Systematic approach to conformational sampling for assigning absolute configuration using vibrational circular dichroism

Rapid Access to Small Molecule Conformational Ensembles in Organic Solvents Enabled by Graph Neural Network-Based Implicit Solvent Model

Understanding and manipulating the conformational behavior of a molecule in different solvent environments is of great interest in the fields of drug discovery and organic synthesis. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with solvent molecules explicitly present are the gold standard to compute such conformational ensembles (within the accuracy of the underlying force field), complementing experimental findings and supporting their interpretation. However, conventional methods often face challenges related to computational cost (explicit solvent) or accuracy (implicit solvent). Here, we showcase how our graph neural network (GNN)-based implicit solvent (GNNIS) approach can be used to rapidly compute small molecule conformational ensembles in 39 common organic solvents reproducing explicit-solvent simulations with high accuracy. We validate this approach using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, thus identifying the conformers contributing most to the experimental observable. The method allows the time required to accurately predict conformational ensembles to be reduced from days to minutes while achieving results within one kBT of the experimental values.

Impact of conformation and intramolecular interactions on vibrational circular dichroism spectra identified with machine learning

Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) spectra often differ strongly from one conformer to another, even within the same absolute configuration of a molecule. Simulated molecular VCD spectra typically require expensive quantum chemical calculations for all conformers to generate a Boltzmann averaged total spectrum. This paper reports whether machine learning (ML) can partly replace these quantum chemical calculations by capturing the intricate connection between a conformer geometry and its VCD spectrum. Three hypotheses concerning the added value of ML are tested. First, it is shown that for a single stereoisomer, ML can predict the VCD spectrum of a conformer from solely the conformer geometry. Second, it is found that the ML approach results in important time savings. Third, the ML model produced is unfortunately hardly transferable from one stereoisomer to another.

Interpreting vibrational circular dichroism spectra: the Cai•factor for absolute configuration with confidence

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy can generate the data required for the assignment of absolute configuration, but the spectra are hard to interpret. We have recorded VCD data for thirty pairs of small organic compounds and we use this database to validate a method for the automated analysis of VCD spectra and the assignment of absolute configuration: the Cai•factor (Configuration: absolute information). The analysis of the data demonstrates that the procedure is a reliable and time-efficient method for determination of absolute configuration, which gives both the assignment and a measure of confidence in the outcome, even when the spectra are imperfect. The majority of molecules tested have a high confidence score and all of these have the correct assignment.

Improving the IR spectra alignment algorithm with spectra deconvolution and combination with Raman or VCD spectroscopy

The relative stereochemistry of organic molecules can be determined by comparing theoretical and experimental infrared (IR) spectra of all isomers and assessing the best match. For this purpose, we have recently developed the IR spectra alignment (IRSA) algorithm for automated optimal alignment. IRSA provides a set of quantitative metrics to identify the candidate structure that agrees best with the experimental spectrum. While the correct diastereomer could be determined for the tested sets of rigid and flexible molecules, two issues were identified with more complex compounds that triggered further development. First, strongly overlapping peaks in the IR spectrum are not treated adequately in the current IRSA implementation. Second, the alignment of multiple spectra from different sources (e.g. IR and VCD or Raman) can be improved. In this study, we present an in-depth discussion of these points, followed by the description of modifications to the IRSA algorithm to address them. In particular, we introduce the concept of deconvolution of the experimental and theoretical spectra with a set of pseudo-Voigt bands. The pseudo-Voigt bands have a set of parameters, which can be employed in the alignment algorithm, leading to improved scoring functions. We test the modified algorithm on two data sets. The first set contains compounds with IR and Raman spectra measured in this study, and the second set contains compounds with IR and VCD spectra available in the literature. We show that the algorithm is able to determine the correct diastereomer in all cases. The results highlight that vibrational spectroscopy can be a valuable alternative or complementary method to inform about the stereochemistry of compounds, and the performance of the updated IRSA algorithm suggests that it is a powerful tool for quantitative-based spectral assignments in academia and industry.

One-Step Regio- and Stereoselective Electrochemical Synthesis of Orexin Receptor Antagonist Oxidative Metabolites

Synthesis of drug metabolites, which often have complex structures, is an integral step in the evaluation of drug candidate metabolism, pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, and safety profiles. Frequently, such synthetic endeavors entail arduous, multiple-step de novo synthetic routes. Herein, we present the one-step Shono-type electrochemical synthesis of milligrams of chiral α-hydroxyl amide metabolites of two orexin receptor antagonists, MK-8133 and MK-6096, as revealed by a small-scale (pico- to nano-mole level) reaction screening using a lab-built online electrochemistry (EC)/mass spectrometry (MS) (EC/MS) platform. The electrochemical oxidation of MK-8133 and MK-6096 was conducted in aqueous media and found to produce the corresponding α-piperidinols with exclusive regio- and stereoselectivity, as confirmed by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization of products. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the exceptional regio- and stereoselectivity for this electrochemical oxidation are governed by more favorable energetics of the transition state, leading to the preferred secondary carbon radical α to the amide group and subsequent steric hindrance associated with the U-shaped conformation of the cation derived from the secondary α-carbon radical, respectively.

The solid state VCD of a novel N-acylhydrazone trifluoroacetate

A novel N-acylhydrazone with pharmaceutical importance was subject of structural and IR/VCD investigations in the solid state. In the crystal structure, dimers of anion-cation pairs are stabilized by H-bonding and ionic interactions. Some less common interaction types, like C=N···C-NH₃⁺ (σ-hole) interactions, hydrazone-aromatic interactions and dispersive contacts of the CF₃ groups are also present in the crystal. Satisfactory reproduction of the solid state IR and VCD spectra required that quantum-chemical calculations be done on a tetramer (four cation-anion pairs) cut out from the crystal structure, exhibiting key intermolecular interactions. Ten DFT functionals were assessed as to the agreement between the calculated and experimental spectra. Various approaches to scaling of the calculated frequencies were applied. The best results were yielded with individual (optimized) frequency scaling factors (FSFs) and band half-widths at half maximum-(HWHM) for four separate spectral subregions. The best matching between the experimental and theoretical spectra (according to SimIR, SimVCD and SimVDF indices) was found for the B3PW91 functional, however, a few other functionals follow closely in the ranking. Based on the quantum chemical calculations, spectral assignments have been made.

Theoretical Prediction of Structures, Vibrational Circular Dichroism, and Infrared Spectra of Chiral Be4B8 Cluster at Different Temperatures

Lowest-energy structures, the distribution of isomers, and their molecular properties depend significantly on geometry and temperature. Total energy computations using DFT methodology are typically carried out at a temperature of zero K; thereby, entropic contributions to the total energy are neglected, even though functional materials work at finite temperatures. In the present study, the probability of the occurrence of one particular Be4B8 isomer at temperature T is estimated by employing Gibbs free energy computed within the framework of quantum statistical mechanics and nanothermodynamics. To identify a list of all possible low-energy chiral and achiral structures, an exhaustive and efficient exploration of the potential/free energy surfaces is carried out using a multi-level multistep global genetic algorithm search coupled with DFT. In addition, we discuss the energetic ordering of structures computed at the DFT level against single-point energy calculations at the CCSD(T) level of theory. The total VCD/IR spectra as a function of temperature are computed using each isomer's probability of occurrence in a Boltzmann-weighted superposition of each isomer's spectrum. Additionally, we present chemical bonding analysis using the adaptive natural density partitioning method in the chiral putative global minimum. The transition state structures and the enantiomer-enantiomer and enantiomer-achiral activation energies as a function of temperature evidence that a change from an endergonic to an exergonic type of reaction occurs at a temperature of 739 K.

Breaking the Symmetry of a Meso Compound by Isotopic Substitution: Synthesis and Stereochemical Assignment of Monodeuterated cis-Perhydroazulene

We report the synthesis and absolute configuration of monodeuterated cis-perhydroazulene (d₁-1), which is a rare example of an isotopically chiral hydrocarbon whose synthesis and stereochemical analysis are known to be particularly difficult. The synthesis features nickel-boride-catalyzed deuteration that allowed formation of the diastereomerically pure cis-fused bicyclic system in d₁-1. The vibrational circular dichroism results are in excellent agreement with the computed spectrum at ωB97XD/aug-cc-pVTZ, allowing unambiguous assignment of the absolute configuration of d₁-1.

Direct regioisomer analysis of crude reaction mixtures via molecular rotational resonance (MRR) spectroscopy

Direct analyses of crude reaction mixtures have been carried out using molecular rotational resonance (MRR) spectroscopy. Two examples are presented, a demonstration application in photocatalytic CH-arylation as well as generation of an intermediate in a natural product synthesis. In both cases, the reaction can proceed at more than one site, leading to a mixture of regioisomers that can be challenging to distinguish. MRR structural parameters were calculated for the low lying conformers for the desired compounds, and then compared to the experimental spectra of the crude mixtures to confirm the presence of these species. Next, quantitation was performed by comparing experimentally measured line intensities with simulations based on computed values for the magnitude and direction of the molecular dipole moment of each species. This identification and quantification was performed without sample purification and without isolated standards of the compounds of interest. The values obtained for MRR quantitation were in good agreement with the chromatographic values. Finally, previously unknown impurities were discovered within the photocatalytic CH-arylation work. This paper demonstrates the utility of MRR as a reaction characterization tool to simplify analytical workflows.

Photoexcitation of flavoenzymes enables a stereoselective radical cyclization

Photoexcitation is a common strategy for initiating radical reactions in chemical synthesis. We found that photoexcitation of flavin-dependent "ene"-reductases changes their catalytic function, enabling these enzymes to promote an asymmetric radical cyclization. This reactivity enables the construction of five-, six-, seven-, and eight-membered lactams with stereochemical preference conferred by the enzyme active site. After formation of a prochiral radical, the enzyme guides the delivery of a hydrogen atom from flavin-a challenging feat for small-molecule chemical reagents. The initial electron transfer occurs through direct excitation of an electron donor-acceptor complex that forms between the substrate and the reduced flavin cofactor within the enzyme active site. Photoexcitation of promiscuous flavoenzymes has thus furnished a previously unknown biocatalytic reaction.

Molecular packing of pharmaceuticals analyzed with paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and ultrafast magic angle pinning NMR

Probing molecular details of fluorinated pharmaceutical compounds at a faster acquisition utilizing paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and better resolution from ultrafast magic angle spinning (ν_rot = 110 kHz) and high magnetic field (B₀ = 18.8 T).

Rapid Optical Determination of Enantiomeric Excess, Diastereomeric Excess, and Total Concentration Using Dynamic-Covalent Assemblies: A Demonstration Using 2-Aminocyclohexanol and Chemometrics

Optical analysis of reaction parameters such as enantiomeric excess (ee), diastereomeric excess (de), and yield are becoming increasingly useful as assays for differing functional groups become available. These assays typically exploit reversible covalent or noncovalent assemblies that impart optical signals, commonly circular dichroism (CD), that are indicative of the stereochemistry and ee at a stereocenter proximal to the functional group of interest. Very few assays have been reported that determine ee and de when two stereocenters are present, and none have targeted two different functional groups that are vicinal and lack chromophores entirely. Using a CD assay that targets chiral secondary alcohols, a separate CD assay for chiral primary amines, a UV-vis assay for de, and a fluorescence assay for concentration, we demonstrate a work-flow for speciation of the enantiomers and diastereomers of 2-aminocyclohexanol as a test-bed analyte. Because of the fact the functional groups are vicinal, we found that the ee determination at the two stereocenters is influenced by the adjacent center, and this led us to implement a chemometric patterning approach, resulting in a 4% absolute error in full speciation of the four stereoisomers. The procedure presented herein would allow for the total speciation of around 96 reactions in 27 min using a high-throughput experimentation routine. While 2-aminocyclohexanol is used to demonstrate the methods, the general workflow should be amenable to analysis of other stereoisomers when two stereocenters are present.

Absolute Configurations of Synthetic Molecular Scaffolds from Vibrational CD Spectroscopy

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy is one of the most powerful techniques for the determination of absolute configurations (AC), as it does not require any specific UV/vis chromophores, no chemical derivatization, and no growth of suitable crystals. In the past decade, it has become increasingly recognized by chemists from various fields of synthetic chemistry such as total synthesis and drug discovery as well as from developers of asymmetric catalysts. This perspective article gives an overview about the most important experimental aspects of a VCD-based AC determination and explains the theoretical analysis. The comparison of experimental and computational spectra that leads to the final conclusion about the AC of the target molecules is described. In addition, the review summarizes unique VCD studies carried out in the period 2008-2018 that focus on the determination of unknown ACs of new compounds, which were obtained in its enantiopure form either through direct asymmetric synthesis or chiral chromatography.

CF3: an overlooked chromophore in VCD spectra. A review of recent applications in structural determination

The VCD spectra of several chiral compounds containing the CF3 group are reviewed and analyzed. The list of compounds contains pharmaceutically relevant molecules as well as simple model molecules, having the value of case studies. In particular we point out the importance of the sign of the VCD band relative to some stretching normal mode of CF3 in the region 1110-1150 cm-1, as diagnostic of the configuration of stereogenic carbons C* to which the CF3 group is bound: the correspondence (-) ↔ (R) and (+) ↔ (S) holds for 100% of 1-aryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanols. DFT calculations confirm these conclusions, but for the rule established here they serve just as a check. This rule is tested on two new compounds, namely N-tert-butanesulfinyl-1-(quinoline-4-yl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine, 8, and 4-[2-(2,2,2-trifluoro-1-hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidin-1-yl]-2-(trifluoromethyl)benzonitrile, 10, both containing two stereogenic elements, one of them being an asymmetric carbon C* of unknown configuration binding a CF3 group. Discussion of the general validity of the rule is provided and some further tests are run on compounds in well-established drugs.

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of a HCV NS5B Nucleoside Polymerase Inhibitor

An asymmetric synthesis of HCV NS5B nucleoside polymerase inhibitor (1) is described. This novel route features several remarkably diastereoselective and high-yielding transformations, including construction of the all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center at C-2 via a thermodynamic aldol reaction. A subsequent glycosylation reaction with activated uracil via C-1 phosphate and installation of the cyclic phosphate group using an achiral phosphorus(III) reagent followed by oxidation provides 1.

Trichophycins B-F, Chlorovinylidene-Containing Polyketides Isolated from a Cyanobacterial Bloom

NMR-guided isolation (based on 1D ¹H and ¹³C NMR resonances consistent with a chlorovinylidene moiety) resulted in the characterization of five new highly functionalized polyketides, trichophycins B-F (1-5), and one nonchlorinated metabolite tricholactone (6) from a collection of Trichodesmium bloom material from the Gulf of Mexico. The planar structures of 1-6 were determined using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and complementary spectroscopic procedures. Absolute configuration analysis of 1 and 2 were carried out by ¹H NMR analysis of diastereomeric Mosher esters in addition to ECD spectroscopy, J-based configuration analysis, and DFT calculations. The absolute configurations of 3-6 were proposed on the basis of comparative analysis of ¹³C NMR chemical shifts, relative configurations, and optical rotation values to compounds 1 and 2. Compounds 1-5 represent new additions to the trichophycin family and are hallmarked by a chlorovinylidene moiety. These new trichophycins and tricholactone (1-6) feature intriguing variations with respect to putative biosynthetic starting units, halogenation, and terminations, and trichophycin E (4) features a rare alkynyl bromide functionality. The phenyl-containing trichophycins showed low cytotoxicity to neuro-2A cells, while the alkyne-containing trichophycins showed no toxicity.

Towards unbiased and more versatile NMR-based structure elucidation: A powerful combination of CASE algorithms and DFT calculations

Computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE) is composed of two steps: (a) generation of all possible structural isomers for a given molecular formula and 2D NMR data (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and (b) selection of the correct isomer based on empirical chemical shift predictions. This method has been very successful in solving structural problems of small organic molecules and natural products. However, CASE applications are generally limited to structural isomer problems and can sometimes be inconclusive due to insufficient accuracy of empirical shift predictions. Here, we report a synergistic combination of a CASE algorithm and density functional theory calculations that broadens the range of amenable structural problems to encompass proton-deficient molecules, molecules with heavy elements (e.g., halogens), conformationally flexible molecules, and configurational isomers.

Enantiomeric characterization and structure elucidation of LH601A using vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy

LH601A is a novel non-reactive chiral molecule inhibiting Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction. The absolute configuration (AC) was independently determined in this study using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy. Because of band overlapping and broadening in the IR spectrum, a direct VCD spectrum comparison method is devised without the conventional IR band alignment. Being an unbiased AC inquiry, all possible chiralities are evaluated based on the statistical analysis of VCD similarity, Sv. The AC of three-center stereoisomer LH601A is unambiguously assigned to (S,R,S). A comparative study was also carried out to investigate the structural and energy differences of calculated conformers using the polarized continuum model of dimethyl sulfoxide.

Computational prediction of chemical reactions: current status and outlook

Over the past few decades, various computational methods have become increasingly important for discovering and developing novel drugs. Computational prediction of chemical reactions is a key part of an efficient drug discovery process. In this review, we discuss important parts of this field, with a focus on utilizing reaction data to build predictive models, the existing programs for synthesis prediction, and usage of quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) to explore chemical reactions. We also outline potential future developments with an emphasis on pre-competitive collaboration opportunities.

Can the analyte-triggered asymmetric autocatalytic Soai reaction serve as a universal analytical tool for measuring enantiopurity and assigning absolute configuration?

An investigation is reported on the use of the autocatalytic enantioselective Soai reaction, known to be influenced by the presence of a wide variety of chiral materials, as a generic tool for measuring the enantiopurity and absolute configuration of any substance. Good generality for the reaction across a small group of test analytes was observed, consistent with literature reports suggesting a diversity of compound types that can influence the stereochemical outcome of this reaction. Some trends in the absolute sense of stereochemical enrichment were noted, suggesting the possible utility of the approach for assigning absolute configuration to unknown compounds, by analogy to closely related species with known outcomes. Considerable variation was observed in the triggering strength of different enantiopure materials, an undesirable characteristic when dealing with mixtures containing minor impurities with strong triggering strength in the presence of major components with weak triggering strength. A strong tendency of the reaction toward an 'all or none' type of behavior makes the reaction most sensitive for detecting enantioenrichment close to zero. Consequently, the ability to discern modest from excellent enantioselectivity was relatively poor. While these properties limit the ability to obtain precise enantiopurity measurements in a simple single addition experiment, prospects may exist for more complex experimental setups that may potentially offer improved performance.

Beyond optical rotation: what's left is not always right in total synthesis

This work describes the application of vibrational (VCD) and electronic (ECD) circular dichroism spectroscopy to solve the longstanding debate around the absolute configuration of (+)-frondosin B (1). The absolute configuration of (+)-1 could confidently be assigned as (R) using these spectroscopic techniques. The discrepancy in the optical rotation (OR) values obtained in previous studies can be attributed to an undetected minor impurity (ca. 7%) that arose unexpectedly in a key step late in the synthesis. Additionally, the conditions used in the final step of the previous reports for demethylation to form the natural product proceeded with significant loss of enantiopurity. The large OR measured for the impurity at its observed level, when compared to the small rotation for the less enantiopure natural product 1, led to a measured OR value for the synthetic material that had the opposite sign of the natural product.

A multifunctional catalyst that stereoselectively assembles prodrugs

The catalytic stereoselective synthesis of compounds with chiral phosphorus centers remains an unsolved problem. State-of-the-art methods rely on resolution or stoichiometric chiral auxiliaries. Phosphoramidate prodrugs are a critical component of pronucleotide (ProTide) therapies used in the treatment of viral disease and cancer. Here we describe the development of a catalytic stereoselective method for the installation of phosphorus-stereogenic phosphoramidates to nucleosides through a dynamic stereoselective process. Detailed mechanistic studies and computational modeling led to the rational design of a multifunctional catalyst that enables stereoselectivity as high as 99:1.

Absolute configuration assignment of (+)-fluralaner using vibrational circular dichroism

The absolute configurations of the separated enantiomers of fluralaner, a racemic animal health product used to prevent fleas and ticks, have been assigned using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The crystallographic structure of the active enantiomer (+)-fluralaner has previously been shown to have the (S) configuration using small molecule crystallography. We sought a faster analytical method to determine the absolute configuration of the separated enantiomers. When comparing the measured IR (infrared) and VCD spectra, it is apparent that the amide carbonyl groups appear in the IR but are nearly absent in the VCD. Computational work to calculate the VCD and IR using in vacuo models, implicit solvation, and explicitly solvated complexes has implicated conformational averaging of the carbonyl VCD intensities.

Conformation Generation: The State of the Art

The generation of conformations for small molecules is a problem of continuing interest in cheminformatics and computational drug discovery. This review will present an overview of methods used to sample conformational space, focusing on those methods designed for organic molecules commonly of interest in drug discovery. Different approaches to both the sampling of conformational space and the scoring of conformational stability will be compared and contrasted, with an emphasis on those methods suitable for conformer sampling of large numbers of drug-like molecules. Particular attention will be devoted to the appropriate utilization of information from experimental solid-state structures in validating and evaluating the performance of these tools. The review will conclude with some areas worthy of further investigation.

Vibrational Circular Dichroism: Recent Advances for the Assignment of the Absolute Configuration of Natural Products

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) emerged during the last decade as a reliable tool for the absolute configuration (AC) determination of organic compounds. The principles, instrumentation, and methodology applied prior to early 2013 were recently reviewed by us. Since VCD is a very dynamic field, the aim of this review is to update VCD advances for the AC assignment of terpenoids, aromatic compounds, alkaloids, and other natural products for the 2013–2014 period, when VCD was applied to the AC assignment of some 70 natural products. In addition, although discovered in 2012, a brief introduction to the VCD exciton coupling approach and its applications in natural products AC assignment is presented.

Synergistic Combination of CASE Algorithms and DFT Chemical Shift Predictions: A Powerful Approach for Structure Elucidation, Verification, and Revision

Structure elucidation of complex natural products and new organic compounds remains a challenging problem. To support this endeavor, CASE (computer-assisted structure elucidation) expert systems were developed. These systems are capable of generating a set of all possible structures consistent with an ensemble of 2D NMR data followed by selection of the most probable structure on the basis of empirical NMR chemical shift prediction. However, in some cases, empirical chemical shift prediction is incapable of distinguishing the correct structure. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that the combination of CASE and density functional theory (DFT) methods for NMR chemical shift prediction allows the determination of the correct structure even in difficult situations. An expert system, ACD/Structure Elucidator, was used for the CASE analysis. This approach has been tested on three challenging natural products: aquatolide, coniothyrione, and chiral epoxyroussoenone. This work has demonstrated that the proposed synergistic approach is an unbiased, reliable, and very efficient structure verification and de novo structure elucidation method that can be applied to difficult structural problems when other experimental methods would be difficult or impossible to use.

Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Heck Alkenylation of Trisubstituted Allylic Alkenols: A Redox-Relay Strategy to Construct Vicinal Stereocenters

An enantioselective, redox-relay Heck alkenylation of trisubstituted allylic alkenol substrates has been developed. This process enables the construction of vicinal stereocenters in high diastereo- and enantioselectivity and allows the formation of enolizable α-carbonyl methyl-substituted stereocenters with no observed epimerization under the reported reaction conditions.

The evolution of drug design at Merck Research Laboratories

On October 5, 1981, Fortune magazine published a cover article entitled the "Next Industrial Revolution: Designing Drugs by Computer at Merck". With a 40+ year investment, we have been in the drug design business longer than most. During its history, the Merck drug design group has had several names, but it has always been in the "design" business, with the ultimate goal to provide an actionable hypothesis that could be tested experimentally. Often the result was a small molecule but it could just as easily be a peptide, biologic, predictive model, reaction, process, etc. To this end, the concept of design is now front and center in all aspects of discovery, safety assessment and early clinical development. At present, the Merck design group includes computational chemistry, protein structure determination, and cheminformatics. By bringing these groups together under one umbrella, we were able to align activities and capabilities across multiple research sites and departments. This alignment from 2010 to 2016 resulted in an 80% expansion in the size of the department, reflecting the increase in impact due to a significant emphasis across the organization to "design first" along the entire drug discovery path from lead identification (LID) to first in human (FIH) dosing. One of the major advantages of this alignment has been the ability to access all of the data and create an adaptive approach to the overall LID to FIH pathway for any modality, significantly increasing the quality of candidates and their probability of success. In this perspective, we will discuss how we crafted a new strategy, defined the appropriate phenotype for group members, developed the right skillsets, and identified metrics for success in order to drive continuous improvement. We will not focus on the tactical implementation, only giving specific examples as appropriate.

Absolute Configuration Determination of 2,3-Dihydro-1H,5H-pyrazolo[1,2-a]pyrazoles Using Chiroptical Methods at Different Wavelengths

A correlation between the absolute configuration and chiroptical properties of nonracemic 1,6,7-trisubstituted 2,3-dihydro-1H,5H-pyrazolo[1,2-a]pyrazoles was studied. A series of 16 novel representatives were prepared by Cu-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloadditions of racemic (Z)-2-benzylidene-5-oxopyrazolidin-2-ium-1-ides to tert-butyl (S)-(3-oxopent-4-yn-2-yl)carbamate, and their structures were determined by NMR, VCD, ECD, and X-ray diffraction. A clear correlation between the sign of specific rotation and configuration at position C(1) allows for easy determination of the absolute configuration of 1,6,7-trisubstituted 2,3-dihydro-1H,5H-pyrazolo[1,2-a]pyrazoles by ECD and NMR. While VCD, requiring milligram quantities, allowed the determination of the correct relative and absolute configuration without additional information from other methods, the stereochemical analysis by ECD required knowledge of the relative configuration derived from NMR at a comparable computational level.

Determination of the Absolute Configurations of Chiral Drugs Using Chiroptical Spectroscopy

Chiroptical spectroscopy has emerged as a promising tool for the determination of absolute configurations and predominant conformations of chiral molecules in academic laboratories. This promise has led to the adaption of chiroptical spectroscopic methods as valuable tools in chiral drug discovery research programs of the pharmaceutical industry. Most major pharmaceutical companies have invested in in-house chiroptical spectroscopy applications and reported successful outcomes. In the context of continuously increasing applications of chiroptical spectroscopy for chiral molecular structure determination, a review of recent developments and applications for chiral drugs is presented in this manuscript.

Vibrational Circular Dichroism: Recent Advances for the Assignment of the Absolute Configuration of Natural Products

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) emerged during the last decade as a reliable tool for the absolute configuration (AC) determination of organic compounds. The principles, instrumentation, and methodology applied prior to early 2013 were recently reviewed by us. Since VCD is a very dynamic field, the aim of this review is to update VCD advances for the AC assignment of terpenoids, aromatic compounds, alkaloids, and other natural products for the 2013-2014 period, when VCD was applied to the AC assignment of some 70 natural products. In addition, although discovered in 2012, a brief introduction to the VCD exciton coupling approach and its applications in natural products AC assignment is presented.

Tricyclic 1,5-naphthyridinone oxabicyclooctane-linked novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents-SAR of left-hand-side moiety (Part-2)

Novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors (NBTIs) represent a new class of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents targeting bacterial Gyrase A and ParC and have potential utility in combating antibiotic resistance. A series of novel oxabicyclooctane-linked NBTIs with new tricyclic-1,5-naphthyridinone left hand side moieties have been described. Compounds with a (R)-hydroxy-1,5-naphthyridinone moiety (7) showed potent antibacterial activity (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus MIC 0.25 μg/mL), acceptable Gram-positive and Gram-negative spectrum with rapidly bactericidal activity. The compound 7 showed intravenous and oral efficacy (ED50) at 3.2 and 27 mg/kg doses, respectively, in a murine model of bacteremia. Most importantly they showed significant attenuation of functional hERG activity (IC50 >170 μM). In general, lower logD attenuated hERG activity but also reduced Gram-negative activity. The co-crystal structure of a hydroxy-tricyclic NBTI bound to a DNA-gyrase complex exhibited a binding mode that show enantiomeric preference for R isomer and explains the activity and SAR. The discovery, synthesis, SAR and X-ray crystal structure of the left-hand-side tricyclic 1,5-naphthyridinone based oxabicyclooctane linked NBTIs are described.

Absolute configuration of remisporines A & B

The absolute configuration of remisporine B was determined based on a comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichorism (ECD) spectra.

Imine-based chiroptical sensing for analysis of chiral amines: from method design to synthetic application

A robust chiroptical method for fast enantiopurity determination of chiral amines utilizing HPLC-CD, applied to monitoring crude transamination reactions.