Young researchers for 2025-2026
V. Innovative technologies, sustainable energy, digitization
Innovative technologies and products
Institute of Chemistry, MSU
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural and Biologically Active Compounds
- Laboratory of Organic Synthesis
- Laboratory of Physical an Quantum Chemistry
This project aims to solve the fundamental problem of organic and bioorganic chemistry related to the design and synthesis of chiral compounds with advanced functionalisation for various practical applications. Specifically, it is dedicated to the development of convenient synthetic approaches towards new compounds with original structures,containing terpene and heterocyclic moieties, by classical and unconventional methods of fine organic synthesis and the evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The scientific idea lies in the use of natural terpene compounds: norlabdane compounds and their derivatives, for the synthesis of functionalized chiral molecular hybrids with a combined, terpenic (norlabdanic), thiosemicarbazone and heterocyclic (1,3,4-oxadiazole) skeleton with a complex of useful properties. The 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives are considered heterocycles of particular interest due to their relevant pharmacological activities. It has also been established that thiosemicarbazones represent a privileged pharmacophore, frequently found in compounds with important pharmacological properties. The relevance of the project consists in the use of transformation products of the natural labdane diterpenoid (-)-sclareol to obtain molecular hybrids, which exhibit selective biological activity and reduced toxicity due to their natural origin. The overall objective of the project is to develop design and synthesize directed chiral molecular hybrids with a combined fragment: terpenic (norlabdane), thiosemicarbazone and heterocyclic (1,3,4-oxadiazole), obtained from the natural and accessible diterpenoide (-)-sclareol, which can be isolated from local and renewable raw materials. The proposed syntheses represent a novelty in the field, which would add "added value" to the project, whose focus lies in the domain of "natural compounds with biological activity" and "renewable raw materials," fitting perfectly within the scope of "environmentally friendly products (green chemistry)". The project is fundamental, with practical applications, and its strengths include a new synthetic route in the series of biocompatible molecular hybrids, characterization using physicochemical analysis methods, and testing biological activity. The innovative character of the project consists of the preparation, from local and renewable raw materials, of a series of molecular hybrids with relevant therapeutic potential.
Summary of the activity and results obtained in 2025
The main objective of the project for 2025 focused on developing efficient synthetic methods for molecular hybrids containing tetranorlabdane, thiosemicarbazide, and 1,3,4-oxadiazole fragments, confirming their structures, and investigating their antioxidant activity. In this context, the transformation products of the natural labdane-type diterpenoid (-)-sclareol, isolated from local and renewable raw materials, were used as starting materials.
The first stage focused on the valorization of waste resulting from the production of the essential oil of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), leading to the isolation of the natural labdane diterpenoid (-)-sclareol.
Subsequently, the synthesis of five new compounds bearing a combined tetranorlabdane, thiosemicarbazide and 1,3,4-oxadiazole scaffold was carried out starting from sclareol. The structures of the synthesised compounds were confirmed using spectroscopic methods, including IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹⁵N NMR, and two-dimensional NMR techniques (COSY, HMQC, HMBC).
The antioxidant activity of seven compounds was evaluated using the DPPH radical method, four of which possessed the hybrid tetranorlabdane, thiosemicarbazide and 1,3,4-oxadiazole framework. One of the analysed compounds exhibited superior antioxidant capacity, comparable to or even exceeding that of ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 0.2439, IC₁₀₀ = 0.4877).
The obtained results highlight the importance of the structural architecture of the newly synthesized compounds, whose electronic and steric features directly influence their ability to interact with the DPPH radical and, consequently, their antioxidant activity. Further studies are proposed to investigate in detail the relationship between molecular structure and antioxidant activity, in order to identify the structural fragments that confer biological efficiency - an essential step for the development of new therapeutic candidates in the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstracts
- LUNGU, L., VICOL, C., POGREBNOI, V., ARICU, A. . Antioxidant activity of new molecular hybrid based on homodrimane, thiosemicarbazone and oxadiazole unit. In: Faculty of Chemistry Conference, IasiChem 2025, 30-31 October, Iași, România, p.28 2.
- LUNGU, L., POGREBNOI, V., BILAN, D.,SANDU, I.-A., ROTARU, A.,PAGANO, B., AMATO, J., MACAEV, F., ARICU, A.,GORINCIOI, E. New anticancer molecular hybrids based on homodrimane, thiosemicarbazone and oxadiazole core target M2 G-Quadruplex DNA featuring parallel topology. In: Advances in Noncanonical Nucleic Acids 2025, 23-25 October, Bohinj, Slovenia, p.58. https://www.slonmr.si/anna_2025/ANNA2025_BookOfAbstracts.pdf
- POGREBNOI,V., POGREBNOI, S. The investigation of products of diazomethanedehydroabietic acid derivative and mineral acids by NMR method. 25th CEUM Central and Eastern European NMR Symposium and Bruker Users Meeting. Budapest, Hungary, 3-4 September, 2025.