Theoretical determination of the standard enthalpies of formation of alkyl radicals using the concept of a complete set of homodesmotic reactions.

The complete sets of homodesmotic reactions (HDR) for 107 acyclic alkyl free radicals С4-С9 of normal and branched structure were constructed using the graph-theoretic representation and analysis of a tested compound. The absolute enthalpies of the studied compounds and HDR reference structures were calculated using the M062X/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Based on these data, the thermal effects of HDRs were calculated and then applied to determine the standard enthalpies of formation of the studied radicals using the known enthalpies of formation of reference structures. The dissociation energies of BDE C-H and C-CH3 bonds were also calculated. The effect of radical structure on the BDE value is discussed, and a new effect of stabilization of the radical center in the skewed conformation of free radical is established; this effect has not been previously described in the scientific literature.

Comprehensive Study of the Mechanism of the "Aromatic Nitroso Oxide-Olefin" Interaction as a Function of the Reagents' Structure.

Using reaction model systems (nitroso oxide ArNOO, Ar = Me2NC6H4 or O2NC6H4; exhaustive set of methyl- and cyano-substituted ethylenes), a detailed study of the reaction mechanism of ArNOO with unsaturated compounds was carried out using the density functional theory (M06L/6311 + G(d,p)). The reaction is preceded by the formation of a reagent complex of stacking type, which is favorable for further transformation. Depending on the structure of alkene, the reaction may proceed via two extreme mechanisms: synchronous (3 + 2)-cycloaddition (the most typical case) or one-center nucleophilic attack of the terminal oxygen atom of ArNOO on the less substituted carbon atom of the double bond. The last direction becomes dominant only under special reaction conditions: ArNOO with a strong electron-donating substituent in the aromatic ring, an unsaturated compound with a significantly depleted electron density on C═C bonds, and a polar solvent. In other cases, a different degree of asynchrony in the (3 + 2)-cycloaddition is possible; however, the main intermediate preceding stable reaction products is 4,5-substituted 3-aryl-1,2,3 dioxazolidine in any event. Both thermodynamic and kinetic arguments suggest the most probable decomposition of dioxazolidine into a nitrone and a carbonyl compound. It has been shown for the first time that the polarization of the C═C bond is a powerful factor regulating the reactivity in the reaction under study. The results of the theoretical study show excellent agreement with known experimental data for a wide variety of reacting systems.

Synthesis of 4-Aminopyrazol-5-ols as Edaravone Analogs and Their Antioxidant Activity.

One of the powerful antioxidants used clinically is Edaravone (EDA). We synthesized a series of new EDA analogs, 4-aminopyrazol-5-ol hydrochlorides, including polyfluoroalkyl derivatives, via the reduction of 4-hydroxyiminopyrazol-5-ones. The primary antioxidant activity of the compounds in comparison with EDA was investigated in vitro using ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC tests. In all tests, 4-Amino-3-pyrazol-5-ols were effective. The lead compound, 4-amino-3-methyl-1-phenylpyrazol-5-ol hydrochloride (APH), showed the following activities: ABTS, 0.93 TEAC; FRAP, 0.98 TE; and ORAC, 4.39 TE. APH and its NH-analog were not cytotoxic against cultured normal human fibroblasts even at 100 µM, in contrast to EDA. According to QM calculations, 4-aminopyrazolols were characterized by lower gaps, IP, and η compared to 4-hydroxyiminopyrazol-5-ones, consistent with their higher antioxidant activities in ABTS and FRAP tests, realized by the SET mechanism. The radical-scavenging action evaluated in the ORAC test occurred by the HAT mechanism through OH bond breaking in all compounds, directly dependent on the dissociation energy of the OH bond. All the studied compounds demonstrated the absence of anticholinesterase activity and moderate inhibition of CES by some 4-aminopyrazolols. Thus, the lead compound APH was found to be a good antioxidant with the potential to be developed as a novel therapeutic drug candidate in the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Heat Capacity Estimation Using a Complete Set of Homodesmotic Reactions for Organic Compounds.

Reliable information about isobaric heat capacities CP is necessary to determine the energies of organic compounds and chemical processes at an arbitrary temperature. In this work, the possibility of theoretical estimation of CP by the homodesmotic method is analyzed. Three cases of CP calculation applying the methodology of the complete set of homodesmotic reactions (CS HDRs) are considered: the gas- and liquid-phase CP of organic compounds of various classes at 298 K (the mean absolute value of reaction heat capacity, MA ΔCP = 1.44 and 2.83 J/mol·K for the gas and liquid phase, correspondingly); and the gas-phase CP of n-alkanes C2-C10 in the temperature range of 200-1500 K with an average error in calculating the heat capacity of 0.93 J/mol·K. In the latter case, the coefficients of the Shomate equation are determined for all n-alkanes that satisfy the homodesmoticity condition. New values of gas- and liquid-phase heat capacities are obtained for 41 compounds. The CS HDRs-based approach for estimating the CP of organic compounds is characterized by high accuracy, which is not inferior to that of the best CP-additive schemes and allows us to analyze the reproducibility of the calculation results and eliminate unreliable reference data.

Global Kinetics and Spectral Modeling of p-Methoxyphenyl Azide Photooxidation.

The kinetics of photooxidation of para-methoxyphenyl azide 1 was studied by flash photolysis with spectrophotometric detection of the absorption of active intermediates in an aerated acetonitrile solution at 295 K. The holistic set of experimental data including the consumption of cis-trans isomers of para-methoxyphenyl nitroso oxide 2 and the accumulation of photooxidation products (2Z,4E)-4-methoxy-6-oxo-hexa-2,4-diene-nitrile oxide 3 and bis-p-methoxy-azobenzene 4 monitored via the changes in the optical density of the solution in the wavelength range of 300-500 nm was treated to obtain the most complete information about the system under study. Flash photolysis of 1 results in the formation of the corresponding triplet nitrene, which either recombines to azobenzene 4 with a rate constant 2k4 = (8.7 ± 1.0) × 108 L/(mol s), or adds molecular oxygen to produce cis-trans isomers of nitroso oxide 2 with a total rate constant k5 = (1.0 ± 0.1) × 106 L/(mol s). The latter reaction is the main channel for nitrene consumption: the yield of 2 per consumed nitrene was found to be 90% higher at the cis/trans isomers ratio of 0.94 ± 0.04. The trans-isomer of 2 is chemically inert under the experimental conditions and is consumed in the trans-cis conformational transformation with the rate constant k6 = 0.45 c-1. The cis-isomer is thermodynamically more stable, k-6 = 0.16 c-1, but it is consumed irreversibly in the ortho-cyclization reaction with the rate constant k7 = 12.5 c-1. The final product, nitrile oxide 3, has intense absorption in the near UV region, λmax = 300 nm and εmax = 2 × 104 L/(mol·cm). This made it possible to determine the spectral characteristics of 2 isomers using nonlinear regression analysis. It was found λmax = 421 nm, εmax = (1.23 ± 0.07) × 104 L/(mol·cm), and δ = 1640 ± 10 cm-1 (half width at half maximum) for cis-2 and λmax = 462 nm, εmax = (1.57 ± 0.03) × 104 L/(mol·cm), and δ = 2150 ± 10 cm-1 for trans-2. The obtained spectral parameters are in good agreement with the results of optical spectra modeling for 2 isomers performed in the CIS(D,Full)/aug-cc-PVTZ//CASSCF(14,13)/ma-def2-TZVPP approximation: the calc-exp deviation for the absorption maximum was 0.05 eV (cis) and 0.12 eV (trans), the oscillator strengths were calculated to be 0.59 and 0.65, respectively.

BEP-Like Correction of Nonequilibrium Thermodynamic Parameters of the Solvent-Assisted Reactions: The DFT and Ab Initio Study of Hydration, Peroxidation, and Enolization of Acetone and 1,1,1-Trifluoroacetone in Aqueous Solutions.

The mechanisms of enolization and reactions of nucleophilic addition to carbonyl compounds were analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) (PBE1PBE) and ab initio (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) level of theory using the interaction of water and hydrogen peroxide with acetone and 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone (TFA) as the reference reactions. The transition states of the studied reactions were localized within the integrated approach that includes both the dielectric continuum theory (polarizable continuum model (PCM)) and the cyclic or two-cluster explicit solvation models. The considered models provide proton transfer in the enolization, hydration, and peroxidation reactions by the Grotthuss mechanism. It is shown that the calculated activation parameters at a sufficiently high level of theory and a sufficiently flexible solvation model can be additionally refined using the Bell-Evans-Polanyi (BEP)-like correction (in a form of the Bell-Evans-Polanyi equation), which is linear scaling of the model potential energy surface according to the equilibrium parameters of the reference reaction (experiment or high-level calculation). Quite good correspondence of the corrected and reference activation parameters and the lower sensitivity of the calculation results to the choice of the solvation model indicate the high reliability of the proposed BEP-like correction technique.

Interplay of the Ring and Steric Strains in the Highly Substituted Cyclopropanes.

Using the concept of a complete set of homodesmotic reactions for the analysis of molecular energetics of polysubstituted methyl- and fluorocyclopropanes allows assessing the strain energy SE of cyclopropanes, free from interfering effects, in full accordance with the IUPAC definition ("relative to a reference ... hypothetical 'strainless' structure"). The correct SE calculation requires quantifying nonvalence interactions in the products of formal homodesmotic reactions (HDRs) using a routine multiregression analysis. The complete HDR set provides the information necessary for the analysis, namely, the heat effects of HDRs calculated by the G4 composite method and the wide set of reference compounds with various combinations of nonvalence effects. We have found that the SE value for methylcyclopropanes lies in the range from 117.0 (1.1-dimethylcyclopropane) to 146.1 kJ/mol (hexamethylcyclopropane). It is the sum of the ring strain energy RSE = 117.9 ± 0.3 kJ mol, which does not depend on the number of methyl substituents, and the Pitzer strain energy of 4.4±0.1 kJ/mol per one contact (the standard deviation is shown as an error of determination). In the series of fluorocyclopropanes, SE varies from 137.9 (monosubstituted cyclopropane) to 260.0 kJ/mol (hexafluorocyclopropane) and well correlates with the ∑DBCP parameter deduced from the QTAIM analysis of the electron density of the compound, representing the total deviation of bond critical points from geometrical C-C bond lines of CC bonds. The ∑DBCP parameter characterizes the curvature of banana-like bonds in cyclopropanes.

Glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives as Zika virus inhibitors: Synthesis and antiviral activity in vitro.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family (Flavivirus genus), causing serious neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in adults and fetal microcephaly. Licensed vaccines or specific antiviral agents against ZIKV do not currently exist. Therefore, the search and development of anti-ZIKV agents are particularly relevant and necessary. Glycyrrhetinic (3ß-hydroxy-11-oxo-18ßH-Olean-12-en-30-oic acid) (GA) 1 is one of the well-known pentacyclic triterpenoids isolated from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Gl. uralensis Fisher) (Leguminosae) possessing many biological features, including antiviral activity. This paper is devoted to the synthesis and studies of a number of nitrogen and sulfur-containing GA derivatives as ZIKV inhibitors. Sixteen GA and related triterpenoids (3ß-hydroxy-18ßH-Olean-12-en-30-oic acid and 3ß-hydroxy-11-oxo-18ßH-Olean-12(13),18(19)-dien-30-oic acid) derivatives were synthesized (amides, semi- and thiosemicarbazones, and 1,2,3-thiadiazoles) and antiviral activity against ZIKV was studied in vitro, including the inhibitory assays on cytopathic effect (CPE), viral protein synthesis, and replication stages. Four active compounds were found among GA derivatives tested, 13 (3-O-acetyl-30-aminopyridine GA), 16 (3-semicarbazone-30-butyl GA), 18 (1,2,3-thiadiazole-30-methyl GA), and 19 (1,2,3-thiadiazole-30-butyl GA) with IC50 < 1 µM against ZIKV replication. These compounds had a stronger inhibitory activity on ZIKV-induced CPE and viral protein translation in infected cells as compared to derivatives of 11-desoxo-GA. The most active compound was amide 13 (IC50 0.13 µM, TI ˃ 384). Time-of-addition assays indicated that 1,2,3-thiadiazole ring is important for inhibiting viral entry stage (compounds 18 and 19), while the 30-butyl ester group influenced on post-entry stage (compound 19). The molecular docking analysis demonstrated that lead compounds 13 and 19 forms a hydrogen-bond interaction with the catalytic triad (His51-Asp75-Ser135) of ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease. Therefore, the active GA derivatives are promising for developing new antiviral agents against ZIKV infection.

Optical Configuration Effect on the Structure and Reactivity of Diastereomers Revealed by Spin Effects and Molecular Dynamics Calculations.

The peculiarities of spin effects in photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in diastereomers of donor-acceptor dyads are considered in order to study the influence of chirality on reactivity. Thus, the spin selectivity-the difference between the enhancement coefficients of chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP)-of the dyad's diastereomers reflects the difference in the spin density distribution in its paramagnetic precursors that appears upon UV irradiation. In addition, the CIDNP coefficient itself has demonstrated a high sensitivity to the change of chiral centers: when one center is changed, the hyperpolarization of all polarized nuclei of the molecule is affected. The article analyzes the experimental values of spin selectivity based on CIDNP calculations and molecular dynamic modeling data in order to reveal the effect of optical configuration on the structure and reactivity of diastereomers. In this way, we succeeded in tracing the differences in dyads with L- and D-tryptophan as an electron donor. Since the replacement of L-amino acid with D-analog in specific proteins is believed to be the cause of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, spin effects and molecular dynamic simulation in model dyads can be a useful tool for investigating the nature of this phenomenon.

On the use of the spectral luminescent method for studying acid-base equilibria of uracil derivatives in aqueous solutions.

The effect of pH on fluorescence parameters (spectral composition, intensity Ifl, and quantum yield φ) of thymine (T), 5-fluorouracil (FU) and 6-aminouracil (AU) have been investigated in aqueous solutions. As found, there is the regularity of the changes in the spectral composition, intensity, and quantum yields of uracil fluorescence depending on pH. The constants of the acid-base equilibria of uracils (pKa) determined by the fluorescence titration method are: 9.9 (T), 8.0 (FU), and 9.1 (AU) at 298 K. These pKa1 values satisfactorily agree with the previous estimates obtained by independent experimental or quantum chemical methods. The possibilities of the spectral fluorescence method for the quantitative description of the acid-base equilibria of uracils depending on the fluorescent features of the pyrimidinedione and its conjugate base are discussed.

Ortho-Cyclization in Asymmetrically Substituted Arylnitroso Oxides.

The mechanism of the photooxidation of a number of asymmetrically substituted phenyl azides in acetonitrile was studied. The key intermediates of this reaction are the corresponding nitroso oxides, the unimolecular consumption of which occurs via the cis form when the terminal oxygen atom of the NOO moiety reacts with the ortho position of the aromatic ring. As a result, it is opened to form a nitrile oxide. In the case of 3-methylphenyl azide, the reaction proceeds via the cis/syn form of nitroso oxide with a regioselectivity of 91%. The methoxy substituent at the para position changes the direction of the ortho-cyclization so that it occurs via the cis/anti form of nitroso oxide independently on the nature of a meta substituent. Nitrile oxides, which are formed as a result of these transformations of nitroso oxides, are stabilized by [3 + 2] cycloaddition with acetonitrile to give 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The observed regioselectivity of the ortho-cyclization of nitroso oxides was explained using theoretical methods. Its cause consists in the extra-stabilization of the transition state of the reaction of the cis/anti form due to a stereoelectronic effect of the para-methoxy substituent.

The substituent effects on the [3+2] cycloaddition of nitrile oxides generated by photooxidation of arylazides to acetonitrile.

The DFT approach in M06L/6-311 + G(d,p) approximation was used to study the transformation of unsaturated nitrile oxides (RCNO), which were generated by photooxidation of the corresponding aromatic azide, to oxadiazoles via [3 + 2]cyclization with acetonitrile. It was found that the cycloaddition activation enthalpy was within 60-93 kJ/mol, depending on the structure of the nitrile oxide. A significant mesomeric effect of the substituent and its position in the conjugated molecular system on the activation barrier of the reaction studied was identified. The relationship between the thermodynamic characteristics of [3 + 2] cycloaddition and electron density distribution in RCNO was demonstrated by a representative set of compounds including mono- and disubstituted nitrile oxides.

Experimental and theoretical substantiation of differences of geometric isomers of copper(II) α-amino acid chelates in ATR-FTIR spectra.

Stereo and structural isomerism of the copper(II) chelate complexes define their biological activity. At the same time, the identification of the geometric isomers of such complexes is a nontrivial task of modern coordination chemistry. In the presented work we have studied the trans- and cis-isomers of chelates bis(S-valinato)copper(II), (R,S-valinato)copper(II) and other mixed ligand copper(II) amino acid complexes with the joint use of experimental by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and DFT simulations. Using DFT simulations (method M06/6 311+G(d)) the optimum conformers of the geometric isomers of copper(II) a-amino acid chelate complexes were found and their characteristic stretching vibrations were established in the mid-wave region of the IR spectra. The experimental ATR-FTIR bands of the compounds well agree with the theoretical estimates. Such a joint use allows to determine of cis- and trans-isomers of copper(II) N,O-amino acid chelates in the mid-wave region of the ATR-FTIR spectrum.

Selection of influenza virus resistant to the novel camphor-based antiviral camphecene results in loss of pathogenicity.

Due to the ability of influenza virus to develop drug resistance, the search for novel antivirals is an important goal of medical science and health care systems. We assessed the ability of the influenza virus to develop resistance to the hemagglutinin inhibitor camphecene and characterized laboratory-selected resistant strains. We showed by electron microscopy that camphecene decreases the number of virions fusing their envelopes with endosomal membranes. A 160-fold decrease in virus susceptibility was observed after six passages in cells. This was associated with the emergence of a V458L mutation in the HA2 subunit of HA and with a decrease in viral pathogenicity. Molecular modeling predicts that this substitution results in a more stable HA molecule compared to wild-type HA; and an altered camphecene-binding site. Therefore, despite the relatively rapid development of resistance, camphecene remains promising as a potential antiviral due to the low pathogenicity of resistant viruses that may arise.

Theoretical Models for Quantitative Description of the Acid-Base Equilibria of the 5,6-Substituted Uracils.

The acidities of 18 5,6-substituted uracils have been numerically estimated as pKa values in terms of three theoretical models. The first scheme includes the calculation of the gas-phase acidity of uracil with the G3MP2B3 method and taking into account the solvent effect using the polarizable continuum approximation PCM(SMD)-TPSS/aug-cc-pVTZ. The second model is one step and implies calculation of the free Gibbs energies of the hydrate complex of uracil (and its anion) with 5 water molecules by the TPSS/aug-cc-pVTZ method. This model accounts for the solvent effect corresponding to both specific and nonspecific solvation. The third scheme required high time and computational resources and includes the strong features of the two previous schemes. Here, the theoretical estimation of pKa is performed by the CBS-QB3 composite method. As in the second approach, both specific (as pentahydrate) and nonspecific solvent effects are determined. We have analyzed the advantages and model restrictions of the considered schemes for the pKa calculations. All models have systematic errors, which have been corrected with the linear empirical regression relations. In the presented model, the absolute mean deviations of the pKa values of uracils dissociating via the N1-H bonds diminish to 0.25, 0.28, and 0.23 pKa units (respectively, for I, II, and III models), which corresponds to ∼0.3 kcal/mol on the energy scale. The applicability of our computational schemes to uracils dissociating via N3-H, O-H (orotic acids) and C-H bonds is discussed.

Interplay of Conformational and Chemical Transformations of Ortho-Substituted Aromatic Nitroso Oxides: Experimental and Theoretical Study.

The mechanism of the photooxidation of aromatic azides containing a substituent at one of the ortho positions (2,4-dimethoxyphenyl azide (1a) and 2-methyl-4-[(2E)-1-methylbut-2-en-1-yl]phenyl azide (1b)) was studied in acetonitrile. The electronic spectra and the kinetic regularities of the consumption of corresponding nitroso oxides, which are the reaction intermediates, were investigated by flash photolysis. Owing to the one-and-a-half order of the C-N and N-O bonds and asymmetric molecule structure these nitroso oxides exist as four conformers (cis/syn, cis/anti, trans/syn, and trans/anti). The conformers differ in the spectral properties and in the reactivity in various irreversible transformations. The only product, (2Z,4E)-4-methoxy-6-oxohepta-2,4-dienenitrile oxide (7a), was observed during photooxidation of 1a, whereas transformations of the nitroso oxide isomers derived from 1b led to a set of stable products: the cis/anti isomer was transformed into (3,4,7-trimethyl-3a,4-dihydro-2,1-benzisoxazol-5(3H)-ylidene)ethanal (10), the trans isomers recombined forming the corresponding nitro and nitroso compounds, and the most reactive cis/syn isomer was transformed into ortho-nitrosobenzyl alcohol 11. The last was oxidized slowly to the corresponding benzaldehyde 12. Interaction of 11 and 12 led to the formation of (Z)-1,2-bis(2-formyl-4-((2E)-1-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)diazene-1-oxide (13). The DFT simulation and kinetic modeling of the nitroso oxide transformations as well as the product analysis allowed revealing the fine details of the mechanism of decay for these species.

Nature of Lewis Base Catalysis of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Methyl Diazoacetate to Methyl Acrylate; NMR Kinetic Spectroscopy and DFT Study.

The effect of Lewis base (LB) in the domino reaction between methyl diazoacetate and methyl acrylate has been studied. This domino process is initialized by a [3+2]-cycloaddition reaction to generate 3H-pyrazoline followed by a subsequent 1,3-H shift reaction forming 1H-pyrazoline as the more stable isomer. The rate of the first step is not sensitive to the presence of LBs (THF, Py, DMAP, DBU, and triphenylphosphine) as it was evidenced by kinetic nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and quantum chemical modeling. LBs manifest remarkable catalytic effect on the second step of the reaction only acting as proton acceptor. DFT calculations reveal fine correlation between enthalpy of proton transfer from trans-3H-pyrazoline to LB and basic strength of the latter described in terms of BF3-affinity scale. Under conditions of LB catalysis the reaction rate of the first step (methyl diazoacetate and methyl acrylate interaction) limits the rate of 3H → 1H pyrazoline isomerization and, therefore, restricts catalytic efficiency of LB. An alternative mechanism for catalysis of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition through formation of triazene-like intermediate during reaction of diazo acetate with LB and following Michael addition of intermediate to alkene was carefully analyzed. This reaction scheme was not confirmed in our experiments.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Novel 12-N-methylcytisine Derivatives.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation are always linked to each other; therefore the elaboration of new chemical compounds, which interact with pharmacological targets involved into these two processes, can become one of ways of correction of these types of human CNS pathology. In the field of this problem the anti-inflammatory activity of ten 3-amino derivatives of quinolizidine alkaloid (.)-cytisine (the data about nootropic activity of these compounds are outlined by us previously) was studied by using in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches. METHODS: The anti-inflammatory activity of novel compounds was investigated on carrageenan- induced model of inflammation in Rat paw following an established protocol. COX-1 (ovin) and COX-2 (human recombinant) inhibition activities of tested compounds assessed using a COX Fluorescent Inhibitor Screening Assay Kit. And as part of an in silico screening the leading compounds were docked into the tyrosine sites of COX-1/COX-2 enzymes (PDB code: 1DIY and 1CVU). RESULTS: It was established that ability of 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)amino, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) amino and 3-(3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl)amino derivatives of 12-N-metylcytisine to inhibit the carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats is comparable with reference drug diclofenac. The results of in vitro COX-1/COX-2 inhibition assay showed no significant activity of tested compounds, except compounds with 2-hydroxyphenyl, 3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl, furyl and thiophenyl fragments which slightly reduce the activity of COX-2. CONCLUSION: The tendency to occurrence of anti-inflammatory properties of synthesized derivatives of quinolizidine alkaloid (-)-cytisine can be explained on the basis of molecular docking results, which assume the possibility of interaction of more potent compounds with key amino acids of COX-1/COX-2 active sites.

Conformational Transformations in Aromatic Nitroso Oxides.

A systematic theoretical study on conformational transformations of monosubstituted (ortho- and para-) aromatic nitroso oxides R-C6H4NOO was performed. The existence of two rotation axes enables two types of conformational transitions in substituted arylnitroso oxides: trans/cis (rotation around the N-O bond) and syn/anti (rotation around the C-N bond, which is important in ortho isomers). The complete set of conformers was localized for R-C6H4NOO using four selected density functional (M06-L, mPWPW91, OLYP, and HCTH) and augmented polarization basis set of triple splitting. It was found that the activation enthalpy of the trans-cis conformational transition is nearly insensitive to the nature of R and ranges within 58-60 kJ/mol for para isomers. The ortho substituent has an insignificant effect on ΔH(≠)trans→cis: it increases this value by ∼5 kJ/mol in syn isomers and decreases it by ∼3 kJ/mol in anti isomers. On the contrary, the syn-anti conformational barrier is considerably affected by the substituent R; an increase in the electron-withdrawing properties of R decreases ΔH(≠)syn→anti. The activation enthalpies grow with increasing polarity of the solvent, as it was found using IEFPCM calculation. The values of relaxation time for all conformational equilibria were calculated and compared with known lifetimes of aromatic nitroso oxides. Our results suggest that syn/anti transitions occur fast enough in the scale of the experimental lifetime. However, trans/cis transformations proceed more slowly. And under certain conditions discussed in the paper, the rate of this conformational transition limits that of irreversible decay of nitroso oxide.

Detection and structure of HOON: microwave spectroscopy reveals an O-O bond exceeding 1.9 Å.

Nitric oxide (NO) reacts with hydroxyl radicals (OH) in the gas phase to produce nitrous acid, HONO, but essentially nothing is known about the isomeric nitrosyl-O-hydroxide (HOON), owing to its perceived instability. We report the detection of gas-phase HOON in a supersonic molecular beam by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and a precise determination of its molecular structure by further spectroscopic analysis of its (2)H, (15)N, and (18)O isotopologs. HOON contains the longest O-O bond in any known molecule (1.9149 ± 0.0005 Å) and appears surprisingly stable, with an abundance roughly 3% that of HONO in our experiments.