Application of <i>N</i>‑Acylbenzotriazoles in the Synthesis of 5‑Substituted 2‑Ethoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazoles as Building Blocks toward 3,5-Disubstituted 1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2(3<i>H</i>)‑ones

5-Substituted-2-ethoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were conveniently prepared through a one-pot sequential <i>N</i>-acylation/dehydrative cyclization between ethyl carbazate and <i>N</i>-acylbenzotriazoles in the presence of Ph₃P–I₂ as a dehydrating agent. Subsequent treatment with a stoichiometric amount of alkyl halides (X = Cl, Br, I) enables a rapid access to a variety of 3,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2­(3<i>H</i>)-ones in good to excellent yields

Ultrasound-Assisted Solvent-Free Parallel Synthesis of 3‑Arylcoumarins Using <i>N</i>‑Acylbenzotriazoles

An ultrasound-assisted one-pot acylation/cyclization reaction between <i>N</i>-acylbenzotriazoles and 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes has been developed for the synthesis of substituted 3-arylcoumarins. Using ultrasound not only allows rapid and clean conversion but also simplifies experimental setup and parallel workup leading to rapid generation of 3-arylcoumarin libraries under mild, solvent-free, and chromatography-free conditions

Voriconazole Eye Drops: Enhanced Solubility and Stability through Ternary Voriconazole/Sulfobutyl Ether β-Cyclodextrin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Complexes

Voriconazole (VCZ) is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent used to treat ocular fungal keratitis. However, VCZ has low aqueous solubility and chemical instability in aqueous solutions. This study aimed to develop VCZ eye drop formulations using cyclodextrin (CD) and water-soluble polymers, forming CD complex aggregates to improve the aqueous solubility and chemical stability of VCZ. The VCZ solubility was greatly enhanced using sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin (SBEβCD). The addition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) showed a synergistic effect on VCZ/SBEβCD solubilization and a stabilization effect on the VCZ/SBEβCD complex. The formation of binary VCZ/SBEβCD and ternary VCZ/SBEβCD/PVA complexes was confirmed by spectroscopic techniques and in silico studies. The 0.5% w/v VCZ eye drop formulations were developed consisting of 6% w/v SBEβCD and different types and concentrations of PVA. The VCZ/SBEβCD systems containing high-molecular-weight PVA prepared under freeze–thaw conditions (PVA-H hydrogel) provided high mucoadhesion, sustained release, good ex vivo permeability through the porcine cornea and no sign of irritation. Additionally, PVA-H hydrogel was effective against the filamentous fungi tested. The stability study revealed that our VCZ eye drops provide a shelf-life of more than 2.5 years at room temperature, while a shelf-life of only 3.5 months was observed for the extemporaneous Vfend® eye drops

Flavylium-Based Hypoxia-Responsive Probe for Cancer Cell Imaging

A hypoxia-responsive probe based on a flavylium dye containing an azo group (AZO-Flav) was synthesized to detect hypoxic conditions via a reductase-catalyzed reaction in cancer cells. In in vitro enzymatic investigation, the azo group of AZO-Flav was reduced by a reductase in the presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) followed by fragmentation to generate a fluorescent molecule, Flav-NH2. The response of AZO-Flav to the reductase was as fast as 2 min with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 μM. Moreover, AZO-Flav displayed high enzyme specificity even in the presence of high concentrations of biological interferences, such as reducing agents and biothiols. Therefore, AZO-Flav was tested to detect hypoxic and normoxic environments in cancer cells (HepG2). Compared to the normal condition, the fluorescence intensity in hypoxic conditions increased about 10-fold after 15 min. Prolonged incubation showed a 26-fold higher fluorescent intensity after 60 min. In addition, the fluorescence signal under hypoxia can be suppressed by an electron transport process inhibitor, diphenyliodonium chloride (DPIC), suggesting that reductases take part in the azo group reduction of AZO-Flav in a hypoxic environment. Therefore, this probe showed great potential application toward in vivo hypoxia detection