Photochemical Cascade Research Articles

Enantioselective Photochemical Organocascade Catalysis.

Reported herein is a photochemical cascade process that combines the excited‐state and ground‐state reactivity of chiral organocatalytic intermediates. This strategy directly converts racemic cyclopropanols and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes into stereochemically dense cyclopentanols with exquisite stereoselectivity. Mechanistic investigations have enabled elucidating the origin of the stereoconvergence, which is governed by a kinetic resolution process.

A Short Synthesis of (±)‐3‐Demethoxyerythratidinone by Ligand‐Controlled Selective Heck Cyclization of Equilibrating Enamines

AbstractA short, 5‐step total synthesis of (±)‐3‐demethoxyerythratidinone from a simple pyrrole derivative is described. Features include the formation of gram quantities of a key tricylic aziridine from a challenging photochemical cascade reaction through the use of flow photochemistry. The final step involved a highly unusual Heck cyclization whereby ligand control enabled efficient formation of the natural product in 69 % yield from the minor isomer present in an equilibrating mixture of labile enamines.

A Short Synthesis of (±)-3-Demethoxyerythratidinone by Ligand-Controlled Selective Heck Cyclization of Equilibrating Enamines.

A short, 5‐step total synthesis of (±)‐3‐demethoxyerythratidinone from a simple pyrrole derivative is described. Features include the formation of gram quantities of a key tricylic aziridine from a challenging photochemical cascade reaction through the use of flow photochemistry. The final step involved a highly unusual Heck cyclization whereby ligand control enabled efficient formation of the natural product in 69 % yield from the minor isomer present in an equilibrating mixture of labile enamines.

Electron Catalytic Photochemical Cascade Carbodifluoroalkylation/Radical Cyclization of Methylene‐2‐oxazolines

AbstractAn operationally green, electron‐catalyzed, photochemical tandem carbodifluoroalkylation/radical cyclization of enol ethers is disclosed. The reactions occur via addition of difluoroacyl radicals to methylene‐2‐oxazolines and subsequent intramolecular base‐promoted homolytic alkyl substitution (BHAS) of the intermediate oxyl‐alkyl radicals. Initiation of the radical chain reaction is best achieved with a commercially available and cheap organic base, and readily accessible visible light is used as the energy source.magnified image

Photoinduced "Double Click" Cascade Offers Access to Complex Polyheterocycles from Readily Available Isatin-Based Photoprecursors.

The cascade photoassisted synthetic strategy for accessing complex N,O-polyheterocycles of unprecedented molecular architecture is developed. It is based on intramolecular cycloadditions of aza-o-xylylenes formed in situ via excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of o-acylanilides. The photoprecursors are synthesized via a two-step one-pot method from readily available starting materials. The photochemical cascade (one experimentally simple step) results in the formation of four new heterocyclic rings with high control of diastereoselectivity.

Impact of the isoprene photochemical cascade on tropical ozone

Abstract. Tropical tropospheric ozone affects Earth's radiative forcing and the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. Considerable work has been devoted to the study of the processes controlling its budget. Yet, large discrepancies between simulated and observed tropical tropospheric ozone remain. Here, we characterize some of the mechanisms by which the photochemistry of isoprene impacts the budget of tropical ozone. At the regional scale, we use forward sensitivity simulation to explore the sensitivity to the representation of isoprene nitrates. We find that isoprene nitrates can account for up to 70% of the local NOx = NO+NO2 sink. The resulting modulation of ozone can be well characterized by their net modulation of NOx. We use adjoint sensitivity simulations to demonstrate that the oxidation of isoprene can affect ozone outside of continental regions through the transport of NOx over near-shore regions (e.g., South Atlantic) and the oxidation of isoprene outside of the boundary layer far from its emissions regions. The latter mechanism is promoted by the simulated low boundary-layer oxidative conditions. In our simulation, ~20% of the isoprene is oxidized above the boundary layer in the tropics. Changes in the interplay between regional and global effect are discussed in light of the forecasted increase in anthropogenic emissions in tropical regions.

Functional Expression, Targeting and Ca2+ Signaling of a Mouse Melanopsin‐eYFP Fusion Protein in a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell Line†

Melanopsin, first discovered in Xenopus melanophores, is now established as a functional sensory photopigment of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. These ganglion cells drive circadian rhythm and pupillary adjustments through projection to the brain. Melanopsin shares structural similarities with all known opsins. Comprehensive characterization of melanopsin with respect to its spectral properties, photochemical cascade and signaling partners requires a suitable recombinant system and high expression levels. This combination has not yet been described. To address this issue, we have expressed recombinant mouse melanopsin in several cell lines. Using enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) as a visualization tag, expression was observed in all cell lines. Confocal microscopy revealed that melanopsin was properly routed to the plasma membrane only in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-derived D407 cells and in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. Further, we performed intracellular calcium measurements in order to probe the melanopsin signaling activity of this fusion protein. Transfected cells were loaded with the calcium indicator Fura2-AM. Upon illumination, an immediate but transient calcium response was observed in HEK as well as in D407 cells, while mock-transfected cells showed no calcium response under identical conditions. Supplementation with 11-cis retinal or all-trans retinal enhanced the response. After prolonged illumination the cells became desensitized. Thus, RPE-derived cells expressing recombinant melanopsin may constitute a suitable system for the study of the structural and functional characteristics of melanopsin.