Chrysin is a naturally occurring flavonoid with mild anticancer activity. In this paper we report the synthesis of new chrysin derivatives alkylated with N-phenylchloroacetamides in position 7. A novel method was developed for the preparation of 7-aminochrysin derivatives via the Smiles rearrangement, resulting in diphenylamine-type compounds. In silico studies of the Smiles rearrangement were performed. We also present the in vitro antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds against 60 human tumor cell lines (NCI60). The most potent derivative exhibited nanomolar antitumor activity on the MCF7 cell line of breast cancer (GI₅₀ = 30 nM) and on the HCT-15 cell line of colon cancer (GI₅₀ = 60 nM).

New Vinca alkaloid derivatives were synthesized to improve the biological activity of the natural alkaloid vindoline. To this end, experiments were performed to link vindoline with various structural units, such as amino acids, a 1,2,3-triazole derivative, morpholine, piperazine and N-methylpiperazine. The structure of the new compounds was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). Several compounds exhibited in vitro antiproliferative activity against human gynecological cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar concentration range.

Our successful work for the synthesis of cyclopropanated vinblastine and its derivatives by the Simmons–Smith reaction was followed to build up further three-membered rings into the 14,15-position of the vindoline part of the dimer alkaloid. Halogenated 14,15-cyclopropanovindoline was prepared by reactions with iodoform and bromoform, respectively, in the presence of diethylzinc. Reactions of dichlorocarbene with vindoline resulted in the 10-formyl derivative. Unexpectedly, in the case of the dimer alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine, the rearranged products containing an oxirane ring in the catharanthine part were isolated from the reactions. The attempted epoxidation of vindoline and catharanthine also led to anomalous rearranged products. In the epoxidation reaction of vindoline, an o-quinonoid derivative was obtained, in the course of the epoxidation of catharanthine, a hydroxyindolenine type product and a spiro derivative formed by ring contraction reaction, were isolated. The coupling reaction of vindoline and the spiro derivative obtained in the epoxidation of catharanthine did not result in a bisindole alkaloid. Instead, two surprising vindoline trimers were discovered and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

The two-step acidic hydrolysis of α-hydroxybenzylphosphonates and a few related derivatives was monitored in order to determine the kinetics and to map the reactivity of the differently substituted phosphonates in hydrolysis. Electron-withdrawing substituents increased the rate, while electron-releasing ones slowed down the reaction. Both hydrolysis steps were characterized by pseudo-first-order rate constants. The fission of the second P-O-C bond was found to be the rate-determining step.

In orderto synthesize new pyridazine derivatives anellated with different nitrogen heterocyclic moieties, spiro[cycloalkane]pyridazinones were transformed into the corresponding thioxo derivatives via a reaction with phosphorus pentasulfide. The reaction of the formed 2,3-diazaspiro[5.5] undec-3-ene-1-thiones with hydrazine provided the corresponding 1-hydrazono-2,3-diazaspiro[5.5] undec-3-ene, whose diazotization led to the desired spiro[cyclohexane-1,8${}^{\prime }$-tetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazines. The reaction of dihydropyridazinethiones with benzhydrazide afforded the corresponding 7H-spiro[[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyridazin-8,1${}^{\prime }$-cyclohexanes]. As a result of our work, seven new pyridazinethione intermediates were prepared, which served as starting materials for the synthesis of two kinds of new ring systems: tetrazolo-pyridazines and triazolo-pyridazines. The six new annulated derivatives were characterized by physicochemical parameters. The new N-heterocycles are valuable members of the large family of pyridazines.