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Dimeric alkylammonium salts – gemini surfactants – due to their unusual very low critical micelle concentration and minimal inhibitory concentration are subject to intensive research as surface active and antimicrobial compounds. Thanks to the presence of two positively charged nitrogen atoms and a large molecular surface, gemini surfactants are also very efficient corrosion inhibitors. To strengthen the electrostatic adsorption of ammonium cations on a metal surface, which is a key parameter in the inhibition of corrosion, heteroatoms (O, S, N, or P) and π-electron systems can be introduced into the gemini surfactant structure to increase chemical adsorption. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the alkyl chain length and critical micelle concentration for gemini surfactants containing an oxygen atom in the spacer, that is, bis(N-alkyl-N,N-dimethylethylammonium)ether dibromides, for potential use as corrosion inhibitors.

New four steroid conjugates have been prepared from bile acids and sterol derivatives using click chemistry method. The azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition (intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition) of the propargyl ester of lithocholic, deoxycholic, cholic acid as well as dehydrocholic acids and azide derivatives of cholesterol gave a new bile acid-sterol conjugates linked with a 1,2,3-triazole ring. Previously, bile acids were converted into bromoacetyl substituted derivatives by the reaction of propargyl esters of lithocholic, deoxycholic, cholic with bromoacetic acid bromide in toluene with TEBA and sodium hydride. All conjugates were obtained in good yields using an efficient synthesis method. The structures of all products were confirmed by spectral (1H- and 13C NMR, and FT-IR) analysis, mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), as well as PM5 semiempirical methods. Estimation of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has been accomplished for the synthesized compounds on the basis of Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS).

New quaternary bis-phthalimidopropylalkylammonium conjugates of lithocholic, deoxycholic and cholic acids were obtained by reaction of bile acids with bromoacetic acid bromide to give bile acid 3α-bromoacetates. These intermediates were subjected to nuclephilic substitution with N,N-bis-(phthalimidopropyl)-N-ethylamine, N,N-bis-(phthalimidopropyl)-N-decylamine and N,N-bis-(phthalimidopropyl)-N-hexadecylamine to give the final quaternary ammonium salts. The structures of products were confirmed by spectral (1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR and FT-IR) analysis, mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) as well as PM5 semiempirical methods and B3LYP ab initio methods. In addition, differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies were performed for compounds of different hydrocarbon chain length. Estimation of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has been accomplished for synthesized compounds on the basis of Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS).

A novel method for the synthesis of bile acid derivatives has been developed using “click chemistry”. Intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the propargyl ester of bile acids and azide groups of 1,3,5-tris(azidomethyl)benzene gave a new quasi-podands with 1,2,3-triazole rings. The structures of the products were confirmed by spectral (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR) analysis, mass spectrometry and PM5 semiempirical methods. Estimation of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has been accomplished for synthesized compounds on the basis of Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS).

A new method for the synthesis of esters of bile acid derivatives is described. These new compounds are characterized by spectroscopic and PM5 methods. Estimation of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has been accomplished for the compounds synthesized on the basis of prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS).

The methods of synthesis as well as physical, spectroscopic (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR, ESI-MS), and biological properties of quaternary and dimeric quaternary alkylammonium conjugates of steroids are presented. The results were contrasted with theoretical calculations (PM5 methods) and potential pharmacological properties (PASS). Alkylammonium sterols exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity comparable to squalamine.

The regioselectivity of the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of α-chlorocyclobutanone derivatives is markedly affected by substituents in position γ to the carbonyl group. The reaction of steroidal α-chlorocyclobutanones with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid results in the formation of γ-chloro-γ-lactones and/or α-chloro-γ-lactones depending on the substitution pattern of the four-membered ring. In the reactions of γ-unsubstituted α-chlorocyclobutanones, the exclusive formation of γ-chloro-γ-lactone results from the migration of the chlorinated substituent (CHCl) versus the alkyl group (CH2), contrary to the expected migratory aptitude. In explaining the unusual regioselectivity observed in these reactions, steric effects and dipole interactions in the formation of the reactive Criegee intermediates are considered and the stereoelectronic effect is postulated to be more important than the intrinsic migratory aptitude.

The boron trifluoride etherate catalyzed reaction of 7-epimeric 3β,7-diacetoxy-9β,11β-epoxy-5α-lanostanes 1 and 2 in acetic anhydride resulted in the formation of a series of skeletally rearranged products, mainly 19(10→9β)abeo-lanostanes. 19(10→9β),30(14→8α)Bis-abeo-lanostane derivative 5 possessing a novel type of the triterpene skeleton was formed as the major product in the reaction of 7α-epimer 2. The direction and extent of rearrangements of 9β,11β-epoxides 1 and 2 depends on the configuration of the 7-acetoxy group. The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods, mainly 1H and 13C NMR. The structure of compound 5 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Two isomeric cucurbitane derivatives, 3beta,7alpha,11beta-triacetoxycucurbit-5(10)-ene, (I), and 3beta,7alpha,11beta-triacetoxy-5alpha-cucurbit-1(10)-ene, (II), both C(36)H(58)O(6), have their single endocyclic C=C double bonds in different positions. This results in differences in the conformation of the four-ring system, which is close to a half-chair/half-chair/chair/half-chair arrangement in (I) and to a half-chair/twist-boat/boat/half-chair arrangement in (II). The orientation of some of the substituents is also different; the 3beta-acetoxy group is in an equatorial position in (I) but in an axial position in (II), while the 11beta-acetoxy group occupies an axial position in (I) and an equatorial position in (II). The asymmetric unit of (I) contains two symmetry-independent molecules which do not differ significantly, being related by a pseudo-twofold axis of symmetry. In both structures, the aliphatic chain fragments are disordered and the disorder persists at lower temperatures.

The methods of synthesis as well as physical, spectroscopic (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR, ESI-MS), and biological properties of quaternary and dimeric quaternary alkylammonium conjugates of steroids are presented. The results were contrasted with theoretical calculations (PM5 methods) and potential pharmacological properties (PASS). Alkylammonium sterols exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity comparable to squalamine.

α,α-Dichlorocyclobutanones of various substitution patterns, readily available by the thermal cycloaddition of dichloroketene to steroid olefins, were selectively dehalogenated and further transformed to α-chlorocyclobutanone oximes. In contrast to the Beckmann rearrangement of the α-unsubstituted oximes, α-chlorocyclobutanone oximes, on treatment with thionyl chloride in benzene, gave normal and abnormal reaction products. In all reactions studied, the Beckmann fragmentation–substitution was the major process. The rearrangement of α-chlorocyclobutanone oximes is the key step of the novel method for geminal functionalization of carbonyl carbon atom in ketones and regioselective vicinal functionalization of unsymmetrical olefins. The regiochemistry observed in the rearrangements is supported by semiempirical calculations (AM1).

17β-(3-Oxocyclobutyl)androstane, prepared by the thermal [2 + 2] cycloaddition of dichloroketene to 3β-acetoxypregna-5,20-diene, is the key intermediate in the new, efficient synthesis of steroids bearing the 17β-butenolide fragment that characterizes cardenolides. The six-step synthesis of 3β-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-14α-carda-5,20(22)-dienolide was achieved with a total yield of 32%. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

Triphosgene is a convenient reagent for the preparation of O-(chloroformyl)oximes from aliphatic and aromatic ketoximes.

Various carbon-carbon double bonds in olefins and α,β-unsaturated ketones were effectively reduced to the corresponding alkanes and saturated ketones, using ammonium formate as a hydrogen transfer agent in the presence ofPd/C as catalyst in refluxing methanol.

New quaternary 3-phthalimidopropylammonium conjugates of steroids were obtained by reaction of sterols (ergosterol, cholesterol, cholestanol) and bile acids (lithocholic, deoxycholic, cholic) with bromoacetic acid bromide to give sterol 3β-bromoacetates and bile acid 3α-bromoacetates, respectively. These intermediates were subjected to nuclephilic substitution with N,N-dimethyl-3-phthalimidopropylamine to give the final quaternary ammonium salts. The structures of products were confirmed by spectral (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR) analysis, mass spectrometry (ESI-MS, MALDI) as well as PM5 semiempirical methods and B3LYP ab initio methods. Estimation of the pharmacotherapeutic potential has been accomplished for synthesized compounds on the basis of Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS).

A short and efficient synthesis of steroid synthons, di(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) ethers of 3,21-dihydroxy-24-nor-chol-5-en-23-al (8 and 10) and of ethyl 3,21-dihydroxy-25-homo-chola-5,23-dien-25-oate (9 and 11), having natural (20R) and unnatural (20S) configuration from 3β-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-14α,20ξ-card-5-enolide (2) is reported. Further elongation of the side chain of these synthons provides a new method for the synthesis of (20R) and (20S)-21-hydroxy steroids. The utility of the method was exemplified by the synthesis of a natural marine sterol – 21-hydroxycholesterol (18).