Dissolution of nitrones in alkylphosphates: A structural study

Nitrones are chemical compounds with well-established anti-oxidant and spin-trapping properties. Their low solubility in water for many of them limits their applications, so opportune solvents must be found. In this study, two recently synthetized oxindole nitrones with proven antiproliferative and antioxidant activity have been dissolved in several liquid amphiphiles, chosen as model solvents. The effect of the polar head nature and the alkyl chain length/type have been investigated by a combined experimental (solubility, UV–vis spectroscopy) / computational (molecular dynamics) approach. The different chemical structures of the various solvents offer different chemical environments to the nitrones. The intermolecular interactions involved in the nitrone stabilization in the considered solvents have been highlighted, furnishing precious information for the ad-hoc design of specific carrier for nitrones delivery.