Synthesis and structural analysis of novel indole derivatives by XRD, spectroscopic and DFT studies

Optimization of nonlinear properties of C6O6Li6-doped alkalides via group I/III doping for unprecedented charge transfer and advancements in optoelectronics

The design and synthesis of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are rapidly growing fields in optoelectronics. Considering the high demand for newly designed materials with superior optoelectronic characteristics, we investigated the doping process of Group-IIIA elements (namely, B, Al and Ga) onto alkali metal (AM = Li, Na and K)-supported C6O6Li6 (AM@C6O6Li6) complexes to enhance their NLO response. The AM-C6O6Li6 complexes retained their structural features following interaction with the Group-IIIA elements. Interaction energies as high as -109 kcal mol-1 demonstrated the high thermodynamic stability of these complexes. An exceptional charge transfer behavior was predicted in these complexes, where the electronic density of the Group-III metals shifted toward the alkali metals, making these complexes behave as alkalides. The π conjugation of C6O6Li6 was found to withdraw excess electrons from the Group IIIA metals in these alkalides, which were subsequently transferred to the Group IA metals. The energy gap of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) in the AM-C6O6Li6 complexes was notably reduced upon alkalide formation. UV-visible analysis explicitly showed a bathochromic shift in the alkalides. The first hyperpolarizability (β0) was calculated to confirm the NLO properties of these alkalides. B-C6O6Li6-K exhibited the highest β0 value of 1.75 × 105 au. The vibrational frequency-dependent first and second hyperpolarizability values illustrated an increase in hyperpolarizability at a frequency of 532 nm. A higher n2 value of 8.39 × 10-12 cm2 W-1 was obtained for B-C6O6Li6-Na at 532 nm. These results highlight the promising NLO response of the designed alkalides and their potential applications in the field of optics.

Electronic and Nonlinear Optical Properties of B(III)-Submonoazaporphyrin-π-Diimide Compounds: A Density Functional Theory Study

Three hypothetical complexes were designed using diimides (PMDI, NTCDI, and PTCDI) as the acceptor unit and B(III)-submonoazaporphyrin (1) as the donor unit. These complexes have smaller HOMO-LUMO energy gaps (3.39-3.96 eV) than pristine 1 (6.61 eV). Further, the energy gap can be tuned by changing the number of benzene rings of these diimides. Remarkably, these proposed complexes possess considerable first hyperpolarizabilities (β0) (4865-6921 a.u.), and the regularity of the β0 values remained the same in the gas phase and toluene solvent conditions. There is an inverse relationship between the energy gap and the polarizability/first hyperpolarizability. In addition, absorption spectra, frontier molecular orbitals, and hole electron distributions were obtained using time-dependent density functional theory calculations to emphasize the relationship between structure and properties. Ultraviolet-Visible absorption spectra reveals that all complexes show satisfying IR working regions. Further analysis of the first hyperpolarizability density reveals the nature of the excellent NLO properties of the studied systems. This study can provide valuable insights for the development of potential high-performance NLO molecules.

A synthetic approach towards drug modification: 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde based imine-zwitterion preparation, single-crystal study, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and computational investigation

The current work is about the modification of primary amine functionalized drugs, pyrimethamine and 4-amino-N-(2,3-dihydrothiazol-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide, via condensation reaction with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde to produce new organic zwitterionic compounds (E)-1-(((4-(N-(2,3-dihydrothiazol-2-yl)sulfamoyl)phenyl)iminio)methyl)naphthalen-2-olate (DSPIN) and (E)-1-(((4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-ethylpyrimidin-2-yl)iminio)methyl)naphthalen-2-olate (ACPIN) in methanol as a solvent. The crystal structures of both compounds were confirmed to be imine-based zwitterionic products via single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis which indicated that the stabilization of both crystalline compounds is achieved via various noncovalent interactions. The supramolecular assembly in terms of noncovalent interactions was explored by the Hirshfeld surface analysis. Void analysis was carried out to predict the crystal mechanical response. Compound geometries calculated in the DFT (Density Functional Theory) study showed reasonably good agreement with the experimentally determined structural parameters. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis showed that the DSPIN HOMO/LUMO gap is by 0.15 eV smaller than the ACPIN HOMO/LUMO gap due to some destabilization of the DSPIN HOMO and some stabilization of its LUMO. The results of the charge analysis implied formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and suggested formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole and dispersion interactions.

Benzimidazolium quaternary ammonium salts: synthesis, single crystal and Hirshfeld surface exploration supported by theoretical analysis

Owing to the broad applications of quaternary ammonium salts (QAS), we present the synthesis of benzimidazolium-based analogues with variation in the alkyl and alkoxy group at N-1 and N-3 positions. All the compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques and found stable to air and moisture both in the solid and solution state. Moreover, molecular structures were established through single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The crystal packing of the compounds was stabilized by numerous intermolecular interactions explored by Hirshfeld surface analysis. The enrichment ratio was calculated for the pairs of chemical species to acquire the highest propensity to form contacts. Void analysis was carried out to check the mechanical response of the compounds. Furthermore, theoretical investigations were also performed to explore the optoelectronic properties of compounds. Natural population analysis (NPA) has been conducted to evaluate the distribution of charges on the synthesized compounds, whereas high band gaps of the synthesized compounds by frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis indicated their stability. Nonlinear optical (NLO) analysis revealed that the synthesized QAS demonstrates significantly improved NLO behaviour than the standard urea.

Giant NLO response and deep ultraviolet transparency of dual (alkali/alkaline earth) metals doped C6O6Li6 electrides

The designing of new materials having outstanding nonlinear optical (NLO) response is much needed for use in latest optics. Herein, the geometric, electronic and NLO properties of alkali and alkaline earth metals doped C6O6Li6 (alk-C6O6Li6-alkearth, alkearth = Ca, Mg, Be and alk = K, Na, Li) electrides is studied via quantum chemical approach. The interaction energies (Eint) are examined to illustrate their thermodynamic stability. The strong interaction energy of -39.99 kcal mol-1 is observed for Ca-C6O6Li6-Li electride in comparison to others. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) energy gap of considered complexes is changed due to the electronic density shifting between metals and C6O6Li6 surface, which notifies the semi conducting properties of these electrides. The FMOs isodensities and natural bond orbital (NBO) charge analysis are performed to justify charge transfer between dopants and complexant. UV-Visible study also confirmed the application of these electrides as deep ultra-violet laser devices. NLO response is studied through calculation of first hyperpolarizability (βo). The highest βo value of 1.68 × 105 au is calculated for Mg-C6O6Li6-K electride. NLO response is further rationalized by three- and two-level models approach.

Preparation, Crystal Structure, Supramolecular Assembly, and DFT Studies of Two Organic Salts Bearing Pyridine and Pyrimidine

The effective preparation of two new pyrimidine- and pyridine-based organic crystalline salts with substituted acidic moieties (i.e., (Z)-4-(naphthalen-2-ylamino)-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid (DCNO) and 2-hydroxy-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (PCNP)) using methanol as a solvent has been reported. These molecular salts have ionic interactions that are responsible for their structural stabilization in their solid-state assemblies. The crystal structures of DCNO and PCNP were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) technique. The SCXRD study inferred that cations and anions are strongly packed due to N-H···O, N-H···N, and C-H···O noncovalent interactions in DCNO, whereas in PCNP, N-H···N noncovalent interactions are absent. The noncovalent interactions in both organic crystalline salts were comprehensively investigated by Hirshfeld surface analysis. Further, a detailed density functional theory (DFT) study of both compounds was performed. The optimized structures of both compounds supported the existence of the H-bonding and weak dispersion interactions in the synthesized organic crystalline salt structures. Both compounds were shown to have large and noticeably different HOMO/LUMO energy gaps. The atomic charge analysis results supported the SCXRD and HSA results, showing the formation of intermolecular noncovalent interactions in both organic crystalline salts. The results of the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis confirmed the existence of (relatively weak) noncovalent interactions between the cation and anion moieties of their organic crystalline salts. The global reactivity parameters (GRPs) analysis showed that both organic crystalline salts' compounds should be quite thermodynamically stable and that DCNO should be less reactive than PCNP. For both compounds, the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis results support the existence of intermolecular electrostatic interactions in their organic crystalline salts.

Catalytic Oxidation of Benzoins by Hydrogen Peroxide on Nanosized HKUST-1: Influence of Substituents on the Reaction Rates and DFT Modeling of the Reaction Path

In this research, the oxidation of a series of benzoins, R-C(=O)-CH(OH)-R, where R = phenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, 4-bromophenyl, and 2-naphthyl, by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of nanostructured HKUST-1 (suspension in acetonitrile/water mixture) was studied. The respective benzoic acids were the only products of the reactions. The initial average reaction rates were experimentally determined at different concentrations of benzoin, H₂O₂ and an effective concentration of HKUST-1. The sorption of the isotherms of benzoin, dimethoxybenzoin and benzoic acid on HKUST-1, as well as their sorption kinetic curves, were measured. The increase in H₂O₂ concentration expectedly led to an acceleration of the reaction. The dependencies of the benzoin oxidation rates on the concentrations of both benzoin and HKUST-1 passed through the maxima. This finding could be explained by a counterplay between the increasing reaction rate and increasing benzoin sorption on the catalyst with the increase in the concentration. The electronic effect of the substituent in benzoin had a significant influence on the reaction rate, while no relation between the size of the substrate molecule and the rate of its oxidation was found. It was confirmed by DFT modeling that the reaction could pass through the Baeyer-Villiger mechanism, involving an attack by the HOO^- anion on the C atom of the activated C=O group.

Synthesis, characterization, and in vitro anti-cholinesterase screening of novel indole amines

The present study involved the targeted synthesis and characterization of novel indole amines with anti-acetylcholinesterase profiling. A series of proposed indole amines was virtually screened against human acetylcholinesterase. A few indole amines (23, 24, and 25) showing strong enzyme binding in the in silico studies were synthesized in the laboratory and characterized using spectroscopic (IR, UV, NMR, single crystal XRD) and spectrometric (EIMS, HR-EIMS) methods. The indole amine 23 was crystallized from EtOH and analyzed with single crystal XRD. These ligands interacted with the PAS site in the enzyme, and their binding may disrupt the activity. The in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibition studies revealed that the IC50 values for indole amines 25 and 24 (4.28 and 4.66 μM, respectively) were comparable to that of galantamine (4.15 μM) and may be studied further as cost-effective acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Spectroscopic, quantum chemical, molecular docking and molecular dynamics investigations of hydroxylic indole-3-pyruvic acid: a potent candidate for nonlinear optical applications and Alzheimer's drug

In this paper, a complete theoretical investigation of hydroxylic indole-3-pyruvic acid (HIPyA) molecule was performed using the DFT quantum chemical, molecular docking and molecular dynamics calculations. The conformational analysis of HIPyA molecule was carried out using density functional theory quantum chemical calculations. The most stable structure of the studied molecule was predicted by means of DFT/B3LYP method with cc-pVTZ basis set. The simulated vibrational frequencies were assigned and proved to be in agreement with the available experimental FT-IR data. The effects of gas phase and solvents on UV-visible spectra of HIPyA molecule were simulated using TD-DFT/B3LYP method with cc-pVTZ basis set. The analysis of the density of states spectrum validates the frontier molecular orbitals results, which reveals the charge transfer interaction in HIPyA molecule. The molecular electrostatic potential surface confirms the electrophilic and nucleophilic reactive sites of the studied molecule. The natural bond orbital analysis evidences the bioactivity of the studied molecule. The obtained first order hyperpolarizability value is 33.596 times greater than urea, which confirms the nonlinear optical activity of HIPyA molecule. The molecular docking analysis reveals that the studied molecule under interest can act as a potent inhibitor against the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) enzyme, which causes the Alzheimer's disease. The molecular dynamics analysis confirms the reliability of the docking results.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

de la Torre A, Khan MU, Raza AR, Kamal GM, Rehman MF, Alam MM, Imran M, Braga AA, Pertino MW. Facile Synthesis of Diversely Functionalized Peptoids, Spectroscopic Characterization, and DFT-Based Nonlinear Optical Exploration

Compounds having nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics have been proved to have a significant role in many academic and industrial areas; particularly, their leading role in surface interfaces, solid physics, materials, medicine, chemical dynamics, nuclear science, and biophysics is worth mentioning. In the present study, novel peptoids (1-4) were prepared in good yields via Ugi four-component reaction (Ugi-4CR). In addition to synthetic studies, computational calculations were executed to estimate the molecular electrostatic potential, natural bond orbital (NBO), frontier molecular orbital analysis, and NLO properties. The NBO analysis confirmed the stability of studied systems owing to containing intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hyperconjugative interactions. NLO analysis showed that investigated molecules hold noteworthy NLO response as compared to standard compounds that show potential for technology-related applications.

The synthesis and characterization of targeted delivery curcumin using chitosan-magnetite-reduced graphene oxide as nano-carrier

To achieve targeted treatment with fewer adverse effects against fatal cancer diseases, the use of nanoparticles as therapeutic agents or drug carriers has been proved to be very extensive and remarkable, today. In this study, chitosan-magnetite-reduced graphene oxide (CS-Fe₃O₄-RGO) nanocomposites (NC) were used for the targeted delivery of curcumin (Cur) as anticancer drugs to suppress MCF-7 breast cancer cells and this was accomplished using a facile water-in-oil (W/O) emulsification procedure. FTIR and XRD were used for characterization. The average size distribution of nanoemulsions and their surface charge (zeta potential) were determined by Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyzer and zeta potential measurement, respectively. SEM Mapping showed the uniform and flat surface for the NC which was confirmed by the EDX diagram. Measurement of VSM exhibited that the Fe₃O₄-RGOs have superparamagnetic properties. According to the MTT assay, the NC has the highest toxicity at 0.1 against MCF-7 cancer cells. The results of flow cytometry indicated apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. By using the dialysis method, it was determined that curcumin was released faster in an acidic medium. It is expected that the results of this study will be effective in the development of targeted drug delivery as well as the development of CS- Fe₃O₄-RGO-based drug carriers against various cancer cells during future research.

Synthesis, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral docking studies of ethyl 2-(2-(arylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylates

A series of ethyl 2-(2-(arylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylates (2a-r) was synthesized in two steps from thiosemicarbazones (1a-r), which were cyclized with ethyl bromopyruvate to ethyl 2-(2-(arylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylates (2a-r). The structures of compounds (2a-r) were established by FT-IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. The structure of compound 2a was confirmed by HRMS. The compounds (2a-r) were then evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant assays. The antioxidant studies revealed, ethyl 2-(2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate (2g) and ethyl 2-(2-(1-phenylethylidene)hydrazinyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate (2h) as promising antioxidant agents with %FRSA: 84.46 ± 0.13 and 74.50 ± 0.37, TAC: 269.08 ± 0.92 and 269.11 ± 0.61 and TRP: 272.34 ± 0.87 and 231.11 ± 0.67 μg AAE/mg dry weight of compound. Beside bioactivities, density functional theory (DFT) methods were used to study the electronic structure and properties of synthesized compounds (2a-m). The potential of synthesized compounds for possible antiviral targets is also predicted through molecular docking methods. The compounds 2e and 2h showed good binding affinities and inhibition constants to be considered as therapeutic target for M^pro protein of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The present in-depth analysis of synthesized compounds will put them under the spot light for practical applications as antioxidants and the modification in structural motif may open the way for COVID-19 drug.

Synthesis of Diaminopyrimidine Sulfonate Derivatives and Exploration of Their Structural and Quantum Chemical Insights via SC-XRD and the DFT Approach

Two heterocyclic compounds named 2,6-diaminopyrimidin-4-ylnaphthalene-2-sulfonate (A) and 2,6-diaminopyrimidin-4-yl4-methylbenzene sulfonate (B) were synthesized. The structures of heterocyclic molecules were established by the X-ray crystallographic technique, which showed several noncovalent interactions as N···H···N, N···H···O, and C-H···O bonding and parallel offset stacking interaction. Hydrogen-bonding interactions were further explored by the Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis. Nonlinear optical (NLO) and natural bond orbital (NBO) properties were calculated utilizing the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) were calculated utilizing the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) at the same level. The NBO analysis showed that the molecular stabilities of compounds A and B were attributed to their large stabilization energy values. The second hyperpolarizability (γ_tot) values for A and B were obtained as 3.7 × 10⁴ and 2.7 × 10⁴ au, respectively. The experimental X-ray crystallographic and theoretical structural parameters of A and B were found to be in close correspondence. Both the molecules reveal substantial NLO responses that can be significant for their utilization in advanced applications.

Coumaronochromone as antibacterial and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors from Aerva persica (Burm.f.) Merr.: experimental and first-principles approaches

The Aerva plants are exceptionally rich in phytochemicals and possess therapeutics potential. Phytochemical screening shows that Aerva persica (Burm.f.) Merr. contains highest contents i.e., total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, tannins, alkaloids, carbohydrates, anthraquinones and glycosides. In-vitro antibacterial and enzymatic (carbonic anhydrase) inhibition studies on methanol extracts of A. persica indicated the presence of biological active constituents within chloroform soluble portions. Investigation in the pure constituents on the chloroform portions of A. persica accomplished by column chromatography, NMR and MS analysis. The bioguided isolation yields four chemical constituents of coumaronochromone family, namely aervin (1-4). These pure chemical entities (1-4) showed significant antibacterial activity in the range of 60.05-79.21 µg/ml against various bacterial strains using ampicillin and ciprofloxacin as standard drugs. The compounds 1-4 showed promising carbonic anhydrase inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 19.01, 18.24, 18.65 and 12.92 µM, respectively, using standard inhibitor acetazolamide. First-principles calculations revealed comprehensive intramolecular charge transfer in the studied compounds 1-4. The spatial distribution of highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, ionization potential, molecular electrostatic potential and Hirshfeld analysis revealed that these coumaronochromone compounds would be proficient biological active compounds. These pure constituents may be used as a new pharmacophore to treat leaukomia, epilepsy, glaucoma and cystic fibrosis.

An Experimental and Computational Exploration on the Electronic, Spectroscopic, and Reactivity Properties of Novel Halo-Functionalized Hydrazones

Herein, halo-functionalized hydrazone derivatives "2-[(6'-chloroazin-2'-yl)oxy]-N'-(2-fluorobenzylidene) aceto-hydrazone (CPFH), 2-[(6'-chloroazin-2'-yl)oxy]-N'-(2-chlorobenzylidene) aceto-hydrazones (CCPH), 2-[(6'-chloroazin-2'-yl)oxy]-N'-(2-bromobenzylidene) aceto-hydrazones (BCPH)" were synthesized and structurally characterized using FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. Computational studies using density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent DFT at CAM-B3LYP/6-311G (d,p) level of theory were performed for comparison with spectroscopic data (FT-IR, UV-vis) and for elucidation of the structural parameters, natural bond orbitals (NBOs), natural population analysis, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of hydrazones derivatives (CPFH, CCPH, and BCPH). Consequently, an excellent complement between the experimental data and the DFT-based results was achieved. The NBO analysis confirmed that the presence of hyper conjugative interactions was pivotal cause for stability of the investigated compounds. The energy gaps in CPFH, CCPH, and BCPH were found as 7.278, 7.241, and 7.229 eV, respectively. Furthermore, global reactivity descriptors were calculated using the FMO energies in which global hardness revealed that CPFH was more stable and less reactive as compared to BCPH and CCPH. NLO findings disclosed that CPFH, CCPH, and BCPH have superior properties as compared to the prototype standard compound, which unveiled their potential applications for optoelectronic technology.