Cyclodextrin (CD) has been used to prepare biocompatible and nontoxic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) suitable for biomedical applications as drug carriers. In this study, γ-CD/K-based MOF (γ-CD-MOF-1-α) was synthesized and its stability in various solvents was explored by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry (SCXRD) and powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD). As a result of solvent-induced phase transformations, two novel crystalline phases of γ-CD-MOF-1 were discovered. The newly formed ε- and δ-phases crystallize in orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetry, respectively. In ε-phase, toluene was determined as a guest molecule by SCXRD. Interactions between γ-cyclodextrin and solvent molecules in ε-phase were evaluated using Hirshfeld surface analysis. The thermal stability of the new crystal forms of γ-CD-MOF-1 was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.

New pseudopolymorphs of ivermectin (IVM), a potential anti-COVID-19 drug, were prepared. The crystal structure for three pseudopolymorphic crystalline forms of IVM has been determined using single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The molecular conformation of IVM in crystals has been compared with the conformation of isolated molecules modeled by DFT calculations. In a solvent with relatively small molecules (ethanol), IVM forms monoclinic crystal structure (space group I2), which contains two types of voids. When crystallized from solvents with larger molecules, like γ-valerolactone (GVL) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), IVM forms orthorhombic crystal structure (space group P2₁2₁2₁). Calculations of the lattice energy indicate that interactions between IVM and solvents play a minor role; the main contribution to energy is made by the interactions between the molecules of IVM itself, which form a framework in the crystal structure. Interactions between IVM and molecules of solvents were evaluated using Hirshfeld surface analysis. Thermal analysis of the new pseudopolymorphs of IVM was performed by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.

The development of selective drug candidate molecules for cancer-related carbonic anhydrase isozymes IX and XII is challenging due to high homology binding sites among 12 catalytically active isozymes. Starting from the trifluorinated benzenesulfonamide with cyclooctylamino substituent at the meta position, we designed and synthesized di-meta-substituted fluorinated benzenesulfonamides with up to 10-fold affinity improvement for CAIX, resulting in low picomolar binders. The resulting CAIX-targeting compounds showed up to 1000-fold selectivity over off-target CA isozymes. The crystal structures of CAIX and CAXII complexes with synthesized compounds revealed detailed insights into protein-ligand interactions and adopted complex conformation. The potential of compounds with reduced off-target effects as possible anticancer drugs is supported by this study.

For the first time, yttrium triflate was used as an efficient green catalyst for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonates through a one-pot three-component Birum–Oleksyszyn reaction.