Unveiling the regioselective synthesis of antiviral 5-isoxazol-5-yl-2'deoxyuridines with a molecular electron density theory perspective

Abstract

The regioselective synthesis of a potent antiviral sugar nucleoside isoxazole analogue from the [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reaction of aceto-nitrile-N-oxide (ANO) and acetyl-protected 5-ethynyl-2?-deoxyuridine (EDU) has been studied at MPWB1K/6-311G(d,p) level within the molecular electron density theory (MEDT) perspective. ANO is classified as a zwitterionic species devoid of any pseudoradical or carbenoid center from the electron localization function (ELF) analysis. The ortho regioisomer is energetically preferred over the meta one by the activation enthalpy of 21.7-24.3 kJ mol-1, suggesting complete regioselectivity in agreement with the experiment. The activation enthalpy increases from 53.9 kJ mol-1 in gas phase to 71.5 kJ mol-1 in water suggesting more facile reaction in low polar solvents. The minimal global electron density transfer (GEDT) at the TSs suggests non-polar character and the formation of new covalent bonds has not been started at the located TSs showing non-covalent intermolecular interactions from Atoms-in-Molecules (AIM) study and in the Independent Gradient Model (IGM) isosurfaces. The AIM analysis shows more accumulation of electron density at the C-C interacting region relative to the C-O one, and earlier C-C bond formation is predicted from the bonding evolution theory (BET) study.