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Updated: May 24, 2026

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Endoperoxide synthesis by photocatalytic aerobic [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions
Jonathan D Parrish1, Michael A Ischay, Zhan Lu
1Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States.
None:
Structurally novel endoperoxides can be sythesized by the photocatalytic cyclotrimerization of bis(styrene) substrates with molecular oxygen. The optimal catalyst for this process is Ru(bpz)(3)(2+), which is a markedly more efficient catalyst for these photooxygention reactions than conventional organic photosensitizers. The 1,2-dioxolane products are amenable to synthetic manipulation and can be easily processed to 1,4-diols and γ-hydroxyketones. An initial screen of the biological activity of these compounds reveals promising inhibition of cancer cell growth.
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