Computer modeling of ferrocene-substituted 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes as serine protease inhibitors

Synthesis of non-symmetric N-benzylbispidinol amides and study of their inhibitory activity against the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Based on the data obtained by molecular modeling of the non-covalent interaction of non-symmetric N-benzylbispidin-9-ol amides with the active site of the main protease 3CLpro of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a series of compounds was synthesized, and their inhibitory activity against 3CLpro was studied and compared with that of the known inhibitor ML188 (IC₅₀ = 1.56±0.55 µmol L^-1). It was found that only compound 1g containing the 1,4-dihydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazole fragment showed moderate activity (IC₅₀ = 100±5.7µmol L^-1) and was characterized by the highest calculated binding energy among the studied bispidine derivatives according to molecular docking data.

Design and Evaluation of Bispidine-Based SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors

For the first time, derivatives of 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (bispidine) were proposed as potential inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main viral protease (3-chymotrypsin-like, 3CLpro). Based on the created pharmacophore model of the active site of the protease, a group of compounds were modeled and tested for activity against 3CLpro. The 3CLpro activity was measured using the fluorogenic substrate Dabcyl-VNSTLQSGLRK(FAM)MA; the efficiency of the proposed approach was confirmed by comparison with literature data for ebselen and disulfiram. The results of the experiments performed with bispidine compounds showed that 14 compounds exhibited activity in the concentration range 1-10 μM, and 3 samples exhibited submicromolar activity. The structure-activity relationship studies showed that the molecules containing a carbonyl group in the ninth position of the bicycle exhibited the maximum activity. Based on the experimental and theoretical results obtained, further directions for the development of this topic were proposed.

Supramolecular Organogels Based on N-Benzyl, N'-Acylbispidinols

The acylation of unsymmetrical N-benzylbispidinols in aromatic solvents without an external base led to the formation of supramolecular gels, which possess different thicknesses and degrees of stability depending on the substituents in para-positions of the benzylic group as well as on the nature of the acylating agent and of the solvent used. Structural features of the native gels as well as of their dried forms were studied by complementary techniques including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and small-angle X-ray scattering and diffraction (SAXS). Structures of the key crystalline compounds were established by X-ray diffraction. An analysis of the obtained data allowed speculation on the crucial structural and condition factors that governed the gel formation. The most important factors were as follows: (i) absence of base, either external or internal; (ii) presence of HCl; (iii) presence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups to allow hydrogen bonding; and (iv) presence of two (hetero)aromatic rings at both sides of the molecule. The hydrogen bonding involving amide carbonyl, hydroxyl at position 9, and, very probably, ammonium N-H⁺ and Cl- anion appears to be responsible for the formation of infinite molecular chains required for the first step of gel formation. Subsequent lateral cooperation of molecular chains into fibers occurred, presumably, due to the aromatic π-π-stacking interactions. Supercritical carbon dioxide drying of the organogels gave rise to aerogels with morphologies different from that of air-dried samples.

Crystal structures and supra-molecular features of 9,9-dimethyl-3,7-di-aza-bicyclo-[3.3.1]nonane-2,4,6,8-tetra-one, 3,7-di-aza-spiro-[bi-cyclo-[3.3.1]nonane-9,1'-cyclo-penta-ne]-2,4,6,8-tetra-one and 9-methyl-9-phenyl-3,7-di-aza-bicyclo-[3.3.1]nonane-2,4,6,8-tetra-one di-methyl-formamide monosolvate

Compounds (I), C9H10N2O4, (II), C11H12N2O4, and (III), C14H12N2O4·C3H7NO represent 9,9-disubstituted-3,7-di-aza-bicyclo-[3.3.1]nonane-2,4,6,8-tetra-one deriv-atives with very similar mol-ecular geometries for the bicyclic framework: the dihedral angle between the planes of the imide groups is 74.87 (6), 73.86 (3) and 74.83 (6)° in (I)-(III), respectively. The dimethyl derivative (I) is positioned on a crystallographic twofold axis and its overall geometry deviates only slightly from idealized C2v symmetry. The spiro-cyclo-pentane derivative (II) and the phen-yl/methyl analog (III) retain only inter-nal Cs symmetry, which in the case of (II) coincides with crystallographic mirror symmetry. The cyclo-pentane moiety in (II) adopts an envelope conformation, with the spiro C atom deviating from the mean plane of the rest of the ring by 0.548 (2) Å. In compound (III), an N-H⋯O hydrogen bond is formed with the di-methyl-formamide solvent mol-ecule. In the crystal, both (I) and (II) form similar zigzag hydrogen-bonded ribbons through double inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. However, whereas in (I) the ribbons are formed by two trans-arranged O=C-N-H amide fragments, the amide fragments are cis-positioned in (II). The formation of ribbons in (III) is apparently disrupted by participation of one of its N-H groups in hydrogen bonding with the solvent mol-ecule. As a result, the mol-ecules of (III) form zigzag chains rather than the ribbons through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The crystal of (I) was a pseudo-merohedral twin.