Zinc-Mediated Facile and Efficient Chemoselective S-Alkylation of 5-Aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiols in the Absence of Base

Discovery of novel arylpiperazine-based DA/5-HT modulators as potential antipsychotic agents – Design, synthesis, structural studies and pharmacological profiling

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder with a complex pathomechanism involving many neurotransmitter systems. Among the currently used antipsychotics, classical drugs acting as dopamine D₂ receptor antagonists, and drugs of a newer generation, the so-called atypical antipsychotics, can be distinguished. The latter are characterized by a multi-target profile of action, affecting, apart from the D₂ receptor, also serotonin receptors, in particular 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_1A. Such profile of action is considered superior in terms of both efficacy in treating symptoms and safety. In the search for new potential antipsychotics of such atypical receptor profile, an attempt was made to optimize the arylpiperazine based virtual hit, D2AAK3, which in previous studies displayed an affinity for D₂, 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2A receptors, and showed antipsychotic activity in vivo. In this work, we present the design of D2AAK3 derivatives (1-17), their synthesis, and structural and pharmacological evaluation. The obtained compounds show affinities for the receptors of interest and their efficacy as antagonists/agonists towards them was confirmed in functional assays. For the selected compound 11, detailed structural studies were carried out using molecular modeling and X-ray methods. Additionally, ADMET parameters and in vivo antipsychotic activity, as well as influence on memory and anxiety processes were evaluated in mice, which indicated good therapeutic potential and safety profile of the studied compound.

Zinc Chloride-Catalyzed Synthesis of Carbamates: An Application for the Synthesis of the Anti-Alzheimer's Drug Rivastigmine

Herein, we report a synthetic protocol for the synthesis of carbamates by employing zinc chloride as a catalyst from carbamoyl chlorides and aromatic/aliphatic alcohols. The developed protocol successfully utilizes the gram-scale synthesis of the FDA-approved rivastigmine drug and its derivative. The utility of zinc chloride over other catalysts such as zinc dust and zinc acetate exhibits a 49-87% yield of carbamates.

Synthesis of Acyclic, Symmetrical 3,3'-Allyl Dithioethers, from the Alkylation of 3-Mercapto-2-mercaptomethylprop-1-ene in the Presence of Sodium Hydride

A novel method where 3,3′-allyl dithioethers have been prepared from 3-mercapto-2-mercaptomethylprop-1-ene and two mol equivalent of alkyl halide in the presence of two mol equivalent of sodium hydride has been developed. Using this method, bisepoxide, 2,2′-(2-methylenepropane-1,3-diyl)bis(sulfanediyl)bis(methylene)dioxirane (8) has been synthesized from epichlorohydrin, whereas potassium carbonate was unable to deliver this product. These 3,3′-allyl dithioethers can be utilized either as monomers, or with further chemical reactions transformed into more complex monomers, for photoplastic polymer networks.