Hetero-cycloreversions mediated by photoinduced electron transfer

Reductive Photocycloreversion of Cyclobutane Dimers Triggered by Guanines

The quest for simple systems achieving the photoreductive splitting of four-membered ring compounds is a matter of interest not only in organic chemistry but also in biochemistry to mimic the activity of DNA photorepair enzymes. In this context, 8-oxoguanine, the main oxidatively generated lesion of guanine, has been shown to act as an intrinsic photoreductant by transferring an electron to bipyrimidine lesions and provoking their cycloreversion. But, in spite of appropriate photoredox properties, the capacity of guanine to repair cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer is not clearly established. Here, dyads containing the cyclobutane thymine dimer and guanine or 8-oxoguanine are synthesized, and their photoreactivities are compared. In both cases, the splitting of the ring takes place, leading to the formation of thymine, with a quantum yield 3.5 times lower than that for the guanine derivative. This result is in agreement with the more favored thermodynamics determined for the oxidized lesion. In addition, quantum chemistry calculations and molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to rationalize the crucial aspects of the overall cyclobutane thymine dimer photoreductive repair triggered by the nucleobase and its main lesion.

Theoretical Study on the Photo-Oxidation and Photoreduction of an Azetidine Derivative as a Model of DNA Repair

Photocycloreversion plays a central role in the study of the repair of DNA lesions, reverting them into the original pyrimidine nucleobases. Particularly, among the proposed mechanisms for the repair of DNA (6-4) photoproducts by photolyases, it has been suggested that it takes place through an intermediate characterized by a four-membered heterocyclic oxetane or azetidine ring, whose opening requires the reduction of the fused nucleobases. The specific role of this electron transfer step and its impact on the ring opening energetics remain to be understood. These processes are studied herein by means of quantum-chemical calculations on the two azetidine stereoisomers obtained from photocycloaddition between 6-azauracil and cyclohexene. First, we analyze the efficiency of the electron-transfer processes by computing the redox properties of the azetidine isomers as well as those of a series of aromatic photosensitizers acting as photoreductants and photo-oxidants. We find certain stereodifferentiation favoring oxidation of the cis-isomer, in agreement with previous experimental data. Second, we determine the reaction profiles of the ring-opening mechanism of the cationic, neutral, and anionic systems and assess their feasibility based on their energy barrier heights and the stability of the reactants and products. Results show that oxidation largely decreases the ring-opening energy barrier for both stereoisomers, even though the process is forecast as too slow to be competitive. Conversely, one-electron reduction dramatically facilitates the ring opening of the azetidine heterocycle. Considering the overall quantum-chemistry findings, N,N-dimethylaniline is proposed as an efficient photosensitizer to trigger the photoinduced cycloreversion of the DNA lesion model.

Photochemical methods in metathesis reactions

Metathesis reactions are one of the most reliable and prevalent ways of creating a C-C bond in synthesis. Photochemical variants exist, and they have proven extremely useful for the construction of complex molecules, from natural products to Möbius rings. A variety of starting materials can undergo photometathesis reactions, including alkenes, alkynes, carbonyls, thiocarbonyls, and ketenes. While many of these reactions proceed with UV light and require harsh conditions, a handful of new techniques for visible-light photometathesis reactions have appeared recently. Given the current developments in visible-light photocatalysis, we believe that many more visible light photometathesis reactions await discovery. In this first review on the subject of photometathesis, we have gathered the relevant literature to give the reader an in-depth understanding of the field, and to inspire further development and synthetic application of these fascinating reactions.

Over one century after discovery: pyrylium salt chemistry emerging as a powerful approach for the construction of complex macrocycles and metallo-supramolecules

Over one century after its discovery, pyrylium salt chemistry has been extensively applied in preparing light emitters, photocatalysts, and sensitizers. In most of these studies, pyrylium salts acted as versatile precursors for the preparation of small molecules (such as furan, pyridines, phosphines, pyridinium salts, thiopyryliums and betaine dyes) and poly(pyridinium salt)s. In recent decades, pyrylium salt chemistry has emerged as a powerful approach for constructing complex macrocycles and metallo-supramolecules. In this perspective, we attempt to summarize the representative efforts of synthesizing and self-assembling large, complex architectures using pyrylium salt chemistry. We believe that this perspective not only highlights the recent achievements in pyrylium salt chemistry, but also inspires us to revisit this chemistry to design and construct macrocycles and metallo-supramolecules with increasing complexity and desired function.

Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Cycloreversion of a Nucleobase-Derived Azetidine by Photoinduced Electron Transfer

Azetidines are interesting compounds in medicine and chemistry as bioactive scaffolds and synthetic intermediates. However, photochemical processes involved in the generation and fate of azetidine-derived radical ions have scarcely been reported. In this context, the photoreduction of this four-membered heterocycle might be relevant in connection with the DNA (6-4) photoproduct obtained from photolyase. Herein, a stable azabipyrimidinic azetidine (AZT_m ), obtained from cycloaddition between thymine and 6-azauracil units, is considered to be an interesting model of the proposed azetidine-like intermediate. Hence, its photoreduction and photo-oxidation are thoroughly investigated through a multifaceted approach, including spectroscopic, analytical, and electrochemical studies, complemented by CASPT2 and DFT calculations. Both injection and removal of an electron result in the formation of radical ions, which evolve towards repaired thymine and azauracil units. Whereas photoreduction energetics are similar to those of the cyclobutane thymine dimers, photo-oxidation is clearly more favorable in the azetidine. Ring opening occurs with relatively low activation barriers (<13 kcal mol^-1 ) and the process is clearly exergonic for photoreduction. In general, a good correlation has been observed between the experimental results and theoretical calculations, which has allowed a synergic understanding of the phenomenon.

Photorelaxation and Photorepair Processes in Nucleic and Amino Acid Derivatives

Understanding the fundamental interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter is essential for a large number of phenomena, with significance to civilization.[...].

Stereoselective Fluorescence Quenching in the Electron Transfer Photooxidation of Nucleobase-Related Azetidines by Cyanoaromatics

Electron transfer involving nucleic acids and their derivatives is an important field in bioorganic chemistry, specifically in connection with its role in the photo-driven DNA damage and repair. Four-membered ring heterocyclic oxetanes and azetidines have been claimed to be the intermediates involved in the repair of DNA (6-4) photoproduct by photolyase. In this context, we examine here the redox properties of the two azetidine isomers obtained from photocycloaddition between 6-aza-1,3-dimethyluracil and cyclohexene. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments using a series of photoreductants and photooxidants have been run to evaluate the efficiency of the electron transfer process. Analysis of the obtained quenching kinetics shows that the azetidine compounds can act as electron donors. Additionally, it appears that the cis isomer is more easily oxidized than its trans counterpart. This result is in agreement with electrochemical studies performed on both azetidine derivatives.

Repair of a Dimeric Azetidine Related to the Thymine-Cytosine (6-4) Photoproduct by Electron Transfer Photoreduction

Photolyases are intriguing enzymes that take advantage of sunlight to restore lesions like cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers or (6-4) photoproducts. This work focused on the photoreductive process responsible for splitting of the azetidine ring proposed to occur during (6-4) photoproduct repair at a thymine-cytosine sequence. A model compound formed by photocycloaddition between thymine and 6-azauracil has been designed to mimic the elusive azetidine intermediate. The photoinduced electron transfer process has been investigated by means of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence using photosensitizers with oxidation potentials in the singlet excited state ranging from -3.3 to -2.1 V vs. SCE. Azetidine ring splitting and recovery of "repaired" bases were proven by HPLC analysis.

Regiochemistry and substituent effects on pyrylogen and thiopyrylogen stability and electronic character

A physical organic analysis of a collection of 57 data sets generated by B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) geometry optimizations and TD-DFT calculations is presented. The analysis engenders recommendations for syntheses of new pyrylogen electron-transfer sensitizers that are potentially optimized for low energy absorbance and high extinction coefficients. It is argued that bathochromically shifted intense absorbance is especially useful to avoid competitive absorbance by electron-transfer substrates and for use at the low concentrations likely achievable in experimentally attractive nonpolar solvents.

Cycloreversion of β-lactams via photoinduced electron transfer

With DABCO as an electron donor, photoinduced cycloreversion of β-lactams leads to olefins through 1,4-radical anions and 1,4-biradicals as intermediates.