Combinatorial MD/QM studies to develop novel ionic liquid-based anticancer drug delivery systems with aminium derived from carbohydrates as cationic components

The main challenges in anticancer drug design include solubility in organic and aqueous phases, bioavailability, selective targeting of specific receptors, and low toxicity. Notably, solubility, bioavailability, and receptor-specific targeting are interconnected factors that significantly influence the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. The primary objective of this study is to design novel drug delivery systems based on ionic liquids. These systems incorporate structures such as N, N, N-trimethyl-2-(((2 S,3R,4 S,5 S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2 H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)ethan-1-aminium (GTA) and (2 S,3R,4 S,5 S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-N, N, N-trimethyltetrahydro-2 H-pyran-2-aminium (NTPA) derived from carbohydrates as cationic components, with anticancer drugs acting as anions. The goal is to investigate the effects of these novel pharmaceutical active ionic liquids on the interactions between the drugs and cell membranes. Additionally, this study examines changes in the solubility of anticancer drugs in both organic and aqueous phases after their conversion into ionic liquids. Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and quantum mechanics calculations (QM) are employed to achieve these objectives. Known anticancer-candidate ionic liquid, such as 3-(2-((4-fluorophenyl)amino)-2-oxoethyl)-1-methyl-1 H-imidazol-3-ium-tetrafluoroborate, is considered as a reference point in our investigations. Furthermore, we aim to assess whether the direct attachment of the aminium group to the saccharide portion of the cations or the indirect attachment through a choline group significantly impacts the final properties of the designed anticancer ionic liquids. Another aim of this study is to demonstrate that QM studies need to be complemented by MD studies to provide insights into the behaviors of ionic liquids. Initially, we calculate the binding energies between cations and anions of all the ionic liquids at the B3LYP/6-311 + + G(d, p) level of theory. Subsequently, molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS 5.2 are employed to obtain more precise information about these understudied ionic liquids. A combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and a solvation model based on density (SMD) is utilized to determine the solubility of free anticancer drugs and our active anticancer ionic liquids in various phases. We validate our findings by evaluating the interactions between the formulated ionic liquids and cell membranes using the DPPC model through combined MD simulations and docking procedures.

Role of Intermolecular Interactions in Deep Eutectic Solvents for CO2 Capture: Vibrational Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies

Recent research and reviews on CO2 capture methods, along with advancements in industry, have highlighted high costs and energy-intensive nature as the primary limitations of conventional direct air capture and storage (DACS) methods. In response to these challenges, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising absorbents due to their scalability, selectivity, and lower environmental impact compared to other absorbents. However, the molecular origins of their enhanced thermal stability and selectivity for DAC applications have not been explored before. Therefore, the current study focuses on a comprehensive investigation into the molecular interactions within an alkaline DES composed of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and ethylene glycol (EG). Combining Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and quantum chemical calculations, the study reports structural changes and intermolecular interactions induced in EG upon addition of KOH and its implications on CO2 capture. Experimental and computational spectroscopic studies confirm the presence of noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonds) within both EG and the KOH-EG system and point to the aggregation of ions at higher KOH concentrations. Additionally, molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) surface analysis, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) analysis, and reduced density gradient-noncovalent interaction (RDG-NCI) plot analysis elucidate changes in polarizability, charge distribution, hydrogen bond types, noncovalent interactions, and interaction strengths, respectively. Evaluation of explicit and hybrid models assesses their effectiveness in representing intermolecular interactions. This research enhances our understanding of molecular interactions in the KOH-EG system, which are essential for both the absorption and desorption of CO2. The study also aids in predicting and selecting DES components, optimizing their ratios with salts, and fine-tuning the properties of similar solvents and salts for enhanced CO2 capture efficiency.

Design of ionic liquids containing glucose and choline as drug carriers, finding the link between QM and MD studies

Designing drug delivery systems for therapeutic compounds whose receptors are located in the cytosol of cells is challenging as a bilayer cell membrane is negatively charged. The newly designed drug delivery systems should assist the mentioned drugs in passing the membrane barriers and achieving their targets. This study concentrated on developing novel ionic liquids (ILs) that interact effectively with cell membranes. These ILs are based on glucose-containing choline and are expected to be non-toxic. The binding energies of the known pharmaceutically active ionic liquids were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level in the gas phase and compared with those of our newly designed carbohydrate-based ionic liquids. Subsequently, we employed MD simulations to obtain information about the interactions of these known and designed ILs with the cell membrane. In our approach, we adopted QM and MD studies and illustrated that there could be a link between the QM and MD results.