The development of novel targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer remains difficult due to the complex nature of the disease itself as well as the challenges associated with the synthesis of these therapeutics. Impediments to the discovery of novel drug candidates include lack of available starting materials and access to well-developed syntheses which are both convenient and economically feasible. Semicarbazides, for instance, are a critical synthon for the manufacture of numerous biologically important molecules. Historically, convenient methods for the synthesis of semicarbazides and their derivatives did not exist. Recently, a facile and efficient method for the preparation of semicarbazides via their corresponding phenyl carbamates was developed. These phenyl carbamate intermediates may also be used to prepare a wide variety of other derivatives such as substituted ureas as well as the aryl carbamoyl derivatives of 1,3-diazinane-5-carboxamide. While exploring the preparation of the aryl carbamoyl derivatives of 1,3-diazinane-5-carboxamide, it was found that these compounds possess anti-cancer activity against the glioblastoma LN-229 cell line. Intrigued by these results, additional analogues were designed, leading to the development of a small library of chromenopyrimidinedione and pyrimidinequinolinedione compounds as potential anti-cancer agents. Indeed, these two classes of compounds, with many of the derivatives novel, produced a selection of interesting molecules with potent anti-cancer activity against the glioblastoma cell line LN-229 at biologically relevant concentrations. Taken together, these results provide a unique approach not only to the design but also towards the synthesis of novel therapeutics intended for use as anti-cancer agents.

Student Number : 0002306V - MSc dissertation - School of Chemistry - Faculty of Science / The first part of the dissertation involves the use of ring closing metathesis (RCM) and ruthenium mediated isomerisation-RCM tandem reactions to form a wide range of nitrogencontaining benzo-fused heterocycles. Those synthesized include the 6-membered isoquinolines, the 7-membered benzazepines and the 8-membered benzazocines. In order to put these compounds into perspective, a review of selected naturally occurring nitrogencontaining benzo-fused heterocycles is included along with some of their synthetic approaches. Of major significance is our utilization of the Wits methodology allowing one to access the 6-, 7- and 8-membered ring systems from a common synthetic intermediate. The 1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-2-benzazocines were all obtained after RCM in excellent yields (82-99%). We were also able to show that some ofthe protecting groups used were easily removed and that the ring could be hydrogenated after RCM to yield the 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-2- benzazocines. The isoquinolines were synthesized in 78% and 27% yield for the Ac- and Tsprotected compounds respectively, with no product isolated for the Boc- or SO2Bn-protected compounds. These poor results, caused a change to our strategy and we then used a “combinatorial-type” approach for the synthesis of the 2,5-dihydro-1H-2-benzazepines and the 2,3-dihydro-1H-2-benzazepines with yield of 9, 47, 58 and 82% and 8, 26, 39 and 82% obtained respectively for the RCM reaction Futhermore, we attempted the synthesis of the substituted 4-phenyl isoquinolines and 5-phenyl benzazepines, but we found that the systems would not undergo RCM even at high temperatures and with large amounts of Grubbs II metathesis catalyst. A short review is given in the second part of the dissertation concerning the naturally occurring and pharmaceutically useful indenols, indenones and indanones. It further highlights how our methodology was extended to include the synthesis of 4-isopropoxy-5- methoxy-1H-inden-1-ol (X), 4-isopropoxy-5-methoxy-1H-inden-1-one (X) and 4-isopropoxy- 5-methoxy-1H-indanone (X) through the use of ruthenium-mediated isomerisation and RCM from a similar common intermediate. We have shown the synthesis of 3-substituted indenols, indenones and indanones using the same synthetic procedure, but by changing the reaction temperature during RCM. This dissertation also answers many of the questions posed during the post-doctoral work of Coyanis. Namely, we were able to support our proposed mechanism that the conversion of the unsubstituted indenol to the indenone was occurring via a dehydrogenative-oxidation, through the use of 1H NMR studies that were coupled with an ICP-MS analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported use of the Grubbs II catalyst (or its degradation products) in a tandem RCM-oxidation procedure by our group recently.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Sundeep Rayat / Research in our laboratory has focused on designing photoactivated DNA cleaving agents based on tetrazolethione scaffolds. The key step in the activation of these involves conversion of tetrazolethione moiety to carbodiimides upon irradiation. However, the mechanism of this reaction was not previously reported. Therefore, we undertook a study to elucidate the mechanism of photodecomposition of tetrazolethione as to identify reactive intermediates involved, that may interfere or aid with the activity of our synthesized DNA cleaving agents under physiological conditions. In Part 1 of this dissertation, we present mechanistic studies on this photodecomposition. Our results indicate the clean photoconversion of tetrazolethiones I to their respective carbodiimides IV via the expulsion of sulfur and dinitrogen. Photoirradiation in the presence of trapping agent (e.g. 1,4-cyclohexadiene) resulted into the formation of their corresponding thioureas. Thus, providing strong evidence for the intermediacy of a 1,3-biradical III, which is believed to be in its triplet spin multiplicity. Further investigations (triplet sensitization and quenching experiments) to determine the precursor of the biradical argued against the involvement of a triplet excited state (T[subscript]1). We believe that the mechanistic pathway that leads to the formation of a 1,3-triplet biradical III is a diradicaloid species II-II" generated directly from the singlet excited state of tetrazolethiones (S[subscript]1) after the expulsion of dinitrogen. Once formed, this diradicaloid species could be envisioned to undergo intersystem crossing to generate the 1,3 triplet biradical III which then undergoes desulfurization to form carbodiimides IV (Chapter 2). Bridgehead-nitrogen containing fused heterocycles are regarded as “privileged structure” in biology and have found widespread applications in pharmaceutical industry. These heterocycles have also been evaluated in electroluminescent devices and organic dyes. Part II of the dissertation present new, concise and low cost strategies to a unique class of bridgehead nitrogen-containing fused heterocyclic scaffolds which involves two sequential intramolecular cyclizations from heteroenyne-allenes in the presence of Lewis acids such as SnCl[subscript]4 and BF[subscript]3.OEt[subscript]2, and trace water. The starting heteroenyne-allenes VI can be prepared from commercially available substrates V in 4 – 5 steps following standard protocols (Chapter 3). Furthermore, we employed density functional theory to gain insights into the optoelectronic properties of select derivatives of phenanthridine-fused quinazoliniminiums (PNQs) VII and their free base in order to evaluate their scope in OLED technology. Our results show that the energies of the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO), Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO), the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, the ionization potentials, electron affinities and the reorganization energies can be finely tuned by varying the substituents on these chromophores. In addition, we found that the introduction of an electron donating group (NMe[subscript]2) on the PNQs and their free base increases the energies of the HOMOs and decreases the ionization potentials, relative to its unsubstituted derivative, whereas substitution by an electron withdrawing group (NO[subscript]2) decreases the energies of the LUMOs and increases the electron affinities which in turn suggests an improvement in their hole and electron creating abilities, respectively (Chapter 4).

A class of linear diamidines was synthesized for the evaluation as a treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis. These fused heterocyclic compounds are thiazole[5,4-d]thiazoles and are of interest because the parent compound, 2,5-Bis(4-amidinophenyl)-thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole HCl salt, which is also called DB 1929, has exhibited a low nanomolar IC50 value against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and has shown selectivity for binding to the human telomere G-quadruplex over that of DNA duplex. A fluoro and a methoxy derivative have been synthesized and are currently undergoing testing for activity and binding affinity. In addition, fluorescence studies of selected diamidines were done to study the effect of structural variation on fluorescence. This data is useful since it can determine what types of moieties are needed to yield a compound that will fluoresce in the higher wavelengths (500 nm and above) of the visible spectrum, which would be advantageous in determining the uptake of the drug in the trypanosome within the endemic areas of Africa with a simple microscope.

No description available.