Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has advanced as an
important tool in support of several studies of pharmacological interest. In this chapter,
the following sections are discussed: the history of NMR spectroscopy, the enaminone
derivatives and their NMR, the use of molecular modeling techniques as an adjunct to
NMR analysis, and a newer class of compounds, the sulfonamide enaminones and their
intermolecular forces determined via NMR and X-ray crystallography. The history of
NMR spectroscopy details the field of NMR, its origin, and utilization in the area of
structure identification. The section on NMR spectroscopy of the enaminones gives a
detailed look into the use of NMR in the area of analyzing various enaminone analogs,
including our library of anticonvulsant enaminones. Examples of enaminones and
NMR include the work of Zhou in noting the correlation between the 17O (which has
natural abundance) chemical shifts of the carbonyl atom and the 1H chemical shifts.
Our work on enaminones analogs was complemented by NMR spectroscopy with
examples of how reactions were determined by NMR analyses. The section on
molecular modeling aspects as an adjunct to the NMR field explains how the use of
Gaussian 03 performs suitable functions in determining the final structure and gives
reason to why some compounds in a series are more potent than others. The final
section illustrates the newer sulfonamido enaminones now being researched as
potential anticonvulsant agents and how their pharmacological profile (having 6 Hz
‘psychomotor’ activity) differs from the previously investigated anticonvulsant
enaminone derivatives.
Keywords: 6 Hz psychomotor, Aniline, Anticonvulsant, CLogP, Comparative
molecular field analysis (CoMFA), Comparative molecular similarity indices
analysis (CoMSIA), Dimedone, Drug design, Enaminones, Gaussian, Hydrogen
bonding, Intermolecular forces, Maximal electroshock seizures (MES), NMR
spectroscopy, Pharmacophore, Phenytoin, Protein dynamics, Structure activity
relationship, Subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol (scPTZ), X-ray crystals.