Synthesis, spectral characterization, DFT and in silico ADME studies of the novel pyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazoles and pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines

Abstract

The chemical behavior of 3-substituted-6,8-dimethylchromones 1-3 was studied towards two selected nucleophiles namely 1H-benzimidazol-2-ylacetonitrile (R1) and 5-amino-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (R2). A diversity of pyrido[1,2-a] benzimidazoles and pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines was efficiently synthesized through different transformation reactions; depending on the functional group present at C-3 position of the chromone moiety. The two nucleophiles reacted with acrylonitrile 1 through γ-pyrone ring opening at C-2 position followed by recyclization, while compounds 2 and 3 reacted with the two nucleophiles through addition onto the exocyclic double bonds followed by cycloaddition onto the nitrile functions. All theoretical computations were calculated by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) B3LYP method with the help of 6-311G(d,p) basis set. In theoretical studies, the global chemical activity descriptors (FMOs, electron affinity, ionization potential, hardness, softness, etc.) and MEP were calculated to predict the important information related with the stability and reactivity of the prepared molecules. Compound 7 which obtained through ring opening and recyclization of compound 1 by reagent R2 is the more stable product. Fukui functions (FFs) for the starting substrates 1-3 were determined by using the same level of theory. With the aid of local based descriptors in the form of condensed Fukui functions, the sites available for nucleophilic attack for compound 1 were C10 then at C8, and for compounds 2 and 3 were C14 then at C26. The electrons transfer occurs from the nucleophilic reagents (R1 and R2) to the starting substrates 1-3 as deduced from electrophilicity-based charge transfer study (ECT > 0). To explain the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the synthesized compounds, the dipole moment, polarizability, and first hyperpolarizability values (in the range 0.84 × 10−30 - 3.85 × 10−30 esu) have been calculated and compared with urea as a reference material. In addition, the 1H NMR chemical shifts of prepared compounds were simulated by GIAO manner and compared with experimental chemical shifts results. The “drug-likeness” and ADME appeared in good agreement with the Lipinski, Ghose and Veber rules, indicating the ability of the prepared compounds to be predictively orally active and bioavailable.