Cyclopentanone-based chalcone derivatives: Synthesis, characterization, DFT, drug-likeness and molecular docking studies

نویسندگان

1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Health, Koya University, Koya, KOY45, Iraq.

2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Health, Koya University, Koya, KOY45, Iraq

3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Health, Koya University, Koya KOY45, Iraq.

doi
10.22034/crl.2025.525333.1608
چکیده

In this study, five novel chalcone derivatives—2,5-di((E)-benzylidene)cyclopentan-1-one (4a-1), 2,5-bis((E)-4-methylbenzylidene)cyclopentan-1-one (4a-2), 2,5-bis((E)-4-bromobenzylidene)cyclopentan-1-one (4a-3), 2,5-bis((E)-4-methoxybenzylidene)cyclopentan-1-one (4a-4), and 2,5-bis((E)-4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene)cyclopentan-1-one (4a-5)—were successfully synthesized via a base-catalyzed condensation reaction between cyclopentanone and para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives. The resulting compounds were isolated, purified, and structurally characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (1H and 13C). To complement experimental findings, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level were performed to optimize molecular geometries, predict vibrational spectra, and simulate theoretical 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts. The strong agreement between theoretical and experimental data validated the proposed structures. Furthermore, key quantum chemical descriptors—including dipole moment (μ_D), hardness (η), softness (σ), electronegativity (χ), electrophilicity index (ω), nucleophilicity, and chemical potential (μ)—were computed to evaluate the compounds' potential as corrosion inhibitors. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to investigate the adsorption behavior of the chalcone derivatives (4a-1 to 4a-5) on Fe(110) and Cu(111) surfaces under vacuum conditions. All compounds demonstrated spontaneous and energetically favorable adsorption, with 4a-5 exhibiting the highest binding affinity, indicating its superior corrosion inhibition efficiency. Additionally, in silico pharmacokinetic and toxicity assessments—including oral toxicity prediction, drug-likeness screening, and BOILED-Egg modeling—were employed to evaluate bioavailability and therapeutic prospects. Molecular docking studies targeting the 11β-HSD1 enzyme revealed significant binding affinities, particularly for compounds 4a-1 and 4a-2, suggesting potential pharmacological activity. Collectively, these results underscore the dual functionality of the synthesized chalcone derivatives as both effective corrosion inhibitors and promising pharmacological candidates.