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Updated: Jul 28, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Visible-light-induced aerobic epoxidation with vitamin B2-based photocatalyst
Duyi Shen1, Ting Ren1, Zhen Luo1
1Key Laboratory of Green Natural Products and Pharmaceutical Intermediates in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China. shendy@qfnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Herein we described the catalytic epoxidation of α,β-enone, with peroxide in situ generated, via a predominant single electron transfer and a minor energy transfer pathway. We use inexpensive natural vitamin B2 (riboflavin, RF) or its simple ester (riboflavin tetraacetate, RFT) as the photocatalysts, commonly used 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene (DBU) as both the electron source and organic base, and ambient air as the terminal oxidant, under visible-light irradiation and room temperature.
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