Synthesis,Antiproliferative, and Antiplatelet Activities of Oxime‐Containing 3,4‐Dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐One Derivatives

Some oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antiplatelet and antiproliferative activities. These compounds were synthesized via alkylation of hydroxyl precursors followed by the reaction with NH₂OH. The preliminary assays indicated that (Z)‐7‐[2‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐2‐(hydroxyimino)ethoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (13c) is the most active against U46619 induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of 3.51 μM. For the inhibition of AA‐induced aggregation, (E)‐6‐[2‐(hydroxyimino)propoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (15 ) is the most potent with an IC₅₀ value of 1.85 μM. These oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were inactive against thrombin induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of greater than 26.78 μM. For the antiproliferative activity, most of these oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were inactive while (Z)‐7‐[2‐(hydroxyimino)‐2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)ethoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (13a) exhibited only marginal activities with GI₅₀ value of 7.63, 7.34 and 6.36 μM against the growth of NPC‐TW01, NCI‐H661, and Jurkat respectively.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 2‐(4‐Aminophenyl)benzothiazole Analogues as Antiproliferative Agents

A series of 28 novel 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)benzothiazole analogues have been synthesized and characterized using various analytical techniques like ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and IR and bioevaluated for their antiproliferative activity over a group of three human cancer cell lines, namely, lung cancer (A549), cervical cancer (HeLa), and breast cancer (MDA‐MB‐231), using sulforhodamine B assay method. Few synthesized molecules ( 5a , 5c , 5d , 5f , 7b , and 7j ) displayed effective growth inhibition (GI₅₀) activity against the tested human cancer cell lines at lower micromolar concentration (GI₅₀) values in the range 0.2–1.7 μM. Noticeably, compound 7b exhibited reasonable activity in all three cancer cell lines in the GI₅₀ range 0.55–1.2 μM. Further, when 7b was screened for tubulin polymerization inhibition, it exhibited more than 55% inhibition at concentration of 5.0 μM. The molecular docking simulations supported the molecular interactions of the derivatives with the targeted receptor. These derivatives may serve as lead structures for development of potential anticancer drug candidates, and 7b might act as a potential microtubule polymerization inhibitor.     

Synthesis and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Some 4‐Anilinofuro[2,3‐b]quinoline Derivatives

Some 4‐anilinofuro[2,3‐b]quinoline derivatives were synthesized from dictamnine, a natural alkaloid, and evaluated for their cytotoxicity in the NCI's full panel of 60 human cancer cell lines derived from nine cancer cell types, including leukemia, non‐small‐cell lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. 1‐[4‐(Furo[2,3‐b]quinolin‐4‐ylamino)phenyl]ethanone ( 5 ) (mean GI₅₀=0.025 μM ), bearing an 4‐acetylanilino substituent at C(4) of furo[2,3‐b]quinoline, was more active than its 3‐acetylanilino counterpart 7 (mean GI₅₀=5.27 μM ), and both clinically used anticancer drugs, N‐[4‐(acridin‐9‐ylamino)‐3‐methoxyphenyl]methanesulfonamide (m‐AMSA; mean GI₅₀=0.44 μM ) and daunomycin (mean GI₅₀=0.044 μM ). Compound 5 was capable of inhibiting all types of cancer cells tested with a mean GI₅₀ of less than 0.04 μM in each case except for the non‐small‐cell lung cancer (average GI₅₀=1.75 μM ). Although non‐small‐cell lung cancer is resistant to compound 5 , the sensitivity within this type of cancer cells varies: HOP‐62 (GI₅₀<0.01 μM ), NCI‐H460 (GI₅₀=0.01 μM ), and NCI‐H522 (GI₅₀<0.01 μM ) are very sensitive, while HOP‐92 (GI₅₀ = 12.4 μM ) is resistant. Among these non‐small‐cell lung cancers, NCI‐H522 was found to be very sensitive to 5, 8a , and 8b with a GI₅₀ values of <0.01, 0.074, and <0.01 μM , respectively.     

Novel 5‐Methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐ 3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole Derivatives: Synthesis and Anticancer Activity

Eleven novel 5‐methyl‐2‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐4‐{4,5‐dihydro‐3‐[(un)substituted phenyl]‐5‐(1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐2‐yl)pyrazol‐1‐yl}‐oxazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. All of the compounds have been screened for their antiproliferative activities against PC‐3 cell (human prostate cancer) and A431 cell (human epidermoid carcinoma cancer) lines in vitro. The results revealed that compounds 4g , 4j and 4k exhibited the strong inhibitory activities against the PC‐3 cell lines (with IC₅₀ values of 2.8±0.11, 3.1±0.10 and 3.0±0.06 μg/mL, respectively).     

Synthesis,Antiproliferative, and c‐Src Kinase Inhibitory Activities of 4‐Oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran Derivatives

A new class of 4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran derivatives were synthesized and their antiproliferative activity examined against a panel of three human cancer cell lines, that is, breast carcinoma (MDA‐MB‐468), ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK‐OV‐3), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT‐29). Two compounds, that is, 3‐hexyl‐7,8‐dihydroxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran and (E)‐ethyl 3‐(7‐methoxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐yl)acrylate were found to be potent against all three cancer cell lines studied at 50 μM concentration. Also, the inhibitory potency of the compounds was evaluated against active Src kinase. A few of these compounds exhibited modest Src kinase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 52–57 μM). Structure‐activity relationship studies with respect to the nature and position of substituents on the lead compounds could be further exploited for the design and development of more potent antiproliferative agents and/or Src kinase inhibitors.     

Design,Sonosynthesis, Quantum‐Chemical Calculations,and Evaluation of New Mono‐ and Bis‐pyridine Dicarbonitriles as Antiproliferative Agents

A highly efficient, simple, and clean single‐step sonosynthetic procedure has been sophisticated for assembling new series of mono‐ and bis‐pyridine dicarbonitriles from ketones, HCl, and tetracyanoethylene. The presented protocol is applicable for the preparation of a broad range of uniquely substituted pyridine dicarbonitriles and seems to be superior in comparison with other previously reported methods. The antiproliferative impact of the newly synthesized derivatives was screened towards three representative cancer cell lines (MCF‐7, A549, and HCT116). Most of the evaluated derivatives showed a moderate to excellent anti‐proliferative activity towards the selected cell lines. Of these, compounds 4h , 4k , 10 , 12a , and 12b showed both potent anticancer activity (IC₅₀<10 μM) and lower cytotoxic effect (IC₅₀ > 58 μM) on non‐tumorigenic cells (MCF‐10A and NCM460), suggesting their promising potential to be lead molecules for future antitumor drug discovery. The structure‐activity relationships have been also discussed. Moreover, quantum chemical studies based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) of the synthesized compounds were investigated and found to be consistent with the in vitro inhibitory activities.     

Synthesis of three carbon atom bridged 2,4‐diaminopyrrolo[2,3‐d]‐pyrimidines as nonclassical dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors

A series of seven nonclassical three carbon atom bridged 2,4‐diamino‐5‐substituted‐pyrrolo[2,3‐d]‐pyrirnidines 1a‐g were synthesized as potential inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase. Selective oxidation of diols 7a‐g affords α‐hydroxy ketones 8a‐g. Subsequent condensation with malononitrile gave the requisite 2‐amino‐3‐cyano‐4‐substituted furan precursors 9a‐g. Cyclocondensation with guanidine in refluxing ethanol in one step affords the three carbon atom bridged 2,4‐diamino‐5‐substituted‐pyrrolo[2,3‐d]‐pyrimidines 1a‐g. Preliminary biological results indicated that these compounds showed moderate inhibitory activities against dihydrofolate reductases from Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii, Mycobacterium avium and rat liver with IC₅₀ values in the 0.66 μM ‐ 70.1 μM range and some compounds had marginal selectivity for T. gondii dihydrofolate reductase.     

Synthesis,Anticancer Evaluation,and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel (4‐Hydroxy‐2‐Thioxo‐3,4‐Dihydro‐2H‐[1,3]Thiazin‐6‐Yl)‐Chromen‐2‐Ones via a Multicomponent Approach

A series of coumarin‐substituted 1,3‐thiazine‐2‐thione derivatives ( 4a–m ) were synthesized via the multicomponent reaction of 3‐chloro‐3‐(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl)acrylaldehyde ( 1 ) carbon disulfide ( 2 ), and various primary amines ( 3 ), in presence of triethylamine and acetonitrile under stirring with good yields. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were characterized by analytical and spectral studies. Further, the synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against different cancer cell lines (A549, MDA‐MB‐231, MCF7, HeLa, and B16F10). Studies on the molecular interactions to recognize the hypothetical binding motif of the title compounds with the target Hsp 100 were carried out employing the Schrodinger software. Compounds 4a , 4c and 4m showed activity against all the five cell lines compared with the reference drug, and 4a exhibited the least IC₅₀ concentration of 7.56 ± 1.07 μg/mL against MCF7. This in vitro anticancer result was supported by in silico docking and in silico ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) studies as well.     

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel 2‐Substituted Phenoxy‐N‐(4‐substituted Phenyl‐5‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)thiazol‐2‐yl)acetamide Derivatives

A series of 2‐substituted phenoxy‐N‐(4‐substituted phenyl‐5‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)thiazole‐2‐yl)acetamide derivatives 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8h , 8i , 8j , 8k , 8l , 8m , 8n , 8o , 8p , 8q , 8r , 8s , 8t was synthesized by the reaction of phenoxyacetyl chloride 7 with intermediate 4‐substituted phenyl‐5‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)thiazol‐2‐amine 5 . Their structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, MS, IR, and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds were also screened for their antimicrobial activity against three types of plant fungi (Gibberella zeae , Phytophthora infestans , and Paralepetopsis sasakii ) and two kinds of bacteria [Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo ) and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac )] showing promising results. In particular, 8b , 8f , 8g , and 8h exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Xoo , with 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) values of 35.2, 80.1, 62.5, and 82.1 µg/mL, respectively, which are superior to the commercial antibacterial agent bismerthiazol (89.9 µg/mL). The preliminary structure–activity relationship studies of these compounds are also briefly described.     

Synthesis of (E)‐5‐Methoxy‐2‐styryl‐4‐pyrones as Potent Growth‐Inhibitory Agents Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

The present study a series of (E)‐5‐methoxy‐2‐styryl‐4H‐pyran‐4‐ones 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d , 6e , 6f , 6g , 6h , 6i , 6j was synthesized and evaluated for growth inhibitory inhibition against carcinoma cells. The growth inhibition study of eight carcinoma cell lines was examined and demonstrated that SKHep cells exhibit significant structure‐activity relationship in response to the tested compounds. Among them, 6f showed the most potent activity against SKHep, A549, AGS, and H460 cell lines with GI₅₀ values of 0.17, 8.3, 3.6, 8.0 μM, respectively.     

Synthesis of 1,3‐thiazole and 1,2,4‐oxadiazole substituted spiro[3H‐indole‐3,2′‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′(1H)‐diones

Some new derivatives of spiro[3H‐indole‐3,2′‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′(1H)‐dione with the heterocyclic ring such as substituted thiazole and 1,2,4‐oxadiazole attached to the indolinone ring via CH₂ linkage has been synthesized in moderate yields. The synthesis have been carried out by making use of the reactivity of the NH group of the indolinone moiety present in spiro[3H‐indole‐3,2′‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′(1H)‐dione.     

Synthesis and Antiplatelet‐Activity Evaluation of α‐Methylidene‐γ‐butyrolactones Bearing 3,4‐Dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one Moieties

In continuation of our search for potent antiplatelet agents, we have synthesized and evaluated several α‐methylidene‐γ‐butyrolactones bearing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one moieties. O‐Alkylation of 3,4‐dihydro‐8‐hydroxyquinolin‐2(1H)‐one ( 1 ) with chloroacetone under basic conditions afforded 3,4‐dihydro‐8‐(2‐oxopropoxy)quinolin‐2(1H)‐one ( 2a ) and tricyclic 2,3,6,7‐tetrahydro‐3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐5H‐pyrido[1,2,3‐de][1,4]benzoxazin‐5‐one ( 3a ) in a ratio of 1 : 2.84. Their Reformatsky‐type condensation with ethyl 2‐(bromomethyl)prop‐2‐enoate furnished 3,4‐dihydro‐8‐[(2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐2‐methyl‐4‐methylidene‐5‐oxofuran‐2‐yl)methoxy]quinolin‐2(1H)‐one ( 4a ), which shows antiplatelet activity, in 70% yield. Its 2′‐Ph derivatives, and 6‐ and 7‐substituted analogs were also obtained from the corresponding 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐ones via alkylation and the Reformatsky‐type condensation. Of these compounds, 3,4‐dihydro‐7‐[(2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐4‐methylidene‐5‐oxo‐2‐phenylfuran‐2‐yl)methoxy]quinolin‐2(1H)‐one ( 10b ) was the most active against arachidonic acid (AA) induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ of 0.23 μM . For the inhibition of platelet‐activating factor (PAF) induced aggregation, 6‐{[2‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydro‐4‐methylidene‐5‐oxofuran‐2‐yl]methoxy}‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one ( 9c ) was the most potent with an IC₅₀ value of 1.83 μM .     

Design,synthesis of (Z)‐3‐benzyl‐5‐((1‐phenyl‐3‐(3‐((1‐ substituted phenyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)methoxy)phenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)methylene)thiazolidine‐2,4‐dione analogues as potential cytotoxic agents

In an attempt to achieve promising cytotoxic agents, a series of new (Z)‐3‐benzyl‐5‐((1‐phenyl‐3‐(3‐((1‐substituted phenyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)methoxy)phenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)methylene)thiazolidine‐2,4‐diones 10 a‐n were designed, synthesized, and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, and ESI‐MS techniques. These compounds synthesized from appropriate reaction procedures with better yields. All the novel synthesized compounds 10a‐n were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the MCF‐7 cell line (Human breast cancer cell line) at different concentrations of 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 μM, respectively. The cytotoxic evaluation assay is presented in terms of IC₅₀ values and percentage cell viability reduction compared against standard drug cisplatin. Among all novel synthesized compounds 10a‐n , some of the representative analogues particularly 10g and 10e exhibit remarkable cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values 0.454 and 0.586 μM, comparable to that of the standard drug cisplatin, and some analogues 10d , 10f , 10k, and 10m also have shown significant activity.     

Synthesis and biological activities of some new thiazolidine derivatives containing pyrazole ring system

As a part of systematic investigation of synthesis and biologically active compounds of thiazolidine (TZD) derivatives containing pyrazole ring system, several new pyrazole–TZD derivatives 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d and 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d have been synthesized. Compounds 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d were prepared from N‐substituted TZDs 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d and 1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carboxaldehyde 7 by Knoevenagel‐type reaction. Treatment of 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d with sodium hydride at room temperature caused dimerization reaction to afford the corresponding spirocompounds 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d . All the synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic analysis. In vitro, the synthesized compounds 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d and 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d were tested for their growth inhibitory activity in A549 lung cancer, B16F10 murine melanoma, and HeLa human uterine carcinoma cells and for their differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes. The results showed that compound 8c possessed growth inhibitory effect of B16F10 cells (IC₅₀ = 27 μM) and compounds 9c , 9d had induction effect on the differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Synthesis and anti‐HIV activity of n‐(3‐amino‐3,4‐dihydro‐4‐oxopyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐4‐chloro‐2‐mercapto‐5‐methylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives

A series of N‐(3‐amino‐3,4‐dihydro‐4‐oxopyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐4‐chloro‐2‐mercapto‐5‐methylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives 10‐17 have been synthesized as potential anti‐HIV agents. The in vitro anti‐HIV‐1 activity of these compounds has been tested at the national Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD), and the structure‐activity relationships are discussed. The selected N‐[3‐amino‐3,4‐dihydro‐6‐(tert‐butyl)‐4‐oxothieno[2,3‐e]pyrimidin‐2‐yl]‐4‐chloro‐2‐metcapto‐5‐methylbenzenesulfonamide ( 14 ) showed good anti‐HIV‐1 activity with 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) value of 15 μM and weak cytotoxic effect (IC₅₀ = 106 μM).     

Design,Synthesis, and Evaluation of the Anticancer Properties of a Novel Series of α‐(Benzoylamino)‐β‐substituted Acrylic Amide Derivatives of Pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine

A novel series of α‐(benzoylamino)‐β‐substituted acrylic amide derivatives of pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine has been synthesized using a convergent multistep synthesis. The synthesized compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ESI‐MS, and IR analyses. Those new compounds were screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activity using an MTT assay analysis. Out of nine derivatives synthesized in the current study, compounds 13g , 13d , 13h , and 13i exhibited the greatest anticancer activities in HeLa and HepG₂ cell lines. The in vitro anticancer activity of compound 13g against HeLa, HepG₂, and MCF‐7 cell lines is superior to the marketed drugs paclitaxel and SAHA.     

Synthesis and In vitro Antitumor Screening of Novel 2,7‐Naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic Acid Derivatives

New derivatives of 2,7‐naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic acid were synthesized. We report the hydrolysis, chlorination, alkylation, and amination of the 2,7‐naphthyridine esters 1 , 2 . A series of Schiff's bases 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8h , 8i , 8j , 9a , 9b , 9b' , 9c , 9d , 9e were produced by treating the obtained hydrazides 6 and 7 with aromatic aldehydes. The anticancer activities of the obtained derivatives were examined. Eighteen of the 24 newly synthesized compounds were qualified by the National Cancer Institute NCI (Bethesda, MD, USA) for in vitro screening against 60 different human tumor cell lines. The most active compound 8i was evaluated against a 60‐cell panel at five concentration levels and proved to be most sensitive towards central nervous system cancer (SF‐539), with GI₅₀ = 0.70 µmol, total growth inhibition = 5.41 µmol, and LC₅₀ = 53.7 µmol.     

Synthesis of a novel series of 6‐chloro‐1,4,2‐benzodithiazine 1,1‐dioxide derivatives with potential biological activity

A novel series of 6‐chloro‐1,4,2‐benzodithiazine 1,1‐dioxide derivatives 2‐19 with alkyl, aryl or het‐eroaryl substituents at position 3 have been synthesized by the reaction of 4‐chloro‐2‐mercaptobenzenesul‐fonamides with aldehydes, aldehyde acetals or acid anhydrides. 6‐Chloro‐3‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐methyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐l,4,2‐benzodithiazine 1,1‐dioxide (7) exhibited remarkable activity on the leukemia CCRF‐CEM cell line (GI₅₀<10 nM) and moderate activity against the other 49 human tumor cell lines derived from nine different cancer type.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of New 8‐Trifluoromethylquinoline Containing Pyrazole‐3‐carboxamide Derivatives

The article describes the design, synthesis, and characterization of a new series of 8‐trifluoromethylquinoline substituted pyrazole‐3‐carboxamides ( 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d , 9e , 9f , 9g , 9h , 9i , 9j , 9k , 9l , 9m , 9n , 9o , 9p , 9q , 9r , 9s , 9t ) derived from different primary and secondary amines. The intermediate and target compounds were characterized using spectroscopic methods. The structures of intermediate 7 and target molecule 9d were evidenced by the single crystal X‐ray study. All the synthesized target compounds ( 9a , 9b , 9c , 9d , 9e , 9f , 9g , 9h , 9i , 9j , 9k , 9l , 9m , 9n , 9o , 9p , 9q , 9r , 9s , 9t ) and three intermediates ( 6 , 7 , 8 ) were screened for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Rv strain. Two compounds, 9k and 9t , showed significant inhibition activity with MIC of 3.13 µg/mL, which is comparable with the activity of standard drug, ethambutol. The carboxamides derived from benzylamine derivatives were more active than their aniline analogs. In general, the hybrid amides with a N‐methylene linkage (‐CONHCH₂‐) exhibited enhanced antitubercular activity. In the antibacterial screening, intermediate 3‐hydrazinyl‐2‐methyl‐8‐(trifluoromethyl)quinoline ( 6 ) displayed remarkable activity against the tested bacterial strains. Further, the active anti‐TB derivatives were non‐toxic to benign NIH 3T3 cells, which demonstrate the lack of general cellular toxicity and hence signifies their suitability for further lead development.     

Synthesis of 3‐[4‐Acyl‐2‐(1‐methoxy‐1‐methylethyl)morpholin‐3‐yl]‐benzonitriles as Novel Potassium Channel Openers

Potassium channel openers (KCO's) have been demonstrated to possess potent relaxant‐activity on smooth muscle. Tissue‐selective KCO's may find use in the treatment of a variety of diseases, such as hypertension, asthma, and urinary incontinence. We have previously reported a series of 1,9‐dioxa‐4‐aza‐phenanthrene‐6‐carbonitriles, including compounds 2 & 3 , as bladder‐selective KCO's. As a continuation of our efforts, we have designed 3‐[4‐acyl‐2‐(1‐methoxy‐1‐methylethyl)morpholin‐3‐yl]‐benzonitriles as ring‐opened analogs of compounds 2 & 3 . In this report, we describe the efficient construction of the novel 2,3‐disubstituted morpholine structure, as represented by the synthesis of compounds 4‐7 . Compounds 4‐7 showed potent and selective relaxant‐activity on rat bladder detrusor strip preparation. In this series, the most potent derivatives are Boc‐substituted analogs 4 & 6 (IC₅₀ = 3.9 and 2.9 μM, respectively).