Unexpected Performance of a Bifunctional Sensitizer/Activator Component for Photon Energy Management via Upconversion.

We here report on the observation of upconverted photoluminescence (UC-PL) from the blue-light-emitting 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) mixed with the yellow-light-absorbing bifunctional sensitizer/activator component of (3,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin-22,24-diid-2-one) PtII (PtOEP-K). Yellow-to-blue UC-PL (0.680 eV spectral upshift) is achieved at room temperature under ultralow power continuous incoherent photoexcitation (220 µW/cm2) despite the absence of triplet energy transfer (TET) between PtOEP-K and DPA. Under selective CW-laser photoexcitation of PtOEP-K in DPA:PtOEP-K, a 2.5% UC-PL quantum yield is obtained; that is an improvement exceeding by more than 3 orders of magnitude the UC-PL quantum yield of TTA-UC material combinations wherein no TET is operative. The PL response of DPA:PtOEP-K to varying laser fluence suggests that bimolecular annihilation reactions between triplet-excited PtOEP-K facilitate the UC-PL activation in DPA. These findings pave the way toward low-complexity strategies for the reduction of transmission losses in solar energy technologies through an innovative wavelength upshifting protocol involving excitonic materials.

Synthesis of Canthin-4-ones and Isocanthin-4-ones via B Ring Construction.

Canthin-4-one is synthesized via a six-step procedure starting from commercially available 3-amino-4-bromopyridine in 26% overall yield. 3-Amino-4-bromopyridine is initially converted to 8-bromo-1,5-naphthyridin-4(1H)-one. O-Methylation, intermolecular Pd-catalyzed C-C coupling, and demethylation afford the key intermediate, 8-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,5-naphthyridin-4(1H)-one, for which intramolecular C-N coupling completes the synthesis of the canthin-4-one skeleton. Ten canthin-4-one analogues were prepared in addition to the parent compound. With minor modifications, the synthesis also applies to the synthesis of two series of isocanthin-4-ones.

The Photochemical Mediated Ring Contraction of 4H-1,2,6-Thiadiazines To Afford 1,2,5-Thiadiazol-3(2H)-one 1-Oxides.

1,2,6-Thiadiazines treated with visible light and 3O2 under ambient conditions are converted into difficult-to-access 1,2,5-thiadiazole 1-oxides (35 examples, yields of 39-100%). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that 1,2,6-thiadiazines act as triplet photosensitizers that produce 1O2 and then undergo a chemoselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition to give an endoperoxide that ring contracts with selective carbon atom excision and complete atom economy. The reaction was optimized under both batch and continuous-flow conditions and is also efficient in green solvents.

Heterocyclic Iminoquinones and Quinones from the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA) COMPARE Analysis.

This review uses the National Cancer Institute (NCI) COMPARE program to establish an extensive list of heterocyclic iminoquinones and quinones with similarities in differential growth inhibition patterns across the 60-cell line panel of the NCI Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP). Many natural products and synthetic analogues are revealed as potential NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) substrates, through correlations to dipyridoimidazo[5,4-f]benzimidazoleiminoquinone (DPIQ), and as potential thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibitors, through correlations to benzo[1,2,4]triazin-7-ones and pleurotin. The strong correlation to NQO1 infers the enzyme has a major influence on the amount of the active compound with benzo[e]perimidines, phenoxazinones, benz[f]pyrido[1,2-a]indole-6,11-quinones, seriniquinones, kalasinamide, indolequinones, and furano[2,3-b]naphthoquinones, hypothesised as prodrugs. Compounds with very strong correlations to known TrxR inhibitors had inverse correlations to the expression of both reductase enzymes, NQO1 and TrxR, including naphtho[2,3-b][1,4]oxazepane-6,11-diones, benzo[a]carbazole-1,4-diones, pyranonaphthoquinones (including kalafungin, nanaomycin A, and analogues of griseusin A), and discorhabdin C. Quinoline-5,8-dione scaffolds based on streptonigrin and lavendamycin can correlate to either reductase. Inhibitors of TrxR are not necessarily (imino)quinones, e.g., parthenolides, while oxidising moieties are essential for correlations to NQO1, as with the mitosenes. Herein, an overview of synthetic methods and biological activity of each family of heterocyclic imino(quinone) is provided.

Metal-Free Organic Radical Spin Source.

Organic radicals have long been suggested as candidates for organic magnets and components in organic spintronic devices. Herein, we demonstrate spin current emission from an organic radical film via spin pumping at room temperature. We present the synthesis and the thin film preparation of a Blatter-type radical with outstanding stability and low roughness. These features enable the fabrication of a radical/ferromagnet bilayer, in which the spin current emission from the organic radical layer can be reversibly reduced when the ferromagnetic film is brought into simultaneous resonance with the radical. The results provide an experimental demonstration of a metal-free organic radical layer operating as a spin source, opening a new avenue for the development of purely organic spintronic devices and bridging the gap between potential and real applications.

Mechanistic origins of methyl-driven Overhauser DNP.

The Overhauser effect in the dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) of non-conducting solids has drawn much attention due to the potential for efficient high-field DNP as well as a general interest in the underlying principles that enable the Overhauser effect in small molecules. We recently reported the observation of 1H and 2H Overhauser effects in H3C- or D3C-functionalized Blatter radical analogs, which we presumed to be caused by methyl rotation. In this work, we look at the mechanism for methyl-driven Overhauser DNP in greater detail, considering methyl librations and tunneling in addition to classical rotation. We predict the temperature dependence of these mechanisms using density functional theory and spin dynamics simulations. Comparisons with results from ultralow-temperature magic angle spinning-DNP experiments revealed that cross-relaxation at temperatures above 60 K originates from both libration and rotation, while librations dominate at lower temperatures. Due to the zero-point vibrational nature of these motions, they are not quenched by very low temperatures, and methyl-driven Overhauser DNP is expected to increase in efficiency down to 0 K, predominantly due to increases in nuclear relaxation times.

The Effect of High Pressure on Polymorphs of a Derivative of Blatter's Radical: Identification of the Structural Signatures of Subtle Phase Transitions.

The effect of pressure on the α and ß polymorphs of a derivative of Blatter's radical, 3-phenyl-1-(pyrid-2-yl)-1,4-dihydrobenzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl, has been investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction to maximum pressures of 5.76 and 7.42 GPa, respectively. The most compressible crystallographic direction in both structures lies parallel to π-stacking interactions, which semiempirical Pixel calculations indicate are also the strongest interactions present. The mechanism of compression in perpendicular directions is determined by void distributions. Discontinuities in the vibrational frequencies observed in Raman spectra measured between ambient pressure and ∼5.5 GPa show that both polymorphs undergo phase transitions, the α phase at 0.8 GPa and the ß phase at 2.1 GPa. The structural signatures of the transitions, which signal the onset of compression of initially more rigid intermolecular contacts, were identified from the trends in the occupied and unoccupied volumes of the unit cell with pressure and in the case of the ß phase by deviations from an ideal model of compression defined by Birch-Murnaghan equations of state.

Deciphering the ground state of a C3-symmetrical Blatter-type triradical by CW and pulse EPR spectroscopy.

3,3',3''-(Benzene-1,3,5-triyl)tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl) (1) is a C3-symmetrical triradical comprised of three Blatter radical units connected at the 1, 3, 5 positions of a central trimethylenebenzene core. This triradical has an excellent air, moisture, and thermal stability. Single-crystal XRD indicates that triradical 1 adopts a propeller-like geometry with the benzotriazinyl moieties twisted by 174.1(2)° and packs in 1D chains along the c axis to form an extensive network of weak intermolecular interactions. Frozen solution continuous wave (CW) EPR spectra and variable-temperature field-sweep echo-detected (FSED) spectra revealed an intramolecular ferromagnetic exchange within the spin system, supporting a quartet S = 3/2 ground state. DFT calculations further supported these experimental findings.

Synthesis and evaluation of 1,2,3-dithiazole inhibitors of the nucleocapsid protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) as a model for HIV infection.

We disclose a series of potent anti-viral 1,2,3-dithiazoles, accessed through a succinct synthetic approach from 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium chloride (Appel's salt). A series of small libraries of compounds were screened against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected cells as a model for HIV. This approach highlighted new structure activity relationship understanding and led to the development of sub-micro molar anti-viral compounds with reduced toxicity. In addition, insight into the mechanistic progress of this system is provided via advanced QM-MM modelling. The 1,2,3-dithiazole represents a versatile scaffold with potential for further development to treat both FIV and HIV.

Methyl-Driven Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

The Overhauser effect is unique among DNP mechanisms in that it requires the modulation of the electron-nuclear hyperfine interactions. While it dominates DNP in liquids and metals, where unpaired electrons are highly mobile, Overhauser DNP is possible in insulating solids if rapid structural modulations are linked to a modulation in hyperfine coupling. Herein, we report that Overhauser DNP can be triggered by the strategic addition of a methyl group, demonstrated here in a Blatter's radical. The rotation of the methyl group leads to a modulation of the hyperfine coupling to its protons, which in turn facilitates electron-nuclear cross-relaxation. Removal of the methyl protons, through deuteration, quenches the process, as does the reduction of the hyperfine coupling strength. This result suggests the possibility for the design of tailor-made Overhauser DNP polarizing agents for high-field MAS-DNP.

A first-order phase transition in Blatter's radical at high pressure.

The crystal structure of Blatter's radical (1,3-diphenyl-1,4-dihydrobenzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl) has been investigated between ambient pressure and 6.07 GPa. The sample remains in a compressed form of the ambient-pressure phase up to 5.34 GPa, the largest direction of strain being parallel to the direction of π-stacking interactions. The bulk modulus is 7.4 (6) GPa, with a pressure derivative equal to 9.33 (11). As pressure increases, the phenyl groups attached to the N1 and C3 positions of the triazinyl moieties of neighbouring pairs of molecules approach each other, causing the former to begin to rotate between 3.42 to 5.34 GPa. The onset of this phenyl rotation may be interpreted as a second-order phase transition which introduces a new mode for accommodating pressure. It is premonitory to a first-order isosymmetric phase transition which occurs on increasing pressure from 5.34 to 5.54 GPa. Although the phase transition is driven by volume minimization, rather than relief of unfavourable contacts, it is accompanied by a sharp jump in the orientation of the rotation angle of the phenyl group. DFT calculations suggest that the adoption of a more planar conformation by the triazinyl moiety at the phase transition can be attributed to relief of intramolecular H...H contacts at the transition. Although no dimerization of the radicals occurs, the π-stacking interactions are compressed by 0.341 (3) Šbetween ambient pressure and 6.07 GPa.

Crystal Structure and Solid-State Packing of 4-Chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-one and 4-Chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazole-5-thione.

The crystal structure and solid-state packing of 4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-one and two polymorphs of 4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazole-5-thione were analyzed and compared to structural data of similar systems. These five-membered S,N-rich heterocycles are planar with considerable bond localization. All three structures demonstrate tight solid-state packing without voids which is attributed to a rich network of short intermolecular electrostatic contacts. These include Sδ+…Nδ-, Sδ+…Oδ-, Sδ+…Clδ- and Sδ+…Sδ- interactions that are well within the sum of their van der Waals radii (∑VDW). B3LYP, BLYP, M06, mPW1PW, PBE and MP2 were employed to calculate their intramolecular geometrical parameters, the Fukui condensed functions to probe their reactivity, the bond order, Bird Index and NICS(1) to establish their aromaticity.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel 1,2,6-Thiadiazinone Kinase Inhibitors as Potent Inhibitors of Solid Tumors.

A focused series of substituted 4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-ones was designed and synthesized to probe the anti-cancer properties of this scaffold. Insights from previous kinase inhibitor programs were used to carefully select several different substitution patterns. Compounds were tested on bladder, prostate, pancreatic, breast, chordoma, and lung cancer cell lines with an additional skin fibroblast cell line as a toxicity control. This resulted in the identification of several low single digit micro molar compounds with promising therapeutic windows, particularly for bladder and prostate cancer. A number of key structural features of the 4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one scaffold are discussed that show promising scope for future improvement.

Design and evaluation of 1,2,3-dithiazoles and fused 1,2,4-dithiazines as anti-cancer agents.

Heteroatom rich 1,2,3-dithiazoles are relatively underexplored in medicinal chemistry. We now report screening data on a series of structurally diverse 1,2,3-dithiazoles and electronically related 1,2,4-dithiazines with the aim of identifying interesting starting points for potential future optimisation. The 1,2,3-dithiazoles, were obtained via a number of different syntheses and screened on a series of cancer cell lines. These included breast, bladder, prostate, pancreatic, chordoma and lung cancer cell lines with an additional skin fibroblast cell line as a toxicity control. Several low single digit micromolar compounds with promising therapeutic windows were identified for breast, bladder and prostate cancer. Furthermore, key structural features of 1,2,3-dithiazoles are discussed, that show encouraging scope for future refinement.

Synthesis and Chemistry of Benzo[e][1,2,6]thiadiazino[3,4-b][1,4]diazepin-10(11H)-ones and Related Ring Transformations.

2-[(3,5-Dichloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-ylidene)amino]benzamides are cyclized to benzo[e][1,2,6]thiadiazino[3,4-b][1,4]diazepin-10(11H)-ones via (i) treatment with NaH and via (ii) Pd-catalyzed C-N coupling. The behavior of the latter toward nucleophiles and thermal, oxidative, and reductive conditions revealed unexpected transformations to 3,5-dioxo-4,5-dihydro-3H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepine-2-carbonitrile and 2-(4-substituted-1,2,5-thiadiazol-3-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones.

8,8'-(Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-4,7-diyl)bis(quinolin-4(1H)-one): a twisted photosensitizer with AIE properties.

A new benzothiadiazole (BTZ) luminogen is prepared via the Suzuki-Miyaura Pd-catalysed C-C cross-coupling of 8-iodoquinolin-4(1H)-one and a BTZ bispinacol boronic ester. The rapid reaction (5 min) affords the air-, thermo-, and photostable product in 97% yield as a yellow precipitate that can be isolated by filtration. The luminogen exhibits aggregated-induced emission (AIE) properties, which are attributed to its photoactive BTZ core and nonplanar geometry. It also behaves as a molecular heterogeneous photosensitizer for the production of singlet oxygen under continuous flow conditions.

Regioselective Fluorination of 7-Oxo-1,2,4-benzotriazines Using Selectfluor.

7-Oxo-1,2,4-benzotriazines (benzo[1,2,4]triazin-7-ones) are reversible thioredoxin reductase inhibitors that exhibit very strong correlations to pleurotin. In this article, we provide the first synthesis of fluorinated derivatives. Fluorination using Selectfluor of benzo[1,2,4]triazin-7-ones occurs regioselectively and in high yield at the enamine-activated position. This electron N-lone pair activation overrides the activation/deactivation effects of some other substituents. The reaction time was significantly reduced with the use of microwave irradiation at 120 °C and 7 bar. The cytotoxicity and cyclic voltammetry measurements for 8-fluoro-1,3-diphenylbenzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-7(1H)-one (2) are presented and compared with its synthetic precursor, 1,3-diphenylbenzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-7(1H)-one (1a).