Pteridine covalent hydration

The spectra of protonated polyaza heterocycles are frequently complicated by the occurrence of covalent hydration. This is more common with polycyclic systems, e.g. pteridine. 

Studies on covalent hydration of N-heterocycles (67AG(E)919,76AHC(20)117) have revealed the diagnostic value of alkyl substituents in structural assignments due to their steric hindrance effects in addition reactions. C-Methyl substituents are therefore also considered as molecular probes to solve fine-structural problems in the pteridine field. The derivatives... 

Considering the four potential monohydroxypteridines, pteridin-4- and -7-one 56JCS3443) behave normally whereas pteridin-2- and -6-one (25) form covalent hydrates. The reversible hydration of nitrogen heterocycles was actually discovered with pteridin-6-one (52JCS1620),... 

The molecular features of covalent hydration are also present in the dihydroxy series, i.e., in pteridine-2,6-dione (30) and in pteridine-4,6-dione. The latter compound is hydrated only at the C(7)—N(8) double bond, whereas (30) forms two hydrated species, 7-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro- (29) and 4-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-pteridin-2,6-dione (31) (equation 8). Structure (29) is thermodynamically the more stable substance (31) is formed more rapidly in solution but disappears slowly with time (63JCS5151). Insertion of a 4-methyl group greatly reduces the extent of 3,4- in favour of 7,8-hydration by a blocking effect . 

With pteridine (1) the covalent hydration is a complex matter since the general acid-base catalyzed reaction provides a good example of a kinetically controlled addition to the... 

The physical properties of the pyridopyrimidines closely resemble those of their nearest A-heteroeyclie neighbors the quinazolines and the pteridines. Thus, in common with the pteridines, the presence of groups capable of hydrogen-bonding markedly raises the melting point and lowers the solubility. - The acid dissociation constants (pif a values) and ultraviolet absorption spectra of all four parent pyridopyrimidines have been determined by Armarego in a comprehensive study of covalent hydration in these heterocyclic systems. The importance of these techniques in the study of covalent hydration, and... 

Following these discoveries, we have made an extensive exj)eri-mental study of covalent hydration and find it is very common, not only in the pteridine series but also in several simpler families of poly-azanaphthalenes. The methods used to diagnose this phenomenon, its... 

Heterocyclic compounds that have water bound covalently across a C=N bond behave as secondary alcohols. When subjected to very gentle oxidative conditions, they are converted into the corresponding 0x0 compounds. Potassium permanganate in 0. IN sodium hydroxide at room temperature has been used to oxidize 2- and 6-hydroxypteri-dine to 2,4- and 6,7-dihydroxypteridine, respectively. In contrast, 4-hydroxypteridine was not attacked by this reagent even at 100°. Hydrogen peroxide in acid solution was used to oxidize quinazoline quinazoline 3-oxide 1,3,5-, 1,3,7-, and 1,3,8-triazanaphthalene and pteridine (which hydrate across the 3,4-double bond in the... 

As is pointed out in the introduction to Section II, the presence or absence of water in the solid state gives no indication as to whether or not covalent hydration occurs in aqueous solution. However, many examples are known of substances which hydrate strongly in solution and also in the solid state. Thus, 2-hydroxy- and 6-hydroxy-pteridine crystallize with one molecule of water. On heating, the former loses water rapidly only at 180°, whereas the latter retains all of the water up to 180° where it begins to darken. ... 

Covalent hydration has been demonstrated in the following families of compounds 1,6-naphthyridines, quinazolines, quinazoline. 3-oxides, four families of l,3,x-triazanapththalenes, both l,4,x-triazanaphthalenes, pteridines and some other tetraazanaphthalenes, and 8-azapurines these compounds are discussed in that order. In general, for any particular compound (e.g. 6-hydroxypteridine) the highest ratio of the hydrated to the anhydrous species follows the order cation > neutral species > anion. In some cases, however, anion formation is possible only when the species are hydrated, e.g. pteridine cf. 21 and N-methyl-hydroxypteridines (Section III, E, 1, d). Table V in ref. 10 should be consulted for the extent of hydration in the substances discussed here. 

Of all the heteroaromatic compounds that have been examined qualitatively and quantitatively for covalent hydration, the pteridines constitute the largest series. Most of the quantitative relationships which were used in earlier discussions were first derived for the hydroxypteridines. Also most of the known examples of hydration in anions were found in this series. 

At the present time, the greatest importance of covalent hydration in biology seems to lie in the direction of understanding the action of enzymes. In this connection, the enzyme known as xanthine oxidase has been extensively investigated.This enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of aldehydes to acids, purines to hydroxypurines, and pteridines to hydroxypteridines. The only structural feature which these three substituents have in common is a secondary alcoholic group present in the covalently hydrated forms. Therefore it was logical to conceive of this group as the point of attack by the enzyme. 

The situation in the pteridine series is somewhat more complex. Pteridine, 2-, 4-, and 7-hydroxypteridine, and some of the dihydroxy-pteridines are oxidized, stepwise and quantitatively, in the presence of xanthine oxidase to a single substance, 2,4,7-trihydroxypteridine. Notably, 6-hydroxypteridine, which readily forms a covalent hydrate, is not attacked. 

Reversible covalent hydration across C=N bonds occurs in a number of nitrogen-containing heterocycles, including pteridine and its 2- and 6-hydroxy derivatives, quinazoline (as the cation), and 1,4,6-triazanaphthalene (as the cation). Among bases giving this reaction, the neutral molecule exists predominantly as the anhydrous form, whereas the cation contains an increased proportion of the... 

Some of the scatter within the groups is undoubtedly due to differences in bond order and also to whether or not the nitrogens are located in the same ring. Nevertheless, some striking exceptions are apparent in which the pA values are much higher than expected. These include quinazoline, 1,3,5-, 1,3,7-, 1,3,8-, and 1,4,6-triazanaph-thalene, pteridine, and 1,4,5,8-tetraazanaphthalene. In all these cases, covalent hydration of the cation has been shown to occur, so the measured pA values are, in fact, equilibrium values involving both hydrated and anhydrous species. The hydrated species are, without... 

Pteridines also undergo nucleophilic addition reactions particularly easily, including covalent hydration, addition of bisulfite and others. 

Increasing numbers of nitrogen atoms increase not only the kinetic susceptibility toward attack but also the thermodynamic stability of the adducts. Reversible covalent hydration of C = N bonds has been observed in a number of heterocyclic compounds (76AHC(20)117). Pyrimidines with electron-withdrawing groups and most quinazolines show this phenomenon of covalent hydration . Thus, in aqueous solution the cation of 5-nitropyrimidine exists as (164) and quinazoline cation largely as (165). These cations possess amidinium cation resonance. The neutral pteridine molecule is covalently hydrated in aqueous solution. Solvent isotope effects on the equilibria of mono- (166) and dihydration (167) of neutral pteridine as followed by NMR are near unity (83JOC2280). The cation of 1,4,5,8-tetraazanaphthalene exists as a bis-covalent hydrate (168). 

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