Synthesis of charge transfer complex of chloranilic acid as acceptor with p-nitroaniline as donor: Crystallographic, UV–visible spectrophotometric and antimicrobial studies

Design, synthesis, characterizing and DFT calculations of a binary CT complex co-crystal of bioactive moieties in different polar solvents to investigate its pharmacological activity

Imidazole (IM) and salicylic acid (SA) have a significant class among the medical compound. These are widely used as topical drugs like antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, immunosuppressive agent, etc. These two bioactive organic moieties are combined by a weak hydrogen bond formed by hydrogen transfer. The charge transfer (CT) complex of acceptor (SA) and donor (IM), has been synthesized at room temperature in methanol and confirmed by signal-crystal XRD, conductance and UV-visible spectroscopy. The X-ray crystallography provides the original structural information of CT complex and displays the existence of N+-H--O- bond between IM and SA. The physical properties such as (ECT), (RN), (ID), (f), (D) and (Δ G0) along with molar extinction coefficient (εCT) and formation constant (KCT) were estimated through UV-visible spectroscopy. Job's method and Benesi-Hildebrand equation suggested 1:1 stoichiometry of ([IM]+[SA]-). The results indicate a complete transfer of hydrogen atom and CT complex formation with 1:1 molar ratio of IM and SA. Antimicrobial activity was veiled against different bacteria like Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus; and different fungi as Fusarium oxysporum, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger by disc diffusion method. CT complex was also tested for cytotoxic activity against lung cancer cell lines in comparison to breast cancer cell lines. Molecular docking provides the information of binding of [(IM)+(SA)-] with the cancer marker (1M17), which has substantial application for drug designing. The investigational studies were supplemented through time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) using basis set B3LYP/6-311G**. Through DFT calculations, HOMO→LUMO electronic energy gap (Δ E ) was obtained.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, antimicrobial activity, molecular docking and DFT studies of proton transfer (H-bonded) complex of 8-aminoquinoline (donor) with chloranilic acid (acceptor)

The proton transfer complex has been synthesized by mixing 1:1 ratio of 8-aminoquinoline (donor) and chloranilic acid (acceptor) in methanol. FTIR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H NMR, Powder XRD and UV-visible studies confirmed the formation of the newly synthesized compound. These methods ascertain that cations and anions combine to form weak hydrogen bonds as N⁺-H----O^-. The physical properties such as energy of interaction (E_CT), resonating energy (R_N), Ionization potential (I_D), and oscillator strength (f), transition dipole strength (D) and free energy (Δ G) were estimated through UV-visible spectroscopy. The thermal stability of this complex and extensive erosion was analyzed by TGA/DTA study. Benesi-Hildebrand equation was used to determine 1:1 stoichiometry of this complex and to calculate the molar extinction coefficient (ε_CT), the formation constant (K_CT) and other physical parameters. The nature of transfer of charge relations plays a vital role in chemistry and in biological systems. The synthesized proton transfer complex has been screened for antibacterial activities against different bacteria and antifungal activities against different fungi. The proton transfer complex also displays outstanding interaction with the human protein (globulin) protein. The DFT calculations by B3LYP/6-311G** basis set gave theoretical establishment and HOMO (-5.468 eV) to LUMO (-3.328 eV) electronic energy gap (ΔE) as 2.140 eV. Theoretical analysis proves the biological characteristics as well. Molecular docking displays that CT complex is fully bound to the protein and determines the free binding energy value of -290.18 kcal/mol (FEB).A new organic charge transfer complex has been prepared, characterized and explored for antibacterial, antifungal and protein binding properties. The experimental results are supported by theoretical analysis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis, spectroscopic and computational studies on hydrogen bonded charge transfer complex of duvelisib with chloranilic acid: Application to development of novel 96-microwell spectrophotometric assay

Duvelisib (DUV) is a is a small-molecule with inhibitory action for phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). It has been recently approved for the effective treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Novel charge transfer complex (CTC) between DUV, as electron donor, with chloranilic acid (CLA), as π electron acceptor has been synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic and thermogravimetric techniques. UV-visible spectroscopy ascertained the formation of the CTC in different solvents of varying polarity indexes and dielectric constants via formation of new broad absorption band with maximum absorption peak (λ_max) in the range of 488-532 nm. The molar absorptivity of the CTC was dependent on the polarity index and dielectric constant of the solvent; the correlation coefficients were 0.9955 and 0.9749, respectively. The stoichiometric ratio of DUV:CLA was 1:1. Electronic spectral analysis was conducted for characterization of the complex in terms of its electronic constants. Computational calculation for atomic charges of energy minimized DUV was conducted and the site of interaction on DUV molecule was assigned. The solid-state CTC of DUV:CLA (1:1) was synthesized, and its structure was characterized by UV-visible, mass, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopic techniques. Both FT-IR and ¹H NMR confirmed that both CT and hydrogen bonding contributed to the molecular composition of the complex. The reaction was adopted as a basis for developing a novel 96-microwell spectrophotometric assay (MW-SPA) for DUV. The assay limits of detection and quantitation were 0.57 and 1.72 µg/well, respectively. The assay was validated and all validation parameters were acceptable. The method was implemented successfully with great precision and accuracy to the analysis of the DUV in its bulk and capsules.

Exploring the charge transfer dynamics of hydrogen bonded crystals of 2-methyl-8-quinolinol and chloranilic acid: synthesis, spectrophotometric, single-crystal, DFT/PCM analysis, antimicrobial, and DNA binding studies

The new chemistry of the hydrogen-bonded charge and proton transfer complex (HB CT) between electron-donor 2-methyl-8-quinolinol (2 MQ) and electron-acceptor chloranilic acid (CHLA) has been studied using electronic absorption spectroscopy in acetonitrile (ACN), methanol (MeOH), and ethanol (EtOH) polar media at room temperature. The stoichiometric proportion of the HB CT complex was observed to be 1 : 1 from the Job data and photometric titration process. The association constant (K _CT) and molar absorptivity (ε _CT) of the HB CT complex were determined by using the modified Benesi-Hildebrand equation in three polarities. Other spectroscopic physical parameters like the energy of interaction (E _CT), ionization potential (I _D), resonance energy (R _N), standard free energy change (ΔG°), oscillator strength (f), and transition dipole moment (μ) were also evaluated. The HB CT complex structure was confirmed by different characterization techniques, such as FT-IR, NMR, TGA-DTA, and SEM-EDX analysis. Powder XRD and single-crystal XRD were used to determine the nature and structure of the synthesized HB CT complex. DNA binding studies for the HB CT complex produced a good binding constant value of 2.25 × 10⁴ L mol^-1 in UV-visible and 1.17 × 10⁴ L mol^-1 in fluorescence spectroscopy. The biological activity of the HB CT complex was also tested in vitro against the growth of bacteria and fungi, and the results indicated remarkable activity for the HB CT complex compared to the standard drugs, ampicillin and clindamycin. Hence, the abovementioned biological results of the synthesized HB CT complex show it could be used as a pharmaceutical drug in the future. Computational analysis was carried out by DFT studies using the B3LYP function with a basis set of 6-31G(d,p) in the gas phase and PCM analysis. The computational studies further supported the experimental results by confirming the charge and proton transfer complex.

Charge-transfer chemistry of azithromycin, the antibiotic used worldwide to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Part II: Complexation with several π-acceptors (PA, CLA, CHL)

Finding a vaccine or cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) responsible for the worldwide pandemic and its economic, medical, and psychological burdens is one of the most pressing issues presently facing the global community. One of the current treatment protocols involves the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) alone or in combination with other compounds. Obtaining additional insight into the charge-transfer (CT) chemistry of this antibiotic could help researchers and clinicians to improve such treatment protocols. Toward this aim, we investigated the CT interactions between AZM and three π-acceptors: picric acid (PA), chloranilic acid (CLA), and chloranil (CHL) in MeOH solvent. AZM formed colored products at a 1:1 stoichiometry with the acceptors through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. An n → π* interaction was also proposed for the AZM-CHL CT product. The synthesized CT products had markedly different morphologies from the free reactants, exhibiting a semi-crystalline structure composed of spherical particles with diameters ranging from 50 to 90 nm.

Charge-transfer chemistry of azithromycin, the antibiotic used worldwide to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Part I: Complexation with iodine in different solvents

Around the world, the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) is currently being used to treat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in conjunction with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. Investigating the chemical and physical properties of compounds used alone or in combination to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is of vital and pressing importance. The purpose of this study was to characterize the charge transfer (CT) complexation of AZM with iodine in four different solvents: CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CCl4, and C6H5Cl. AZM reacted with iodine at a 1:1 M ratio (AZM to I2) in the CHCl3 solvent and a 1:2 M ratio in the other three solvents, as evidenced by data obtained from an elemental analysis of the solid CT products and spectrophotometric titration and Job's continuous variation method for the soluble CT products. Data obtained from UV-visible and Raman spectroscopies indicated that AZM strongly interacted with iodine in the CH2Cl2, CCl4, and C6H5Cl solvents by a physically potent n→σ* interaction to produce a tri-iodide complex formulated as [AZM·I+]I3 -. XRD and TEM analyses revealed that, in all solvents, the AZM-I2 complex possessed an amorphous structure composed of spherical particles ranging from 80 to 110 nm that tended to aggregate into clusters. The findings described in the present study will hopefully contribute to optimizing the treatment protocols for COVID-19.

Charge transfer complexes: Emerging and promising colorimetric real-time chemosensors for hazardous materials

After introducing the concept of charge transfer (CT) complex formation by Mulliken and the discovery of crystalline picrate (association of picric acid and aromatic hydrocarbons) by Fritzsches, a large interest has been drawn in this field. CT complexes have been explored and exploited for different applications for several decades. The research has been aimed mostly for discovering and characterizing new CT materials and exploring applications mainly in the field of optoelectronic properties, antimicrobial activities and DNA/protein binding properties for the last six years. However, nowadays, CT complexes are exploited for their photocatalytic activities and designing chemosensors for the colorimetric real-time detection of hazardous materials like nitro explosives, anions and toxic heavy metal ions in an aqueous medium. This review sheds light on updates on CT complexes, their types, synthesis and applications. The brief discussion on the emergence of CT complexes as highly potential chemosensors along with the explanation of sensing mechanism through article summarization is the centerpiece of this review. The final outcomes are discussed and concluded.

Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial and DNA binding properties of an organic charge transfer complex obtained from pyrazole and chloranilic acid

The chemistry of an organic charge transfer complex (CT complex) between pyrazole (donor) and chloranilic acid (acceptor) has been explored in ethanol at room temperature. The synthesized complex has been characterized by various techniques such as FTIR, NMR, Single crystal X-ray diffraction and UV-visible spectroscopy. These techniques indicate that the cation and anion are joined together by the weak hydrogen bonding. This molecular framework is a result of inter N⁺-H⋯O^- bonding between donor and acceptor moieties. The elemental analysis and FTIR spectrum of semi-crystal complex along with Job's plot indicate the formation of 2: 1 HBCT-complex. The bioorganic chemistry of the present CT complex is established well toward antimicrobial screening and DNA binding capabilities. Antimicrobial activity was screened for gram positive and gram negative bacteria and various fungi. Molecular docking shows that the CT complex binds perfectly with the B-DNA and reveals free energy of binding (FEB) value of -198.4 kcal mol^-1. TD-DFT calculations using basis set B3LYP/6-311G^** give theoretical confirmation along with HOMO (-3.9421 eV) → LUMO (-2.4903 eV) electronic energy gap (ΔE) to be 1.4521 eV. Theoretical analysis corroborates well the biological properties.

Exploring Colorimetric Real-Time Sensing Behavior of a Newly Designed CT Complex toward Nitrobenzene and Co2+: Spectrophotometric, DFT/TD-DFT, and Mechanistic Insights

An exceptionally unique, easy-to-prepare, and economic charge transfer complex (CTC), [(IMH)⁺(PA)^-], was synthesized as a highly selective real-time colorimetric chemosensor material for nitro explosive nitrobenzene (NB) and Co²⁺ ion. Co²⁺ and NB are highly potential toxic and hazardous beyond the exposure limits and also classified as carcinogens (group 2B) by IARS and United States Environmental Protection Agency. Unusual sensing ability with appreciatively low detection limits of 0.114 and 0.589 ppb for NB and Co²⁺ ion, respectively, in the aqueous medium of dimethyl sulfoxide has been reported for the first time among this class of complexes reported so far. The mechanism of the tremendous sensing behavior of this material as chemosensor was ascertained by static quenching mechanism, Dexter electron transfer, and Forster resonance energy transfer dynamic quenching mechanism, which was supported by spectral overlapping and density functional theory (DFT) (B-3LYP/def2-SVP) calculations. Real-time colorimetric sensing behavior of chemosensor was demonstrated by the naked eye test and prestained paper Co²⁺ strip test. Job's plot and comparative Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) study between CTC and CTC-Co²⁺ complex revealed the coordination mode between CTC and Co²⁺ ion and 2:1 stoichiometry. This sensing material [(IMH)⁺(PA)^-] was synthesized with donor imidazole (IM) and acceptor picric acid (PA), and its characterization was achieved by experimental (single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis, FTIR, and UV-vis studies) and theoretical methods [DFT/TD-DFT calculations, comparing experimental-theoretical data and obtaining MEP map along with electronic energy gap of HOMO → LUMO (ΔE = 3.545 eV) and Hirshfeld surfaces analysis]. The SC-XRD confirms the composition and bonding features, which show hydrogen bond via N⁺-H···O^- between IM and PA. This N⁺-H···O^- interaction plays a significant role in Co²⁺ binding, proving this method of synthesizing CTC as a chemosensor to be a novel approach.

Measurements and correlations in solution-state for charge transfer products caused from the 1:2 complexation of TCNE acceptor with several important drugs

In our previous work, we highlighted the thermodynamic and spectroscopic characteristics of the 1:1 charge transfer (CT) complexation of TCNE acceptor with various medically important drugs. Continuing that work, we further examine drugs that react with the TCNE acceptor via a 1:2 interaction. The examined drugs are atenolol, quinidine, cimetidine, reserpine, and levofloxacin. We aimed through this study to: i) make the spectrophotometric and thermodynamic data of the examined drugs, both initially and when reacted via a 1:2 M ratio with the TCNE acceptor, available to use in the determination or detection of these drugs in pharmaceuticals and other environments; and ii) compare the mode of interactions and the spectrophotometric and thermodynamic properties between drugs that react via a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio with the TCNE acceptor. To achieve these aims, the five examined drugs were reacted with TCNE in acetonitrile (MeCN) solvent at room temperature. Several thermodynamic and spectroscopic data were experimentally estimated using the van't Hoff and the Benesi-Hildebrand equations and discussed.

Spectrophotometric and photocatalytic studies of H-bonded charge transfer complex of oxalic acid with imidazole: single crystal XRD, experimental and DFT/TD-DFT studies

The photocatalytic activity of a new CT complex was tested. Spectrophotometric studies were performed to understand its formation through N⁺–H⋯O⁻ hydrogen bonding, and the structure was confirmed by single crystal XRD.