Isolated Neutral [4]Helicene Radical Provides Insight into Consecutive Two-Photon Excitation Photocatalysis

Direct activation of strong bonds in readily available, benchtop substrates offer a straightforward simplification, albeit in most cases existing catalytic systems are limited to unlock such activation. In recent years, a surge of in-situ generated organic radicals that can act as potent photoinduced electron transfer (PET) agents have proved to be a powerful manifold for the activation of remarkably stable bonds. Herein we document the use of N,N′-di-n-propyl-1,13-dimethoxyquinacridine (nPr-DMQA•), an isolated and stable neutral helicene radical, as a highly photoreducing species. This isolable doublet state open shell radical offers a unique opportunity to shed light on the mechanism behind PET reactions of organic radicals. Experimental and spectroscopic studies revealed that this doublet radical has a long lifetime of 4.6 ± 0.2 ns, an estimated excited state oxidation potential of -3.31 V vs SCE, and can undergoes PET with organic substrates. The strongly photoreducing nature of the nPr-DMQA• was experimentally confirmed by the demonstration of photo activation of electron rich aryl bromides and chlorides. We further demonstrated that nPr-DMQA• can be photochemically generated from its cation analog (nPr-DMQA+) allowing catalytic functionalization of aryl halide via a consecutive photoexcitation mechanism (ConPET). Dehalogenation, photo-Arbuzov, photo-borylation and C-C bond formation reactions with aryl chlorides and bromides are reported herein, as well as the α-arylation of carbonyl using cyclic ketones. The latter transformation exhibits the facile synthesis of α-arylated cyclic ketones as critical feedstock chemical for diverse useful molecules, especially in the biomedical enterprises.

Synthesis and pesticidal activity of some 4-Azolylmethyl-1,3-dioxolanes, based on cyclic ketones

In vitro tests of substituted 1,3-dioxolanes, based on cyclic ketones and substituted with 1H-1,2,4-triazole and 1H-imidazole showed a fungicidal activity lower than the activity of the triadimefon, and spiroxamine. Studied compounds in the entire concentration range: from 0.001 to 10 mg/L showed noticeable retardant properties. The target compounds were derived by cyclization of substituted cyclohexanones with epichlorohydrin followed by alkylation of the derived 2 chloromethyl-1,3 dioxolanes of sodium salts of imidazole or 1,2,4-triazole.

Cyclic Voltammogram Analysis of the Environmental Aspects of the Use of Ferrocenyl Carbinols

Ferrocene and its derivatives have ecologically effective antidetane properties. In this regard, ferrocene reacts with cyclic ketones and ferrosenylcarbinols are synthesized. It should be noted that ferrocene enters into electrophilic reactions and the process takes place in an acidic environment. In addition, the yield of the new product was small compared to the reactions of ferrocene with non-cyclic ketones. This is due to the spatial structures of molecules. The elemental analysis of obtained compounds was carried out; the structures were researched by cyclic voltammograms and Chronoamperometric.

Evaluation of Antiviral Activity of Cyclic Ketones against Mayaro Virus

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a neglected arthropod-borne virus found in the Americas. MAYV infection results in Mayaro fever, a non-lethal debilitating disease characterized by a strong inflammatory response affecting the joints and muscles. MAYV was once considered endemic to forested areas in Brazil but has managed to adapt and spread to urban regions using new vectors, such as Aedes aegypti, and has the potential to cause serious epidemics in the future. Currently, there are no vaccines or specific treatments against MAYV. In this study, the antiviral activity of a series of synthetic cyclic ketones were evaluated for the first time against MAYV. Twenty-four compounds were screened in a cell viability assay, and eight were selected for further evaluation. Effective concentration (EC50) and selectivity index (SI) were calculated and compound 9-(5-(4-chlorophenyl]furan-2-yl)-3,6-dimethyl-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2))-dione (9) (EC50 = 21.5 µmol·L–1, SI = 15.8) was selected for mechanism of action assays. The substance was able to reduce viral activity by approximately 70% in both pre-treatment and post-treatment assays.

The Silicon–Hydrogen Exchange Reaction: Catalytic Kinetic Resolution of 2-Substituted Cyclic Ketones

We have recently reported the strong and confined, chiral acid-catalyzed asymmetric “silicon−hydrogen exchange reaction”. One aspect of this transformation is that it enables access to enantiopure enol silanes in a tautomerizing σ-bond metathesis, via deprotosilylation of ketones with allyl silanes as the silicon source. However, until today, this reaction has not been applied to racemic, 2-substituted, cyclic ketones. We show here that these important substrates readily undergo a highly enantioselective kinetic resolution furnishing the corresponding kinetically preferred enol silanes. Mechanistic studies suggest the fascinating possibility of advancing the process to a dynamic kinetic resolution.

Biomimetic Ketone Reduction by Disulfide Radical Anion

The conversion of ribonucleosides to 2′-deoxyribonucleosides is catalyzed by ribonucleoside reductase enzymes in nature. One of the key steps in this complex radical mechanism is the reduction of the 3′-ketodeoxynucleotide by a pair of cysteine residues, providing the electrons via a disulfide radical anion (RSSR•−) in the active site of the enzyme. In the present study, the bioinspired conversion of ketones to corresponding alcohols was achieved by the intermediacy of disulfide radical anion of cysteine (CysSSCys)•− in water. High concentration of cysteine and pH 10.6 are necessary for high-yielding reactions. The photoinitiated radical chain reaction includes the one-electron reduction of carbonyl moiety by disulfide radical anion, protonation of the resulting ketyl radical anion by water, and H-atom abstraction from CysSH. The (CysSSCys)•− transient species generated by ionizing radiation in aqueous solutions allowed the measurement of kinetic data with ketones by pulse radiolysis. By measuring the rate of the decay of (CysSSCys)•−at λmax = 420 nm at various concentrations of ketones, we found the rate constants of three cyclic ketones to be in the range of 104–105 M−1s−1 at ~22 °C.

α-C(sp3)-H Arylation of Cyclic Carbonyl Compounds

Abstractα-C(sp3)-H arylation is an important type of C-H functionalization. Various biologically significant natural products, chemical intermediates, and drugs have been effectively prepared via C-H functionalization. Cyclic carbonyl compounds comprise of cyclic ketones, enones, lactones, and lactams. The α-C(sp3)-H arylation of these compounds have been exhibited high efficiency in forming C(sp3)-C(sp2) bonds, played a crucial role in organic synthesis, and attracted majority of interests from organic and medicinal communities. This review focused on the most significant advances including methods, mechanism, and applications in total synthesis of natural products in the field of α-C(sp3)-H arylations of cyclic carbonyl compounds in recent years.

SYNTHESIS OF AROMATIC ACETYLENE ALCOHOLS USING COMPLEX CATALYTIC SYSTEMS

Some cyclic ketones (cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, 2-methylcyclohexanone, menthol, camphor and adamantanone) enantioselective alkynylation reactions with phenylacetylene have been studied in the presence of complex catalytic systems - Zn(OTf)2/NЕt3/MeCN, 3,3′-Ph2BINOL-2Li/TGF and BuLi/KOtBu/TGF. Synthesis were performed new aromatic acetylene alcohols – 1-(2-phenylathinyl) cyclopentanol (1), 1-(2-phenylethinyl)cyclohexanol (2), 2-methyl-1-(2-phenylethinyl)cyclohexanol (3), 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-1-(2-phenylethinyl)cyclohexanol (4), 1,7,7,-trimethyl-2-(2-phenylethinyl)bicyclo [2.2.1] heptanol-2 (5) and 2-phenylethinyltricyclo [3,3,1.03,7]nonanol-2 (6). Synthesis reactions of aromatic acetylene alcohols, activation energies were determined, kinetics of chemical changes were analyzed, reaction mechanisms were proposed. The course of the reactions and the effect of the selected ketone molecule size, structure and number of rings on the product yield were analyzed. A series of catalytic activity of the applied complex catalytic systems has been developed.