A theoretical investigation into the impact of solvents (alkanolic and non-alkanolic), structural and spectroscopic properties, donor-acceptor insights, Hirshfeld surface, and molecular docking of the anti-tumor compound (2E)-3-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-1-(3-nitrophenyl)prop‑2-en-1-one

Abstract

In this study, computational methods were employed to analyze the molecular structure of (2E)-3-[4-(Dimethylamino)phenyl]-1-(3-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DMAPNP), investigating its structural and spectroscopic properties along with its biological activity. In particular, the Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) and Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) surfaces in alkanolic solvents (ethanediol, ethanol, and methanol) and non-alkanolic solvents (DMSO, toluene, and water) were generated to analyze the solvent-solute interactions. The H→L transition shows low oscillator strengths (0.0002 in toluene to 0.0013 in ethanediol, DMSO, and water), indicating limited significance in the absorption spectrum. In contrast, the H→L+1 transition has much higher oscillator strengths, around 0.9412 for ethanediol and 0.9385 for DMSO and toluene, suggesting a greater likelihood of absorption at these wavelengths. The simulated vibrational wavenumbers revealed the presence of CH, NO₂, CN, CC, CH₃, and C=O groups in DMAPNP. The calculated chemical shifts confirmed the molecular structure of DMAPNP and aligned with standard values. In Hirshfeld surface analysis, the crystal packing of DMAPNP was primarily stabilized by H…H interactions, contributing 41.3%, followed by O…H / H…O interactions at 30.9%. In Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis, the interaction between C₂₀-H₃₈ and C₁₅-H₃₃ shows a stabilization energy of 1102.89 kJ/mol, highlighting σ-σ* transitions. In contrast, the C₁₂-C₁₆ and C₁₅-H₃₃ interactions exhibit a stabilization energy of 2542.16 kJ/mol, indicating substantial π-σ* contributions. In the Mulliken charge distribution, the carbon atoms C₁₈ (-1.33704e) and C₁₃ (1.776064e), located in the para and meta positions concerning the nitro group (NO₂), exhibit the highest positive and negative potentials, respectively. Molecular docking assessed DMAPNP as a potential anti-tumor agent by inhibiting the key regulatory enzyme fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, with a binding energy of -8.13 kcal/mol.