Development of a library of thiophene‐based drug‐like LEGO molecules: evaluation of their anion binding, transport properties and cytotoxicity

The anion-binding and transport properties of an extensive library of thiophene-based molecules are reported. Seventeen bis-urea positional isomers, with different binding conformations and lipophilicities, have been synthesized by appending alpha- or beta-thiophene or alpha-, beta-, or gamma-benzo[b]thiophene moieties to an ortho-phenylenediamine central core, yielding six subsets of positional isomers. Through (1) H NMR, X-ray crystallography, molecular modelling, and anion efflux studies, it is demonstrated that the most active transporters adopt a pre-organized binding conformation capable of promoting the recognition of chloride, using urea and C-H binding groups in a cooperative fashion. Additional large unilamellar vesicle-based assays, carried out under electroneutral and electrogenic conditions, together with N-methyl-d-glucamine chloride assays, have indicated that anion efflux occurs mainly through an H(+) /Cl(-) symport mechanism. On the other hand, the most efficient anion transporter displays cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines, while having no effects on a cystic fibrosis cell line.