Researchers of the ZIOC proposed a method for tuning the physicochemical and biological properties of cinnamic acid derivatives by obtaining ionic liquids based on it

Ionic liquids are a unique class of omnigenous organic salts, united by exceptional physical and chemical properties, such as controlled melting point, incombustibility, non-volatility, nano- and micro-heterogeneity. These compounds exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activity and can also be used in drug delivery systems and for the stabilization of proteins and nucleic acids. One of the promising directions in this area is to increase the solubility, bioavailability and stability of biologically active compounds by converting them into the form of an ionic liquid.

A group of researchers from the Laboratory of Metal Complex and Nanoscale Catalysts of the Zelinsky Institute synthesized a number of new ionic liquids containing in their cations or anions a fragment of cinnamic acid, a natural compound that is actively used as a component of medicines and cosmetics, food flavorings, photosensitive resins, and local anesthetics. The main problem with the widespread use of cinnamic acid is its low solubility. The application of the approach proposed by the scientists of the ZIOC with the preparation of ionic liquids based on it, made it possible to significantly increase the solubility of cinnamic acid derivatives. It was also found that various combinations of ionic liquids and cinnamic acid made it possible to modulate the solubility, physicochemical properties, and biological activity of the resulting molecules. Thus, the introduction of cinnamic acid into the cationic part of the ionic liquid led to a significant increase in its cytotoxicity, while ionic liquids with cinnamic acid anions exhibited moderate or low cytotoxicity.

Source:

Anna V. Vavina, Marina M. Seitkalieva, Alexandra V. Posvyatenko, Evgeniy G. Gordeev, Elena N. Strukova, Ksenia S. Egorova, Valentine P. Ananikov Merging structural frameworks of imidazolium, pyridinium, and cholinium ionic liquids with cinnamic acid to tune solution state behavior and properties. J. Mol. Liq., 2022, 352, 118673. DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.118673.