Synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles and their behavior of liquid crystallines

DFT investigations on the influence of stacking on the electronic structure, absorption, and non-linear optical properties of 3,5-bis[4-(4-methylphenylcarbonyloxy)phenyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole

CONTEXT

1,2,4-Oxadiazole serves as a fundamental building block driving advancements across diverse scientific and technological arenas, contributing to the creation of innovative materials for various applications including devices, sensors, medications, agrochemicals, and biomedical instruments. Employing density functional theory (DFT) methods, we investigate the impact of different conformers of an oxadiazole substituted derivative, specifically 3,5-bis[4-(4-methylphenylcarbonyloxy)phenyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole, in both monomeric and stacked configurations (dimeric and tetrameric). We analyze the electronic structures of various conformers, including assessment of HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, to detect the influence of diverse substituents and stacking arrangements. We have also explored the stability of stacked structure in explicit solvent environment. Additionally, we examine absorption spectra, non-linear optical properties, and electronic circular dichroism to evaluate the potential applications of these molecules in optoelectronic devices. Our calculations showed that all the conformers were thermodynamically stable within an energy difference of 2.64 kcal mol-1. The study also suggests possible application of the material in optical and electronic devices.

METHODS

DFT calculations were carried out using the CAM-B3LYP and wB97XD functionals with a 6-31 + G* all-electron basis set, paired with the SCRF/PCM solvation model, implemented in the Gaussian 09 package. Equilibrium structure was achieved by performing NPT and NVT simulations using the Gromacs package.

Biological activity of oxadiazole and thiadiazole derivatives

Abstract

The 5-membered oxadiazole and thiadiazole scaffolds are the most privileged and well-known heterocycles, being a common and essential feature of a variety of natural products and medicinal agents. These scaffolds take up the center position and are the core structural components of numerous drugs that belong to different categories. These include antimicrobial, anti-tubercular, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiepileptic, antiviral, and anticancer agents. In this review, we mostly talk about the isomers 1,2,4-oxadiazole and 1,3,4-thiadiazole because they have important pharmacological properties. This is partly because they are chemical and heat resistant, unlike other isomers, and they can be used as bio-isosteric replacements in drug design. We are reviewing the structural modifications of different oxadiazole and thiadiazole derivatives, more specifically, the anti-tubercular and anticancer pharmacological activities reported over the last 5 years, as we have undertaken this as a core area of research. This review article desires to do a thorough study and analysis of the recent progress made in the important biological isomers 1,2,4-oxadiazole and 1,3,4-thiadiazol. This will be a great place to start for future research.

Key points

• Five-membered heterocyclic compound chemistry and biological activity recent survey.

• Synthesis and pharmacological evolution of 1,2,4-oxadiazole and 1,3,4-thiadiazole are discussed in detail.

• The value and significance of heterocyclic compounds in the field of drug designing are highlighted.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-022-11969-0.

Electrochemical synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from amidoximes through dehydrogenative cyclization

A convenient and efficient method for the generation of the iminoxy radical through anodic oxidation was developed for the synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from N-benzyl amidoximes. The transformation proceeds through 1.5-Hydrogen Atom Transfer (1,5-HAT) and intramolecular cyclization. The process features simple operation, mild conditions, broad substrate scope and high functional group compatibility, and provides a facile and practical way for the preparation of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles.

SET activation of nitroarenes by 2-azaallyl anions as a straightforward access to 2,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazoles

The use of nitroarenes as amino sources in synthesis is challenging. Herein is reported an unusual, straightforward, and transition metal-free method for the net [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of 2-azaallyl anions with nitroarenes. The products of this reaction are diverse 2,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (>40 examples, up to 95% yield). This method does not require an external reductant to reduce nitroarenes, nor does it employ nitrosoarenes, which are often used in N-O cycloadditions. Instead, it is proposed that the 2-azaallyl anions, which behave as super electron donors (SEDs), deliver an electron to the nitroarene to generate a nitroarene radical anion. A downstream 2-azaallyl radical coupling with a newly formed nitrosoarene is followed by ring closure to afford the observed products. This proposed reaction pathway is supported by computational studies and experimental evidence. Overall, this method uses readily available materials, is green, and exhibits a broad scope.

Reactions of 3-(p-substituted-phenyl)-5-chloromethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with KCN leading to acetonitriles and alkanes via a non-reductive decyanation pathway

The present work describes an unfamiliar reaction of 5-(chloromethyl)-3-substituted-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with KCN affording trisubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylacetonitriles and their parent alkanes, namely, 1,2,3-trisubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylpropanes. To the best of our knowledge, the current synthetic route leading to decyanated products will be the first in terms of a decyanation process which allows the transformation of trisubstituted acetonitriles into alkanes by the incorporation of KCN with the association of in situ-formed HCN and most likely through the extrusion of cyanogen which could not be detected or isolated. In addition, the plausible mechanisms were proposed for both transformations. The structures of the title compounds were identified by means of IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, 2D NMR spectra, TOF–MS and X-ray measurements.

Expanding Synthesizable Space of Disubstituted 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles

One-pot synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from carboxylic acids and nitriles was optimized to parallel chemistry. The method was validated on a 141 member library; the desired products were recovered with a high success rate and in moderate yields. Practical application of the approach was demonstrated in the synthesis of bioactive compound pifexole and agonists of free fatty acid receptor 1. A library of 4 948 100 synthesizable drug-like 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles was enumerated based on the method and available validated reagents.

Water-Assisted Nitrile Oxide Cycloadditions: Synthesis of Isoxazoles and Stereoselective Syntheses of Isoxazolines and 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles

Conventional methods generate nitrile oxides from oxime halides in organic solvents under basic conditions. However, the present work revealed that water-assisted generation of nitrile oxides proceeds under mild acidic conditions (pH 4-5). Cycloadditions of nitrile oxides with alkynes and alkenes easily occurred in water without using catalysts, thus yielding isoxazoles and isoxazolines, respectively, with excellent stereoselectivity toward five- and six-membered cyclic alkenes. A double stereoselective cycloaddition of two units of a nitrile oxide with cyclohexene was also achieved, thus yielding 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives having a unique hybrid isoxazoline-oxadiazole skeleton. Enantiomerically pure isoxazolines were prepared from monoterpenes with a ring strain. In one case, the isoxazoline with a butterfly-like structure was simply prepared, and it might be used as a ligand in asymmetric catalysis.

Enolate-mediated 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of β-functionalized ketones with nitrile oxides: direct access to 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles

Enolate-mediated [3 + 2] organocatalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of β-functionalized ketones with nitrile oxides have been developed. This strategy could generate 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazole in high yields and regioselectivities.

Novel biphenyl-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole ferroelectric liquid crystals: synthesis and characterization

Two novel series of unsymmetrically substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole viz., R.Ox.C^*C_n compounds are synthesized and characterized. An optically active, (S)-(+)-methyl 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate is used to introduce a chiral center in the molecule. A biphenyl moiety prepared by Suzuki coupling reaction is directly attached to the oxadiazole core at C-5 position. Investigations for the phase behavior revealed that the series with a benzyl group on one end of the oxadiazole core exhibits an 1D orthogonal smectic-A phase while the second series with dodecyl flexible end chain shows orthogonal smectic-A and tilted chiral smectic-C (SmC*) phases over a wide range of temperatures. The smectic-C phase exhibits ferroelectric (FE) polarization switching. The mesomorphic thermal stabilities of these compounds are discussed in the domain of the symmetry and the flexibility of the alkyloxy end chain length attached to the chiral center.

Au(I)-catalyzed annulation of propargyl amine with aldehydes: one-pot cascade synthesis of 2,5-dimethylpyrazines

3-Substituted 2,5-dimethylpyrazines were synthesized in high yields via a one-pot cascade annulation of easily available propargyl amine with aldehydes catalyzed by Au(PPh2Cy)Cl.