Metal-free catalyst for the visible-light-induced photocatalytic synthesis of quinazolinones

Coerulein B: a water-soluble and water-compatible near-infrared photoredox catalyst

The recent expansion of photoredox catalysis into chemical biology has underscored the importance of photochemistry, attracting the attention of many researchers. On the other hand, as conventional photoredox catalysts were developed for organic synthesis, there is a necessity to develop biocompatible photoredox catalysts. Here, we show a water-soluble and water-compatible near-infrared (NIR) photoredox catalyst, coerulein B (CB). CB is a water-soluble molecule with a slightly twisted molecular structure, and its anionic species (CB-) exhibits NIR absorption and emission. We demonstrated that CB works as a water-compatible photoredox catalyst in the coupling reaction of pyridine hydrochloride and aryldiazonium salt. These results indicate that CB is one of the promising candidates for photocatalysts used in biological reactions.

Fast quinazolinone synthesis by combining enzymatic catalysis and photocatalysis

A fast and highly efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized quinazolinones by combining enzymatic catalysis and photocatalysis is reported. The α-Chymotrypsin catalyzed the cyclization of aldehyde and 2-aminobenzamide, which was subsequently followed by White LED-induced oxidation of 2-phenyl-2, 3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one to obtain quinazolinone. The reaction process was highly efficient with a reaction yield of 99% in just 2 h, and a wide range of quinazolinones could be synthesized. Furthermore, the plausible mechanism was investigated by control experiments and DFT calculations. This protocol provides an alternative synthetic route for the preparation of quinazolinone derivatives.