The project has focused on the preparation of several series of compounds designed as potential HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. Various 2-nitrobenzaldehydes have been reacted with two activated alkenes, methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methyl acrylate, under Baylis-Hillman conditions to afford α-methylene-β-hydroxylalkyl derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. The reactions were conducted using the tertiary amine catalysts, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane(DABCO) or 3-hydroxyquinuclidine (3-HQ) with chloroform as solvent, and yields were optimised by varying the catalyst, reagent concentrations and the reaction time. Reductive cyclization of the Baylis-Hillman adducts via catalytic hydrogenation, using 10% palladiumon-carbon catalyst in ethanol, afforded quinoline and quinoline N-oxide derivatives. In some cases “acyclic” reduction products were also isolated. Reaction of the Baylis-Hillman MVK adducts with HCl, has resulted in effective nucleophilic (SN’) displacement of the hydroxyl group to afford allylic chloride derivatives. Direct substitution of these chloro derivatives by secondary or primary amines, followed by catalytic hydrogenation gave quinoline derivatives containing a 3-aminomethyl substituent. The Baylis-Hillman ester adducts obtained from reaction with methyl acrylate were treated directly with various amines to give diastereomeric conjugate addition products. Reactions with piperazine gave N,N’-disubstituted piperazine products. The piperidine derivatives have been dehydrated to give cinnamate esters in moderate yields. The products, which have all been satisfactorily characterised by elemental (HRMS) and spectroscopic (1- and 2-D NMR) analysis, constitute a “library” of compounds for in silico and in vitro studies as potential HIV integrase inhibitors.

A series of chromone-3-carbaldehydes have been prepared using Vilsmeier-Haack methodology while a corresponding series of chromone-2-carbaldeydes have been synthesized via the Kostanecki-Robinson reaction. Baylis-Hillman reactions have been conducted on both series of chromone carbaldehydes using three different catalysts, viz., 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.2.2]octane (DABCO), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec- 7-ene (DBU) and 3-hydroxyquinuclidine (3HQ), and acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate and methyl vinyl ketone as the activated alkenes. These reactions have typically (but not always!) afforded both normal Baylis-Hillman and dimeric products. Attention has also been given to the use of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidine (1-NMP), an ionic liquid, to replace normal organic solvents, and it has been found that, in the presence of DABCO, chromone-3-carbaldehydes afford the dimeric products alone. Reactions of chromone-3-carbaldehydes with methyl vinyl ketone have yielded unexpected, novel adducts, which appear to arise from preferential attack at C(2) in the chromone nucleus. Research on chromone-2-carbaldeydes under Baylis-Hillman conditions has also resulted in the formation of some interesting products instead of the expected Baylis-Hillman adducts. The Baylis-Hillman products have been explored as substrates for aza-Michael reactions using various amino derivatives including protected amino acids in the presence of the tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) and the ionic liquid, 3-butyl-1- methylimidazoleboranetetrafluoride (BmimBF₄), as catalysts. The aza-Michael products have been targeted as truncated ritonavir analogues for investigation as potential HIV -1 protease inhibitors, and representative compounds have been subjected to enzyme inhibition assays to explore the extent and type of inhibition. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots have indicated competitive inhibition in one case as well as non-competitive inhibition in another, and the inhibition constants (Ki) have been compared with that of the ritonavir. Computer modelling studies have also been conducted on selected chromonecontaining derivatives, using the ACCELRYS Cerius² platform. Interactive docking of the chromone-containing ligands into the HIV -1 protease receptor site, using the Ligandfit module, has indicated the importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions mediated by bridging water molecules situated in the receptor cavity. NMR spectroscopy has been used to elucidate complex and competing mechanistic pathways involved in the Baylis-Hillman reactions of selected 2-nitrobenzaldehydes with MVK in the presence of DABCO - reactions which afford the normal BaylisHillman product, the MVK dimer and syn- and anti-Baylis-Hillman type diadducts. The kinetic data confirm the concomitant operation of two pathways and reveal that, in the initial stage of the reaction, the product distribution is kinetically controlled, whereas in the latter stage, thermodynamic control results in the consumption of the normal Baylis-Hillman product and predominance of the anti-diadduct.

Department of Chemistry / MSc (Chemistry) / See the attached abstract below

Thesis (PhD (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Alkylated acetonitrile that forms during the synthesis of the sulfonium salt, [(Me3)2(MeS)S][BF4], is involved in the formation of new , -unsaturated Fischer-type carbene complexes from (CO)5M=C(OMe)CH2Li (M = Cr, W). Metal migration observed when the substitution product obtained from the reaction of the anionic carbene complexes (CO)5M=C(NMe2)CºC¯ (M = Cr, W) with Ph3PAu+ was left in solution, was also kinetically and theoretically investigated. 1H NMR and quantum mechanical (at the B3LYP level of theory) data indicated a complicated mechanism. The a,b-unsaturated Fischer-type carbene complex, (CO)5Cr=C(OMe)CH=C(Me)NH(Me), obtained from the reaction of (CO)5M=C(OMe)CH2¯ with alkylated acetonitrile, was transformed into the new remote one-N, six-membered, carbene ligand (rN1HC6) complex, (CO)5Cr=C(CH=C(Me)N(Me)CH=C(nBu). The carbene ligand unprecedentedly preferred the softer Rh(CO)2Cl moiety to the Cr(CO)5 metal fragment and transferred readily. A new series of remote and abnormal square planar compounds [r/a(NHC)(PPh3)2MCl]CF3SO3 (M = Pd or Ni) was prepared by oxidative substitution. The various positions for metal-carbon bond formation on a pyridine ring to furnish various ligand types i.e. C2 for nN1HC6, C3 for aN1HC6 or C4 for rN1HC6 received attention. The ligands were arranged in increasing order of carbene character, aNHC < nNHC < rNHC and trans influence, nN2HC5 ~ aN1HC6 ~ nN1HC6 < rN1HC6. In competitive situations, oxidative substitution occurred selectively at C4 of the pyridine ring rather than at C2 and on the aromatic ring containing the heteroatom (C4), rather than on an annealed aromatic ring (C7). Crystal and molecular structure determinations confirmed the preferred coordination sites. Quantum mechanical calculations (at the RI-BP86/SV level of theory) indicated that the chosen carbene ligand has a much larger influence than the metal on the BDE of the M-Ccarbene bond; the farther away the N-atom is from the carbene carbon, the stronger the bond. In complexes that also contain additional external nitrogen atoms, e.g. trans-chloro(N-methyl-1,2,4- trihydro-2-dimethylaminepyrid-4-ylidene)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) triflate and transchloro( N-methyl-1,2,4-trihydro-2-dimethylaminepyrid-4-ylidene)bis(triphenylphosphine)nickel(II) triflate, stabilisation originates from both the nitrogens. 2-Chloro-1-methyl-1H-pyrid-4-ylidenephenylammonium triflate afforded complexes with both remote as well as normal nitrogen atoms. New azole complexes of palladium and nickel with remote heteroatoms were also prepared from N-methyl-4',4'-dimethyl-2'-thiophen-3-chloro-2-yl-4,5-dihydro-oxazole. Employing the compound 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone, the product of a double oxidative substitution on two Pd centra could be isolated but not alkylated. The fact that the chemical shift of the metal bonded carbon in the 13C NMR spectrum can not be used as absolute measure of carbene character, was emphasised in a compound where the heteroatom was situated seven bonds away from the carbon donor. In efforts to synthesise a sulphur-bridged complex that contains carbene ligands, crystals of transdi- iodobis(1,3-dimethyl-imidazoline-2-ylidene)palladium were obtained. Bridged thiolato complexes with N1HC6 ligands were unexpectedly found in the attempt to substitute the halogen on chosen square planar carbene complexes of palladium, widening the application possibilities of N1HC6 ligands in organometallic chemistry beyond that of catalysis. A trinuclear cluster, [(PdPPh3)3(μ-SMe)3]BF4 was isolated as a by-product of these reactions. A series normal and abnormal thiazolylidene complexes of nickel and palladium were prepared by oxidative substitution of the respective 2-, 4- and 5-bromothiazolium salts with M(PPh3)4 (M = Pd or Ni), and unequivocally characterised. In a preliminary catalytic investigation, all the thiazolinium and simple pyridinium derived palladium complexes showed activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. Little variation in activity in the order a (N next to carbon donor) > n > a (S next to carbon donor) was found for the former series, whereas decreased activity was exhibited in the sequence r > a > n of the latter group. The pyridinium derived complexes showed superior activity to the thiazolinium ones. The rNHC complex, trans-chloro(N-methyl-1,2,4-trihydro-2- dimethylaminepyrid-4-ylidene)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) triflate, showed similar Suzuki-Miyaura activity to the standard N2HC5 carbene complex precatalyst, trans-chloro[(1,3- dimethyl-imidazol-2-ylidene)triphenylphosphine]palladium(II) triflate.

Nesta tese foi desenvolvida uma nova classe de porfirinas supramoleculares contendo um grupo (4-nitrofenil)triazeno ligado na posição meso-aril do anel porfirínico. Suas propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas foram investigadas por espectrometria de massas, espectroscopia eletrônica de absorção e emissão, cálculos teóricos semi-empíricos, ressonância magnética nuclear de 1H e 13C, voltametria cíclica e espectroeletroquímica. Efeitos eletrônicos e estruturais diferenciados foram observados quando o grupo triazeno é inserido na porfirina, fazendo com que estes novos compostos apresentem novas propriedades quanto, por exemplo, às fragmentações no estado gasoso, deslocamento batocrômico nos espectros eletrônicos de absorção, variação das intensidades relativas e nos valores dos rendimentos quânticos de fluorescência, deslocalização eletrônica nos orbitais de fronteira evidenciando as transições de transferência de carga do ânion triazenido para o anel porfirínico e variações nos processos redox dos compostos até então estudados / In this thesis we has been developed a new class of supramolecular porphyrins containing (4-nitrophenyl)triazene group connected in the meso-aryl-position of the porphyrin ring. Their structural and electronic properties were investigated by mass spectrometry, absorption and emission electronic spectroscopy, semi-empirical theoretical calculations, nuclear magnetic resonance of 1H and 13C-NMR, cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Different structural and electronic effects were observed when the unit is inserted into the triazene to porphyrin, so that these presents new properties such as, for example, to fragmentation in the gaseous state, bathocrimic shift in the electronic absorption spectra, relative intensity variation and values the fluorescence quantum yields, electron delocalization in the frontier orbitals showing the charge-transfer transitions from the triazenide anion to the porphyrin ring and changes in redox processes of compounds previously studied.

Nesta tese foi desenvolvida uma nova classe de porfirinas supramoleculares contendo um grupo (4-nitrofenil)triazeno ligado na posição meso-aril do anel porfirínico. Suas propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas foram investigadas por espectrometria de massas, espectroscopia eletrônica de absorção e emissão, cálculos teóricos semi-empíricos, ressonância magnética nuclear de 1H e 13C, voltametria cíclica e espectroeletroquímica. Efeitos eletrônicos e estruturais diferenciados foram observados quando o grupo triazeno é inserido na porfirina, fazendo com que estes novos compostos apresentem novas propriedades quanto, por exemplo, às fragmentações no estado gasoso, deslocamento batocrômico nos espectros eletrônicos de absorção, variação das intensidades relativas e nos valores dos rendimentos quânticos de fluorescência, deslocalização eletrônica nos orbitais de fronteira evidenciando as transições de transferência de carga do ânion triazenido para o anel porfirínico e variações nos processos redox dos compostos até então estudados / In this thesis we has been developed a new class of supramolecular porphyrins containing (4-nitrophenyl)triazene group connected in the meso-aryl-position of the porphyrin ring. Their structural and electronic properties were investigated by mass spectrometry, absorption and emission electronic spectroscopy, semi-empirical theoretical calculations, nuclear magnetic resonance of 1H and 13C-NMR, cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Different structural and electronic effects were observed when the unit is inserted into the triazene to porphyrin, so that these presents new properties such as, for example, to fragmentation in the gaseous state, bathocrimic shift in the electronic absorption spectra, relative intensity variation and values the fluorescence quantum yields, electron delocalization in the frontier orbitals showing the charge-transfer transitions from the triazenide anion to the porphyrin ring and changes in redox processes of compounds previously studied.

A maioria das cepas de Plasmodium falciparum mostra-se resistente à cloroquina (CQ), considerado o antimalárico ideal. A busca por novos agentes terapêuticos bem como a restauração do efeito antimalárico de fármacos disponíveis, através da associação a agentes moduladores da resistência (AMR), vem sendo enfatizada. Entretanto, ausência de efeito modulador da resistência e efeito antiplasmódico intrínseco foram observados quando AMR clássicos, como o fenotiazínico clorpromazina e o iminodibenzílico desipramina, foram ensaiados in vitro em isolados brasileiros de P. falciparum resistentes à CQ. Sabe-se que a ação antiparasitária de compostos de natureza tricíclica, como os fenotiazínicos, foi descrita há mais de um século e continua a ser de interesse. Em adição, vale notar a ocorrência de farmacóforo comum, formado por sistema heteroaromático, ligado a átomo de nitrogênio, secundário ou terciário, por cadeia lateral de três a quatro átomos de carbono, entre compostos quinolínicos antimaláricos, fármacos psicotrópicos e AMR. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar, por emprego da modelagem molecular, características estereo-eletrônicas e lipofílicas e a interação a nível molecular de compostos de natureza tricíclica (fenotiazínicos e iminodibenzílicos) com a hematina (provável sítio de ação da CQ) comparando ao antimalárico CQ. Semelhanças estéreo-eletrônicas e lipofílicas puderam ser visualizadas entre as moléculas da CQ e dos compostos tricíclicos. No entanto, algumas distinções ausência de planaridade e maior densidade eletrônica sobre os anéis tricíclicos dos anéis heterocíclicos quando comparadas à CQ. Tais características se fizeram refletir na interação com a hematina, como demonstrado nos estudos de ancoramento como também nos estudos de UV-VIS e de Raman Ressonante. / The most Plasmodium falciparum strains show resistance to chloroquine (CQ), yet considered the ideal antimalaric agent. The search for new therapeutic compounds and the restoration of the antimalarial effect of available drugs through the association with modulating agents has been emphasized. However, lack of modulating effect and intrinsic antiplasmodial activity were observed when classic modulating agents, such phenothiazine chlorpromazine and iminodibenzylic desipramine, were tested in vitro against Brazilian isolated resistant of P. falciparum to CQ. The antiparasitic action of tricyclic compounds as the phenotiazine class has been described for more than a century and continues to be of interest. In addition, it was noted the occurrence of common pharmacophore, formed by a heteroaromatic system, a secondary or tertiary nitrogen atom, linked by a side chain of three to four carbon atoms, present among the quinoline antimalarials, the psychotropic drugs and the modulating agents of chloroquine resistance. The goal of this work was by using molecular modeling to study stereo-electronic features and lipophilic characteristics and the interaction on molecular level of tricyclic compounds (phenothiazines and iminodibenzylics) with hematin (probable site of action of CQ) in comparison to antimalaric CQ. In results, similarities stereo-electronic and lipophilic could be viewed between the molecules of CQ and tricyclic compounds. However different features could be noticed such as absence of planarity and a higher electronic density on the tricyclic rings when compared to CQ. These features shown to be relevant to interaction with the &#181;-oxo dimer of hematin, as observed in docking studies and UV-VIS and Resonance Raman.

This work focuses on the design and synthesis of Au(I) and Ag(I) complexes from ligand systems that aim to combine both N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and phosphine ligand types. A number of synthetic approaches towards both the ligands and the prepared metal complexes have been developed, with a concerted effort on achieving the desired Au(I) or Ag(I) complexes with minimal reaction steps and synthetic style. The thesis body is divided into two main sections. The first section addresses the preparation of suitable ligand precursors of potential Au(I) and Ag(I) complexes in the form of halo- and phosphino-functionalised imidazolium salts. Several series of haloalkylimidazolium salts were prepared that encompass a range of halogens (Cl, Br, I), alkyl substituents (Me, i-Pr, t-Bu, n-Bu), differing alkyl linker length (n = 0-3), and a variety of organic spacers employed to bridge multi-imidazolium moieties. Novel bidentate and multidentate phosphinoalkylimidazolium salts were synthesised from the various haloalkylimidazolium salts, via the substitution of a halide with nucleophilic diphenylphosphide. A new approach towards rare methylene bridged phosphinomethylimidazolium salts was achieved from the reactions of halomethylimidazolium salts with diphenylphosphine. The second section investigates the preparation of Au(I) and Ag(I) complexes from the halo- and phosphino-functionalised imidazolium salts. A series of dicationic 10, 12, and 14-membered metallacyclic Ag(I) complexes were prepared from the bidentate phosphinoalkylimidazolium salts. The dinuclear Ag(I) metallacycles combine two phosphino-functionalised NHC ligands that are bridged by two coordinated Ag(I) ions in an exclusively head-to-head arrangement. A dinuclear Ag(I) metallacycle was investigated for transmetallation potential to a Au(I) complex and found to selectively transmetallate at the Ag(I) coordinated to the NHC ligands to form a bimetallic metallacycle. Unexpected phosphine oxidation of a 10-membered dinuclear Ag(I) metallacycle resulted in complex disproportionation to an isolable and rare silver(I) trimer. Metal-NHC complexes from haloalkylimidazolium salts have not been reported previously, a novel approach to the synthesis of a series of Au(I) complexes from haloalkylimidazolium salts and a respective gold source was developed and is reported herein. Different synthetic approaches towards Au(I) complexes with the phosphinoalkylimidazolium salts explored a variety of ways to generate the NHC from an imidazolium in the presence of the phosphine. A one-pot, high yielding synthesis of a dinuclear Au(I) complex from PPh3 was also devised, with controlled assembly of the complex resulting in a similar head-to-head ligand arrangement to the dinuclear Ag(I) metallacycles. As an aside, a family of mononuclear [Au(R2NHC)2]+ complexes (R = Me, i-Pr, t- Bu, n-Bu, Cy) prepared previously in our research group, was expanded because of the promising antimitochondrial activity shown by [Au(i-Pr2NHC)2]+. Two new [Au(R2NHC)2]+ complexes with simple alkyl chain functionality were prepared with fine-tuned lipophilicity in close proximity to that of [Au(i-Pr2NHC)2]+.

Irradiation of a tryptamine linked through its side-chain nitrogen to an alkylidene malonate residue results in an intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition to the indole 2,3-double bond. The resultant cyclobutane undergoes spontaneous retro-Mannich fission to produce a spiro[indoline-3,3-pyrrolenine] with relative configuration defined by the orientation of substituents in the transient cyclobutane. The novel tandem intramolecular photocycloaddition- retro-Mannich (TIPCARM) sequence leads to a spiropyrrolidine which is poised to undergo a second retro-Mannich fragmentation [TIPCA(RM)₂] that expels the malonate unit present in the photo substrate and generates transiently an indolenine. The indolenine undergoes rearrangement to a β-carboline which can undergo further rearrangement under oxidizing conditions to an oxindole. Three oxindole natural products, coerulescine, horsfiline and elacomine, were synthesized using this strategy. The TIPCARM strategy was extended to an approach that would encompass the Vinca alkaloids vindorosine and minovine. In this case, the TIPCARM sequence was followed by an intramolecular cyclization that provided tetracyclic ketone 5.86 containing rings A, B, C and D of vindorosine. A tetracyclic intermediate was synthesized which could also provided access to the Vinca alkaloid minovine. / Graduation date: 2012

El programa de la síndrome de la immunodeficiència adquirida (SIDA o sida) de les Nacions Unides va estimar a finals de 2008 que més de 33 milions de persones arreu del món vivien amb el virus de la immunodeficiència humana (VIH). En l’estudi de les dianes terapèutiques contra l’agent etiològic de la sida s’han validat com a tals els coreceptors CXCR4 i CCR5 d’unió i fusió del virus a la cèl•lula hoste. Actualment hi ha un inhibidor d’entrada i un de fusió per al tractament de la infecció per aquest retrovirus, tot i que cap d’ells inhibeix el coreceptor CXCR4. Això, unit a la capacitat del virus de desenvolupar resistència als fàrmacs actuals, fa necessària la cerca de noves famílies de compostos que hi facin front. El Grup d’Enginyeria Molecular (GEM) de l’IQS ha descrit prèviament una quimioteca combinatòria d’anàlegs de l’AMD3100, el cap de sèrie més actiu, formats per unitats estructurals polinitrogenades (que consisteixen en un heterocicle nitrogenat, un seguit de baules metilèniques i un grup amina primària terminal) unides a un espaiador p xililènic. La selecció d’aquesta quimioteca va dur a la identificació d’un nou candidat amb dos centres quirals amb activitat submicromolar contra el VIH. Aquest treball presenta diverses modificacions estructurals sobre ambdós caps de sèrie, en la cerca de nous inhibidors potencials del coreceptor d’entrada CXCR4. En primer lloc, per tal de rebaixar la basicitat de l’AMD3100, s’han substituït els seus anells ciclàmics per sistemes pirido[2,3 d]pirimidínics, en la síntesi dels quals es té molta experiència en el GEM. La baixa solubilitat en dissolvents comuns d’alguns dels compostos obtinguts es presenta com un greu inconvenient per al seu desenvolupament com a fàrmac. D’altra banda, tenint en compte el disseny racional descrit anteriorment al grup de recerca, s’amplia la quimioteca amb l’objectiu d’avaluar l’efecte de la distància entre àtoms de nitrogen i la presència de major impediment estèric entre l’espaiador aromàtic i el nitrogen que hi està directament unit. Tot i que no s’ha aconseguit millorar l’activitat del cap de sèrie, els compostos obtinguts presenten activitats prou satisfactòries. Igualment, s’obtenen els tres estereoisòmers del cap de sèrie amb activitat submicromolar i se n’avalua l’activitat antiviral per separat. Finalment, es duu a terme un disseny de novo de fàrmacs basat en l’estructura per buscar nous candidats que permetin obrir la porta a altres famílies de compostos amb activitat anti-VIH, a través de l’enumeració de la quimioteca virtual, la selecció i la posterior síntesi. / El programa del síndrome de la inmunodeficiencia adquirida (SIDA o sida) de las Naciones Unidas estimó a finales de 2008 que más de 33 millones de personas en todo el mundo vivían con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). En el estudio de las dianas terapéuticas contra el agente etiológico del sida se han validado como tales los correceptores CXCR4 y CCR5 de unión y fusión del virus a la célula huésped. Actualmente existe un inhibidor de entrada y uno de fusión para el tratamiento de la infección por este retrovirus, aunque ninguno de ellos inhibe el correceptor CXCR4. Ello, unido a la capacidad del virus de desarrollar resistencia a los fármacos actuales, hace necesaria la búsqueda de nuevas familias de compuestos que le hagan frente. El Grup d’Enginyeria Molecular (GEM) del IQS ha descrito previamente una quimioteca combinatoria de análogos del AMD3100, el candidato más activo, formados por unidades estructurales polinitrogenadas (que consisten en un heterociclo nitrogenado, una serie de eslabones metilénicos y un grupo amina primaria terminal) unidas a un espaciador p xililénico. La selección de esta quimioteca llevó a la identificación de un nuevo candidato con dos centros quirales con actividad submicromolar contra el VIH. Este trabajo presenta diversas modificaciones estructurales sobre ambos candidatos, en la búsqueda de nuevos inhibidores potenciales del correceptor de entrada CXCR4. En primer lugar, para rebajar la basicidad del AMD3100, se han substituido sus anillos ciclámicos por sistemas pirido[2,3 d]pirimidínicos, en la síntesis de los cuales se tiene mucha experiencia en el GEM. La baja solubilidad en disolventes comunes de algunos de los compuestos obtenidos se presenta como un grave inconveniente para su desarrollo como fármaco. Por otra parte, teniendo en cuenta el diseño racional descrito anteriormente en el grupo de investigación, se amplía la quimioteca con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de la distancia entre átomos de nitrógeno y la presencia de mayor impedimento estérico entre el espaciador aromático y el nitrógeno que está directamente unido a él. Aunque no se ha conseguido mejorar la actividad de la estructura de referencia, los compuestos obtenidos presentan actividades satisfactorias. Asimismo, se obtienen los tres estereoisómeros del candidato con actividad submicromolar y se evalúa la actividad antiviral por separado. Finalmente, se lleva a cabo un diseño de novo de fármacos basado en la estructura para buscar nuevos candidatos que permitan abrir la puerta a otras familias de compuestos con actividad anti-VIH, a través de la enumeración de la quimioteca virtual, la selección y la posterior síntesis. / The Joint United Nations Programme on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) estimated in 2008 that more than 33 million people around the world lived with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV cell fusion and entry coreceptors CXCR4 and CCR5 have been validated as targets for therapeutic intervention. Nowadays, there is one entry and one fusion inhibitor available for the treatment of this retrovirus infection, although none of them inhibits CXCR4 coreceptor. Due to this fact, added to the virus’ capacity of developing resistance to actual drugs, the search of new families of compounds facing up to these situations becomes necessary. The Grup d’Enginyeria Molecular (GEM) at IQS previously described a combinatorial library of analogues of the currently most active lead AMD3100, whose polinitrogenated building block consisted of a nitrogen-containing heterocycle, a saturated chain spacer and a terminal primary amine group, bonded to a p xylylene spacer. Library selection led to the identification of a new lead with two chiral centres and submicromolar activity against HIV. This work presents various structural modifications on both leads, looking for new potential CXCR4 inhibitors. First of all, in order to reduce basicity of AMD3100, cyclam rings were substituted by pyrido[2,3 d]pyrimidinic systems, whose synthesis has been widely studied at GEM. Low solubility in common solvents of some of the obtained compounds remains as a great inconvenience for their development as a drug. Furthermore, regarding the rational design previously described by the research group, the library has been expanded with the aim of evaluating the effect of the distance between nitrogen atoms and the steric effects between the linker and the nitrogen atom directly connected to it. Although biological activities do not improve the lead’s one, the obtained compounds present interesting activities. Moreover, the three stereoisomers of the lead compound with submicromolar activity have been synthesised and their activity has been evaluated separately. Finally, a de novo structure based drug design has been carried out looking for new hits allowing to identify new families of compounds with anti-HIV activity, by enumeration of the virtual library, selection of candidates and their synthesis.