S(-) and R(+) species derived from antihistaminic promethazine agent: structural and vibrational studies

Structural and vibrational properties of free base, cationic and hydrochloride species derived from both S(-) and R(+) enantiomers of antihistaminic promethazine (PTZ) agent have been theoretically evaluated in gas phase and in aqueous solution by using the hybrid B3LYP/6-31G* calculations. The initial structures of S(-) and R(+) enantiomers of hydrochloride PTZ were those polymorphic forms 1 and 2 experimentally determined by X-ray diffraction. Here, all structures in aqueous solution were optimized at the same level of theory by using the polarized continuum (PCM) and the universal solvation model. As was experimentally reported, variations in the unit cell lead to slight energy, density, and melting point differences between the two forms but, this behavior is not carried through in isotropic condition, like in solution with non-chiral solvents. Hence, the N–C distances, Mulliken, atomic natural population (NPA) and Merz-Kollman (MK) charges, bond orders, stabilization and solvation energies, frontier orbitals, some descriptors and their topological properties were compared with the antihistaminic cyclizine agent. The frontier orbitals studies show that the free base species of both forms in solution are more reactive than cyclizine. Higher electrophilicity indexes are observed in the cationic and hydrochloride species of PTZ than cyclizine while the cationic species of cyclizine have higher nucleophilicity index than both species of PTZ. The presences of bands attributed to cationic species of both enantiomers are clearly supported by the infrared and Raman spectra in the solid phase. The expected 114, 117 and 120 vibration normal modes for the free base, cationic and hydrochloride species of both forms were completely assigned and the force constants reported. Reasonable concordances among the predicted infrared, Raman, UV-Vis and Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) with the corresponding experimental ones were found.