X-ray Crystallographic Analysis Research Articles

NewIndole Alkaloidsfrom the Fungus Talaromyces assiutensis JTY2.

Three new indole alkaloids, named talatensindoidsA-C (1-3), together with two known biogenetically related indole alkaloids tryptamine (4) and L-tryptophan (5) were isolated from the Talaromyces assiutensisJTY2 based on the guidance of OSMAC approach.The structures of these indole alkaloidswere determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses.The absolute configuration of 3was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 1representthe rare example of a chlorine-substitutedindolealkaloidfrom natural products. The inhibitory activityof compounds1-5against twophytopathogenic fungiand three phytopathogenic bacteriawas evaluated.Compound1exhibited broad spectrumantibacterial activities.

Interactions of Phenylalanine Derivatives with Human Tyrosinase: Lessons from Experimental and Theoretical tudies.

The pigmentation of the skin, modulated by different actors in melanogenesis, is mainly due to the melanins (protective pigments). In humans, these pigments' precursors are synthetized by an enzyme known as tyrosinase (TyH). The regulation of the enzyme activity by specific modulators (inhibitors or activators) can offer a means to fight hypo- and hyper-pigmentations responsible for medical, psychological and societal handicaps. Herein, we report the investigation of phenylalanine derivatives as TyH modulators. Interacting with the binuclear copper active site of the enzyme, phenylalanine derivatives combine effects induced by combination with known resorcinol inhibitors and natural substrate/intermediate (amino acid part). Computational studies including docking, molecular dynamics and free energy calculations combined with biological activity assays on isolated TyH and in human melanoma MNT-1 cells, and X-ray crystallography analyses with the TyH analogue Tyrp1, provide conclusive evidence of the interactions of phenylalanine derivatives with human tyrosinase. In particular, our findings indicate that an analogue of L-DOPA, namely (S)-3-amino-tyrosine, stands out as an amino phenol derivative with inhibitory properties against TyH.

Intramolecular exciplex featuring a bis-sp3 C-locked acceptor-donor-acceptor sandwich.

Intramolecular exciplex systems featuring thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) have garnered significant attention in the realm of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Nonetheless, the occurrence of organic sandwich intramolecular exciplexes remains rare due to structural limitations and synthetic challenges. Herein, we present a novel rigid acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) sandwich complex, dSFQP, characterized by two sp3 C-locking moieties. This compound exhibits TADF characteristics facilitated by a multiple through-space charge-transfer process. X-ray crystallographic analysis confirms the distinctive sandwich configuration. The parallel spatial arrangement and minimized A-D-A configuration enhance electronic interactions, resulting in a high photoluminescence quantum yield, rapid reverse intersystem crossing rate, and sluggish nonradiative decay rate. OLEDs employing dSFQP as the dopant achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 28.5% with a low efficiency roll-off of merely 2.8% at 1000 cd m-2. Even at a high brightness of 10 000 cd m-2, the EQE remains notably high at 17.5%. Our current results provide an effective way to further innovate the design of new organic charge-transfer complexes.

Glucoconjugated monoterpene indole alkaloids with xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity from Ophiorrhiza japonica

Continued interest in the bioactive alkaloids led to the isolation of five undescribed alkaloids (1-5), ophiorglucidines A-E, and seven known analogues (6-12) from the water-soluble fraction of Ophiorrhiza japonica. The structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data and quantum calculations as well as X-ray crystallographic analysis. The structure of 1 was characterized as a hexacyclic skeleton including a double bridge linking the indole and the monoterpene moieties, which is the first report of a single crystal with this type of structure. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of zwitterionic indole alkaloid glycosides on xanthine oxidase was found for the first time. The alkaloids 2 and 3, both of which have a pentacyclic zwitterionic system, were more active than the reference inhibitor, allopurinol (IC50=11.1μM) with IC50 values of 1.0μM, and 2.5μM, respectively. Structure-activity relationships analyses confirmed that the carbonyl group at C-14 was a key functional group responsible for the inhibitory effects of these alkaloids.

Chiral Teropyrenes: Synthesis, Structure, and Spectroscopic Studies.

We present the inaugural synthesis of a chiral teropyreneachieved through a four-fold alkyne benzannulation catalyzed by InCl3, resulting in good yields. The product underwent thorough characterization using FT-Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies, demonstrating a close agreement with calculated spectra. X-ray crystallographic analysis unveiled a notable twist in the molecule's backbone, with an end-to-end twist angle of 51°, consistent with computational predictions. Experimentally determined enantiomeric inversion barriers revealed a significant energy barrier of 23 kcal/mol, facilitating the isolation of enantiomers for analysis via circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopies. These findings mark significant strides in the synthesis and characterization of chiral teropyrenes, offering insights into their structural and spectroscopic properties.

Mixed ligand Re and 99mTc tricarbonyl complexes bearing two important pharmacophores: 2-(4′-aminophenyl)benzothiazole and curcumin

The synthesis and characterization of neutral [2 + 1] tricarbonyl mixed-ligand ReI- and 99mTcI-complexes of the general formula fac-[Re/99mTc(CO)3(OO)(isc)] is reported herein. The complexes bear acetylacetone (acac) or curcumin (curc) as monoanionic bidentate (OO) ligands and isocyanide (isc) derivatives of the anticancer agent 2-(4′-aminophenyl)benzothiazole (1) and its 3́-methyl-substituted counterpart (2) as monodentate ligands. The Re complexes were synthesized through the addition of 1 and 2, efficiently prepared in four steps, to the aqua intermediate fac-[Re/99mTc(CO)3(OO)(H2O)], formed by the reaction of the [Et4N]2[Re(CO)3Br3] precursor with the OO bidentate ligands. Ligands 1 and 2 and the corresponding complexes 3-Re and 4-Re (OO acetylacetone), as well as 5-Re and 6-Re (OO curcumin), were fully characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS analysis, IR, and NMR. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3-Re showed that it crystallizes in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group C2/c with two crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit that form a dimer through intermolecular π–π stacking interactions between the aromatic rings of the ligand. Synthesis was subsequently transferred at 99mTc-tracer level using the fac-[99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ precursor and the corresponding 3-99mTc–6-99mTc complexes were prepared with a radiochemical yield of >92% and characterized by comparative HPLC analysis using the well-characterized Re complexes as reference. All 99mTc-complexes show good stability against the histidine and cysteine challenge, while their lipophilicity logD7.4 values of 2.55–2.78 fulfil the requisite for high bioavailability. The complexes synthesized bear important pharmacophores, which in complexes 5 and 6 co-exist in the same molecule, representing unique structures currently evaluated for anticancer activity.

X-Ray Crystallographic Analysis of Pr Modified BaTiO3 Ceramics with a Theoretical Perspective for Potential Applications in Microelectronics

By examining the diffraction data, the microstructure of the ball-milled synthesized powder sample ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TiO3) was characterized. Through the application of Rietveld’s powder structure refinement approach to analyze X-ray powder diffraction data of ball-milled powder mixes, structural and microstructural alterations in terms of lattice defects have been assessed in the formation of single-phase praseodymium-modified BaTiO3. Bond lengths, bond angles, and generated locations of the [Formula: see text]Pr0[Formula: see text]TiO3 ceramic have been discussed about its generated structure. X-ray diffraction with respect to the first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is used to study the nanostructure of void species. General equations were utilized to determine various FSDP characteristics such as interlayer separation, correlation length, nanovoid diameter and scattering vector magnitude. Although the literature reports on many properties of Pr-modified barium titanate ceramic, this sample’s quantitative analysis and nanovoid determination are presented for the first time.

Introduction of peripheral nitrogen atoms to cyclo-meta-phenylenes.

Cyclo-meta-phenylenes doped with nitrogen atoms at the periphery were designed and synthesized. The syntheses of the macrocyclic structures were achieved with one-pot Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to arrange phenylene rings and pyridinylene rings in an alternating fashion. Analyses with UV-vis spectroscopy showed changes in the photophysical properties with nitrogen doping, and X-ray crystallographic analyses experimentally revealed the presence of biased charges on the peripheral nitrogen atoms.

Ethylene Polymerizations Catalyzed by Fluorinated "Sandwich" Diimine-Nickel and Palladium Complexes.

Nickel and palladium complexes bearing "sandwich" diimine ligands with perfluorinated aryl caps have been synthesized, characterized, and explored in ethylene polymerization reactions. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of the precatalysts 16 and 6b shows differences from their nonfluorinated analogues 17 and 19, with the perfluorinated aryl caps centered precisely over the nickel and palladium centers, which results in higher buried volumes of the metal centers relative to the nonfluorinated analogues. The sandwich diimine-palladium complexes 5a and 5b containing perfluorinated aryl caps polymerize ethylene in a controlled fashion with activities that are substantially increased compared with their nonfluorinated analogues. Migratory insertion rates in relevant methyl ethylene complexes agree with the activities exhibited in bulk polymerization experiments. DFT studies suggest that facility of ethylene rotation from its preferred orientation perpendicular to the Pd-alkyl bond into a parallel in-plane conformation contributes to the higher polymerization activity for 5b relative to 18a. For these palladium systems, polymer molecular weights can be controlled via hydrogen addition (hydrogenolysis), which is unusual for late-transition-metal-catalyzed olefin polymerizations with no catalyst deactivation occurring. Sandwich diimine-nickel complexes 6a and 6b with perfluorinated aryl caps show ethylene polymerization activities that are about half of those of classical tetraisopropyl-substituted catalyst 2 but again are more active than the analogous nonfluorinated sandwich complexes. Ethylene polymerizations exhibit living behavior, and branched ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylenes (UHMWPEs) with very low-molecular-weight distributions (less than 1.1) are obtained. The activated nickel catalysts are stable in the absence of monomer and show good long-term stability at 25 °C.

Anti-Inflammatory and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Triterpenoid with Diverse Carbon Skeletons from the Fruits of Rosa roxburghii.

The fruits of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. are edible nutritional food with high medicinal value and have been traditionally used as Chinese folk medicine for a long time. In this study, 26 triterpenoids including four new pentacyclic triterpenoids, roxbuterpenes A-D (1, 4, 5, and 24), along with 22 known analogues (2, 3, 6-23, 25, and 26), were isolated from the fruits of R. roxburghii. Their chemical structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (including IR, HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopy). The absolute configuration of roxbuterpene A (1) was determined by an X-ray crystallographic analysis. This is the first report of the crystal structure of 5/6/6/6/6-fused system pentacyclic triterpenoid. Notably, roxbuterpenes A and B (1 and 4) possessed the A-ring contracted triterpenoid and nortriterpenoid skeletons with a rare 5/6/6/6/6-fused system, respectively. Compounds 1-7, 11, 13-15, 18-20, 24, and 25 exhibited moderate or potent inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. Compounds 2, 4, 6, 11, and 14 showed strong activities against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 8.4 ± 1.6, 7.3 ± 2.2, 13.6 ± 1.4, 0.9 ± 0.4, and 12.5 ± 2.4 μM, respectively (positive control acarbose, 10.1 ± 0.8 μM). Compounds 13, 14, and 16 moderately inhibited the release of NO (nitric oxide) with IC50 values ranging from 25.1 ± 2.0 to 51.4 ± 3.1 μM. Furthermore, the expressions of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) and IL-6 (interleukin-6) were detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and compounds 13, 14, and 16 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects on TNF-α and IL-6 release in a dose-dependent manner ranging from 12.5 to 50 μM.

Structural and Computational Insights into Dynamics and Intermediate States of Orexin 2 Receptor Signaling.

Orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) whose activation is crucial to regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Recently, inactive and active state structures were determined from X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy single particle analysis, and the activation mechanisms have been discussed based on these static data. GPCRs have multiscale intermediate states during activation, and insights into these dynamics and intermediate states may aid the precise control of intracellular signaling by ligands in drug discovery. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to investigate dynamics induced in response to thermal perturbations, such as structural fluctuations of main and side chains. In this study, we proposed collective motions of the TM domain during activation by performing 30 independent microsecond-scale MD simulations for various OX2R systems and applying relaxation mode analysis. The analysis results suggested that TM3 had a vertical structural movement relative to the membrane surface during activation. In addition, we extracted three characteristic amino acid residues on TM3, i.e., Q1343.32, V1423.40, and R1523.50, which exhibited large conformational fluctuations. We quantitatively evaluated the changes in their equilibrium during activation in relation to the movement of TM3. We also discuss the regulation of ligand binding recognition and intracellular signal selectivity by changes in the equilibrium of Q1343.32 and R1523.50, respectively, according to MD simulations and GPCR database. Additionally, the OX2R-Gi signaling complex is stabilized in the conformation resembling a non-canonical (NC) state, which was previously proposed as an intermediate state during activation of neurotensin 1 receptor. Insights into the dynamics and intermediate states during activation gained from this study may be useful for developing biased agonists for OX2R.

Helically Chiral π-Expanded Azocines Through Regioselective Beckmann Rearrangement and Their Charged States.

We report a synthetic approach to π-expanded [6]helicenes incorporating tropone and azocine units in combination with a 5-membered ring, which exhibit intriguing structural, electronic, and chiroptical properties. The regioselective Beckmann rearrangement allows the isolation of helical scaffolds containing 8-membered lactam, azocine, and amine units. As shown by X-ray crystallographic analysis, the incorporation of tropone or azocine units leads to highly distorted [6]helicene moieties, with distinct packing motifs in the solid state. The compounds exhibit promising optoelectronic properties with considerable photoluminescence quantum yields and tunable emission wavelengths depending on the relative position of the nitrogen center within the polycyclic framework. Separation of the enantiomers by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed characterization of their chiroptical properties by circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy. The azocine compounds feature manifold redox chemistry, allowing for the characterization of the corresponding radical anions and cations as well as the dications and dianions, with near-infrared (NIR) absorption bands extending beyond 3000 nm. Detailed theoretical studies provided insights into the aromaticity evolution upon reduction and oxidation, suggesting that the steric strain prevents the azocine unit from undergoing aromatization, while the indene moiety dominates the observed redox chemistry.

Bis-Ortho-Donor-Modification of Boracyclic π-Electron Systems beyond Steric Protection to Produce Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials.

Polycyclic π-conjugated compounds that contain tricoordinate boron atoms at their periphery represent an attractive class of materials with electron-accepting character. Their molecular design generally requires the introduction of a bulky aryl group onto the boron atom, where it provides predominantly kinetic stabilization. The addition of extra functionality to the aryl group on the boron atom can be expected to further expand the potential utility of this class of materials. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of boracyclic π-conjugated molecules with firm ortho B⋅⋅⋅N nonbonding interactions by introducing N-containing electron-donors at the ortho-positions of the aryl group on the boron atom. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that the combination of a planar boracyclic π-skeleton with only sp2 carbons and a strong electron-donating phenothiazine moiety results in a particularly short B⋅⋅⋅N distance. Theoretical study provided insights into the inherent nature of the B⋅⋅⋅N interaction. Owing to their donor-acceptor (D-A) structures, these molecules exhibit substantially red-shifted fluorescence in solution, albeit that the fluorescence quantum yields (ΦF) are low. In contrast, when incorporated into films, these compounds exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) with improved ΦF values. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated using the ortho-donor-substituted derivatives exhibit orange-red electroluminescence.

Synthesis and characterization of Cu(II) complexes supported by a pyridylamide ligand

In our effort to understand the impact of ligand platforms on the structure diversity and chemical properties of copper clusters, a tripod pyridylamide ligand H3tpmbc was used in this work. Two one-dimensional polymeric Cu(II) complexes [Cu(H3tpmbc)Cl2]n (1) and [Cu2(H3tpmbc)Cl4]n (2) were isolated and characterized. X-ray crystallography analysis showed that both structures have a similar one-dimensional backbone. The main structure difference of the two complexes is the presence of a second Cu(II) site in complex 2. Hirshfeld analysis revealed the presence of interesting C–H⋅⋅⋅π and π⋅⋅⋅π interaction networks in both complexes. Spectroscopic characterization of both complexes and [CuPyCl2] suggests the source of the color difference between the two polymers at the solid state. Computational studies based on the X-ray crystal structures were performed and the results provided a deeper understanding of the electronic structures of the Cu(II) site(s) in both complexes. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that the two complexes have the similar thermal behavior, and this could be attributed to the similar one-dimensional backbone structure.

Cu(II) complexes of 5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid derivatives: Synthesis and characterization

Novel three Cu(II) complexes {[Cu2(MeOsba)4(H2O)2] (1, HMeOsba = 2-methoxy-5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid), [Cu(MeOsba)2(2a5mp)2].3H2O (2, 2a5mp = 2-amino-5-methylpyridine) and [Cu(Clsba)2(2amp)2].2H2O (3, 2amp = 2-picolylamine, HClsba = 2,4-dichloro-5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid)} were synthesized. The structure of 1–3 characterized by FT-IR, AAS, X-ray crystallographic analysis, UV, molar conductivity and magnetic moment. All complexes (1–3) formed crystals in the P-1 space group and the triclinic crystal system. The symmetric units of complexes (1–3) contains two Cu(II) cations, four MeOsba anions as bridges and two aqua ligands for 1, one Cu(II) cations, two MeOsba anions, two 2a5mp and three uncoordinated water molecules for 2 and one Cu(II) cations, two Clsba anions, two 2amp and three uncoordinated water molecules for 3. The structure of 1–3 have a crystallographic inversion centre.

Antifungal Pseuboyenes A-J, Bergamotene-Derived Sesquiterpenoids from a Cold-Seep-Derived Pseudallescheria boydii.

A chemical investigation of a cold-seep-sediment-derived fungus, Pseudallescheria boydii CS-793, resulted in characterization of 10 novel bergamotene-derived sesquiterpenoids, pseuboyenes A-J (1-10). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses as well as using the modified Mosher's method. Compound 1 represents the first example of a β-bergamotene containing a 6-oxobicyclo[3.2.1]octane nucleus adducted with a methyl lactate unit, while 8-10 involve a skeletal rearrangement from bergamotene. Compounds 2-5 showed significant antifungal activities against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz. and Fusarium oxysporum with MICs ranging from 0.5 to 8 μg/mL. Compound 4 exhibited an in vitro anti-F. proliferatum effect with an EC50 value of 1.0 μg/mL.

Lanthanide complexes of monosubstituted Calix[4]arene-ligands: Synthesis, structures, and magnetic properties of [Ln2(L)2(MeOH)4] (Ln = La, Gd, Tb, Tm) (H3L = mono-O-propargyl-calix[4]arene)

The ability of the propargylated calix[4]arene ligand H3L (= 25-(2-propynyloxy)-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) to bind lanthanide ions has been studied. The triply deprotonated ligand was found to support dinuclear neutral complexes of composition [Ln2L2(MeOH)4] (Ln= La (1), Gd (2), Tb (3), Tm (4)). Spectroscopic data for 1–4 as well as X-ray crystallographic analysis of single crystals of 1∙(MeOH)2 and 2∙(MeOH)2 reveal that two [LnL] entities dimerize via two phenolato groups to generate a centrosymmetric (MeOH)2O3Ln(μ-O)2LnO3(OHMe)2 core structure. The Ln3+ ions reside in a distorted mono-capped octahedral coordination environment. Squid magnetic measurements for the Gd3+ and Tb3+ complexes agree with the formulation as dinuclear compounds, and reveal the presence of very weak antiferromagnetic exchange interactions (J < 0.1 cm−1). The ability of the La3+ complex to react with azides in a click reaction is also demonstrated.

Efficient and Selective Construction of 41 2 Metalla-links Using Weak C-H⋅⋅⋅Halogen Interactions.

Through a coordination-driven self-assembly method, four metalla-links and one tetranuclear monocycle were constructed with high selectivity and yield by adjusting the substituent species of the building blocks, as evidenced using X-ray crystallographic analysis, electrospray ionization-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF/MS), elemental analysis and detailed solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Based on X-ray crystallographic analysis and independent gradient model analysis, a significant factor leading to the formation of metalla-links was the introduction of F, Cl, Br and I atoms, which generated additional weak C-H⋅⋅⋅X (X=F, Cl, Br and I) interactions. Furthermore, the dynamic conversion of metalla-links to monocyclic rings in methanol solution was systematically investigated using quantitative 1H NMR techniques.

Stereoselective Preparation of the Tricyclic Hexasubstituted Spirocyclopropane Core of Cyclohelminthol X.

This study focused on synthesizing the tricyclic hexasubstituted spirocyclopropane-core framework 2 of cyclohelminthol X (1), an antifungal cytotoxin isolated from Helminthosporium velutinum yone96 in a stereoselective manner. The synthesis features an SN2-type cyclopropanation of the quaternary chloride 23 generated via a retro-Michael-type ring-opening reaction of an 8-azatricyclo[4.3.0.12,5]deca-3,7,9-trione derivative 22. The successful synthesis confirmed the structure of 1, resolving the ambiguity from the absence of X-ray crystallographic analysis. The prepared models exhibited potent cytotoxicity.

Predisposition in Dynamic Covalent Chemistry: The Role of Non-Covalent Interactions in the Assembly of Tetrahedral Boronate Cages.

Directional bonding strategies guide the design of complex molecular architectures, yet challenges arise due to emergent behavior. Rigid structures face geometric constraints and sensitivity to mismatches, hindering the efficient assembly of molecular organic cages (MOCs). Harnessing intramolecular non-covalent interactions offers a promising solution, broadening geometrical possibilities and enhancing adaptability to boost assembly yields. However, identifying these interactions remains challenging, with their full potential sometimes latent until final assembly. This study explores these challenges by synthesizing boronic acid tripods with varied oxygen positions at the tripodal feet and investigating their role in assembling tetrahedral boronate MOCs. Our results reveal substantial differences in the assembly efficiency among tripods. While the building blocks with oxygen in the benzylic position relative to the central aromatic ring form the MOCs in high yields, those with the oxygen atom directly bound to the central aromatic ring, only yield traces. Through X-ray crystallography and DFT analyses, we elucidate how intramolecular interactions profoundly influence the geometry of the building blocks and cages in a relay-like fashion, highlighting the importance of considering intramolecular interactions in the rational design of (supra)molecular architectures.