Design, Synthesis, and Anticancer Studies of a p-Cymene-Ru(II)-Curcumin Organometallic Conjugate Based on a Fluorescent 4-Amino-1,8-naphthalimide Tröger's Base Scaffold

A unique V-shaped "chiral" supramolecular scaffold, N-(4-pyridyl)-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide Tröger's base (TBNap), was synthesized in good yield from a precursor N-(4-pyridyl)-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (Nap). TBNap was characterized using different spectroscopic methods and the molecular structure was elucidated by diffraction analysis. A new p-cymene-Ru(II)-curcumin conjugate (TB-Ru-Cur) was designed by reacting TBNap dipyridyl donor and ruthenium-curcuminato acceptor [RuCur = (p-cymene)Ru-(curcuminato)Cl] in the presence of silver triflate. TB-Ru-Cur was isolated in quantitative yield and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and the molecular structure has been predicted using a computational study. Both TBNap and TB-Ru-Cur exhibited intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)-based fluorescence emission. Furthermore, the anticancer properties of TBNap, Ru-Cur, and TB-Ru-Cur were assessed in different cancer cell lines. Gratifyingly, the conjugate TB-Ru-Cur displayed fast-cellular internalization and good cytotoxicity against HeLa, HCT-116, and HepG2 cancer cells and the estimated IC₅₀ value was much lower than that of the precursors (TBNap and Ru-Cur) and the well-known chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin.

Fluorescent 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide Tröger's bases (TBNaps) possessing (orthogonal) 'α-amino acids', esters and di-peptides and their solvent dependent photophysical properties

The synthesis of fifteen luminescent bis-naphthalimide based Tröger's bases (TBNaps) derived from 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (4-Amino-Nap) precursors is described; these scaffolds possess α-amino acids, esters or di-peptides conjugated at the imide site and show minor fluorescence in aqueous solution while being highly emissive in organic solvents. The investigation shows that these TBNaps possessing ICT excited state properties are capable of generating either positive or negative solvatochromic effects in response to changes in polarity and/or the hydrogen bonding capabilities of the medium.

Glycoconjugates Based on Supramolecular Tröger's Base Scaffold: Synthesis, Photophysics, Docking, and BSA Association Study

This study presents new Tröger's bases bearing glycosyl moieties obtained from a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. The Tröger's bases present absorption maxima close to 275 nm related to fully spin and symmetry-allowed electronic transitions. The main fluorescence emission located at 350 nm was observed with no influence on the glycosyl moieties. Furthermore, protein detection studies have been performed using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein, and results have shown a strong interaction between some of the compounds through a static fluorescence suppression mechanism related to the formation of a glycoconjugate-BSA complex favored by the glycosyl subunit. Moreover, docking was also studied for better understanding the suppression mechanism and indicated that the glycosyl and triazole moieties increase the affinity with BSA.

Glycosylated naphthalimides and naphthalimide Tröger's bases as fluorescent aggregation probes for Con A

We report the synthesis of glycosylated naphthalimide compounds and their application as fluorescent probes for Concanavalin A (Con A) lectin.

Naphthalimide-Based DNA-Coupled Hybrid Assembly for Sensing Dipicolinic Acid: A Biomarker for Bacillus anthracis Spores

We have designed and synthesized a novel, water-soluble naphthalimide-histidine receptor (1) with excellent fluorescent properties. Functioning of the synthesized receptor was performed through developing their DNA-receptor hybrid assembly (DRHA), which has shown significant changes in the emission profile upon interactions with dipicolinic acid (DPA), a biomarker for Bacillus anthracis spores. DRHA showed fluorescence enhancement upon binding with DPA with the characteristic of internal charge transfer. It is notable that this assembly exhibited a significant limit of detection (12 nM) toward DPA. The mechanism of sensing was fully defined using ethidium bromide (EtBr) interaction studies as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis, which describes the binding mode of DRHA with DPA. This assembly selectively interacts with DPA over other anions, common cellular cations, and aromatic acids in aqueous media.

Synthesis, structural characterisation and antiproliferative activity of a new fluorescent 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide Tröger's base–Ru(ii)–curcumin organometallic conjugate

Biological investigation of a new Tröger's base–Ru(ii)–curcumin conjugate is described.

Supramolecular coordination polymers using a close to ‘V-shaped’ fluorescent 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide Tröger's base scaffold

A novel 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide derived Tröger's base ligand L has been synthesised and subsequently used in the formation of two new supramolecular coordination polymers TB-Co-CP and TB-Cd-CP.