Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of 2,4,6,7-Tetrasubstituted-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridines

A library of 2,4,6,7-tetrasubstituted-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridines was prepared from easily accessible 1-phenyl-3-(2-phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde via an iodine-mediated electrophilic cyclization of intermediate 4-(azidomethyl)-1-phenyl-3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-pyrazoles to 7-iodo-2,6-diphenyl-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridines followed by Suzuki cross-couplings with various boronic acids and alkylation reactions. The compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against K562, MV4-11, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. The most potent compounds displayed low micromolar GI50 values. 4-(2,6-Diphenyl-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin-7-yl)phenol proved to be the most active, induced poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) cleavage, activated the initiator enzyme of apoptotic cascade caspase 9, induced a fragmentation of microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 (LC3), and reduced the expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The obtained results suggest a complex action of 4-(2,6-diphenyl-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin-7-yl)phenol that combines antiproliferative effects with the induction of cell death. Moreover, investigations of the fluorescence properties of the final compounds revealed 7-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,6-diphenyl-2H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridine as the most potent pH indicator that enables both fluorescence intensity-based and ratiometric pH sensing.

Switchable Coumarins for Ratiometric pH Sensing

A fluorescent chromophore and a pH-sensitive heterocycle were integrated within a single covalent skeleton to generate four molecular switches with ratiometric fluorescence response. Upon acidification, the pH-sensitive heterocycle opens to shift bathochromically the absorption and emission bands of the fluorescent chromophore. As a result, an equilibrium between two species with resolved fluorescence is established with fast kinetics in aqueous environments. The relative amounts of the two interconverting forms and their relative emission intensities change with pH, providing the opportunity to probe this parameter ratiometrically with fluorescence measurements. Specifically, the resolved emissions of the two species can be collected in separate detection channels of the same microscope to map their ratio across a labeled sample and reconstruct its pH distribution ratiometrically with spatial resolution at the micrometer level. Additionally, the sensitivity of these molecular switches varies with the nature of the heterocyclic ring and with its substituents, allowing the possibility of regulating their response to a given pH range of interest with the aid of chemical synthesis. Thus, a family of valuable fluorescent probes for ratiometric pH sensing in a diversity of samples can emerge from the unique combination of structural and photophysical properties designed into our innovative molecular switches.

An Intelligent AIEgen with Nonmonotonic Multi-Responses to Multi-Stimuli

<p>Intelligent stimulus-response (S/R) systems are the basis of natural process and machine control, and have been intensively explored in biomimetic design, analytical chemistry and biological applications. However, nonmonotonic multi-S/R systems are still rarely studied so far. Now, we propose a rational design strategy to achieve such a unique S/R system by integrating opposite luminescence behaviors in one molecule. When solvent polarity increases, many heterocycles often become more emissive due to the suppression of the proximity effect. However, molecules with donor-acceptor (D-A) structures tend to be less emissive because of the twisted intramolecular charge transfer. Meanwhile, protonation on D/A moieties will weaken/strengthen the D-A interaction to result in blue/red-shifted emissions. By combining a protonatable heterocyclic acceptor and a protonatable donor together in one molecule, we can easily achieve nonmonotonic brightness responses to polarity stimuli and nonmonotonic color responses to pH stimuli. In this work, a simple molecule, namely ASQ is chosen as the model compound to verify the design strategy feasibility. It successfully shows two opposite trends of responses to polarity and pH stimuli, and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) with a nonmonotonic AIE curve. Moreover, the acidified ASQ solution is also a pure organic up-conversion and white-light-emitting system. A new mechanistic viewpoint is established to explain its unique anti-Stokes emission. Besides, ASQ shows multivalent functionalities including albumin protein sensing, ratiometric pH sensing, and amine gas sensing, etc. Therefore, ASQ is proved to be a fundamentally important and versatile functional “intelligent” AIE luminogen with nonmonotonic multi-responses to multi-stimuli. <br></p>

An Intelligent AIEgen with Nonmonotonic Multi-Responses to Multi-Stimuli

<p>Intelligent stimulus-response (S/R) systems are the basis of natural process and machine control, and have been intensively explored in biomimetic design, analytical chemistry and biological applications. However, nonmonotonic multi-S/R systems are still rarely studied so far. Now, we propose a rational design strategy to achieve such a unique S/R system by integrating opposite luminescence behaviors in one molecule. When solvent polarity increases, many heterocycles often become more emissive due to the suppression of the proximity effect. However, molecules with donor-acceptor (D-A) structures tend to be less emissive because of the twisted intramolecular charge transfer. Meanwhile, protonation on D/A moieties will weaken/strengthen the D-A interaction to result in blue/red-shifted emissions. By combining a protonatable heterocyclic acceptor and a protonatable donor together in one molecule, we can easily achieve nonmonotonic brightness responses to polarity stimuli and nonmonotonic color responses to pH stimuli. In this work, a simple molecule, namely ASQ is chosen as the model compound to verify the design strategy feasibility. It successfully shows two opposite trends of responses to polarity and pH stimuli, and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) with a nonmonotonic AIE curve. Moreover, the acidified ASQ solution is also a pure organic up-conversion and white-light-emitting system. A new mechanistic viewpoint is established to explain its unique anti-Stokes emission. Besides, ASQ shows multivalent functionalities including albumin protein sensing, ratiometric pH sensing, and amine gas sensing, etc. Therefore, ASQ is proved to be a fundamentally important and versatile functional “intelligent” AIE luminogen with nonmonotonic multi-responses to multi-stimuli. <br></p>