New thiophene pyrazole hybrid: An efficient synthesis, X-ray analysis, computational and in silico studies


Muhsinah A. B., Kheder N. A., ELHATY I. A. M., Mahmoud N. S., Mabkhot Y. N.

Journal of Molecular Structure, cilt.1368, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 1368
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2026.146312
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Molecular Structure
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Computational study, Drug likeness, Pyrazole, Thiophene, X-ray analysis
  • İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

A one-pot, three-component synthesis of ethyl 5-(3-ethoxy-3-oxopropanoyl)-4-phenyl-2-(phenylamino)thiophene-3-carboxylate (7) was reported. Its reaction with DMF-DMA and phenylhydrazine produced a thiophene pyrazole hybrid 8. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using spectral (IR, NMR, MS) and elemental analysis. Additionally, the 3D structure of compound 8 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.The crystallographic study revealed that compound 8 is mainly stabilized by weak CH∙∙∙O and CH∙∙∙N contacts together with dispersive interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that crystal packing is dominated by H∙∙∙H (57.9%), C∙∙∙H (18.6%), and O∙∙∙H (10.6%) interactions. DFT calculations for compounds 7 and 8 support experimental interpretation. MEP surface showed that carbonyl oxygen atoms are the richest regions, while FMO analysis indicated moderate HOMO/LUMO gaps (4.032 for 7 and 4.125 eV for 8), consistent with a stable and polarizable conjugated system. NBO and Mulliken charge analyses are consistent with MEP results. In silico ADME prediction was performed to evaluate the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the synthesized compounds. Molecular docking studies were conducted against the EGFR protein (PDB ID: 5UGB) to investigate their potential as anticancer leads. The results revealed that compound 7 exhibited the most favorable predicted binding activity, while both compounds demonstrated binding patterns and affinities comparable to the reference drug.