A Reported “New Synthesis of Lysergic Acid” Yields Only The Derailment Product: Methyl 5-Methoxy-4,5-dihydroindolo[4,3-<i>f,g</i>]quinoline-9-carboxylate

The treatment of ethyl 6-formyl-5-(1<i>H</i>-indol-4-yl)pyridine-3-carboxylate (<b>2</b>) with NaOMe or NaOH in methanol solution at room temperature under the reported reaction conditions afforded solely product <b>4</b> in 80% yield, rather than anticipated product <b>3</b>

MOESM1 of Genetic engineering of Arabidopsis to overproduce disinapoyl esters, potential lignin modification molecules

Additional file 1: Figure S1. UV spectra (a) and MS spectra under ESI (-) mode (b) of 1,2-DSG and compound 1

Glycine’s pH-Dependent Polymorphism: A Perspective from Self-Association in Solution

As a simple amino acid, glycine (Gly)’s polymorphism is pH-dependent. The α form is typically obtained from aqueous solution between pH of 4 and 9, while the γ is produced at either lower or higher pH. Formation of cyclic, hydrogen-bonded dimer in water is debated as a possible cause for the formation of the α form. To further understand the pH-dependent polymorphism, our current study examined the self-association of Gly in aqueous solutions under a wide range of pH, utilizing NMR, FTIR, and electronic calculation. The results indicate that glycine molecules form open, not cyclic, hydrogen-bonded dimers in water. It is revealed that the dimerization becomes significant between pH of 4 and 8 but remains trivial at the two pH extremes. The apparent connection between the pH-dependent polymorphism and self-association in solution implies that formation of the α form is driven by the dimerization, and moreover, charged molecular species at the extreme pH facilitate stabilization of γ nuclei

Higher-Order Self-Assembly of Benzoic Acid in Solution

Benzoic acid forms hydrogen-bonded dimers in solution that further stack into tetramers by aromatic interactions. Both dimers and higher-order packing motifs are preserved in the resultant crystal structure. The finding hints at the significance in the hierarchy of intermolecular interactions in driving the self-association process in solution

Persistent Self-Association of Solute Molecules in Solution

The structural evolvement of a solute determines the crystallization outcome. The self-association mechanism leading to nucleation, however, remains poorly understood. Our current study explored the solution chemistry of a model compound, tolfenamic acid (TFA), in three different solvents mainly by solution NMR. It was found that hydrogen-bonded pairs of solute–solute or solute–solvent stack with each through forming a much weaker π–π interaction as the concentration increases. Depending on the solvent, configurations of the solution species may be retained in the resultant crystal structure or undergo rearrangement. Yet, the π–π stacking is always retained in the crystal regardless of the solvent used for the crystallization. The finding suggests that nucleation not only involves the primary intermolecular interaction (hydrogen bonding) but also engages the secondary forces in the self-assembly process

Investigating the Interaction Pattern and Structural Elements of a Drug–Polymer Complex at the Molecular Level

Strong associations between drug and polymeric carriers are expected to contribute to higher drug loading capacities and better physical stability of amorphous solid dispersions. However, molecular details of the interaction patterns and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, a series of amorphous solid dispersions of clofazimine (CLF), an antileprosy drug, were prepared with different polymers by applying the solvent evaporation method. When using hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP) as the carrier, the amorphous solid dispersion system exhibits not only superior drug loading capacity (63% w/w) but also color change due to strong drug–polymer association. In order to further explain these experimental observations, the interaction between CLF and HPMCP was investigated in a nonpolar volatile solvent system (chloroform) prior to forming the solid dispersion. We observed significant UV/vis and ¹H NMR spectral changes suggesting the protonation of CLF and formation of ion pairs between CLF and HPMCP in chloroform. Furthermore, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and diffusion order spectroscopy (DOSY) were employed to evaluate the strength of associations between drug and polymers, as well as the molecular mobility of CLF. Finally, by correlating the experimental values with quantum chemistry calculations, we demonstrate that the protonated CLF is binding to the carboxylate group of HPMCP as an ion pair and propose a possible structural model of the drug–polymer complex. Understanding the drug and carrier interaction patterns from a molecular perspective is critical for the rational design of new amorphous solid dispersions

Identification of Platinum(II) Sulfide Complexes Suitable as Intramuscular Cyanide Countermeasures

The development of rapidly acting cyanide countermeasures using intramuscular injection (IM) represents an unmet medical need to mitigate toxicant exposures in mass casualty settings. Previous work established that cisplatin and other platinum­(II) or platinum­(IV)-based agents effectively mitigate cyanide toxicity in zebrafish. Cyanide’s in vivo reaction with platinum-containing materials was proposed to reduce the risk of acute toxicities. However, cyanide antidote activity depended on a formulation of platinum-chloride salts with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) followed by dilution in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). A working hypothesis to explain the DMSO requirement is that the formation of platinum–sulfoxide complexes activates the cyanide scavenging properties of platinum. Preparations of isolated NaPtCl5–DMSO and Na (NH3)2PtCl–DMSO complexes in the absence of excess DMSO provided agents with enhanced reactivity toward cyanide in vitro and fully recapitulated in vivo cyanide rescue in zebrafish and mouse models. The enhancement of the cyanide scavenging effects of the DMSO ligand could be attributed to the activation of platinum­(IV) and (II) with a sulfur ligand. Unfortunately, the efficacy of DMSO complexes was not robust when administered IM. Alternative Pt­(II) materials containing sulfide and amine ligands in bidentate complexes show enhanced reactivity toward cyanide addition. The cyanide addition products yielded tetracyanoplatinate­(II), translating to a stoichiometry of 1:4 Pt to each cyanide scavenger. These new agents demonstrate a robust and enhanced potency over the DMSO-containing complexes using IM administration in mouse and rabbit models of cyanide toxicity. Using the zebrafish model with these Pt­(II) complexes, no acute cardiotoxicity was detected, and dose levels required to reach lethality exceeded 100 times the effective dose. Data are presented to support a general chemical design approach that can expand a new lead candidate series for developing next-generation cyanide countermeasures