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Azulene-1,3-bis(semicarbazone), 1 , and azulene-1,3-bis(thiosemicarbazone), 2 , were synthesized by the acid-catalyzed condensation reactions of semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide, respectively, with azulene-1,3-dicarboxaldehyde in stoichiometric amounts. Compounds 1 and 2 were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and characterized by IR, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. Crystal structure determination of azulene-1,3-bis(thiosemicarbazone) shows that the thiosemicarbazone units exhibit a syn -closed conformation, with both arms oriented in the same direction and adopting an E configuration with respect to the imine linkages. Both hydrazones are redox active and showed fluorescence emission at 450 nm upon excitation at 350 nm. The bis-semicarbazone showed no affinity for anions nor for mercury(II) metal cation. Instead, the bis-thiosemicarbazone showed a lower affinity for chloride anions, but enhanced affinity for binding/poisoning Hg 2+ ions. Both compounds were tested against osteosarcoma MG63 cell lines, exhibiting low antiproliferative activity with comparable IC 50 values of 473.08 μM and 472.40 μM for compounds 1 and 2 , respectively. Despite this limited antiproliferative effect, further analysis using propidium iodide staining revealed a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability, with high concentrations inducing a marked reduction in cell number, accompanied by morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis and necrosis.

In present study, seventeen α-nitrile substituted guaiazulene-based chalcone derivatives including twelve new were designed, synthesized, and assayed for antiviral, cytotoxicity and signal pathway activities. All derivatives showed potential antiviral activity towards influenza virus or herpes simplex virus (HSV), 7 g with the substitution of nitro group showed strong effects towards H1N1 virus at 30 μM with inhibitory rate of 66.0%, 7o with thiophene exhibited potent anti HSV-1 activities with inhibitory rate of 65.8%. Moreover, several compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on tumor cells and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF1) signaling pathways. These results showed that α-nitrile substituted guaiazulene-based chalcones offered a promising framework for the further development of new highly efficient drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Light-switchable inhibitors of the enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) have been developed by anchoring a specific azasugar to a dihydroazulene or an azobenzene responsive moiety. Their inhibitory effect towards human GCase, before and after irradiation are reported, and the effect on thermal denaturation of recombinant GCase and cytotoxicity were studied on selected candidates.

Tamoxifen, a therapeutic agent for breast cancer, has been associated with genetic polymorphisms in the metabolism of N , N -dialkylaminoethyl substituent, which plays an important role in the expression of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) activity. To solve this problem, we developed a novel estrogen receptor (ER) modulator, Az-01, on the basis of the aromaticity, dipole moment, and isopropyl group of guaiazulene. Az-01 showed four-fold lower binding affinity for ER than E2 but had similar ER-binding affinity to that of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-HOtam). Unlike tamoxifen, Az-01 acted as a partial agonist with very weak estrogenic activity at high concentrations when used alone, and it showed potent anti-estrogenic activity in the presence of E2. The cell proliferation and inhibition activities of Az-01 were specific to ER-expressing MCF-7 cells, and no effect of Az-01 on other cell proliferation signals was observed. These findings are important for the development of new types of SERMs without the N , N -dialkylaminoethyl substituent as a privileged functional group for SERMs.

A variety of synthetic methods have been developed for azulene derivatives due to their potential applications in pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Particularly, 2 H -cyclohepta[ b ]furan-2-one and its derivatives have been frequently used as promising precursors for the synthesis of azulenes. In this review, we describe the development of the synthesis of azulenes by the reaction of 2 H -cyclohepta[ b ]furan-2-ones with olefins, active methylenes, enamines, and silyl enol ethers as well as their reactivity and properties.

Azulene derivatives with heterocyclic moieties in the molecule have been synthesized for applications in materials science by taking advantage of their unique properties. These derivatives have been prepared by various methods, involving electrophilic substitution, condensation, cyclization, and transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Herein, we present the development of the synthetic methods, reactivities, and physical properties for the heterocycle-substituted and heterocycle-fused azulenes reported in the last decade.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor potential of guaiazulene-3-carboxylate derivatives against oral malignant cells., Materials and Methods: Twelve guaiazulene-3-carboxylate derivatives were synthesized by introduction of either with alkyl group [ 1-5 ], alkoxy group [ 6, 7 ], hydroxyl group [ 8, 9 ] or primary amine [ 10-12 ] at the end of sidechains. Tumor-specificity (TS) was calculated by the ratio of mean 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC 50 ) against 3 human oral mesenchymal cell lines to that against 4 human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines. Potency-selectivity expression (PSE) was calculated by dividing TS value by CC 50 value against OSCC cell lines. Cell cycle analysis was performed by cell sorter., Results: [ 6, 7 ] showed the highest TS and PSE values, and induced the accumulation of both subG 1 and G 2 /M cell populations in HSC-2 OSCC cells. Quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis demonstrated that their tumor-specificity was correlated with chemical descriptors that explain the 3D shape, electric state and ionization potential., Conclusion: Alkoxyl guaiazulene-3-carboxylates [ 6, 7 ] can be potential candidates of lead compound for developing novel anticancer drugs., (Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

The chemical diversification of natural products provides a robust and general method for the creation of stereochemically rich and structurally diverse small molecules. The resulting compounds have physicochemical traits different from those in most screening collections, and as such are an excellent source for biological discovery. Herein, we subject the diterpene natural product pleuromutilin to reaction sequences focused on creating ring system diversity in few synthetic steps. This effort resulted in a collection of compounds with previously unreported ring systems, providing a novel set of structurally diverse and highly complex compounds suitable for screening in a variety of different settings. Biological evaluation identified the novel compound ferroptocide, a small molecule that rapidly and robustly induces ferroptotic death of cancer cells. Target identification efforts and CRISPR knockout studies reveal that ferroptocide is an inhibitor of thioredoxin, a key component of the antioxidant system in the cell. Ferroptocide positively modulates the immune system in a murine model of breast cancer and will be a useful tool to study the utility of pro-ferroptotic agents for treatment of cancer.

The argyrins are a family of non-ribosomal peptides that exhibits different biological activities through only small structural changes. Ideally, a biologically active molecule can be tracked and observed in a variety of biological and clinical settings in a non-invasive manner. As a step towards this goal, we report here a chemical synthesis of unnatural deep blue amino acid β-(1-azulenyl)-l alanine with different fluorescence and photophysical properties, which allows a spectral separation from the native tryptophan signal. This might be especially useful for cell localization studies and visualizing the targeted proteins. In particular, the synthesis of β-(1-azulenyl)-l alanine was achieved through a Negishi coupling which proved to be a powerful tool for the synthesis of unnatural tryptophan analogs. Upon β-(1-azulenyl)-l alanine incorporation into argyrin C, deep blue octapeptide variant was spectrally and structurally characterized., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A library of 70 000 synthetically accessible azulene-based compounds was virtually screened at the OX 2 receptor. Based on the results, a series of azulene derivatives was synthesized and the binding to and activation of both orexin receptor subtypes were assessed. Two most promising binders were determined to have inhibition constants in the 3-9 μM range and two other compounds showed weak OX 2 receptor agonism. Furthermore, three compounds exhibited a concentration-dependent potentiation of the response to orexin-A at the OX 1 but not the OX 2 receptors. Altogether this data opens new approaches for further development of antagonists, agonists, and potentiators of orexin response based on the azulene scaffold., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The hamigeran family of natural products has been the target of numerous synthetic efforts because of its biological activity and interesting structural properties. Herein, we disclose our efforts toward the synthesis of hamigerans C and D, unique among the initially isolated members because of their 6-7-5 carbocyclic core. Our approach directly targets this tricyclic motif by sequential Negishi and Heck coupling reactions, yielding an advanced intermediate with all necessary carbons and sufficient functionality poised for completion of the synthesis of these two natural products.

Azulene, acenaphthylene and fulvene derivatives exhibit important physical properties useful in materials chemistry as well as valuable biological properties. Since about two decades ago, the metal-catalyzed functionalization of such compounds, via C-H bond activation of their 5-membered carbocyclic ring, proved to be a very convenient method for the synthesis of a wide variety of azulene, acenaphthylene and fulvene derivatives. For such reactions, there is no need to prefunctionalize the 5-membered carbocyclic rings. In this review, the progress in the synthesis of azulene, acenaphthylene and fulvene derivatives via metal-catalyzed C-H bond activation of their 5-membered carbocyclic ring are summarized., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A concise, efficient and scalable synthesis of thapsigargin and nortrilobolide from commercially available (R)-(-)-carvone was developed. Our synthetic strategy is inspired by nature's carbon-carbon bond formation sequence, which facilitates the construction of a highly functionalized sesquiterpene lactone skeleton in five steps via an enantioselective ketone alkylation and a diastereoselective pinacol cyclization. We envision that this strategy will permit the construction of other members of the family, structural analogs and provide a practical synthetic route to these important bioactive agents. In addition, we anticipate that the prodrug Mipsagargin, which is currently in late-stage clinical trials for the treatment of cancer, will also be accessible via this strategy. Hence, the limited availability from natural sources, coupled with an estimated demand of one metric ton per annum for the prodrug, provides a compelling mandate to develop practical total syntheses of these agents.

The antiretroviral activity of azulene derivatives was detected for the first time. A series of eighteen diversely substituted azulenes was synthesized and tested in vitro using HIV-1 based virus-like particles (VLPs) and infectious HIV-1 virus in U2OS and TZM-bl cell lines. Among the compounds tested, the 2-hydroxyazulenes demonstrated the most significant activity by inhibiting HIV-1 replication with IC50 of 2-10 and 8-20 μM for the VLPs and the infectious virus, respectively. These results indicate that azulene derivatives may be potentially useful candidates for the development of antiretroviral agents., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The difference in reactivity of the hexaoxygenated natural product thapsigargin (1) and the pentaoxygenated nortrilobolide (3) was compared in order to develop a chemo- and regioselective method for the conversion of nortrilobolide (3) into the natural product 2-acetoxytrilobolide (4). For the first time, a stereoselective synthesis of 2-acetoxytrilobolide (4) is described, which involves two key reactions: the first chemical step was a one-pot substitution-oxidation reaction of an allylic ester into its corresponding α,β-unsaturated ketone. The second process consisted of a stereoselective α'-acyloxylation of the key intermediate α,β-unsaturated ketone to afford its corresponding acetoxyketone, which was converted into 2-acetoxytrilobolide (4) in a few steps. This innovative approach would allow the synthesis of a broad library of novel and valuable penta- and hexaoxygenated guaianolides as potential anticancer agents.

A non-natural hydroxy-elemane was found amenable to divergent transformations, producing either polyunsaturated guaianes under basic, oxygen-free conditions, or oxidized furogermacranes when anionic oxy-Cope reaction quenched by an oxidant is employed. Based on these findings, the first total syntheses of zedoarol and gweicurculactone are reported.

The aroma link between pepper and wine has recently been elucidated to be due to the important aroma compound rotundone. To date, rotundone is the only known impact odorant with a peppery aroma. Although the concentration found in products of natural origin is small, the odor detection threshold is among the lowest of any natural product yet discovered. We report herein the identification of the first known precursor to rotundone, namely, α-guaiene, and that one mechanism of transformation is simple aerial oxidation.

The development of rhodium-catalyzed diastereoselective N-sulfonylaminoalkenylation of azulenes using N-sulfonyltriazoles is described. This procedure can be successfully applied to rhodium-catalyzed diastereoselective N-sulfonylaminoalkenylation of azulenes starting from terminal alkynes and N-sulfonylazides via a three-component semi-one-pot process.

Substituted azulenes, valuable structures for electronic devices and pharmaceuticals, have been synthesized by the platinum(II)-catalyzed intramolecular ring-expanding cycloisomerization of 1-en-3-yne with ortho-disubstituted benzene. This novel method provides an alternative route for the efficient synthesis of substituted azulenes. The reaction mechanism of selected catalytic transformations was explored using density functional calculations.

A series of 1,2,3-triazole coronopilin congeners have been designed and synthesized by employing click chemistry approach starting from parthenin and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against a panel of six human cancer cell lines (PC-3, THP-1, HCT-15, HeLa, A-549 and MCF-7). While many compounds exhibited significant anticancer activity, compound 3a, was found to be the most promising analogue in this series with IC50 values of 3.1 μM on PC-3 cell line. Flow-cytometric studies showed that 1,2,3-triazole derivative-3a induce dose dependent apoptosis in the sub G1 phase. This lead molecule-3a was further studied for NF-κB (p65) transcription factor inhibitory activity using Elisa and western blotting analysis which confirmed concentration dependent inhibitory activity against NF-κB, p65 with 80% inhibition in 24 h at 100 μM., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We have designed and synthesized five azulene derivatives containing gold-binding groups at different points of connectivity within the azulene core to probe the effects of quantum interference through single-molecule conductance measurements. We compare conducting paths through the 5-membered ring, 7-membered ring, and across the long axis of azulene. We find that changing the points of connectivity in the azulene impacts the optical properties (as determined from UV-vis absorption spectra) and the conductivity. Importantly, we show here that simple models cannot be used to predict quantum interference characteristics of nonalternant hydrocarbons. As an exemplary case, we show that azulene derivatives that are predicted to exhibit destructive interference based on widely accepted atom-counting models show a significant conductance at low biases. Although simple models to predict the low-bias conductance do not hold with all azulene derivatives, we demonstrate that the measured conductance trend for all molecules studied actually agrees with predictions based on the more complete GW calculations for model systems.

Two series of rupestonic acid derivatives, (1-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl 2-((5R,8S,8aS)-3,8-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydroazulen-5-yl)acrylate and N-(1-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl 2-((5R,8S,8aS)-3,8-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydroazulen-5-yl)acrylamide were easily and efficiently synthesized via click chemistry. These compounds were tested for their in vitro activities against various strains of influenza A virus (H1N1, oseltamivir resistant H1N1, H3N2) and influenza B virus. The results showed that nine compounds were active against the H1N1 strain of influenza A virus and among them the best one 14a, was as active as the reference drugs, Oseltamivir and Ribavirin. Some of them were also active on the Oseltamivir resistant H1N1 strain. In regards to influenza B virus, twenty-one compounds over thirty were active and seven of them 7b, 8b, 9b, 10a, 11b, 12b, 13b showed better activity than Ribavirin. The structure-activity relationship of these compounds is discussed on the basis of each type of the viruses studied. Furthermore, four best representative compounds 7b, 10a, 12b and 14a were evaluated in a plaque assay experiment using MDCK cells and RBV as control compound and the results showed that 7b, 10a and 12b were better than RBV in inhibiting plaque formation, in good accordance with their anti-influenza B activities., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The dihydroazulene (DHA)/vinylheptafulvene (VHF) photo/thermoswitch has been of interest for use in molecular electronics and advanced materials. The switching between the two isomers has previously been found to depend strongly on the presence of donor and acceptor groups. The fine-tuning of optical and switching properties relies on ready access to new derivatives via efficient synthetic protocols. The central DHA core is conveniently prepared in a four-step synthesis starting from acetophenone and tropylium substrates. Here, the outcome of this reaction as a function of the nature of the substituent group on the phenyl unit of acetophenone is investigated in detail. A wide variety of functional groups (nitro, cyano, halo, alkyl, amido, and thioether) was tolerated, and the route provided access to a large selection of substituted DHA derivatives (position 2 of DHA). These compounds were investigated for their ability to undergo subsequent functionalization in the seven-membered ring by a regioselective bromination-elimination protocol, introducing a bromo substituent at position 7. Halo-substituted DHAs were subjected to palladium-catalyzed cyanation, Sonogashira, Cadiot-Chodkiewicz, and Suzuki couplings and for the latter reaction; optimized conditions were developed by varying the palladium catalyst. In general, our focus was on reducing the formation of fully unsaturated azulene byproducts.

A novel palladium-catalysed direct arylation of guaiazulenes with a variety of aryl bromides is reported. Both sp(2) and sp(3) C-H bonds have been functionalised, as the nature of the cation of the base was found to allow the control of the regioselectivity of the arylation giving rise to C2 or C3 arylated guaiazulenes and also to 4-benzylguaiazulenes.

Background: We have previously reported that azulene-related compounds can protect cells from UV-induced cytotoxicity. However, due to their high water insolubility, their anti-UV activity could not be accurately determined. In the present study, we newly-synthesized a total of nine derivatives with higher water solubility, and re-investigated their anti-UV activity., Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of these compounds against three human normal oral and three human oral cells squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (OSCCs) was evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The concentration that reduced the viable cell number by 50% (CC(50)) and the concentration that increased the viability of UV-irradiated cells to 50% (EC(50)) were determined by the dose-response curves. Anti-UV activity (SI) was determined by the ratio of CC(50) to EC(50). The tumor specificity was determined by the ratio of the mean CC(50) value for the normal cells to that for OSCC cells. Apoptosis induction was evaluated by DNA fragmentation and caspase activation., Results: All compounds except one (sodium 7-isopropyl-3-ethylazulene-1-sulfonate) were new compounds, and showed some tumor specificity (TS value=1.4 to 3.5), without induction of hormesis or apoptosis at lower and higher concentrations, respectively. Sodium 3-methylazulene-1-sulfonate showed the highest tumor specificity and potent anti-UV activity, approximately one half that of sodium ascorbate, the positive control., Conclusion: These data suggest the possible applicability of newly-synthesized water-soluble azulenes as skin care products protecting from UV irradiation.

Based on the dopamine D(4) receptor partial agonist FAUC 3019, a series of azulenylmethylpiperazines was synthesized and affinities for the monoaminergic GPCRs including dopamine, serotonin, histamine and α-adrenergic receptor subtypes were determined. Ligand efficacies of the most promising test compounds revealed the N,N-dimethylaminomethyl substituted azulene 11 to be the most potent D(4) partial agonist (EC(50)=0.41 nM). This candidate was investigated for its ability to promote penile erection. Applying an in vivo animal model, test compound 11 turned out to stimulate penile erection in male rats with superior potency in low concentrations when compared to apomorphine., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A series of aminoalkyl rupestonates were designed and synthesized by reacting rupestonic acid with 1,ω-dibromoalkanes, followed by amination. All of the new compounds were bioassayed in vitro to determine their activities against influenza A (H3N2, H1N1) and B viruses. The results showed that compounds 5a-5g, which each contain a 1H-1,2,4-triazolyl moiety, were found to be the most potent set of compounds. Compound 5g was demonstrated to possess the highest inhibitory activity against influenza H3N2 and H1N1, with IC(50) values of 0.97 and 0.42 μM, respectively. Our results also indicated that compounds 2g, 3g, 4g and 5g, which contain ten-CH(2)-unit spacers between the rupestonic acid and amino functional groups, were the most potent inhibitors of influenza H1N1 among the synthesized compounds. Unfortunately, most of the synthesized compounds did not show an obvious activity against influenza B; the only exceptions were compounds 5d and 5f, which had IC(50) values of 17.3 and 3.2 μM, respectively. Compounds 4g and 5g were potent inhibitors of influenza H1N1, and they might be potentially developed as new lead anti-influenza virus compounds. Further studies of the mechanism of action are underway., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new procedure for functionalization of the dihydroazulene photoswitch on its seven-membered ring was developed, which has allowed isolation of the first dihydroazulene with a phenyl substituent at position 5 from a mixture of regioisomers. Light-induced ring-opening to the corresponding vinylheptafulvene and the thermal back-reaction was studied in detail.

5-Isoproyl-3,8-dimethylazulene derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for antigastric ulcer activity in vivo. Some of them possess the best activity against gastric ulcer with ulcer index values lower than the drug reference (omeprazole). The structure-activity relationship (SAR) shows that the lipophilic flat structure contributes to quite potent antigastric ulcer activity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is an increasing amount of evidence to support that activation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGlu4 receptor), either with an orthosteric agonist or a positive allosteric modulator (PAM), provides impactful interventions in diseases such as Parkinson's disease, anxiety, and pain. mGlu4 PAMs may have several advantages over mGlu4 agonists for a number of reasons. As part of our efforts in identifying therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Parkinson's disease, we have been focusing on metabotropic glutamate receptors. Herein we report our studies with a series of tricyclic thiazolopyrazoles as mGlu4 PAMs.

This report describes a type of tautomerization reaction that proceeds via isomerization of π-bonds across the azulene moieties of tricyclic benzo[cd]azulen-3-ones. The reaction mechanism shows similarities to an elimination reaction that was recently developed in our group. Furthermore, the facile four-step syntheses of the benzo[cd]azulen-3-ones, the starting materials for the tautomerization reactions, and computational analyses of the tautomerization reaction are included.

Background: We have previously reported a possible anti-inflammatory activity of azulene-, tropolone- and azulenequinone-related compounds. To further pursue the newly discovered biological activity of these compounds, five compounds that inhibited nitric oxide production by activated macrophages were investigated for their possible hormetic and anti-radiation effects., Materials and Methods: Viable cell number of human oral normal cells (gingival fibroblast, pulp cell and periodontal ligament fibroblast) and three oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines on treatment with various concentrations of each azulene-related compound was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Apoptosis induction was monitored by caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation., Results: Among five compounds, only benzo[b]cyclohepta[e][1,4]thiazine slightly stimulated the growth of all three normal cell types, but not tumor cell lines, at concentrations slightly higher than cytotoxic concentrations. Using a newly established evaluation system for UV-induced cellular damage, we found that this compound slightly but significantly protected the cells from UV-induced cellular injury, and its effect was synergistically enhanced by sodium ascorbate., Conclusion: These data suggest the possible application of benzo[b]cyclohepta[e][1,4]thiazine in UV protection therapy.

Paper reports the measured optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-7-methyl-1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline (MCPDPPQ), as well as 6-methyl-1,3-diphenyl-3H-indeno[1,2,3-de]pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline (MDPIPQ) and 9-methyl-6-phenyl-6H-5,6,7-triazadibenzo[f,h]naphtho[3,2,1-cd]azulene (MPTNA) representing cyclized five- or seven-membered regioisomeric products of MCPDPPQ, respectively. The spectra has been recorded in solvents of different polarity and compared with the results of quantum chemical calculations performed by means of the semiempirical method PM3 in combination with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Cyclization of MCPDPPQ into MDPIPQ or MPTNA is accompanied by a significant red shift of the first optical absorption and fluorescence bands. While the solvent polarity rises all the dyes exhibit the blue shift of the first absorption band and the red shift of the fluorescence band. These trends have been reproduced within the semiempirical calculations in combination with the Lippert-Mataga dielectric polarization model and explained by specific orientations of the dipole moments in the ground and excited states. All dyes may be considered as candidates for the luminescent or electroluminescent applications. Depending on solvent polarity they emit light in the green-yellow range of the visible spectra., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

2-exo-Vinyl-7-alkylidenenorbornanes, readily prepared from fulvene Diels-Alder adducts, undergo smooth Cope rearrangement at elevated temperatures to produce hexahydroazulene derivatives.

Golgi-modifying properties of the spongian diterpene macfarlandin E (MacE) and a synthetic analog, t-Bu-MacE, containing its 2,7-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-one moiety are reported. Natural product screening efforts identified MacE as inducing a novel morphological change in Golgi structure defined by ribbon fragmentation with maintenance of the resulting Golgi fragments in the pericentriolar region. t-Bu-MacE, which possesses the substituted 2,7-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-one but contains a tert-butyl group in place of the hydroazulene subunit of MacE, was prepared by chemical synthesis. Examination of the Golgi-modifying properties of MacE, t-Bu-MacE, and several related structures revealed that the entire oxygen-rich bridged-bicyclic fragment is required for induction of this unique Golgi organization phenotype. Further characterization of MacE-induced Golgi modification showed that protein secretion is inhibited, with no effect on the actin or microtubule cytoskeleton being observed. The conversion of t-Bu-MacE and a structurally related des-acetoxy congener to substituted pyrroles in the presence of primary amines in protic solvent at ambient temperatures suggests that covalent modification might be involved in the Golgi-altering activity of MacE.

Due to our interest in protein kinase modulating compounds, we developed syntheses for benzo[cd]azulenes. By using very common catalysts and reagents, such as t-BuOK, HCl, and mCPBA, the commercially available guaiazulene is converted in three steps into tricyclic tropone derivatives. Electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions of guaiazulene proceed without a catalyst. Complex one-pot reactions convert 1'-hydroxyalkyl azulenes into tricyclic heptafulvenes, and finally, the mild oxidant mCPBA cleaves the semicyclic C horizontal lineC double bonds to furnish tropones.

Substituted calix[4]azulenes were prepared by reacting 6-alkylazulenes with paraformaldehyde in the presence of florisil. Hydride abstraction of a calix[4]azulene with Ph(3)CPF(6) afforded a tetraazulene analogue of the porphodimethenes.

Blue makes it happen: The non-uniform charge distribution of the blue colored azulene framework is highly suitable for the bioisosteric replacement of bicyclic heteroarene moieties. Showing an analogous binding mode as heterocyclic dopamine D4 receptor-selective lead compounds, the induction of penile erection in rats over a greater range of doses indicates a putative advantage of the rationally developed azulene derivative 2 b over apomorphine.

Azulene has been recognized for its application in medicinal therapy against inflammation. Recently, azulene analogs have been used in optical technology. Nevertheless, synthesis of this family of compounds is always associated with multiple challenges. In this protocol, we describe a time-efficient and cost-effective procedure for the preparation of azulene derivatives from 2-hydroxycyclohepta-2,4,6-trienone (tropolone), a readily available starting material. The technique illustrated here involves a cycloaddition reaction of a lactone with the in situ-generated vinyl ether from 2,2-dimethoxypropane during the thermolysis reaction. The three-step synthesis should take <4 d, resulting in an overall yield of 74% with a final step yield of 91%.

Directed lithiation of p-tolyl 1-azulenyl sulfone (1) at the 2-position of the azulenyl group was achieved by using lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP). The azulenyllithium thus generated could be efficiently trapped with various electrophiles to form 2-substituted derivatives 2 in moderate to good yields. p-Tolyl 2-trimethylsilyl-1-azulenyl sulfone (2a) was transformed into cyclic sulfone derivative 3a through the directed lithiation in the p-tolyl group and subsequent intramolecular ring closure at the 8-position. 2-(Phenylsulfanyl)-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2b) suffered from desulfonylation to form 2-phenylsulfanylazulene (4). The Suzuki coupling reaction of 2-iodo-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2d) with arylboronic acids followed by desulfonylation efficiently gave 2-arylazulenes 10.

Platinum dichloride-catalyzed hydroxy- or alkoxycyclization of cyclohexadienynes gives indenol derivatives, whereas hydroxy- or alkoxycyclization of cycloheptadienynes produces azulenol derivatives. The cyclization reaction proceeds via a cyclopropyl platinacarbene intermediate and allows for the direct stereocontrol of three contiguous stereogenic centers of the fused bicyclic skeletons. The transient reactive intermediate obtained from PtCl2-catalyzed cyclization reaction of a cyclohexadienyndiol can be trapped intramolecularly by a hydroxyl group to afford an oxatricyclo[5.4.0.04,8]undecane ring skeleton with extreme diastereoselectivity.

Chemically accurate ab initio Gaussian-3-type calculations of various rearrangements on the C10H11 potential energy surface have been performed to investigate the indene formation mechanism originating from the reactions of two abundant cyclic C5 species, cyclopentadiene and cyclopentadienyl radicals. Using the accurate ab initio data, statistical theory calculations have been applied to obtain high-pressure-limit thermal rate constants within the 300-3000 K temperature range, followed by calculations of relative product yields. Totally, 12 reaction pathways leading to indene and several azulene precursors, 1,5-, 1,7-, 1,8a-, and 1,3a-dihydroazulene, have been mapped out, and the relative contributions of each pathway to the formation of reaction products have been estimated. At temperatures relevant to combustion, the indene has been found as the major reaction product (>50%) followed by 1,5-dihydroazulene (25-35%), whereas all other products demonstrate either minor or negligible yields. The results of the present study have been combined with our previous data for rearrangements of the 9-H-fulvalenyl radical on the C10H9 potential energy surface to draw the detailed picture of radical-promoted reaction mechanisms leading from c-C5 species to the production of indene, naphthalene, azulene, and fulvalene in combustion. The suggested mechanism and computed product yields are consistent with the experimental data obtained in the low-temperature pyrolysis of cyclopentadiene, where indene and naphthalene have been found as the major reaction products.

A facile method for the synthesis of 1- and 2-pyridylazulenes, and of 1,3-dipyridylazulenes, is described. Color and spectral changes of these pyridylazulenes upon the addition of either acid or metal ions were investigated in detail. The color changed from blue to red upon the addition of trifluoroacetic acid or soft metal ions, depending on the substitution patterns of the pyridyl group on the azulene skeleton. The structures of the protonated or coordinated products were examined on the basis of the spectral data. It was found that the protonation or coordination of metal ions occurred on the nitrogen atom of the pyridine ring, but not on the carbon atom of azulene ring. The transition intervals of several pyridylazulenes for use as pH indicators were also determined.

The structure-activity relationship of the cytotoxic activity of azulene and azulene derivatives was discussed, using theoretically calculated results. In order to clearly divide the azulenes into three groups according to their functional groups, the CC50, four different dipole moments (muG, muESP-G, muwand muESP-W) and heats of formation (deltaHf) of the azulenes [1-24] were separately calculated in two states, gas-phase and water, by the conductor-like screening model/parametric method 3 (COSMO/PM3). For the halogenated azulenes and isopropyl azulenes, the cytotoxic activity might follow the three quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) parameters: deltadeltaHf, HOMO energy and muw Whereas, for the other ten compounds [3-5, 7-8, 10, 15-18], the cytotoxic activity might be related to the three QSAR parameters, deltadeltaHf, LUMO energy and muG

Analysis of molecular interaction fields based on the published crystal structure of thapsigargin bound to the sarco/endoplasmatic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase and analysis of the volume and shape of the ligand binding site and of the SERCA-thapsigargin interactions have enabled design of two new compounds inhibiting SERCA in the subpicomolar range. The two inhibitors were synthesized using (S)-carvone as starting material and found to be 3 and 10 times more potent than thapsigargin.