Synthesis and conformational analysis of N-BOC-protected-3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone EF-24 analogs as anti-cancer agents

Abstract Natural products and their analogs have been explored to stop the progression of cancer cells without unwanted side effects. Chalcones, compounds synthesized naturally in plants, have demonstrated potential as anti-cancer treatments. A library of bis-chalcones that are similar in structure to EF-24, a bis-chalcone molecule known to have anti-cancer properties, has been synthesized in order to examine their medicinal properties. This report highlights the synthesis of ten novel analogs, their anti-cancer activities, and conformational analysis via cryo-NMR and corroboration by density functional theory calculations of the lead compound 1b, tert-butyl 3,5-bis((E)-4-methylbenzylidene)-4-oxopiperidine-1-carboxylate.