Dicarboxylate recognition based on ultracycle hosts through cooperative hydrogen bonding and anion–π interactions

• Wen-Hui Mi,
• Teng-Yu Huang,
• Xu-Dong Wang,
• Yu-Fei Ao,
• Qi-Qiang Wang and
• De-Xian Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 884–889, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.72

• , which relies on solely anion–π interactions, showed weak binding affinity for C62− (Figure S11 in Supporting Information File 1). This underscores the importance of cooperative hydrogen bonding and anion–π interactions for the efficient dicarboxylate binding. To visualize the proposed synergistic

Unraveling cooperative interactions between complexed ions in dual-host strategy for cesium salt separation

• Zhihua Liu,
• Ya-Zhi Chen,
• Ji Wang,
• Qingling Nie,
• Wei Zhao and
• Biao Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 845–853, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.68

• -pairing) could be enhanced along with the charge of the anion and its binding affinity with L (from Cl– to CO32–, and PO43–). Notably, for the first time, direct ion-pairing between receptor-complexed phosphate and 18-crown-6 complexed cesium was observed in the single crystal structure, facilitating

• ]. According to our previous results, the binding affinity of L with chloride, sulfate and phosphate is determined to be 2.2 × 102 M−1, 9.9 × 104 M−1, and 3.8 × 106 M−1, respectively (in DMSO) [31]. Such strong anion binding affinity has led to selective extraction of sulfate and phosphate from basic aqueous

• hours, all the solids were dissolved indicating the completion of solid–liquid extraction of Cs2SO4. In contrast, by changing the solvent from chloroform to acetonitrile, the Cs2SO4 solids were barely dissolved, consistent with weak Cs+ binding affinity with 18-crown-6 and negligible cooperative

4-(1-Methylamino)ethylidene-1,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine-2,3-diones: synthesis, anti-inflammatory effect and in silico approaches

• Nguyen Tran Nguyen,
• Vo Viet Dai,
• Luc Van Meervelt,
• Do Thi Thao and
• Nguyen Minh Thong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.65

• interactions also contribute to the stabilization of the ligand–iNOS complexes. In particular, 4-(1-methylamino)ethylidene-5-phenyl-1-(3-nitrophenyl)pyrrolidine-2,3-dione (5e) exhibited the strongest binding affinity (−9.51 kcal/mol) and demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO

• reactivity of compounds. This trend aligns with the increasing reactivity order: 5d < 5a ≈ 5b < 5e < 5c. Molecular docking simulations provided insights into the binding interactions of these compounds with the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme. Compound 5e exhibited the strongest binding

• affinity, with a docking score of −9.51 kcal/mol, outperforming the reference compound dexamethasone (iNOS–DEX, −8.55 kcal/mol). Key hydrogen bonds with residues Cys200 and Ser242, together with extensive van der Waals interactions involving Thr190, Trp194, Gly202, Pro350, Phe369, and Tyr489, further

Acyclic cucurbit[n]uril bearing alkyl sulfate ionic groups

• Christian Akakpo,
• Peter Y. Zavalij and
• Lyle Isaacs

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 717–726, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.55

• ][66][67]. Previously, we have studied the influence of the length of the O(CH2)nSO3Na sidearm (n = 0, 2, 3, 4) and found that the M0 host – where the hydrophobic linker (CH2)n was completely removed – displayed higher binding affinity than M1 which we attributed to the location of the ionic group

• spectroscopy and quantitative investigation by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Finally, we discuss the trends in binding affinity observed for C1·guest and M1·guest complexation. Design, synthesis and characterization of C1 In order to disentangle the effects of the ionic group (sulfonate versus

Origami with small molecules: exploiting the C–F bond as a conformational tool

• Patrick Ryan,
• Ramsha Iftikhar and
• Luke Hunter

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 680–716, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.54

• *C1–O5 hyperconjugation. Therefore, if the anomeric oxygen is replaced with CH2 (e.g., 78, Figure 10), the anomeric bonds are able to rotate more freely, and this manifests in a reduced binding affinity for the protein target by 78 compared to 77. However, upon progressing to a CHF linkage (e.g., 79

• and 80, Figure 10), the molecule becomes more rigid again, this time due to dual σC–H → σ*C–F hyperconjugation. Notably, different conformations are preferred by the epimeric fluorinated analogues 79 and 80: analogue 79 is a good match for the parent disaccharide and retains its protein-binding

• affinity, whereas 80 loses some affinity [142]. A related class of compounds are the phosophosugars (e.g., 81, Figure 10). Phosphosugars play important roles in a variety of metabolic processes, as well as constituting the backbone of oligonucleotides. Sugar phosphonates (i.e., with a CH2 linkage between

Semisynthetic derivatives of massarilactone D with cytotoxic and nematicidal activities

• Rémy B. Teponno,
• Sara R. Noumeur and
• Marc Stadler

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 607–615, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.48

• cytotoxic activity of natural products by increasing the hydrophobicity, enhancing cell membrane permeability and binding affinity with intracellular targets [26]. Structure–activity relationships analysis of both hemisynthetic products 2 and 3 revealed a shared conjugated methylene olefinic function that

Binding of tryptophan and tryptophan-containing peptides in water by a glucose naphtho crown ether

• Gianpaolo Gallo and
• Bartosz Lewandowski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 541–546, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.42

• , Table 1). Pleasingly, phenylalanine, which alike Trp contains an aromatic side chain is also bound by 1 with a more than two-fold lower affinity (entry 3, Table 1). Glu with an anionic side chain, is bound by 1 almost three-fold weaker than Trp. The binding affinity of 1 towards Lys with a cationic side

• , Table 2). The binding affinity of 1 towards peptide 4 is around 1.5 times higher than for the free amino acid (entry 3, Table 2). The acetylated analogues of peptides 2 and 3 – compounds 5 and 6, are bound by 1 notably weaker, with 1.8× and 1.3× lower affinities respectively (entries 4 and 5, Table 2

• as well indicated by the lower binding affinity of 1 to the acetylated analogues of peptides 2 and 3. In the case of peptide 4, acetylation of its N-terminus did not affect the stability of the complex with receptor 1. This suggests that 1 interacts with the N-terminal ammonium in 4 to a much lesser

Quantifying the ability of the CF₂H group as a hydrogen bond donor

• Matthew E. Paolella,
• Daniel S. Honeycutt,
• Bradley M. Lipka,
• Jacob M. Goldberg and
• Fang Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 189–199, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.11

• inconsistent with the corresponding A values (Table 1), which typically provide reliable measurements of the HB donation ability of neutral compounds. We attribute the inconsistency to several factors. First, because the binding affinity is determined solely by the absorbance change of Reichardt's dye, the

• provide information about binding affinity or energy, particularly between HB donors and acceptors as molecular entities rather than as a collection of separate functional groups. In contrast, NMR titration experiments quantify the binding affinities and energies between CF2H-containing molecules and n

• –vis spectroscopic titrations with Reichardt’s dye, and (iii) 1H NMR titrations using n-Bu3PO as a reference HB acceptor. Our studies revealed that the 1H NMR titrations, although tedious, offered reliable binding affinity data for HB complexes involving neutral and cationic donor molecules. This

Deciphering the mechanism of γ-cyclodextrin’s hydrophobic cavity hydration: an integrated experimental and theoretical study

• Stiliyana Pereva,
• Stefan Dobrev,
• Tsveta Sarafska,
• Valya Nikolova,
• Silvia Angelova,
• Tony Spassov and
• Todor Dudev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2635–2643, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.221

• (Figure 1B and C). Hydrated γ-CD Hydration and interaction with water (sequential binding of water molecules to the CD cavity) The γ-CD cavity was scanned for spots/sites with enhanced binding affinity for the incoming water molecules: γ-CD hydrates containing one to seven water molecules bound at various

Computational toolbox for the analysis of protein–glycan interactions

• Ferran Nieto-Fabregat,
• Maria Pia Lenza,
• Angela Marseglia,
• Cristina Di Carluccio,
• Antonio Molinaro,
• Alba Silipo and
• Roberta Marchetti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2084–2107, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.180

• /building the protein and the ligand in their optimal conformation (as discussed above), ii) predicting the protein binding site; iii) modelling the ligand into the protein binding site, iv) assessing binding affinity through sampling and scoring, as discussed in the following paragraphs [103]. Prediction

Syntheses and medicinal chemistry of spiro heterocyclic steroids

• Laura L. Romero-Hernández,
• Ana Isabel Ahuja-Casarín,
• Penélope Merino-Montiel,
• Sara Montiel-Smith,
• José Luis Vega-Báez and
• Jesús Sandoval-Ramírez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1713–1745, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.152

• of a new chiral centre. Advances in understanding ligand–receptor interactions have facilitated the determination of optimal molecular conformations to enhance binding affinity, which can be achieved, in part, by introducing a spiro annelated ring to impart rigidity to the molecule. From a medicinal

• . Chromatographic purification was not required post-reaction. Some spiro products exhibited high binding affinity towards DNA, while others showed good cytotoxicity against different cancer cells (A545, MCF-7, HeLa, HL-60, SW480, HepG2, HT-29, and A549) with IC50 values within the micromolar range (2.18–18.54 µM

Methyltransferases from RiPP pathways: shaping the landscape of natural product chemistry

• Maria-Paula Schröder,
• Isabel P.-M. Pfeiffer and
• Silja Mordhorst

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1652–1670, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.147

• of RiPPs have a molecular weight between 1,000 and 5,000 Da. Peptide natural products exhibit high specificity and binding affinity to their corresponding targets [9][10]. The inhibition of protein–protein interactions is an emerging strategy in the development of novel therapeutics [11]. Binding to

Supramolecular assemblies of amphiphilic donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts as macroscopic soft scaffolds

• Ka-Lung Hung,
• Leong-Hung Cheung,
• Yikun Ren,
• Ming-Hin Chau,
• Yan-Yi Lam,
• Takashi Kajitani and
• Franco King-Chi Leung

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1590–1603, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.142

• applying the shear-flow method, negatively charged nanofibers of DA11 were assembled into a macroscopic soft scaffold when the solution was ejected into a shallow pool of calcium chloride solution (150 mM, Figure 4a). The high binding affinity between calcium ions and carboxylate groups enabled charge

Photoswitchable glycoligands targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa LecA

• Yu Fan,
• Ahmed El Rhaz,
• Stéphane Maisonneuve,
• Emilie Gillon,
• Maha Fatthalla,
• Franck Le Bideau,
• Guillaume Laurent,
• Samir Messaoudi,
• Anne Imberty and
• Juan Xie

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1486–1496, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.132

• photoswitchable tools, few photochromic lectin ligands have been developed. We have designed and synthesized several O- and S-galactosyl azobenzenes as photoswitchable ligands of LecA and evaluated their binding affinity with isothermal titration calorimetry. We show that the synthesized monovalent glycoligands

• -acetylglucosamine targeting lectin wheat germ agglutinin [25]. The binding affinity Kd evaluated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) showed a variation by a factor of 12.5 upon photoisomerization. However, a direct photomodulation of a monovalent lectin ligand has not been achieved up to date. Based on our

• experiences in photoswitchable glycosides and bacterial lectins [4][6][7][8][26][27][28][29][30][31], we have designed, synthesized, and characterized the first generation of O- and S-galactosyl azobenzenes as photoswitchable monovalent ligands targeting PA LecA. Their binding affinity with LecA evaluated by

Diameter-selective extraction of single-walled carbon nanotubes by interlocking with Cu-tethered square nanobrackets

• Guoqing Cheng and
• Naoki Komatsu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1298–1307, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.113

• complexation between host molecules and SWNTs are strongly related to the molecular structures, making it possible to tune the binding affinity [8]. The host molecules we employed so far for CNT separation through molecular recognition have been developed as “nanotweezers” [9], “nanocalipers” [10] and

Synthesis and biological profile of 2,3-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-b]pyridines, a novel class of acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibitors

• Jens Frackenpohl,
• David M. Barber,
• Guido Bojack,
• Birgit Bollenbach-Wahl,
• Ralf Braun,
• Rahel Getachew,
• Sabine Hohmann,
• Kwang-Yoon Ko,
• Karoline Kurowski,
• Bernd Laber,
• Rebecca L. Mattison,
• Thomas Müller,
• Anna M. Reingruber,
• Dirk Schmutzler and
• Andrea Svejda

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 540–551, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.46

• binding affinity to enzyme targets, e.g., acyl-ACP thioesterases, belonging to the protein family of FATs, was demonstrated by using co-crystallization, fluorescence-based thermal shift assays, and chemoproteomics techniques [3]. Likewise, methiozolin (2) is a recently assigned FAT inhibitor that has

• via reduction of the thiazole moiety: optimization of the reaction conditions.a Preemergence in vivo efficacy screening of 2,3-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-b]pyridines 7a–c and 13a–c as well as of N-acylated analogs 14a–c and 16a–f against selected monocotyledon weeds, and binding affinity to FAT A from

Switchable molecular tweezers: design and applications

• Pablo Msellem,
• Maksym Dekthiarenko,
• Nihal Hadj Seyd and
• Guillaume Vives

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 504–539, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.45

• that enables monitoring by circular dichroism. Upon the addition of Ca(II), a large increase in the binding affinity for halide ions was observed due to the folding of the receptor in a helicoidal form that enabled cooperative interaction with both urea moieties. More flexible coordination responsive

• PtCl2 preorganizes the tweezers in a closed conformation with the two hydrogen-bonding-recognition sites in proximity. A significant increase in the binding affinity toward all anions and in particular for dihydrogen phosphate (log K = 3.5) was obtained. More recently, Álvarez and co-workers reported

Development of a chemical scaffold for inhibiting nonribosomal peptide synthetases in live bacterial cells

• Fumihiro Ishikawa,
• Sho Konno,
• Hideaki Kakeya and
• Genzoh Tanabe

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 445–451, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.39

• 492 nm. The Kd values of the ʟ-Phe-AMS derivatives are listed in Table 1. Compared with the binding affinity of ʟ-Phe-AMS 1 (Kd value, 11.4 ± 3.4 nM) for the A-domain of GrsA, all tested compounds showed slightly decreased binding affinities. Among them, inhibitors 4 (23.9 ± 0.7 nM), 7 (16.6 ± 0.6 nM

• compound to retain its binding affinity and cell permeability. Overall, these results indicate that a 2′-OH modification with a cyanomethyl group represents a useful AMS scaffold for intracellular NRPS inhibition. Conclusion In this study, we investigated the effect of a 2′-OH modification in an AMS

Elucidating the glycan-binding specificity and structure of Cucumis melo agglutinin, a new R-type lectin

• Jon Lundstrøm,
• Emilie Gillon,
• Valérie Chazalet,
• Nicole Kerekes,
• Antonio Di Maio,
• Ten Feizi,
• Yan Liu,
• Annabelle Varrot and
• Daniel Bojar

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 306–320, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.31

• ]. Validating binding in solution and assessing binding affinity As CMA1 both exhibited multiple binding sites and robust binding to blood group epitopes (H-antigen), we hypothesized that it would be capable of agglutinating red blood cells, justifying its new name. When testing the protein recombinantly

• surface at 10 μL/min at increasing concentrations with a contact time of 500 s. Dissociation was achieved by passing running buffer for 2 min. Surfaces were regenerated with four consecutive 30 s injections of 50 mM NaOH and 1 M NaCl. Binding affinity (KD) was measured after subtracting the channel 1

• binding in solution and a further confirmation of the binding specificity obtained by the array experiments. We note that the functional activity of bacterially produced CMA1 indicates that potential modification by glycosylation is not required for ligand binding. Next, we set out to quantify the binding

Tying a knot between crown ethers and porphyrins

• Maksym Matviyishyn and
• Bartosz Szyszko

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1630–1650, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.120

• sodium(I), zinc(II), magnesium(II), and barium(II) [106][107][108][109]. Association constants of the reported host–guest complexes showed similar values to those of diazacrown ethers [110][111]. Johnston and Gunter presented a crown ether-capped porphyrin receptor 10, which showed unexpected binding

• affinity towards a dipyridinium cation (Figure 8) [41]. Upon complexation, the guest was sandwiched between the porphyrin and crown ether macrocycles. The work showed a 1:1 complex [10-PQ+](PF6)2 formation between the electron-poor bipyridinium guest and hybrid macrocycle 10, indicating a relatively strong

Complexes of resorcin[4]arene with secondary amines: synthesis, solvent influence on “in-out” structure, and theoretical calculations of non-covalent interactions

• Waldemar Iwanek

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1525–1536, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.109

• affinity and selectivity of the R[4]A–amine complexes depend on several factors, including the size, shape, and functional groups of both the host and the guest molecules. For example, R[4]A derivatives with different substituents on the aromatic rings [12] have been synthesized to enhance the binding

• the amine nitrogen of the guest molecule. In addition to hydrogen bonding, other interactions such as π–π stacking and electrostatic interactions also play a role in the complexation process. These interactions can be modulated by changing the pH, solvent, and temperature of the solution. The binding

• affinity and selectivity towards specific amines. In addition to their potential applications in sensing and molecular recognition, R[4]A have also been studied for their potential pharmaceutical [13] and biochemical [14] applications. R[4]A typically exhibit complex structures containing over a hundred

Synthesis and biological evaluation of Argemone mexicana-inspired antimicrobials

• Jessica Villegas,
• Bryce C. Ball,
• Katelyn M. Shouse,
• Caleb W. VanArragon,
• Ashley N. Wasserman,
• Hannah E. Bhakta,
• Allen G. Oliver,
• Danielle A. Orozco-Nunnelly and
• Jeffrey M. Pruet

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1511–1524, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.108

• often attributed to high binding affinity to DNA, interference with protein biosynthesis, induction of membrane leakage, and affecting GTPase activity in bacteria cell division [12][13][14][15]. Recent reports have also pointed to inhibition of the ‘filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z’ (FtsZ

A fluorescent probe for detection of Hg²⁺ ions constructed by tetramethyl cucurbit[6]uril and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene

• Xiaoqian Chen,
• Naqin Yang,
• Yue Ma,
• Xinan Yang and
• Peihua Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 864–872, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.63

• TMeQ[6], and the wavelength redshifts from 301 nm to 330 nm, indicating that TMeQ[6] has binding affinity for G. The molar ratio method (Figure 2b) shows that when n(TMeQ[6])/n(G) = 1:1, the absorption value of the system gradually stabilizes, indicating that the guest G and TMeQ[6] form an inclusion

Phenanthridine–pyrene conjugates as fluorescent probes for DNA/RNA and an inactive mutant of dipeptidyl peptidase enzyme

• Josipa Matić,
• Tana Tandarić,
• Marijana Radić Stojković,
• Filip Šupljika,
• Zrinka Karačić,
• Ana Tomašić Paić,
• Lucija Horvat,
• Robert Vianello and
• Lidija-Marija Tumir

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 550–565, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.40

• exhibited a micromolar and submicromolar binding affinity for ds-polynucleotides and inactivated a mutant of dipeptidyl peptidase enzyme E451A. Confocal microscopy revealed that the conjugate with the longer linker entered the HeLa cell membranes and blue fluorescence was visualized as the dye accumulated

• , and polynucleotide binding affinity has been investigated by UV–vis, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Further, binding of Phen-Py-1 to human dipeptidyl peptidase III enzyme was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and microcalorimetric measurements. Results and Discussion

• and Phen-Py-2 with biomolecules Conjugates Phen-Py-1 and Phen-Py-2 were examined for DNA/RNA binding affinity and eventual preference for different polynucleotide structures. For example, the B-helical structure had a well-defined minor groove which is suitable for minor groove binding, while A

CuAAC-inspired synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole-bridged porphyrin conjugates: an overview

• Dileep Kumar Singh

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 349–379, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.29

• reaction conditions and gives higher yields of product than directly linked azido or alkynyl porphyrins. Many applications for porphyrin click products have been proposed, including chemical sensing, anion-binding affinity, photovoltaics devices, light-harvesting materials, and in the synthesis of water