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The present study reports some fascinating results of Hantzsch's [3 + 2] cyclic condensation of α-bromo-1,3-diketones, a tri-electrophilic synthon generated in situ by bromination of 1,3-diketones using the mild brominating reagent NBS with trinucleophilic N -substituted thioureas. Interestingly, out of a total of 20 combinations, 10 resulted in the exclusive formation of the desired 2-( N -arylamino)-5-acyl-4-methylthiazoles regioselectively, seven led to the formation of unexpected 2-( N -acylimino)-3- N -aryl-4-methylthiazoles through an interesting C-N acyl migration, and three furnished a mixture consisting of both products. The regioselectivity pattern of the two products may be attributed to a greater electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon of the acetyl group than that of the acyl group towards both nitrogens of thiourea. The structures of the thiazole derivatives were unambiguously assigned using 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and rigorous heteronuclear 2D-NMR [( 1 H- 13 C) HMQC and ( 1 H- 13 C) HMBC] spectroscopic techniques. The outcomes of the spectroscopic experiments were further concurred through X-ray crystallographic studies, and a plausible mechanism for acyl migration was proposed for the formation of the unexpected rearranged product., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The reaction of NH -indazoles with formaldehyde in aqueous hydrochloric acid has been experimentally studied by solution and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and crystallography. The mechanism of the formation of N 1 -CH 2 OH derivatives was determined. For the first time, 2-substituted derivatives have been characterized by multinuclear NMR. Theoretically, calculations with gauge-invariant atomic orbitals (GIAOs) at the Becke three-parameter (exchange) Lee-Yang-Parr B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level have provided a sound basis for the experimental observations. The first X-ray structures of four (1 H -indazol-1-yl)methanol derivatives are reported.

A new series of twenty-three 1,5-benzodiazepin-2(3H)-ones were synthesized and evaluated in the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays as a new chemotype with antioxidant and good drug-like properties. All of the derivatives showed low cytotoxicity in comparison to curcumin against the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and the human hepatoma HepG2 cell lines. Experimental solubility in bio-relevant media showed a good relationship with melting points in this series. Five compounds with the best antioxidant properties showed neuroprotectant activity against H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress in the SH-SY5Y cell line. From them, derivatives 4-phenyl-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2(3H)-one ( 18 ) and 4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2(3H)-one ( 20 ) yielded good neuroprotection activity in the same neuronal cell line under 6-OHD and MPP + insults as in vitro models of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease (PD). Both compounds also demonstrated a significant reduction of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and superoxide levels, in parallel with a good improvement of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm). Compared with curcumin, compound 18 better reduced lipid peroxidation levels, malondialdehyde (MDA), in SH-SY5Y cells under oxidative stress pressure and recovered intracellular glutathione synthetase (GSH) levels. Apoptosis and caspase-3 levels of SH-SY5Y under H 2 O 2 pressure were also reduced after treatment with 18 . Neuroprotection in neuron-like differentiated SH-SY5Y cells was also achieved with 18 . In summary, this family of 1,5-benzodiazepin-2-ones with an interesting antioxidant and drug-like profile, with low cytotoxic and good neuroprotectant activity, constitutes a new promising chemical class with high potential for the development of new therapeutic agents against PD.

The 1 H, 13 C, 15 N, and 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of 11 2,5-diaryl-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ones have been acquired in DMSO-d 6 solution and the 13 C, 15 N, and 19 F NMR spectra have also been acquired in the solid state (solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance [SSNMR] and magic angle spinning [MAS]). The X-ray structures of Compounds 3, 5, and 6 have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Theoretical calculations at the gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO)/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level have provided a set of 321 chemical shifts that were compared with 310 experimental values in DMSO-d 6 . To obtain good agreements, some effects need to be included. The SSNMR chemical shifts have been compared with gauge-including projector-augmented wave (GIPAW) calculations and with the heavy atom-light atom (HALA) effects., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Nine 3,5-dihydro-4 H -pyrido[2,3- b ][1,4]diazepin-4-ones ( 17 - 25 ), some of which contain fluoro-substituents, have been regiospecifically prepared by reaction of 2,3-diaminopyridines with ethyl aroylacetates. In two cases, open intermediates have been isolated and these are related to the reaction pathway. The X-ray crystal structure of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-3,5-dihydro-4 H -pyrido[2,3- b ][1,4]diazepin-4-one ( 23 ) has been solved (formula, C 15 H 13 N 3 O; crystal system, monoclinic; space group, C 2/ c ). This is an asymmetric unit constituted by a single nonplanar molecule and its conformational enantiomer due to the presence of the seven-membered diazepin-2-one moiety, which introduces a certain degree of torsion in the adjacent pyridine ring. The 1 H, 13 C, 15 N, and 19 F NMR spectra were obtained and the chemical shifts, together with those of the previously published 1,3-dihydro-2 H -benzo[ b ][1,4]diazepin-2-ones ( 1 - 16 ), i.e., a total of 544 values, were successfully compared with the chemical shifts calculated at the gauge invariant atomic orbital (GIAO)/Becke, three-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p) level. The seven-membered ring inversion barrier in 5-benzyl-2-phenyl-3,5-dihydro-4 H -pyrido[2,3- b ][1,4]diazepin-4-one ( 25 ) was determined and, in conjunction with the data from the literature, compared with the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) computed values. This allowed the determination of several structural effects. The rotation about the exocyclic N1-CR bond was also calculated and its dynamic properties were discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Theoretical simulation of NMR parameters in compounds bearing heavy atoms generally requires the application of relativistic corrections. We report herein the theoretical characterization of 13 C and 15 N CPMAS NMR of known bromo-derivative crystals by using both the GIPAW and the combined GIAO-ZORA-SO approximation methods. Several statistical analyses were performed to compare both approaches, with non-relativistic GIPAW method being more useful to predict the 13 C and 15 N chemical shifts. The problem of applying GIPAW to crystal structures showing static or dynamic crystalline disorder of the special class resulting in half-protons will be discussed in detail., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Weak hydrogen bonds are increasingly hypothesized to play key roles in a wide range of chemistry from catalysis to gelation to polymer structure. Here, 15 N/ 13 C spin-echo magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments are applied to "view" intermolecular CH···N hydrogen bonding in two selectively labeled organic compounds, 4-[ 15 N] cyano-4'-[ 13 C 2 ] ethynylbiphenyl ( 1 ) and [ 15 N 3 , 13 C 6 ]-2,4,6-triethynyl-1,3,5-triazine ( 2 ). The synthesis of 2- 15 N 3 , 13 C 6 is reported here for the first time via a multistep procedure, where the key element is the reaction of [ 15 N 3 ]-2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine ( 5 ) with [ 13 C 2 ]-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]zinc chloride ( 8 ) to afford its immediate precursor [ 15 N 3 , 13 C 6 ]-2,4,6-tris[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]-1,3,5-triazine ( 9 ). Experimentally determined hydrogen-bond-mediated 2h J CN couplings (4.7 ± 0.4 Hz ( 1 ) and 4.1 ± 0.3 Hz ( 2 )) are compared with density functional theory (DFT) gauge-including projector augmented wave (GIPAW) calculations, whereby species-independent coupling values 2h K CN (29.0 × 10 19 kg m -2 s -2 A -2 ( 1 ) and 27.9 × 10 19 kg m -2 s -2 A -2 ( 2 )) quantitatively demonstrate the J couplings for these "weak" CH···N hydrogen bonds to be of a similar magnitude to those for conventionally observed NH···O hydrogen-bonding interactions in uracil ( 2h K NO : 28.1 and 36.8 × 10 19 kg m -2 s -2 A -2 ). Moreover, the GIPAW calculations show a clear correlation between increasing 2h J CN (and 3h J CN ) coupling and reducing C(H)···N and H···N hydrogen-bonding distances, with the Fermi contact term accounting for at least 98% of the isotropic 2h J CN coupling.

Azoles are a family of five-membered azacyclic compounds with relevant biological and pharmacological activity. Different subclasses of azoles are defined depending on the atomic arrangement and the number of nitrogen atoms present in the ring: pyrazoles, indazoles, imidazoles, benzimidazoles, triazoles, benzotriazoles, tetrazoles and pentazoles. The complete characterization of their structure and the knowledge about their crystal packing and physical and chemical properties are of vital importance for the advancement in the design of new azole-containing drugs. In this review, we report the latest recent contributions to azole chemistry, in particular, those in which theoretical studies have been performed., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

1H-Benzotriazole crystallizes as two different polymorphs, namely 4aα and 4aβ. One polymorph is chiral and it resolves spontaneously as conglomerates. The other polymorph crystallizes in a centrosymmetric space group and it is therefore achiral. In both polymorphs supramolecular structures are formed starting from achiral monomers. An analysis of these two polymorphs of 1H-benzotriazole has been carried out by a complete strategy involving different solid-state experimental techniques and quantum chemical calculations (DFT, Density Functional Theory). In particular, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and vibrational spectroscopy techniques (FarIR, IR and Raman) that are not sensitive to chirality have been used to characterize the two polymorphs structurally. Vibrational spectroscopy (VCD, Vibrational Circular Dichroism) that is sensitive to chirality was employed to determine the absolute configuration (M or P helices) of the chiral supramolecular structure of 4aα.

The NMR chemical shifts of two azoles and one benzazole whose crystal structures present polymorphism have been computed using the GIPAW approach. 15 N and 13 C nuclei have been studied. Statistical analysis of the computed 13 C and 15 N chemical shifts indicates that the GIPAW chemical shifts reproduce with a high degree of accuracy those experimentally reported. This methodology can be used to identify other polymorphic crystal structures., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The molecular structure of the anti-aging agent J147 [systematic name: (E)-N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-2,2,2-trifluoro-N'-(3-methoxybenzylidene)acetohydrazide], C 18 H 17 F 3 N 2 O 2 , has been determined at 150 K. The crystal structure corresponds to the minimum-energy conformation in the gas phase calculated by density functional theory (DFT). 15 other conformations have been calculated and compared with the minimum, denoted 1111. NMR spectroscopic data have been obtained and compared with those from Gauge Independent Atomic Orbital (GIAO) calculations. DFT calculations allow the reduction of the 16 possible rotamers to the four most stable (i.e. 1111, 1112, 1121 and 1222); in addition, the calculated barriers connecting these minima are low enough to permit their interconversion. Comparison of the NMR spectroscopic results, both experimental and calculated, point to the 1121 isomer being present in chloroform solution.

The reaction in phase-transfer catalyzed conditions of 3(5)-methyl-1 H -pyrazole with chloroform affords four isomers 333 , 335 , 355 and 555 in proportions corresponding to the polynomial expansion (a + b)³, with a = 0.6 and b = 0.4, a and b being 3-methyl and 5-methyl proportions. The up ( u ) and down ( d ) conformation of the pyrazolyl rings with regard to the Csp³⁻H atom was established by X-ray crystallography and by ¹H-, 13 C- and 15 N-NMR in solution combined with gauge-including atomic orbitals (GIAO)/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations. A comparison with other X-ray structures of tris-pyrazolylmethanes was carried out.

The X-ray crystal structure of 2-benzyl-1H-benzimidazole, 2BnBzIm, was determined at 293 K showing no dynamic phenomena (disorder) of any class. On the other hand, some 13 C NMR signals were absent in the CPMAS spectrum (100 MHz, 300 K). We decided to carry out variable-temperature SSNMR and discovered that the missing signals are ortho and meta carbons of the phenyl ring of the benzyl group. Line-shape analysis and the Eyring equation were used to determine the barrier, which was compared with the calculated DFT for the gas phase that it is much lower., (Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This paper reports on the polymorphism of 2-propyl-1 H -benzimidazole (2PrBzIm) induced by temperature change. Upon heating, an irreversible reconstructive-type phase transition at T = 384 K from the ordered form I ( P 2 1 2 1 2 1 ) to a new polymorph, form II HT ( Pcam ), was observed. The structural transformation between forms I and II involves significant changes in the crystal packing, as well as a key conformational variation around the propyl chain of the molecule. After the first irreversible phase transition, the II HT form undergoes two further (reversible) phase transitions upon cooling at 361 K ( II RT ) and 181 K ( II LT ). All three phases (forms II HT , II RT and II LT ) have almost identical crystal packing and, given the reversibility of the conversions as a function of temperature, they are referred to as form II temperature phases. They differ, however, with respect to conformational variations around the propyl chain of 2PrBzIm. Energy calculations of the gas-phase conformational energy landscape of this compound about its flexible bonds allowed us to classify the observed conformational variations of all forms into changes and adjustments of conformers. This reveals that forms I and II are related by conformational change, and that two of the form II phases (HT and RT) are related by conformational adjustment, whilst the other two (RT and LT) are related by conformational change. We introduce the term 'conformational phases' for different crystal phases with almost identical packing but showing changes in conformation.

A series of fourteen new asymmetrical 1,3-diketone derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated in the ABTS, FRAP and DPPH assays as a new chemotype with antioxidant and drug-like properties. All the compounds displayed low cytotoxicity in comparison to curcumin against the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. Among them, (3 Z ,5 E )-6-(2,5-difluoro-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-1,1,1-trifluoro-4-hydroxyhexa-3,5-dien-2-one ( 6b ) and (3 Z ,5 E )-6-(2,3-difluoro-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-1,1,1-trifluoro-4-hydroxyhexa-3,5-dien-2-one ( 7b ) with excellent solubility and chemical stability in biorelevant media, have also shown a similar Fe +2 chelation behavior to that of curcumin. Additionally, both derivatives 6b and 7b have afforded good neuroprotection activity against H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress in the same neuronal cell line, with a significant reduction of intracellular ROS levels, in parallel with a good recovery of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨ m ). Compounds 6b and 7b with a promising antioxidant and drug-like profile, with low cytotoxic and good neuroprotectant activity, constitute a new interesting chemical class with high potential as new therapeutic agents against neurodegenerative diseases.

J147 [N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-2,2,2-trifluoro-N'-(3-methoxybenzylidene)acetohydrazide] has recently been reported as a promising new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The X-ray structures of seven new 1,4-diaryl-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles, namely 1-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-4-phenyl-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 17 H 14 F 3 N 3 , 1), 1-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 18 H 16 F 3 N 3 O, 2), 1-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 18 H 16 F 3 N 3 O, 3), 1-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 18 H 16 F 3 N 3 O, 4), 1-[2,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 18 H 10 F 9 N 3 O, 5), 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (C 19 H 18 F 3 N 3 O 4 , 6) and 3-[4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl]phenol (C 17 H 14 F 3 N 3 O 3 , 7), have been determined and compared to that of J147. B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations have been performed to determine the potential surface and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of J147, and to examine the correlation between hydrazone J147 and the 1,2,3-triazoles, both bearing a CF 3 substituent. Using MEPs, it was found that the minimum-energy conformation of 4, which is nearly identical to its X-ray structure, is closely related to one of the J147 seven minima.

For the first time, the success of a methodology for the determination of enantiomeric excess (% ee) in chiral solid samples by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy is reported. We have used camphor to determine the % ee in a blind sample constituted by a mixture of its two enantiomers as a test for the validity of our approach. IR and VCD spectra of different enantiomeric mixtures of R/S-camphor in Nujol mulls were recorded and linear regressions of VCD intensities (ΔAbs.) vs. % ee for selected bands were found. Finally, the VCD intensities of a blind sample were interpolated in these linear regressions, obtaining its % ee with a rms of 2.4. These results in the solid phase were complemented with the determination of % ee in the liquid phase by VCD and NMR techniques, which are proved to be complementary techniques to carry out this kind of analysis. In the same way as in the VCD solid phase, linear regressions of ΔAbs. vs. % ee for selected bands were established, obtaining a rms of 1.1 in the % ee determination of a blind sample. 1 H NMR experiments at 600 MHz using the chiral solvating agent, (S,S)-ABTE, allow the determination of the proportions of enantiomers in CD 2 Cl 2 solution with great accuracy. 13 C CPMAS NMR spectra prove that this technique cannot be used for conglomerates and/or solid solutions.

In this paper, we report the anisochrony of the fluorine atoms of a CHF₂ group when linked to a pyrazole ring. The pyrazole is part of (4 S ,7 R )-7,8,8-trimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4,7-methano-2 H -indazole also known as (4 S ,7 R )-campho[2,3- c ]pyrazole, which has two stereogenic centers. Gauge-Independent Atomic Orbital (GIAO)/Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,f) calculated 19 F chemical shifts of the minimum energy conformations satisfactorily agree with the experimental data. The energy differences between minima need to consider solvent effects (continuum model) to be satisfactorily reproduced., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

2-Propyl-1H-benzimidazole (2PrBzIm) is a small molecule, commercially available, which displays a curious behavior in the solid state. 2PrBzIm, although devoid of chirality by fast rotation about a single bond of the propyl group in solution, crystallizes as a conglomerate showing chiroptical properties. An exhaustive analysis of its crystal structure and a wide range of experiments monitored by vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy eliminated all possibilities of an artifact. What remains is a new example of the unexplained phenomenon of persistent supramolecular chirality.

The title compound, C 11 H 12 N 2 , is not planar due to the folding of the seven-membered ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are packed opposite each other to minimize the electronic repulsion but the long inter-molecular distances indicate that no directional contacts are found.

1H-Indazole derivatives exhibit a remarkable property since some of them form chiral supramolecular structures starting from achiral monomers. The present work deals with the study of three perfluorinated 1H-indazoles that resolve spontaneously as conglomerates. These conglomerates can contain either a pure enantiomer (one helix) or a mixture of both enantiomers (both helices) with an enantiomeric excess (e.e.) of one of them. The difficulty of the structural analysis of these types of compounds is thus clear. We outline a complete strategy to determine the structures and configurations (M or P helices) of the enantiomers (helices) forming the conglomerates of these perfluorinated 1H-indazoles based on X-ray crystallography, solid state NMR spectroscopy and different solid state vibrational spectroscopies that are either sensitive (VCD) or not (FarIR, IR and Raman) to chirality, together with quantum chemical calculations (DFT).

The introduction of poly(1H-pyrazolyl)borate anions, better known as scorpionates, as negatively charged ligands for a great diversity of metal cations has had a tremendous influence in coordination chemistry. The structures of two salts of tetrakispyrazolylborate, namely [tetrakis(3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)borato]thallium(I), [Tl(C 36 H 28 BN 8 )], and catena-poly[potassium-[μ 2 -tetrakis(3-cyclopropyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)borato]], [K(C 24 H 28 BN 8 )] n , have been determined at 296 K in the monoclinic P2 1 /c and C2/c space groups, respectively. In their crystal structures, the thallium salt presents discrete molecular motifs, while the potassium salt shows infinite polymeric chains. The 13 C and 15 N CPMAS (cross polarization magic angle spinning) NMR spectra of these compounds were recorded and the chemical shifts compared with theoretically calculated ones at the GIAO/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Both techniques are complementary and mutually consistent.

Pyridine substituted with one and two bicyclic guanidine groups has been studied as a potential source of superbases. 2-{hpp}C5H4N (I) and 2,6-{hpp}2C5H3N (II) (hppH = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidine) were protonated using [HNEt3][BPh4] to afford [I-H][BPh4] (1a), [II-H][BPh4] (2), and [II-H2][BPh4]2 (3). Solution-state (1)H and (15)N NMR spectroscopy shows a symmetrical cation in 2, indicating a facile proton-exchange process in solution. Solid-state (15)N NMR data differentiates between the two groups, indicating a mixed guanidine/guanidinium. X-ray diffraction data are consistent with protonation at the imine nitrogen, confirmed for 1a by single-crystal neutron diffraction. The crystal structure of 1a shows association of two [I-H](+) cations within a cage of [BPh4](-) anions. Computational analysis performed in the gas phase and in MeCN solution shows that the free energy barrier to transfer a proton between imino centers in [II-H](+) is 1 order of magnitude lower in MeCN than in the gas phase. The results provide evidence that linking hpp groups with the pyridyl group stabilizes the protonation center, thereby increasing the intrinsic basicity in the gas phase, while the bulk prevents efficient cation solvation, resulting in diminished pKa(MeCN) values. Spectrophotometrically measured pKa values are in excellent agreement with calculated values and confirm that I and II are superbases in solution.

A series of new (E)-3(5)-[β-(aryl)-ethenyl]-5(3)-phenyl-1H-pyrazoles bearing fluorine atoms at different positions of the aryl group have been synthesized starting from the corresponding β-diketones. All compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, DSC as well as NMR (¹H, (13)C, (19)F and (15)N) spectroscopy in solution and in solid state. Three structures have been solved by X-ray diffraction analysis, confirming the tautomeric forms detected by solid state NMR. The in vitro study of their inhibitory potency and selectivity on the activity of nNOS and eNOS (calcium-calmodulin dependent) as well as iNOS (calcium-calmodulin independent) isoenzymes is presented. A qualitative structure-activity analysis allowed the establishment of a correlation between the presence/ absence of different substituents with the inhibition data proving that fluorine groups enhance the biological activity. (E)-3(5)-[β-(3-Fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethenyl]-5(3)-phenyl-1H-pyrazole (13), is the best inhibitor of iNOS, being also more selective towards the other two isoforms.

The association constants of the complexes formed by two hosts containing pyrrole, amide and azine (pyridine and 1,8-naphthyridine) groups and six guests, all monoanions (Cl-, CH3CO2-, NO3-, H2PO4-, BF4-, PF6-), have been determined using NMR titrations. The X-ray crystal structure of the host N2,N5-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole- 2,5-dicarboxamide (1) has been solved (P21/c monoclinic space group). B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and calculations were carried out in an attempt to rationalize the trends observed in the experimental association constants.

The chemical shifts and several (19)F-(19)F, (13)C-(19) F and (1)H-(19)F spin-spin coupling constants (SSCSs) of eight 4,5,6,7-tetraflurobenzazoles (three benzimidazoles, three benzimidazolinones and two indazoles) have been determined. The chemical shifts were discussed using gauge including atomic orbital-density functional theory calculations taking into account solvent effects (polarizable continuum model) and, for the solid state, hydrogen bonds (clusters up to three molecules)., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

We present the structure of a new equimolar 1:1 cocrystal formed by 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole (dmpz) and 4,5-dimethyl-1H-imidazole (dmim), determined by means of powder X-ray diffraction data combined with solid-state NMR that provided insight into topological details of hydrogen bonding connectivities and weak interactions such as CH···π contacts. The use of various 1D/2D (13)C, (15)N and (1)H high-resolution solid-state NMR techniques provided structural insight on local length scales revealing internuclear proximities and relative orientations between the dmim and dmpz molecular building blocks of the studied cocrystal. Molecular modeling and DFT calculations were also employed to generate meaningful structures. DFT refinement was able to decrease the figure of merit R(F(2)) from ~11% (PXRD only) to 5.4%. An attempt was made to rationalize the role of NH···N and CH···π contacts in stabilizing the reported cocrystal. For this purpose four imidazole derivatives with distinct placement of methyl substituents were reacted with dmpz to understand the effect of methylation in blocking or enabling certain intermolecular contacts. Only one imidazole derivative (dmim) was able to incorporate into the dmpz trimeric motif thus resulting in a cocrystal, which contains both hydrophobic (methyl groups) and hydrophilic components that self-assemble to form an atypical 1D network of helicoidal hydrogen bonded pattern, featuring structural similarities with alpha-helix arrangements in proteins. The 1:1 dmpz···dmim compound I is the first example of a cocrystal formed by two different azoles., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper reports the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR experimental study of five benzimidazoles in solution and in the solid state ((13)C and (15)N CPMAS NMR) as well as the theoretically calculated (GIAO/DFT) chemical shifts. We have assigned unambiguously the "tautomeric positions" (C3a/C7a, C4/C7 and C5/C6) of NH-benzimidazoles that, in some solvents and in the solid state, appear different (blocked tautomerism). In the case of 1H-benzimidazole itself we have measured the prototropic rate in HMPA-d 18.

Two novel tetrafluorinated 1,5-benzodiazepinones were synthesized and their X-ray structures determined. 6,7,8,9-Tetrafluoro-4-methyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/c space group and 6,7,8,9-tetrafluoro-1,4-dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one in the triclinic P-1 space group. Density functional theory studies at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level were carried out on these compounds and on four non-fluorinated derivatives, allowing to calculate geometries, tautomeric energies and ring-inversion barriers, that were compared with the experimental results obtained by static and dynamic NMR in solution and in solid state.

1H-indazoles are good candidates for studying the phenomena of molecular association and spontaneous resolution of chiral compounds. Thus, because the 1H-indazoles can crystallize as dimers, trimers, or catemers, depending on their structure and the phase that they are in, the difficulty in the experimental analysis of the structure of the family of 1H-indazoles becomes clear. This difficulty leads us to contemplate several questions: How can we determine the presence of different structures of a given molecular species if they change according to the phase? Could these different structures be present in the same phase simultaneously? How can they be determined? To shed light on these questions, we outline a very complete strategy by using various vibrational spectroscopic techniques that are sensitive (VCD) and insensitive (IR, FIR, and Raman) towards the chirality, together with quantum chemical calculations., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A low-resolution X-ray molecular structure of the title hydrated salt, [Na(C19H21N6O6)]·2H2O, displays scorpionate character and resolves apparent ambiguities between solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopies. The (13)C NMR CPMAS spectrum is consistent with this structure showing some splittings, which have been rationalized using GIAO/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) theoretical calculations.

A combination of NMR spectroscopy and theoretical methods Density functional theory including dispersion corrections (DFT-D) was used to study the structures of Lumogen and salicylaldazine. In the solid state, Lumogen exists as the dihydroxy tautomer 1a (an azine, C=N-N=C) as was already known from an X-ray determination. In a deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide solution, another tautomer is observed besides 1a; its structure corresponds to the hydroxy-oxo tautomer 1b (a hydrazone, C=N-NH-Csp(2)). In what concerns salicylaldazine, we have observed only the dihydroxy tautomer 2a., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Achiral compounds 4-methoxy-4-(p-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanoneethylene ketal (2), 4-hydroxy-4-(p-methoxy phenyl)cyclohexanoneethylene ketal (3), and 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitropyrazole (4) crystallized in chiral structures and the samples showed an enantiomeric excess. We have determined the absolute structures of these compounds by using X-ray diffraction with copper radiation at low temperatures. Moreover, we have also established the prevalent absolute structures in these samples, by comparing their calculated and solid-state vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra. The consistency of this method was confirmed by using (R,R)-2,8-diiodo-4,10-dimethyl-6 H,12H-5,11-methano-dibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine, Tröger's base, (R,R)-1, as a chiral compound of known absolute configuration., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We present here the synthesis of several new isoalloxazine cyclophanes containing electroactive anthraquinones linked by aliphatic chains of different lengths. Such structural changes provide different interchromophoric orientations leading to the tuning of the rate of the photoinduced electron transfer process from the anthraquinone unit towards the isoalloxazine singlet excited state. Molecular modelling studies were undertaken in order to determine the minimal energy of the proposed structures using Monte Carlo calculations (Amber, Macromodel v.8.1). The compounds have been fully characterised by NMR spectroscopy and the solid state structures of some of the macrocycles have been elucidated. The photophysical studies have been carried out in order to investigate the influence of π-π stacking on the optical properties of the macrocycles.

The structures of three azines derived from 2-formylimidazole, 4(5)-formylimidazole, and 4(5)-formyl-5(4)-methylimidazole have been determined in solution and in the solid state. Density Functional Theory (DFT) Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM) calculations (geometries, energies, and chemical shifts), NMR [solution and cross polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS)], and X-ray crystallography [azine of 4(5)-formylimidazole] have been used. The configuration around the central C = N bonds has been determined and some insights about prototropic tautomerism and conformation have been gained., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Four hosts (7-10) containing 2,6-bisamidopyridine- and 2,5-bisamidopyrrole-bearing pyridyl or 1,8-naphthyridyl groups have been prepared and their structures studied by a combination of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Their behavior in molecular recognition of urea derivatives, including (+)-biotin methyl ester, has been approached by molecular modeling (Monte Carlo conformational search, AMBER force field). The minimum energy values for the complexes are correlated with the experimental binding energies determined by means of (1)H NMR titrations.

The guanidine unit in the guise of 2-aminoimidazole in the new structural motif 2-arylamino-1,3-diaza[3]ferrocenophane 4 acts as a binding site for anions. The electrochemical behavior of this compound has been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and was found to exhibit a quasi reversible oxidation peak, associated to the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox couple (Ep = 440 mV), and a non-reversible oxidation wave (Ep = 817 mV), probably associated to the oxidation of the C═N unit present in the guanidine bridge. Recognition of AcO(-), PhCO(2)(-), F(-), Cl(-), and Br(-) anions by the free receptor and the less basic anions Br(-), Cl(-), and NO(3)(-) by its monoprotonated form takes place by unusual redox-ratiometric measurements and spectroscopic ((1)H NMR and UV-vis) changes., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Conventional docking-based virtual screening (VS) of chemical databases is based on the ranking of compounds according to the values retrieved by a scoring function (typically, the binding affinity estimation). However, using the most suitable scoring function for each kind of receptor pocket is not always an effective process to rank compounds, and sometimes neither to distinguish between correct binding modes from incorrect ones. To improve actives from decoys selection, here we propose a three-step VS protocol, which includes the conventional docking step, a pharmacophore postfilter step, and a similarity search postprocess. This VS protocol is retrospectively applied to VEGFR-2 (Kdr-kinase) inhibitors. The resulting docking poses calculated using the Alpha HB scoring function implemented in MOE are postfiltered according to defined pharmacophore interactions (structure based). The selected poses are again ranked according to their molecular similarity (MACCS fingerprint) to the cognate ligand. Results show that both the overall and early VS performance improve the application of this protocol.

The inhibition of neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthases (nNOS and iNOS) by a series of 36 indazoles has been evaluated, showing that most of the assayed derivatives are better iNOS than nNOS inhibitors. A parabolic model relating the iNOS inhibition percentage with the difference, E(rel), between stacking and apical interaction energies of indazoles with the active site of the NOS enzyme has been established., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

A 2hJNN intermolecular spin-spin coupling constant (SSCC) of 10.2±0.4 Hz has been measured for the powdered tetrachlorogallate salt of pyridinium solvated by pyridine (pyridine-H+⋯pyridine cation 3). Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level reproduced this value and two others reported in the literature for 2hJ intermolecular SSCCs, which were measured for complexes in solution., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

(1)H-(13)C two-dimensional magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR correlation spectra, recorded with the MAS-J-HMQC experiment, are presented for campho[2,3-c]pyrazole. For each (13)C moiety, there are six resonances associated with the six distinct molecules in the asymmetric unit cell (Z' = 6). The one-bond C-H correlations observed in the 2D (1)H-(13)C MAS-J-HMQC spectra allow the experimental determination of the (1)H and (13)C chemical shifts associated with the separate CH, CH(2), and CH(3) groups. (1)H and (13)C chemical shifts calculated by using the GIPAW (Gauge Including Projector Augmented Waves) plane-wave pseudopotential approach are presented. Calculations for the whole unit cell (12 × 29 = 348 atoms, with geometry optimization of all atoms) allow the assignment of the experimental (1)H and (13)C chemical shifts to the six distinct molecules. The calculated chemical shifts for the full crystal structure are compared with those for isolated molecules as extracted from the geometry-optimized crystal structure. In this way, the effect of intermolecular interactions on the observed chemical shifts is quantified. In particular, the calculations are sufficiently precise to differentiate the small (<1 ppm) differences between the (1)H chemical shifts of the six resonances associated with each distinct CH or CH(2) moiety.