Rearrangements of 1,2,4-Oxadiazole: “One Ring to Rule Them All”

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Mono- and Bi-Cationic Pyridinium 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles and Triazoles

One of the main causes of mortality in humans continues to be infectious diseases. Scientists are searching for new alternatives due to the fast increase in resistance of some harmful bacteria to the frontline antibiotics. To effectively treat pathogenic infections, it is crucial to design antibiotics that can prevent the development of pathogenic resistance. For this purpose, a set of 39 quaternary pyridinium and bis-pyridinium salts with different lengths of side alkyl or fluorinated chains, heterocyclic spacers, and counter ions were tested on diverse reference bacterial ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) strains, such as S. aureus and E. coli. Subsequently, 6 out of the 39 pyridinium salts showing relevant MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) values were tested on clinically isolated, resistant strains of S. aureus, S. epidermids, S. haemolyticus, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, and P. aeruginosa. Additional tests have been performed to assess if the minimum concentration detected through MIC assay may limit the growth of biofilms.

From Conventional to Sustainable Catalytic Approaches for Heterocycles Synthesis

Synthesis of heterocyclic compounds is fundamental for all the research area in chemistry, from drug synthesis to material science. In this framework, catalysed synthetic methods are of great interest to effective reach such important building blocks. In this review, we will report on some selected examples from the last five years, of the major improvement in the field, focusing on the most important conventional catalytic systems, such as transition metals, organocatalysts, to more sustainable ones such as photocatalysts, iodine-catalysed reaction, electrochemical reactions and green innovative methods.

Novel 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds as PPAR-α ligand agonists: a new strategy for the design of antitumour compounds

Modulation of PPAR-α by natural ligands is a novel strategy for the development of anticancer therapies. A series of 16 compounds based on the structure of 3-(pyridin-3-yl)-5-(thiophen-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (natural compound) with antitumour potential were designed and synthesised. The cytotoxicity and PPAR agonist activity of these synthetic 1,2,4-oxadiazoles were evaluated in the A-498 and DU 145 tumour cell lines. Preliminary biological evaluation showed that most of these synthetic 1,2,4-oxadiazoles are less cytotoxic (sulforhodamine B assay) than the positive control WY-14643. Regarding the PPAR-α modulation, compound 16 was the most active, with EC50 = 0.23-0.83 μM (PPAR-α). Additionally, compound 16 had a similar activity to the natural compound (EC50 = 0.18-0.77 μM) and was less toxic in the RPTEC and WPMY-1 cell lines (non-tumour cells) (CC50 = 81.66-92.67 μM) than the natural compound. Looking at the link between chemical structure and activity, our study demonstrates that changes to the natural 1,2,4-oxadiazole at the level of the thiophenyl residue can lead to new agonists of PPAR-α with promising anti-tumour activity.

Thermal Rearrangement of 5-(2-Hydroxy-6-oxocyclohexyl)-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines

Some of the most important transformations in organic chemistry are rearrangement reactions, which play a crucial role in increasing synthetic efficiency and molecular complexity. The development of synthetic strategies involving rearrangement reactions, which can accomplish synthetic goals in a very efficient manner, has been an evergreen topic in the synthetic chemistry community. Xanthenes, pyridin-2(1H)-ones, and 1,6-naphthyridines have a wide range of biological activities. In this work, we propose the thermal rearrangement of 7,9-dihalogen-substituted 5-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohexyl)-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines in DMSO. Previously unknown 5,7-dihalogenated 5-(2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-9-yl)-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyridines and 10-(3,5-dihalogen-2-hydroxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridines were synthesized with excellent yields (90–99%). The investigation of the transformation using 1H-NMR monitoring made it possible to confirm the ANRORC mechanism. The structures of synthesized compounds were confirmed by 2D-NMR spectroscopy.

Synthesis and Biological Activity of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles Used in Medicine and Agriculture

Biologically active compounds play a key role in the fight against diseases affecting both human and animal living organisms, as well as plants. Finding out about new molecules with a potential biological effect, not yet described in the literature, is one of the most important aspects in the development of medicine and agriculture. Compounds showing desirable biological activity include heterocyclic moieties such as 1,3,4-oxadiazoles. The oxadiazole molecule is composed of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, forming a five-membered heterocyclic ring. Structures of this type have been successfully used in the treatment of various diseases in humans and animals, and play an important role in modern agriculture. It has been proven that many oxadiazole derivatives exhibit antibacterial, antiviral, blood pressure lowering, antifungal, antineoplastic, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In addition, compounds based on 1,3,4-oxadiazole can act as plant protection agents due to their herbicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal activity. Due to the constantly growing interest in heterocyclic systems of this nature, new methods of obtaining complex structures containing oxadiazole rings are sought. This article discusses various methods of synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives exhibiting biological activity. Based on these techniques, these compounds could be used in the future in medicine and agriculture.

Ammonium Formate-Pd/C as a New Reducing System for 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles. Synthesis of Guanidine Derivatives and Reductive Rearrangement to Quinazolin-4-Ones with Potential Anti-Diabetic Activity

1,2,4-Oxadiazole is a heterocycle with wide reactivity and many useful applications. The reactive O-N bond is usually reduced using molecular hydrogen to obtain amidine derivatives. NH4CO2H-Pd/C is here demonstrated as a new system for the O-N reduction, allowing us to obtain differently substituted acylamidine, acylguanidine and diacylguanidine derivatives. The proposed system is also effective for the achievement of a reductive rearrangement of 5-(2'-aminophenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles into 1-alkylquinazolin-4(1H)-ones. The alkaloid glycosine was also obtained with this method. The obtained compounds were preliminarily tested for their biological activity in terms of their cytotoxicity, induced oxidative stress, α-glucosidase and DPP4 inhibition, showing potential application as anti-diabetics.

Synthesis of 5-arylacetylenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles and their transformations under superelectrophilic activation conditions

Acetylene derivatives of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles, i.e., 5-(2-arylethynyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles, have been obtained, for the first time reported, from 5-(2-arylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles by their bromination at the carbon–carbon double bond followed by di-dehydrobromination with NaNH₂ in liquid NH₃. The reaction of the acetylenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with arenes in neat triflic acid TfOH (CF₃SO₃H) at room temperature for 1 h resulted in the formation of E/Z-5-(2,2-diarylethenyl)-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles as products of regioselective hydroarylation of the acetylene bond. The addition of TfOH to the acetylene bond of these oxadiazoles quantitatively resulted in E/Z-vinyl triflates. The reactions of the cationic intermediates have been studied by DFT calculations and the reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Two-Dimensional Barriers for Probing Conformational Shifts in Macrocycles

We describe the development and use of composite two-dimensional barriers in macrocyclic backbones. These tunable constructs derive their mode of action from heterocyclic rearrangements. The Boulton-Katritzky reaction has been identified as a particularly versatile means to effect a composite barrier, allowing the examination of the influence of heterocycle translocation on conformation. Kinetic studies using ¹H NMR have revealed that the in-plane atom movement is fast in 17, 18, 19-membered rings but slows down in 16-membered rings. The analysis by NMR and MD simulation experiments is consistent with the maintenance of rare cis-amide motifs during conformational interconversion. Taken together, our investigation demonstrates that heterocyclic rearrangement reactions can be used to control macrocyclic backbones and provides fundamental insights that may be applicable to the development of a wide range of other conformational control elements.

An efficient synthesis tetrazole and oxadiazole analogues of novel 2'-deoxy-C-nucleosides and their antitumor activity

Various tetrazole and oxadiazole C-nucleoside analogues were synthesized starting from pure α- or β-glycosyl-cyanide. The synthesis of glycosyl-cyanide as key precursor was optimized on gram-scale to furnish crystalline starting material for the assembly of C-nucleosides. Oxadizole C-nucleosides were synthesized via two independent routes. First,  the glycosyl-cyanide was converted into an amidoxime which upon ring closure offered an alternative pathway for the assembly of 1,2,4-oxadizoles in an efficient manner. Second, both anomers of glycosyl-cyanide were transformed into tetrazole nucleosides followed by acylative rearrangement to furnish 1,3,4-oxadiazoles in high yields. These protocols offer an easy access to otherwise difficult to synthesize C-nucleosides in good yield and protecting group compatibility. These C-nucleosides were evaluated for their antitumor activity. This work paves a path for facile assembly of library of new chemical entities useful for drug discovery.

New Potential Biologically Active Compounds: Synthesis and Characterization of Urea and Thiourea Derivativpes Bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole Ring

Background:

Urea, thiourea, and 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds are of great interest due to their different activities such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, fungicidal, herbicidal, diuretic, antihelminthic and antitumor along with antimicrobial activities.

Objective:

In this work, we provide a new series of potential biologically active compounds containing both 1,2,4-oxadiazole and urea/thiouprea moiety.

Materials and Methods:

Firstly, 5-chloromethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (3a-j) were synthesized from the reaction of different substituted amidoximes (2a-j) and chloroacetyl chloride in the presence of pyridine by conventional and microwave-assisted methods. In the conventional method, 1,2,4-oxadiazoles were obtained in two steps. O-acylamidoximes obtained in the first step at room temperature were heated in toluene for an average of one hour to obtain 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The yields varied from 70 to 96 %. 1,2,4-oxadiazoles were obtained under microwave irradiation in a single step in a 90-98 % yield at 160 °C in five minutes. 5-aminomethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4- oxadiazoles (5a-j) were obtained by Gabriel amine synthesis in two steps from corresponding 5-chloromethyl-3- aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. Finally, twenty new urea (6a-j) and thiourea (7a-j) compounds bearing oxadiazole ring were synthesized by reacting 5-aminomethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with phenyl isocyanate and isothiocyanate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature with average yields (40-70%).

Results and Discussions:

An efficient and rapid method for the synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from the reaction of amidoximes and acyl halides without using any coupling reagent under microwave irradiation has been developed, and twenty new urea/thiourea compounds bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring have been synthesized and characterized.

Conclusion:

We have synthesized a new series of urea/thiourea derivatives bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring. Also facile synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from amidoximes and acyl chlorides under microwave irradiation was reported. The compounds were characterized using FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis techniques.

Development of a Continuous Flow Photoisomerization Reaction Converting Isoxazoles into Diverse Oxazole Products

A continuous flow process is presented, which directly converts isoxazoles into their oxazole counterparts via a photochemical transposition reaction. This results in the first reported exploitation of this transformation to establish its scope and synthetic utility. A series of various di- and trisubstituted oxazole products bearing different appendages including different heterocyclic moieties were realized through this rapid and mild flow process. Furthermore, the robustness of this approach was demonstrated by generating gram quantities of selected products while also providing insights into likely intermediates.

Unexpected Substituent Effects in the Iso-Heterocyclic Boulton-Katritzky Rearrangement of 3-Aroylamino-5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles: A Mechanistic Study

The kinetics of the iso-heterocyclic mononuclear rearrangement of some 3-aroylamino-5-methyl-1,2,4-ozadiazoles was carefully examined under largely variable acidic or alkaline conditions. This reaction may proceed via two different mechanistic pathways (an uncatalyzed and a base-catalyzed one), as accounted for also by the evaluation of the relevant activation parameters. Substituent effects, as quantified by means of the Hammett's equation, appear relatively modest; however, they reveal some interesting anomalies, which enabled us to draw a very precise picture of the intimate reaction course.

Strategies against Nonsense: Oxadiazoles as Translational Readthrough-Inducing Drugs (TRIDs)

This review focuses on the use of oxadiazoles as translational readthrough-inducing drugs (TRIDs) to rescue the functional full-length protein expression in mendelian genetic diseases caused by nonsense mutations. These mutations in specific genes generate premature termination codons (PTCs) responsible for the translation of truncated proteins. After a brief introduction on nonsense mutations and their pathological effects, the features of various classes of TRIDs will be described discussing differences or similarities in their mechanisms of action. Strategies to correct the PTCs will be presented, particularly focusing on a new class of Ataluren-like oxadiazole derivatives in comparison to aminoglycosides. Additionally, recent results on the efficiency of new candidate TRIDs in restoring the production of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein will be presented. Finally, a prospectus on complementary strategies to enhance the effect of TRIDs will be illustrated together with a conclusive paragraph about perspectives, opportunities, and caveats in developing small molecules as TRIDs.

Synthesis of 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles by Tandem Reaction of Nitroalkenes with Arenes and Nitriles in the Superacid TfOH

The tandem reaction of nitroalkenes with arenes and nitriles in the superacid CF₃SO₃H (TfOH) results in the formation of 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives in yields up to 96%. This reaction proceeds via the consequent interaction of arenes and nitriles, as nucleophiles, with intermediate cationic species derived by the protonation of nitroalkenes in TfOH. This is novel and general synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles, which are very important compounds for medicinal chemistry.

Mononuclear Rearrangement of the Z-Phenylhydrazones of Some 3-Acyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles: Effect of Substituents on the Nucleophilic Character of the >C═N-NH-C6 H5 Chain and on the Charge Density of N-2 of the 1,2,4-Oxadiazole Ring (Electrophilic Counterpart)

The reaction rates for the mononuclear rearrangement of the Z-phenylhydrazones of 3-acyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles 3a-c into the relevant 2-phenyl-2 H-1,2,3-triazoles (4a-c) have been measured in dioxane/water at different temperatures in a large range of proton concentrations. The occurrence of two different reaction pathways (one uncatalyzed, water assisted, and the other general base catalyzed) has- been observed. The obtained results have been able to furnish information about the effects of the nature of the 3-acyl structure and of the 5-substituents in the 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring on the reactivity of the examined rearrangements: they are well in line with the previsions carried out considering some our previous computational results as well as experimental kinetic ones.

Aminonitrones as highly reactive bifunctional synthons. An expedient one-pot route to 5-amino-1,2,4-triazoles and 5-amino-1,2,4-oxadiazoles – potential antimicrobials targeting multi-drug resistant bacteria

A four-component one-pot reaction proceeds very rapidly under mild conditions and gives the heterocyclic systems in good yields.

Facile selective synthesis of 2-methyl-5-amino-1,2,4-oxadiazolium bromides as further targets for nucleophilic additions

The reaction of aminonitrones with isocyanides and Br₂ gives 2-methyl-5-amino-1,2,4-oxadiazolium bromides, which are convenient precursors for other heterocycles and ureides.