Titanium dioxide photocatalysis of adamantane

Different routes for the construction of biologically active diversely functionalized bicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes: an exploration of new perspectives for anticancer chemotherapeutics

Cancer is the second most high-morbidity disease throughout the world. From ancient days, natural products have been known to possess several biological activities, and research on natural products is one of the most enticing areas where scientists are engrossed in the extraction of valuable compounds from various plants to isolate many life-saving medicines, along with their other applications. It has been noticed that the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane moiety is predominant in most biologically active natural products owing to its exceptional characteristics compared to others. Many derivatives of bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane are attractive to researchers for use in asymmetric catalysis or as potent anticancer entities along with their successful applications as ion receptors, metallocycles, and molecular tweezers. Therefore, this review article discusses several miscellaneous synthetic routes for the construction of bicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes and their heteroanalogues in association with the delineation of their anticancer activities with few selective compounds.

Synthesis and characterization of TiO2/ZnO heterostructural composite for ultraviolet photocatalytic degrading DOM in landfill leachate

In order to investigate the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in landfill leachate, TiO₂/ZnO heterostructural composite powders were fabricated combining with hydrothermal synthesis and solid-state reaction method. The prepared TiO₂/ZnO composite powders consist of anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles distributing on the surface of wurtzite ZnO particles. The optical band gap of TiO₂/ZnO powder is less than that of pure ZnO or TiO₂ powder. TiO₂/ZnO catalyzers show high ultraviolet-degradation efficiency for methylene blue and dissolved organic matter. The degradation rate of TiO₂/ZnO powder for fulvic acid-like substances in landfill leachate is 2.99 times that of pure ZnO powder, and is 1.30 times that of pure TiO₂ powder. The degradation of fulvic acid-like substances by TiO₂/ZnO photocatalyst reduced some molecular weight of benzene ring structure substances in leachate. The effective separation of electron and hole in heterostructural TiO₂/ZnO photocatalyst is the main reason for its high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of DOM in landfill leachate.

Direct radical functionalization methods to access substituted adamantanes and diamondoids

Adamantane derivatives have diverse applications in the fields of medicinal chemistry, catalyst development and nanomaterials, owing to their unique structural, biological and stimulus-responsive properties, among others. The synthesis of substituted adamantanes and substituted higher diamondoids is frequently achieved via carbocation or radical intermediates that have unique stability and reactivity when compared to simple hydrocarbon derivatives. In this review, we discuss the wide range of radical-based functionalization reactions that directly convert diamondoid C-H bonds to C-C bonds, providing a variety of products incorporating diverse functional groups (alkenes, alkynes, arenes, carbonyl groups, etc.). Recent advances in the area of selective C-H functionalization are highlighted with an emphasis on the H-atom abstracting species and their ability to activate the particularly strong C-H bonds that are characteristic of these caged hydrocarbons, providing insights that can be applied to the C-H functionalization of other substrate classes.

Metal complex catalysis in the chemistry of lower diamondoids

The review presents the first survey of published data on the use of compounds, complexes and nanoparticles of transition metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, V, Mo, Cu, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Os, Au, Re and Th) in the catalytic transformations of lower diamondoids — adamantane, diamantane and their derivatives. Catalytic halogenation, oxidation, alkylation and cross-coupling reactions are considered, and the formation pathways of C–N, C–S and C–Se bonds in the series of adamantanoids are discussed. Reaction conditions, appropriate catalytic systems and the structures of products are presented.

The bibliography includes 242 references.

Structure-reactivity relationship of naphthenic acids in the photocatalytic degradation process

Bitumen extraction in Canada's oil sands generates oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) as a toxic by-product. Naphthenic acids (NAs) contribute to the water's toxicity, and treatment methods may need to be implemented to enable safe discharge. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for OSPW remediation, however, its successful implementation requires understanding of the complicated relationship between structure and reactivity of NAs. This work aimed to study the effect of various structural properties of model compounds on the photocatalytic degradation kinetics via high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), including diamondoid structures, heteroatomic species, and degree of unsaturation. The rate of photocatalytic treatment increased significantly with greater structural complexity, namely with carbon number, aromaticity and degree of cyclicity, properties that render particular NAs recalcitrant to biodegradation. It is hypothesized that a superoxide radical-mediated pathway explains these observations and offers additional benefits over traditional hydroxyl radical-based AOPs. Detailed structure-reactivity investigations of NAs in photocatalysis have not previously been undertaken, and the results described herein illustrate the potential benefit of combining photocatalysis and biodegradation as a complete OSPW remediation technology.

Solar photocatalytic degradation of naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected water

Bitumen mining in the Canadian oil sands creates large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), the toxicity of which is due in part to naphthenic acids (NAs) and other acid extractable organics (AEO). The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of solar photocatalysis over TiO2 to remove AEO from OSPW. One day of photocatalytic treatment under natural sunlight (25 MJ/m(2) over ∼14 h daylight) eradicated AEO from raw OSPW, and acute toxicity of the OSPW toward Vibrio fischeri was eliminated. Nearly complete mineralization of organic carbon was achieved within 1-7 day equivalents of sunlight exposure, and degradation was shown to proceed through a superoxide-mediated oxidation pathway. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis of oxidized intermediate compounds indicated preferential degradation of the heavier and more cyclic NAs (higher number of double bond equivalents), which are the most environmentally persistent fractions. The photocatalyst was shown to be recyclable for multiple uses, and thus solar photocatalysis may be a promising "green" advanced oxidation process (AOP) for OSPW treatment.

Heterogeneous Photocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis: From Unselective Abatement of Noxious Species to Selective Production of High-Value Chemicals

Heterogeneous photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis have been considered as oxidation technologies to abate unselectively noxious species. This article focuses instead on the utilization of these methods for selective syntheses of organic molecules. Some promising reactions have been reported in the presence of various TiO2 samples and the important role played by the amorphous phase has been discussed. The low solubility of most of the organic compounds in water limits the utilization of photocatalysis. Dimethyl carbonate has been proposed as an alternative green organic solvent. The recovery of the products by coupling photocatalysis with pervaporation membrane technology seems to be a solution for future industrial applications. As far as photoelectrocatalysis is concerned, a decrease in recombination of the photogenerated pairs occurs, enhancing the rate of the oxidation reactions and the quantum yield. Another benefit is to avoid reaction(s) between the intermediates and the substrate, as anodic and cathodic reactions take place in different places.

Photocatalysis with TiO2 Applied to Organic Synthesis

Titanium dioxide is a versatile heterogeneous catalyst. Absorption of light by a TiO2 particle leads to the formation of an electron–hole pair. Electron transfer from or to the particle induces redox reactions. Although mainly applied in the context of environmental chemistry, these processes are also used to selectively transform organic compounds. Oxidations and reductions have been carried out. Applications to the synthesis of heterocycles have been reported. Many C–C bond formation reactions have been performed. Owing to adsorption of the substrates or by different surface modifications, visible light can be used to excite the catalytic system, which generates mild reaction conditions.

Photocatalysis: a promising route for 21st century organic chemistry

One of the main goals of 21st century chemistry is to replace environmentally hazardous processes with energy efficient routes allowing to totally avoid the use and production of harmful chemicals and to maximise the quantity of raw material that ends up in the final product. Selective photocatalytic conversions will play a major role in this evolution and this account shows how photocatalysis is offering an alternative green route for the production of organics.

Tetrabutylammonium Decatungstate-Photosensitized Alkylation of Electrophilic Alkenes: Convenient Functionalization of Aliphatic CH Bonds

Tetrabutylammonium decatungstate (TBADT, 2 x 10(-3) m) is an effective photocatalyst for the alkylation of electrophilic alkenes (0.1 m, alpha,beta-unsaturated nitriles, esters, ketones) by alkanes, alcohols, and ethers. The products are in most cases obtained in >70 % isolated yields, through an experimentally very simple procedure. The kinetics of the radical processes following initial hydrogen abstraction by excited TBADT in deoxygenated MeCN have been studied. In the absence of a trap, back hydrogen transfer from reduced tungstate is the main pathway for alkyl radicals, while alpha-hydroxyalkyl radicals are oxidized to ketones by ground-state TBADT. With both radical types the reaction ceases at a few percent conversion. However, trapping by electrophilic alkenes is followed by reduction of the radical adduct and regeneration of the catalyst, which allows the alkylation to proceed up to complete alkene conversion with the mentioned good yields of products. With a nucleophilic (alpha-hydroxyalkyl) radical, alkylation is efficient (Phi = 0.58) and can also be carried out when degassing is omitted, the only difference being a short induction period. With a less reactive (cyclohexyl) radical, the quantum yield is lower (Phi = 0.06) and the reaction is considerably slowed in aerated solutions, but the chemical yield remains good.