Juan J. Fiol

Bio: Juan J. Fiol is an academic researcher from University of the Balearic Islands. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ligand & Non-covalent interactions. The author has an hindex of 21, co-authored 69 publications receiving 1307 citations. Previous affiliations of Juan J. Fiol include Spanish National Research Council.

Crystal structures of N6-modified-aminoacid/peptide nucleobase analogs: hybrid adenine–glycine and adenine–glycylglycine molecules

Abstract: In this manuscript, we report the synthesis and X-ray characterization of three N6-aminoacid/peptide–adenine-derivatives; the zwitterion N6GlyAde·0.5H2O (1), its corresponding protonated form N6GlyAde·2HCl·H2O (2) and N6GlyGlyAde·H2O (3). In the zwitterion complex (1), the adenine is protonated at N(3) and the anionic carboxylate interacts with the imidazole ring of the neighbouring purine molecule. It also interacts with the water molecule that connects it to another adenine ring through N(7)–H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The hydrochloride (compound 2) crystallizes forming a laminar structure and exhibits double protonation in the adenine ring (at N1 and N7). Moreover, energetically strong anion–π interactions are important for constructing the final solid state architecture in 2. Finally, compound 3, which presents a neutral adenine ring, crystallizes in a chiral point group and forms CH⋯O and CH⋯N H-bonding interactions in the solid state. We have also studied the noncovalent interactions energetically using DFT calculations and rationalized the interactions using Molecular Electrostatic Potential surfaces and Bader's theory of “Atoms-in-Molecules”.

Synthesis, X-ray characterization and computational studies of Cu(II) complexes of N-pyrazolyl pyrimidine

Abstract: In this manuscript we report the synthesis and X-ray characterization of several complexes of Cu(II) with a 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-pyrimidine (L) ligand. Complexes CuLCl2 (1), [CuL2(H2O)2](NO3)2 (2) and [CuL2H2O](NO3)2 (3) are mononuclear systems and [CuL(NO3)2]n (4) is polymeric. In the solid state, complexes 2 and 3 are characterized by the presence of anion–π interactions that are relevant for the final 3D architecture and packing. In complexes 1 and 4, where the counterion is directly bonded to the metal, anion–π interactions are not observed. High level ab initio calculations (RI-MP2/def2-TZVP) have been used to evaluate the noncovalent interactions observed in the solid state and the interplay between them. We also demonstrate that the presence of anions above the aromatic ligand is not due only to strong electrostatic interactions between the counterparts.

Effect of metal complexes of acyclovir and its acetylated derivative on Herpes simplex virus 1 and Herpes simplex virus 2 replication.

Abstract: The effect of zinc, nickel, cobalt and cadmium complexes of acyclovir (ACV) and its omicron-acetylated derivative (Ac-ACV) on the replication of wild type (wt) and ACV-resistant (ACV(R)) strains of Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) was examined. According to cytotoxicity, these compounds followed the order Ni-ACV chloride > Cd-ACV 3 Ni-ACV nitrate > ACV = Zn-ACV nitrate = Ac-ACV = Zn-Ac-ACV > Zn-ACV chloride > Co-ACV. Besides Ac-ACV, the only active complexes in inhibiting virus replication were Zn-ACV nitrate and Zn-Ac-ACV, which effectively suppressed the growth of both wt and ACVR strains of HSV-1 and HSV-2. The most active and most selective inhibitor of the growth of ACVR strains of HSV-1 and HSV-2 was Ac-ACV; its EC50 and SI were 100 and 10 times higher than those of ACV, respectively. Zn-Ac-ACV was less active than Ac-ACV, obviously due to the stability of the complex. Zn-ACV nitrate was active against both wt and ACVR strains of HSV-1; its activity and selectivity were 100 and 75 times higher than those of ACV, respectively. Ac-ACV and Zn-Ac-ACV suppressed the pre-mitotic arrest caused by HSV-1 infection during the first 2 hrs of infection and later on restored the cell division.

CH/π hydrogen bonds in crystals

Abstract: The nature and characteristics of the CH/π interaction are discussed by comparison with other weak molecular forces such as the CH/O and OH/π interaction. The CH/π interaction is a kind of hydrogen bond operating between a soft acid CH and a soft base π-system (double and triple bonds, C6 and C5 aromatic rings, heteroaromatics, convex surfaces of fullerenes and nanotubes). The consequences of CH/π hydrogen bonds in supramolecular chemistry are reviewed on grounds of recent crystallographic findings and database analyses. The topics include intramolecular interactions, crystal packing (organic and organometallic compounds), host/guest complexes (cavity-type inclusion compounds of cyclodextrins and synthetic macrocyclic hosts such as calixarenes, catenanes, rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes), lattice-inclusion type clathrates (including liquid crystals, porphyrin derivatives, cyclopentadienyl compounds and C60 fullerenes), enantioselective clathrate formation, catalytic enantioface discriminating reactions and solid-state photoreaction. The implications of the CH/π concept for crystal engineering and drug design are evident.

Aromatic rings in chemical and biological recognition: energetics and structures.

Abstract: This review describes a multidimensional treatment of molecular recognition phenomena involving aromatic rings in chemical and biological systems. It summarizes new results reported since the appearance of an earlier review in 2003 in host-guest chemistry, biological affinity assays and biostructural analysis, data base mining in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and the Protein Data Bank (PDB), and advanced computational studies. Topics addressed are arene-arene, perfluoroarene-arene, S⋅⋅⋅aromatic, cation-π, and anion-π interactions, as well as hydrogen bonding to π systems. The generated knowledge benefits, in particular, structure-based hit-to-lead development and lead optimization both in the pharmaceutical and in the crop protection industry. It equally facilitates the development of new advanced materials and supramolecular systems, and should inspire further utilization of interactions with aromatic rings to control the stereochemical outcome of synthetic transformations.

Anion receptor chemistry: highlights from 2010

Abstract: This critical review covers advances in anion complexation in the year 2010. The review covers both organic and inorganic systems and also highlights the applications to which anion receptors can be applied such as sensing, anion transport, control of molecular motion and gelation (179 references).