerization toward E(a-Imine), plus the barrierless photoisomerization, allows for the design of a thermal and photo-operated switch. For both imines, a minimal-energy crossing point (MECI) located at the perpendicular region, with low relative energy and close to the rotary path, ensures the directionality of C═N bond rotation and confirms imines as optimal candidates for photoswitches and motors.

Azine-Hydrazone Tautomerism of Guanylhydrazones: Evidence for the Preference Toward the Azine Tautomer

Guanylhydrazones have been known for a long time and have wide applications in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and material science; however, little attention has been paid toward their electronic and structural properties. Quantum chemical analysis on several therapeutically important guanylhydrazones indicated that all of them prefer the azine tautomeric state (by about 3-12 kcal/mol). A set of simple and conjugated azines were designed using quantum chemical methods, whose tautomeric preference toward the azine tautomer is in the range of 3-8 kcal/mol. Twenty new azines were synthesized and isolated in their neutral state. Variable temperature NMR study suggests existence of the azine tautomer even at higher temperatures with no traces of the hydrazone tautomer. The crystal structures of two representative compounds confirmed that the title compounds prefer to exist in their azine tautomeric form.

Synthetic Molecular Motors: Thermal N Inversion and Directional Photoinduced C=N Bond Rotation of Camphorquinone Imines

The thermal and photochemical E/Z isomerization of camphorquinone-derived imines was studied by a combination of kinetic, structural, and computational methods. The thermal isomerization proceeds by linear N inversion, whereas the photoinduced process occurs through C=N bond rotation with preferred directionality as a result of diastereoisomerism. Thereby, these imines are arguably the simplest example of synthetic molecular motors. The generality of the orthogonal trajectories of the thermal and photochemical pathways allows for the postulation that every suitable chiral imine qualifies, in principle, as a molecular motor driven by light or heat.