Advances in the attempted first ever synthesis of ebtellur
Presenter(s)
Alexander Gibbs
Abstract
Ebselen, first synthesized in 1924, was used to mimic the antioxidant activity of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme which was being used to relieve oxidative stress. Ebselen was found to be an effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, as well as being cytotoxic to yeast, fungi, and bacteria. In 2020, ebselen underwent several clinical trials where it proved to be highly active in inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease causing Covid-19. Due to these promising results, ebselen underwent evaluation for its ability to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. In these trials ebselen was observed to be highly unselective, thus it bound to a minimum of 462 different proteins that are apparent in cells. This is a driving factor for the research of ebselen derivatives. Despite the promising results of ebselen, the heavier chalcogen version with tellurium, ebtellur, has never been reported. As such potential bioactivities are currently purely speculative. Computational studies performed demonstrate ebtellur's similar reactivity behavior to ebselen (with respect to peroxynitrite degradation) though exact bioactivities can only be determined experimentally, thus requiring a successful synthesis and isolation of ebtellur. The goal of this project was to first perform the first ever synthesis of ebtellur by trialing multiple routes successfully used to produce ebselen and derivatives thereof.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Chemistry
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Joseph K. West
Start Date
4-24-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
4-24-2025 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
31
Advances in the attempted first ever synthesis of ebtellur
Ebselen, first synthesized in 1924, was used to mimic the antioxidant activity of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme which was being used to relieve oxidative stress. Ebselen was found to be an effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, as well as being cytotoxic to yeast, fungi, and bacteria. In 2020, ebselen underwent several clinical trials where it proved to be highly active in inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease causing Covid-19. Due to these promising results, ebselen underwent evaluation for its ability to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. In these trials ebselen was observed to be highly unselective, thus it bound to a minimum of 462 different proteins that are apparent in cells. This is a driving factor for the research of ebselen derivatives. Despite the promising results of ebselen, the heavier chalcogen version with tellurium, ebtellur, has never been reported. As such potential bioactivities are currently purely speculative. Computational studies performed demonstrate ebtellur's similar reactivity behavior to ebselen (with respect to peroxynitrite degradation) though exact bioactivities can only be determined experimentally, thus requiring a successful synthesis and isolation of ebtellur. The goal of this project was to first perform the first ever synthesis of ebtellur by trialing multiple routes successfully used to produce ebselen and derivatives thereof.
