Multi-Component Sequential Synthesis of Dihydroorotic Acid-Based Amphiphilic Molecules

An efficient multicomponent sequential process, which occurs in mild condition has been exploited for the synthesis of systematically modified amphiphilic molecules where the cationic head is tethered to a lipophilic tail through a dihydroorotic acid linker. The process is operatively simple, high yielding, and flexible. Such a strategy could impact combinatorial synthesis of wide libraries of amphiphilic molecules to be tested as transfection agents and/or as antimicrobials.

Optical Configuration Effect on the Structure and Reactivity of Diastereomers Revealed by Spin Effects and Molecular Dynamics Calculations

The peculiarities of spin effects in photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in diastereomers of donor-acceptor dyads are considered in order to study the influence of chirality on reactivity. Thus, the spin selectivity—the difference between the enhancement coefficients of chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP)—of the dyad’s diastereomers reflects the difference in the spin density distribution in its paramagnetic precursors that appears upon UV irradiation. In addition, the CIDNP coefficient itself has demonstrated a high sensitivity to the change of chiral centers: when one center is changed, the hyperpolarization of all polarized nuclei of the molecule is affected. The article analyzes the experimental values of spin selectivity based on CIDNP calculations and molecular dynamic modeling data in order to reveal the effect of optical configuration on the structure and reactivity of diastereomers. In this way, we succeeded in tracing the differences in dyads with L- and D-tryptophan as an electron donor. Since the replacement of L-amino acid with D-analog in specific proteins is believed to be the cause of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, spin effects and molecular dynamic simulation in model dyads can be a useful tool for investigating the nature of this phenomenon.

Role of Chiral Configuration in the Photoinduced Interaction of D- and L-Tryptophan with Optical Isomers of Ketoprofen in Linked Systems

The study of the L- and D-amino acid properties in proteins and peptides has attracted considerable attention in recent years, as the replacement of even one L-amino acid by its D-analogue due to aging of the body is resulted in a number of pathological conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A recent trend is using short model systems to study the peculiarities of proteins with D-amino acids. In this report, the comparison of the excited states quenching of L- and D-tryptophan (Trp) in a model donor–acceptor dyad with (R)- and (S)-ketoprofen (KP-Trp) was carried out by photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Quenching of the Trp excited states, which occurs via two mechanisms: prevailing resonance energy transfer (RET) and electron transfer (ET), indeed demonstrates some peculiarities for all three studied configurations of the dyad: (R,S)-, (S,R)-, and (S,S)-. Thus, the ET efficiency is identical for (S,R)- and (R,S)-enantiomers, while RET differs by 1.6 times. For (S,S)-, the CIDNP coefficient is almost an order of magnitude greater than for (R,S)- and (S,R)-. To understand the source of this difference, hyperpolarization of (S,S)-and (R,S)- has been calculated using theory involving the electron dipole–dipole interaction in the secular equation.

Homolysis/mesolysis of alkoxyamines activated by chemical oxidation and photochemical-triggered radical reactions at room temperature

Instantaneous and spontaneous room temperature C–ON bond mesolysis of alkoxyamines triggered by chemical oxidation.

Spin effects as a tool to study photoinduced processes in (S/R)-ketoprofen-(S)-N-methylpyrrolidine dyads

(S/R)-Ketoprofen (KP) is considered to be the strongest photosensitizer among nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The photosensitizing reactions are caused by a substituted benzophenone chromophore. It produces various toxic effects through the formation of active paramagnetic intermediates and photoproducts able to attack biological substrates. Photoinduced transformations of KP have been extensively studied in order to identify paramagnetic intermediates. Considerable attention is also paid to photoinduced processes in dyads, where KP is linked with chiral partners, since such processes believed to model the binding of chiral drugs with enzymes and receptors. In the present study, the dyads containing (S)/(R)-KP covalently linked with (S)-N-methylpyrrolidine have been synthesized to examine the peculiarities of photoinduced electron transfer (ET) and hydrogen transfer (HT) in chiral systems. To detect short-lived paramagnetic intermediates, in dyad's excited triplet state, such as biradical zwitter ion (BZI) and neutral biradical (BR), spin chemistry methods [chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) and chemically induced dynamic electron polarization (CIDEP) in arbitrary magnetic fields], allowing indirect detection of transient paramagnetic particles by NMR, have been utilized. Both mentioned processes have been found to begin with the excitation of KP into the triplet state followed by the formation of BZI for ET and BR for HT, respectively. Products of stereoselective attachment of the N-methylpyrrolidine residue to the carbonyl carbon atom of KP occurring in both BZI and BR have been detected by NMR spectral analysis. The value of electronic exchange interaction in biradicals has been determined from the position of the characteristic maximum of hyperpolarization in the CIDNP magnetic field dependences.

Hydrogen Abstraction from the C15 Position of the Cholesterol Skeleton

Cholesterol (Ch) is an integral part of cell membrane, where it is prone to oxidation. In humans, oxidation of Ch is commonly linked to various pathologies like Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and even cancer, which proceed via mechanisms involving enzymatic and free radical pathways. The latter begin with hydrogen abstraction (HA) from Ch by a reactive free radical. It has been established that the most efficient HA from Ch occurs at C7, although HA from C4 by peroxyl radicals has recently been observed. Conversely, HA from Ch positions other than the thermodynamically preferred C7 or C4 has never been reported. We have designed a Ch derivative where a benzophenone moiety is linked to C7 by a covalent bond. This mirrors a specific orientation of Ch within a confined environment. Product analysis and time-resolved spectroscopic studies reveal an unprecedented HA from C15, which is a thermodynamically unfavorable position. This indicates that a specific topology of reactants is crucial for the reactivity of Ch. The relative orientation of the reactants can also be relevant in biological membranes, where Ch, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and numerous oxidizing species are confined in highly restricted and anisotropic environments.

Cholesterol and related sterols autoxidation

Cholesterol is a unique lipid molecule providing the building block for membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acid synthesis. Metabolism of cholesterol involves several enzymes acting on the sterol nucleus or the isooctyl tail. In the recent years, research interest has been focused on oxysterols, cholesterol derivatives generated by the addition of oxygen to the cholesterol backbone. Oxysterols can be produced enzymatically or by autoxidation. Autoxidation of cholesterol proceeds through type I or type II mechanisms. Type I autoxidation is initiated by free radical species, such as those arising from the superoxide/hydrogen peroxide/hydroxyl radical system. Type II autoxidation occurs stoichiometrically by non-radical highly reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen, HOCl, and ozone. The vulnerability of cholesterol towards high reactive species has raised considerable interest for mechanistic studies and for the potential biological activity of oxysterols, as well as for the use of oxysterols as biomarkers for the non-invasive study of oxidative stress in vivo.

Effective gene-silencing of siRNAs that contain functionalized spacer linkages within the central region

Short-interfering RNAs containing a variety of functional groups at the central region of the sense strand were synthesized and evaluated.

Late Stage Azidation of Complex Molecules

Selective functionalization of complex scaffolds is a promising approach to alter the pharmacological profiles of natural products and their derivatives. We report the site-selective azidation of benzylic and aliphatic C-H bonds in complex molecules catalyzed by the combination of Fe(OAc)₂ and a PyBox ligand. The same system also catalyzes the trifluoromethyl azidation of olefins to form derivatives of natural products containing both fluorine atoms and azides. In general, both reactions tolerate a wide range of functional groups and occur with predictable regioselectivity. Azides obtained by functionalization of C-H and C=C bonds were converted to the corresponding amines, amides, and triazoles, thus providing a wide variety of nitrogen-containing complex molecules.

Toward Matching Optically and NMR Active Volumes for Optimizing the Observation of Photo-Induced Reactions by NMR

In the recent years photo-induced reactions are becoming increasingly popular in many fields of chemistry comprising biological conversions, material/environmental science and synthesis. NMR monitoring of such reactions has been shown being advantageous and several strategies of providing an efficient irradiation of the NMR sample have been developed and reported. Here we show that adjusting the optical properties of the investigated solution to the active volume detected by the NMR experiment is valuable. This is shown with the help of three examples comprising photo-isomerization, photo-induced polymerization and CIDNP-detected bond cleavage. Adjusting the photo-active volume to the NMR-detectable portion of the sample provides a substantially more realistic kinetic information, background suppression and reduction of thermal and diffusional effects.

Biradical vs singlet oxygen photogeneration in suprofen–cholesterol systems

Cholesterol (Ch) is an important lipidic building block and a target for oxidative degradation, which can be induced via free radicals or singlet oxygen (1O2). Suprofen (SP) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that contains the 2-benzoylthiophene (BZT) chromophore and has a π,π* lowest triplet excited state. In the present work, dyads (S)- and (R)-SP-α-Ch (1 and 2), as well as (S)-SP-β-Ch (3) have been prepared from β- or α-Ch and SP to investigate the possible competition between photogeneration of biradicals and 1O2, the key mechanistic steps in Ch photooxidation. Steady-state irradiation of 1 and 2 was performed in dichloromethane, under nitrogen, through Pyrex, using a 400 W medium pressure mercury lamp. The spectral analysis of the separated fractions revealed formation of two photoproducts 4 and 5, respectively. By contrast, under the same conditions, 3 did not give rise to any isolable Ch-derived product. These results point to an intramolecular hydrogen abstraction in 1 and 2 from the C7 position of Ch and subsequent C–C coupling of the generated biradicals. Interestingly, 2 was significantly more photoreactive than 1 indicating a clear stereodifferentiation in the photochemical behavior. Transient absorption spectra obtained for 1–3 were very similar and matched that described for the SP triplet excited state (typical bands with maxima at ca. 350 nm and 600 nm). Direct kinetic analysis of the decay traces at 620 nm led to determination of triplet lifetimes that were ca. 4.1 μs for 1 and 2 and 5.8 μs for 3. From these data, the intramolecular quenching rate constants in 1 and 2 were determined as 0.78 × 105 s−1. The capability of dyads 1–3 to photosensitize the production of singlet oxygen was assessed by time-resolved near infrared emission studies in dichloromethane using perinaphthenone as standard. The quantum yields (ΦΔ) were 0.52 for 1 and 2 and 0.56 for 3. In conclusion, SP-α-Ch dyads are unique in the sense that they can be used to photogenerate both biradicals and singlet oxygen, thus being able to initiate Ch oxidation from their triplet excited states following either of the two competing mechanistic pathways.

Radical-mediated dehydrogenation of bile acids by means of hydrogen atom transfer to triplet carbonyls

The aim of the present paper is to explore the potential of radical-mediated dehydrogenation of bile salts (BSs), which is reminiscent of the enzymatic action of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes (HSDH).

Steric shielding vs. σ-π orbital interactions in triplet-triplet energy transfer

Fine tuning of the benzoylthiophene triplet level through σ–π orbital interactions modifies the energy transfer rate constants to appropriate acceptors.

The influence of non-covalent σ–π orbital interactions on triplet–triplet energy transfer (TTET) through tuning of the donor excitation energy remains basically unexplored. In the present work, we have investigated intermolecular TTET using donor moieties covalently linked to a rigid cholesterol (Ch) scaffold. For this purpose, diaryl ketones of π,π* electronic configuration tethered to α- or β-Ch were prepared from tiaprofenic acid (TPA) and suprofen (SUP). The obtained systems TPA-α-Ch, TPA-β-Ch, SUP-α-Ch and SUP-β-Ch were submitted to photophysical studies (laser flash photolysis and phosphorescence), in order to delineate the influence of steric shielding and σ–π orbital interactions on the rate of TTET to a series of energy acceptors. As a matter of fact, fine tuning of the donor triplet energy significantly modifies the rate constants of TTET in the absence of diffusion control. The experimental results are rationalized by means of theoretical calculations using first principles methods based on DFT as well as molecular dynamics.