Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Duy H. Hua / Small molecules are of great importance in drug discovery currently. The first three chapters discussed the design, synthesis and bio-evaluation of three different classes of small molecules and exploration of their biological targets. Triacsin C analogs were designed as long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL) inhibitors for attenuating ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. Oxadiazole derivatives were designed as T-type calcium channel inhibitors, which have potential application in the treatment of seizure and epilepsy. Tricyclic pyrone derivatives were reported as anti-Alzheimer lead compounds in previous research done by the Hua group. TP70 and CP2 were synthesized to explore their pharmacokinetics properties. Chapter 4 described chiral-substituted poly-N-vinylpyrrolidones (CSPVP) supported Cu/Au nanoclusters mediation of cyclization reaction of 5-substituted nona-1,8-dien-5-ols. A five-member cyclized lactone possessing a stereogenic tetrasubstituted carbon center was formed in a one-step Cu/Au nanoclusters-hydrogen peroxide oxidation reaction. This developed a novel and simple method to synthesize tetrasubstituted carbon stereogenic center. Drawbacks of the method in my initial study were low reaction yield and moderate enantioselectivity. The chemical yield and enantioselectivity have been significantly improved by introducing bulkier substitution in C3 and C4 positions of CSPVP according to the updates of ongoing research.

No description available.

<p> It had been proposed that α-hydroperoxydiazenes decompose by the radical chain abstraction of the hydroxy group. This suggested that these compounds could be used as hydroxyalkylating agents for unsaturated systems. </p> <p> Compounds 15 and 23 were prepared by the autoxidation of the corresponding hydrazone. α-Hydroperoxydiazenes 15 and 23 were used to hydroxyalkylate ethyl vinyl ether and 2-methoxypropene in yields of 62-65%. Mechanisms of the addition reaction are discussed. </p> <p> In an attempt to alkylate a hetero atom system, ·compound 15 was thermolyzed with compound 25. The alkylation product was not obtained. </p> <P> Compound 15 was converted to α-hydroxydiazene 34 by the action of Φ3P. α-Hydroxydiazine have been used synthetically in the hydroalkylation of alkenes. The rate constant of hydrogen abstraction was determined to be in the range of 1.5 x 10^5 M^-ls^-l to 1.5 x 10^7 M^-ls^-l by the use of a radical clock reaction. An upper limit on the rate of rearrangement of the 2-cyanopropyl radical was found to be 3.65 x 10^3 s^-1 . </p> A new compound (23) was prepared / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

This thesis discusses hydantoins as anticonvulsants. VII. 5-Substituted-aryloxy derivatives of 5-phenylhydantoin.

Master of Science / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Thu Annelise Nguyen / Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States with an early detection rate of only 39%. Colorectal cancer cells along with other cancer cells exhibit many deficiencies in cell-to-cell communication, particularly gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). GJIC has been reported to diminish as cancer cells progress. Gap junctions are intercellular channels composed of connexin proteins, which mediate the direct passage of small molecules from one cell to the next. They are involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell differentiation, and cell signaling. Since the regulation of gap junctions is lost in colorectal cancer cells, the goal of this study is to determine the effect of GJIC restoration in colorectal cancer cells. Overexpression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in SW480 colorectal cancer cells causes a 6-fold increase of gap junction activity compared to control un-transfected cells. This suggests that overexpressing Cx43 can restore GJIC. Furthermore, small molecule directly targeting gap junction channel was used to increase GJIC. Gap junction enhancers, PQs, at 200 nM showed a 4-fold increase of gap junction activity in SW480 cells. Using Western blot analysis, Cx43 isoform expression was seen to shift from P0 to P1 and P2 isoforms after treatment with PQ1 200 nM for 1 hour. Overall, the results show that overexpression of connexin and small molecules such as gap junction enhancers, PQs, can directly increase gap junction activity. The findings provide an important implication in which restoration of gap junction activity can be targeted for drug development.

The reaction of 5-bromo-5-ethylbarbituric acid with mercaptan and pyridine in cold ether solution was studied and was found to be satisfactory for the preparation of the compounds reported in this work.

Since no mention has been found in the literature of any 5-substituted mercapto-5-alkyl derivatives of barbituric acid, it was thought to be of interest to prepare a series of compounds containing sulfur attached directly to the barbituric acid nucleus. 5-substituted mercapto-5-isoamylbarbituric acids were chosen as representative of barbituric acids in which the alkyl group has a fairly high molecular weight.

Master of Science / Department of Chemistry / Takashi Ito / Adsorption of a series of primarily substituted hydrocarbons (RX; C[subscript]18H[subscript]37PO(OH)[subscript]2 (ODPA), C[subscript]17H[subscript]35COOH, C[subscript]18H[subscript]37OH, C[subscript]18H[subscript]37NH[subscript]2 and C[subscript]18H[subscript]37SH) onto solid gallium substrates with and without UV/ozone treatment was studied using contact angle goniometry, spectroscopic ellipsometry and cyclic voltammetry (CV). UV/ozone treatment offered a hydrophilic surface (water contact angle ([theta][superscript]water) less than 10°), reflecting the formation of a surface oxide layer with the maximum thickness of ca. 1 nm and possibly the removal of surface contaminants. Upon immersion in a toluene solution of a RX, [theta][superscript]water increased due to adsorption of the RX onto gallium substrates. In particular, UV/ozone-treated gallium substrates (UV-Ga) immersed in an ODPA solution exhibited [theta][superscript]water close to 105°. The ellipsometric thickness of the adsorbed ODPA layer was ca. 2.4 nm and CV data measured in an acetonitrile solution showed significant inhibition of redox reaction on the substrate surface. These results indicate the formation of a densely-packed ODPA monolayer on UV-Ga. The coverage of a C[subscript]17H[subscript]35COOH layer adsorbed onto UV-Ga was lower, as shown by smaller [theta][superscript]water (ca. 99°), smaller ellipsometric thickness (ca. 1.3 nm) and smaller electrode reaction inhibition. Adsorption of the other RX onto UV-Ga was weaker, as indicated by smaller [theta][superscript]water (82-92°). ODPA did not strongly adsorb onto UV-untreated gallium substrates, suggesting that the ODPA adsorption mainly originates from hydrogen bond interaction of a phosphonate group with surface oxide. These results will provide a means for controlling the surface properties of oxide-coated gallium that play an essential role in monolayer conductivity measurements and electroanalytical applications.

The dinuclear cyclometallated gold(I) complex [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] was prepared in high yield from the reaction of 2-LiC6F4PPh2 with either [AuBr(AsPh3)] or [AuCl(tht)], and from the reaction of 2-Me3SnC6F4PPh2 with [AuCl(tht)]. The digold(I) complex undergoes oxidative addition reactions with halogens to give the metal-metal bonded dihalodigold(II) complexes [Au2IIX2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] (X = Cl, Br, I), which on warming or exposure to light, isomerise to give the heterovalent gold(I)-gold(III) species [XAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX] containing a four-membered cyclometallated ring on a gold(III) centre. Unlike its protio analogue, [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] did not undergo oxidative addition of methyl iodide or dibenzoyl peroxide. The dihalodigold(II) [Au2IIX2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and gold(I)-gold(III) compounds [XAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX] (X = Cl, Br) are further oxidised by halogens to give the digold(III) species [Au2X4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and [X3Au(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX], respectively. The complexes [Au2X4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] are reduced to the dihalodigold(II) complexes in the presence of one equivalent of zinc powder; further addition of zinc gave the parent digold(I) dimer. Treatment of [Au2IICl2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and [ClAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuCl] with an excess of silver nitrate, benzoate, acetate, trifluoroacetate or triflate gave the corresponding oxyanion complexes. Slow crystallisation of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex from dichloromethane and methanol gave the parent digold(I) complex derived by reductive elimination. The di(triflato)digold(II) complex behaved similarly, although in this case the novel gold(I) tetramer [Au4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)4] was formed together with the dimer. Two closely related gold complexes containing the chelating κ2(C,O) phosphine oxide ligand, 2-C6F4P(O)PPh2, were isolated from the reaction of [ClAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuCl] with an excess of silver nitrate. The reaction of [Au2IICl2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] with two equivalents of potassium trifluoroethoxide failed to give the corresponding digold(II) bis(alkoxo) complex; instead, reduction took place to form the digold(I) dimer [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2]. Treatment of a solution of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex with C6F5Li gave the pentafluorophenyl complex [Au2(C6F5)2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] which, when heated in toluene, rearranged to the gold(I)-gold(III) complex [(C6F5)Au(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)Au(C6F5)], analogous to the behaviour of the dihalodigold(II) complexes. The heterovalent, gold(I)-gold(III) dimethyl compound [Au2I,III(CH3)2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] was obtained from the reaction of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex with dimethylzinc. This compound is structurally similar to its tetraprotio analogue. The cycloaurated dinuclear gold complexes [Au2(μ-C6H3-n-F-2-PPh2)2] (n = 5, 6) were made similarly to the 2-C6F4PPh2 analogue from the appropriate lithium or tin reagents, though in some cases the dimers were formed in admixture with the corresponding gold(I) tetramers. Like their tetrafluoro analogues, the 6-fluoro complexes [Au2X2(μ-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)2] (X = Cl, Br, I) rearrange on heating to give the heterovalent gold(I)-gold(III) species [XAu(µ-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)(κ2-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)AuX]. Thus, the presence of a fluorine atom in place of hydrogen in the 6-position of the bridging aryl group is sufficient to stop the isomerisation of the digold(II) complexes [Au2X2(μ-2-C6H4PPh2)2] at the gold(I)-gold(III) stage and to prevent subsequent C-C coupling of the aryl groups at the gold(III) centre. In contrast, the dihalodigold(II) complexes containing the 5-fluoro substituted ligand undergo reductive elimination and coupling of the metallated aryl groups to give the digold(I) biphenyldiyl complexes [Au2X2(2,2'-Ph2P-5-FC6H3C6H3-5-F-PPh2)] (X = Cl, Br, I). The described complexes were characterised using 1H NMR, 31P NMR, 19F NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and 197Au Mössbauer spectroscopy.

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can have their function modulated by zinc. Depending on concentration and subunit composition, zinc either inhibits or potentiates receptor function. The zinc ion potentiates the alpha4beta4 receptor at non-agonist binding interfaces or "pseudo sites." Zinc potentiation is reduced if certain residues are mutated or spatially interfered with. The residue contributing most to this potentiation reduction effect is histidine 162 on the alpha4 subunit. The anthelmintic compound levamisole potentiates acetylcholine response of certain neuronal nicotinic receptors. Levamisole and its functional analogues morantel, oxantel, and pyrantel all were found to potentiate alpha4beta4 receptors at low (µM) concentrations and inhibit them at high (mM) concentrations. Oxantel showed the greatest degree of potentiation, about a third of the maximal zinc potentiation measured. Oxantel was screened using the substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) against the residue histidine 162 as well as nearby alpha4 residues histidine 61 and glutamate 59 and the beta4 residue aspartate 195. Screening was carried out by mutating said residues into cysteine, followed by covalent linkage with a disulfide bridge of that residue with a methanethiosulfonate compound. SCAM experiments allowed testing of the effects of a single residue and the area immediately adjacent to it. Receptors that lost zinc potentiation capacity from site-directed mutagenesis at the his 162 residue and subsequent methanethiosulfonate reaction still showed regular potentiation following oxantel treatment. Although these compounds exhibit similar biphasic potentiation dose-response curves as zinc, their mechanism for potentiation is not through the same mechanism.