A study on novel pyrazine-substituted dithiolene complexes as synthetic models for molybdenum cofactor and facile molybdenum mediated unexpected formation of pentathiepins

Abstract

In the present study, pyrazine (3 and 12) and quinoxaline (4 and 9-11) based compounds were synthesised as precursors for the synthetic analogues of MPT in MoCo. During the attempts to synthesise target model complexes, an unexpected formation of quinoxaline-derived pentathiepin (15) was observed. This by chance invented method for preparation of pentathiepin was optimised and then used to synthesise a series of other pentathiepin derivatives (16-18). Further on, a study has been made with regard to evaluate the influence of different substituents on the biological properties of these compounds. All pentathiepin derivatives (15-18) exhibited promising DNA binding properties as a minor groove binding agents and remarkable therapeutic activities.