Experimental studies of Hoveyda-Grubbs metathesis catalysts reveal important consequences of substitution at the 6-position of the chelating benzylidene ligand. The structural modification varies conformational preferences of the ligand that affects its exchange due to the interaction of the coordinating site with the ruthenium center. As a consequence, when typical S-chelated systems are formed as kinetic trans-Cl2 products, for 6-substituted benzylidenes the preference is altered toward direct formation of thermodynamic cis-Cl2 isomers. Activity data and reactions with tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3 ) support also a similar scenario for O-chelated complexes, which display fast trans-Cl2 ⇄cis-Cl2 equilibrium observed by NMR EXSY studies. The presented conformational model reveals that catalysts, which cannot adopt the optimal nonchelating conformation of benzylidene ligand, initiate through a high-energy associative mechanism.

A novel approach for the synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted dibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-6,12(5H,11H)diones has been developed. This facile three-step method uses variously substituted 1H-benzo[d][1,3]oxazine-2,4-diones (isatoic anhydrides) and 2-aminobenzoic acids as a starting materials. The obtained products were further transformed into N-alkyl-, N-acetyl- and dithio analogues. Developed procedures allowed the synthesis of unsymmetrical dibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine-6,12(5H,11H)diones and three novel heterocyclic scaffolds: benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-f][1,5]diazocine-6,14(5H,13H)dione, pyrido[3,2-c][1,5]benzodiazocine-5,11(6H,12H)-dione and pyrazino[3,2-c][1,5]benzodiazocine-6,12(5H,11H)dione. For 11 of the compounds crystal structures were obtained. The preliminary cytotoxic effect against two cancer (HeLa, U87) and two normal lines (HEK293, EUFA30) as well as antibacterial activity were determined. The obtained dibenzo[b,f][1,5]diazocine(5H,11H)6,12-dione framework could serve as a privileged structure for the drug design and development.

(S)-2-(4-Chlorobenzoyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[e]pyrazino[1,2-a][1,4]diazepine-6,12(11H, 12aH)-dione was obtained in a three-step, one-pot synthesis, starting from optically pure (S)-2-piperazine carboxylic acid dihydrochloride. Selective acylation of the β-nitrogen atom followed by condensation with isatoic anhydride and cyclization with HATU/DIPEA to a seven-member benzodiazepine ring, led to the tricyclic benzodiazepine derivative. Crystallographic studies and initial biological screening were performed for the title compound.

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