Intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds involving fluorine atoms: implications for recognition, selectivity, and chemical properties

A correlation between 19F NMR isotropic chemical shift and close intermolecular F⋅⋅⋅H-X contacts (with X=N or O) has been identified upon analysis of the X-ray crystal structures of fluorinated molecules listed in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). An optimal F⋅⋅⋅X distance involving primary and shielded secondary fluorine atoms in hydrogen-bond formation along with a correlation between F⋅⋅⋅H distance and F⋅⋅⋅H-X angle were also derived from the analysis. The hydrogen bonds involving fluorine are relevant, not only for the recognition mechanism and stabilization of a preferred conformation, but also for improvement in the permeability of the molecules, as shown with examples taken from a proprietary database. Results of an analysis of the small number of fluorine-containing natural products listed in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) appear to strengthen the derived correlation between 19F NMR isotropic chemical shift and interactions involving fluorine (also known as the "rule of shielding") and provides a hypothesis for the recognition mechanism and catalytic activity of specific enzymes. Novel chemical scaffolds, based on the rule of shielding, have been designed for recognizing distinct structural motifs present in proteins. It is envisaged that this approach could find useful applications in drug design for the efficient optimization of chemical fragments or promising compounds by increasing potency and selectivity against the desired biomolecular target.

Phthalimides: Supramolecular Interactions in Crystals, Hypersensitive Solution 1H-NMR Dynamics and Energy Transfer to Europium(III) and Terbium(III) States

Detailed crystal structures and ¹H-NMR characteristics of some alkylamine-phthalimides, including dendritic polyphthalimides, are reported. These investigations were undertaken in order to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between solid-state supramolecular interactions, their persistence in solution and associated dynamics of magnetically hypersensitive phthalimide aromatic AA’BB’-AA’XX’ proton NMR resonances. Some alkylamine phthalimides feature folded molecular geometries, which we attribute to n-π interactions among proximal amine-phthalimide sites; those alkylamine-phthalimides that have no possibility for such interactions feature fully extended phthalimide functionalities. Accordingly, alkylamine phthalimide compounds with folded solid-state geometries feature solvent and temperature dependent hypersensitive AA’BB’-AA’XX’ ¹H-NMR line profiles, which we attribute to the n-π interactions. Luminescence of Eu³⁺(⁵D₀) and Tb³⁺(⁵D₄) states show well defined metal ion environments in their complexes with dendritic phthalimides, as well as relatively weak phthalimide-lanthanide(III) interactions.

A New Strategy for the Synthesis of alpha-Difluoromethyl-Substituted alpha-Hydroxy and alpha-Amino Acids

A new method for the preparation of alpha-chlorodifluoromethyl-, alpha-bromodifluoromethyl-, and alpha-difluoromethyl-substituted alpha-hydroxy and alpha-amino acid esters 11, 19-21 is described. The key step of the synthesis is the regioselective alkylation of ketones 5, 7-9 and imines 16-18 with C-nucleophiles. The ketones 7-9 are readily available from 3,3,3-trifluorolactate 1 by a five-step procedure. Subsequent removal of the protecting groups from 19-21 provides the corresponding free amino acids 25, 26, 28.