Isoselenocyanates: a powerful tool for the synthesis of selenium-containing heterocycles

Organoselenium Compounds: Chemistry and Applications in Organic Synthesis

Selenium, originally described as a toxin, turns out to be a crucial trace element for life that appears as selenocysteine and its dimer, selenocystine. From the point of view of drug developments, selenium-containing drugs are isosteres of sulfur and oxygen with the advantage that the presence of the selenium atom confers antioxidant properties and high lipophilicity, which would increase cell membrane permeation leading to better oral bioavailability. In this article, we have focused on the relevant features of the selenium atom, above all, the corresponding synthetic approaches to access a variety of organoselenium molecules along with the proposed reaction mechanisms. The preparation and biological properties of selenosugars, including selenoglycosides, selenonucleosides, selenopeptides, and other selenium-containing compounds will be treated. We have attempted to condense the most important aspects and interesting examples of the chemistry of selenium into a single article.

A Competition between Hydrogen, Stacking, and Halogen Bonding in N-(4-((3-Methyl-1,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)selanyl)phenyl)acetamide: Structure, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, 3D Energy Framework Approach, and DFT Calculation

N-(4-((3-Methyl-1,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)selanyl)phenyl)acetamide (5), C₁₉H₁₅NO₃Se, was prepared in two steps from 4,4'-diselanediyldianiline (3) via reduction and subsequent nucleophilic reaction with 2-methyl-3-bromo-1,4-naphthalenedione, followed by acetylation with acetic anhydride. The cytotoxicity was estimated against 158N and 158JP oligodendrocytes and the redox profile was also evaluated using different in vitro assays. The technique of single-crystal X-ray diffraction is used to confirm the structure of compound 5. The enantiopure 5 crystallizes in space group P21 with Flack parameter 0.017 (8), exhibiting a chiral layered absolute structure. Molecular structural studies showed that the crystal structure is foremost stabilized by N-H···O and relatively weak C-H···O contacts between molecules, and additionally stabilized by weak C-H···π and Se···N interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis is used to quantitatively investigate the noncovalent interactions that stabilize crystal packing. Framework energy diagrams were used to graphically represent the stabilizing interaction energies for crystal packing. The analysis of the energy framework shows that the interactions energies of and C-H···π and C-O···π are primarily dispersive and are the crystal's main important forces. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to determine the compound's stability, chemical reactivity, and other parameters by determining the HOMO-LUMO energy differences. The determination of its optimized surface of the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) was also carried out. This study was conducted to demonstrate both the electron-rich and electron-poor sites.

Diorganyl diselenides: a powerful tool for the construction of selenium containing scaffolds

Organoselenium compounds find versatile applications in organic synthesis, materials synthesis, and ligand chemistry. Organoselenium heterocycles are widely studied agents with diverse applications in various biological processes. This review highlights the recent progress in the synthesis of selenium heterocycles using diorganyl diselenides with keen attention on green synthetic approaches, scopes, C-H selanylation, the mechanisms of different reactions and insights into the formation of metal complexes. The C-H selanylation using diorganyl diselenides with different catalysts, bases, transition metals, iodine salts, NIS, hypervalent iodine, and other reagents is summarised. Finally, the diverse binding modes of bis(2/4-pyridyl)diselenide with different metal complexes are also summarised.

Urea-functionalized organoselenium compounds as promising anti-HepG2 and apoptosis-inducing agents

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a highly aggressive and difficult-to-treat type of cancer. Incorporating urea functionality into the backbone of organoselenium compounds is expected to develop promising chemotherapeutic leads against liver cancer. Methods: Urea-functionalized organoselenium compounds were synthesized in good yields, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated against HepG2 cells. Results: 1,1'-(Diselanediylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(3-phenylurea) (14) exhibited efficient anti-HepG2 activity in sub-micromolar concentrations, with no toxicity to normal human skin fibroblasts. The molecular mechanisms of the diselenide-based urea 14 were evaluated using colony formation, wound healing, 3D spheroid invasion assays, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis induction. Its redox properties were also assessed by using different bioassays. Conclusion: Our study revealed promising anticancer, antimigratory and anti-invasiveness properties of 1,1'-(diselanediylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(3-phenylurea) (14) against HepG2.

Bis-Selenoureas for Anion Binding: A 1H NMR and Theoretical Study

The anion binding ability of a family of bis-selenoureas L1-L3 obtained by the reaction of 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)-benzene and phenylisoselenocyanate, p-methoxyphenylisoselenocyanate and naphtylisoselenocyanate, for L1, L2, and L3, respectively, has been tested and compared to that of previously described bis-urea analogues. Results suggest that the introduction of selenium leads to an increase in the acidity of the urea NH hydrogen atoms, and therefore to a stronger affinity (more than three-fold higher) towards anion species, in particular dihydrogen phosphate, in DMSO-d₆ . Theoretical calculations allowed for the optimization of the adducts receptors corroborating the experimental results.

Recent Advances on C-Se Bond-forming Reactions at Low and Room Temperature

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Over the last decades, many methods have been reported for the synthesis of selenium- heterocyclic scaffolds because of their interesting reactivities and applications in the medicinal as well as in the material chemistry. This review describes the recent numerous useful methodologies on C-Se bond formation reactions which were basically carried out at low and room temperature.

Reactions of Nitroxides, Part 17. Synthesis, Fungistatic and Bacteriostatic Activity of Novel Five- and Six-Membered Nitroxyl Selenoureas and Selenocarbamates

The reactions of 3-isoselenocyanato-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl, 3-isoselenocyanatomethyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolidine-1-oxyl, and 4-isoselenocyanato-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl with selected amines and alcohols give the corresponding novel nitroxyl selenoureas and selenocarbamates, all bearing a nitroxyl moiety. Synthesized selenoureas and selenocarbamates show significant activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In contrast to piperidine nitroxides, pyrrolidine, five-membered nitroxyl selenoureas and selenocarbamates show excellent antifungal and antibacterial activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria, respectively.

New insight into the chemistry of selenoureas: synthesis and single crystal structural study of diverse derivatives

A series of new heteroatom derivatives of N-acylselenoureas was obtained through the reaction of KSeCN with acyl chloride and primary amines, followed by the cyclisation reaction with phenacyl bromides.

Diverse Derivatives of Selenoureas: A Synthetic and Single Crystal Structural Study

Reacting aroyl chlorides with an equivalent of potassium selenocyanate, followed by treating with an equivalent of 1,2,4-tri-tert-butylaniline at room temperature, resulted in the expected selenoureas and unusual diselenazoles. The selenation of selenourea by Woollins Reagent gave a new selenoformamide. Nucleophilic addition of selenoureas with acyl bromides led to the formation of new carbamimidoselenoates rather than the expected 1,3-selenazoles. The novel compounds prepared were characterised spectroscopically and crystallographically.

Isoselenocyanates versus Isothiocyanates and Isocyanates

Alkyl and aryl isoselenocyanates are well known intermediates in the synthesis of various organoselenium compounds, but the knowledge of the physicochemical properties of simple unsaturated derivatives is still fragmentary. Vinyl-, 2-propenyl-, and cyclopropyl isoselenocyanates have been prepared by reaction of selenium in powder with the corresponding isocyanides. The isoselenocyanates of this series, with a variable distance between the N═C═Se group and the unsaturated or pseudounsaturated group, have been studied by UV-photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. For each of these three isoselenocyanates, the exploration of conformers and geometrical optimization always converge toward only one local minimum. The vinyl and cyclopropyl derivatives are characterized by similar order of magnitude of interactions between the NCSe group and the substituent, while for allylic compound two noninteracting moieties should be considered. The same conclusions were obtained for vinylic and cyclopropylic sulfur and oxygen derivatives. Thus the type and extent of interactions between the N═C═X (X = O, S, Se) group and an unsaturated (vinyl, allyl, or cyclopropyl) moiety are now clarified.

Syntheses and Reactions of Chalcogen-containing Heterocycles

The advances in my laboratory for the past 20-25 years concerning the chemistry of chalcogen-containing heterocycles are reviewed. The intramolecular cyclization of the chalcogenols (-TeH, -SeH, -SH) into a triple bond or appropriate leaving group produced various chalcogen-containing heterocycles. The reactions of the obtained products were examined: the reactions of 1-benzo- and 2-benzopyrylium salts containing a tellurium or selenium element with several nucleophiles, including alkoxides, amines, the cyanide ion, an active methyl compound (acetone), Grignard reagents, copper reagents, and tin reagents, along with hydrogenation and hydrolysis reactions, provided corresponding chromes or isochromes having various functional groups at the 2- or 1-C position. Isothiocyanate and isoselenocyanate were used as chalcogen sources for the preparation of five- or six-membered heterocycles. In addition, double intramolecular cyclization, ring-expansion reactions, electrophilic cyclization and iodocyclization were also carried out.

An Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of 2-Amino-1,3,4-Selenadiazoles

An efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-selenadiazoles from isoselenocyanates, hydrazine hydrate and aromatic aldehydes has been developed. This approach provides a simple, mild and facile way to construct various derivatives in moderate to good yields (57–82%). A plausible mechanism is proposed for the formation of the target products.

Natural product-based synthesis of novel anti-infective isothiocyanate- and isoselenocyanate-functionalized amphilectane diterpenes

The marine natural product (-)-8,15-diisocyano-11(20)-amphilectene (1), isolated from the Caribbean sponge Svenzea flava, was used as scaffold to synthetize five new products, all of which were tested against laboratory strains of Plasmodium falciparum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The scaffold contains two isocyanide units that are amenable to chemical manipulation, enabling them to be elaborated into a small library of sulfur and selenium compounds. Although most of the analogs prepared were less potent than the parent compound, 5 was nearly equipotent showing IC50 values of 0.0066 μM and 0.0025 μM, respectively, against two strains (Dd2 and 3D7) of the malaria parasite. On the other hand, when assayed against the tuberculosis bacterium, analogs 5 and 6 were found to be more potent than 1.

Synthesis, isomerization and biological activity of novel 2-selenohydantoin derivatives

A set of novel selenohydantoins were synthesized via a convenient and versatile approach involving the reaction of isoselenocyanates with various amines. We also revealed an unexpected Z→E isomerization of pyridin-2-yl-substituted selenohydantoins in the presence of Cu(2+) cations. The detailed mechanism of this transformation was suggested on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations, and the key role of Cu(2+) was elucidated. The obtained compounds were subsequently evaluated against a panel of different cancer cell lines. As a result, several molecules were identified as promising micromolar hits with good selectivity index. Instead of analogous thiohydantoins, which have been synthesized previously, selenohydantoins demonstrated a relatively high antioxidant activity comparable (or greater) to the reference molecule, Ebselen, a clinically approved drug candidate. The most active compounds have been selected for further biological trials.

Intra- and intermolecular Se...X (X = Se, O) interactions in selenium-containing heterocycles: 3-benzoylimino-5-(morpholin-4-yl)-1,2,4-diselenazole

In the selenium-containing heterocyclic title compound {systematic name: N-[5-(morpholin-4-yl)-3H-1,2,4-diselenazol-3-ylidene]benzamide}, C13H13N3O2Se2, the five-membered 1,2,4-diselenazole ring and the amide group form a planar unit, but the phenyl ring plane is twisted by 22.12 (19)° relative to this plane. The five consecutive N—C bond lengths are all of similar lengths [1.316 (6)–1.358 (6) Å], indicating substantial delocalization along these bonds. The Se...O distance of 2.302 (3) Å, combined with a longer than usual amide C=O bond of 2.252 (5) Å, suggest a significant interaction between the amide O atom and its adjacent Se atom. An analysis of related structures containing an Se—Se...X unit (X = Se, S, O) shows a strong correlation between the Se—Se bond length and the strength of the Se...X interaction. When X = O, the strength of the Se...O interaction also correlates with the carbonyl C=O bond length. Weak intermolecular Se...Se, Se...O, C—H...O, C—H...π and π–π interactions each serve to link the molecules into ribbons or chains, with the C—H...O motif being a double helix, while the combination of all interactions generates the overall three-dimensional supramolecular framework.

N-(2-Bromo-phen-yl)-1,3-selenazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-2-amine

The mol-ecular structure of the title mol-ecule, C12H8BrN3Se, is built up from fused selenazolo and pyridine rings, linked to a 2-bromo-aniline group. In the crystal, pairs of mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds into dimers, forming eight-membered ring motifs.

N-p-Tolyl-1,3-selenazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-2-amine

In the title compound, C13H11N3Se, the dihedral angle between the mean plane of the fused seleno-azolo-pyridine ring system and the p-toluidine ring is 14.260 (5)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains extending along the b-axis direction.

1,2-Bis(4-methylbenzyl)diselane

The title mol­ecule, C₁₆H₁₈Se₂, features a diselenide bridge between two 4-methyl­benzyl units, in which the central C—Se—Se—C torsion angle is 88.1 (3)°, while the two Se—Se—C—C fragments assume gauche conformations, with torsion angles of −51.8 (5) and 59.1 (4)°. The dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 78.9 (2)°.