Heterocyclic Compounds: Synthesis, Design, and Biological Activity—2nd Edition
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 206
Special Issue Editor
2. Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia, Szkolna 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug design; structure–activity relationships; pharmaceutical analysis; polymorphism; drug bioavailability; ADME; nanoparticles; nanoformulations; controlled/targeted delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue “Heterocyclic Compounds: Synthesis, Design, and Biological Activity (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/W0122U9Z1F)”.
Although organic compounds consist of a carbon–hydrogen backbone, heteroatoms provide specificity to this skeleton. It does not matter whether these are classical heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur; rarer ones, such as phosphorus and selenium; or any of the various, widely occurring halogen groups. Isosteric/bioisosteric replacement of hydrocarbon fragments by heteroatoms can be carried out in both aliphatic structures and, more frequently, in a variety of cyclic systems. Many heterocyclic structures can be considered privileged scaffolds, meaning heterocycles form the basis of many bioactive compounds, with over 85% of all biologically active chemical entities containing a heterocycle. This reflects the central role of heterocycles in the modern design of not only drugs but also, for example, agrochemicals. While there are countless synthetic approaches to the preparation of heterocycles, it should be noted that many heterocyclic agents have been isolated from natural sources. The type, amount, and position of heteroatoms affect not only compounds’ chemical and physical properties, but also their binding to biological targets and overall biological behavior. As knowledge of interactions between molecules and their environment is undoubtedly the driving force behind all contemporary biomedical, biological, and ecological sciences, developing our understanding in this field is crucial for the further development and applications of these compounds.
This Special Issue is intended for all scientists involved in the synthesis/isolation, structural aspects, and analysis of heterocycles; the design, discovery, and development of biologically active heterocyclic compounds; and materials and their interactions, including their eco(toxico)logical effects. Both theoretical papers and manuscripts dealing with the mentioned topics experimentally are welcome, as are contributions that investigate receptor structures or enzymatic cascades.
Prof. Dr. Josef Jampilek
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- heterocycles
- bioactive molecules and materials
- pharmacophore
- design
- targeting
- computer studies
- synthesis and analysis
- natural compounds
- carbohydrates
- physicochemical properties
- biological screening
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
