Halogen-Bonding-Enabled Photoinduced Atom Transfer Radical Addition/Cyclization Reaction Leading to Tricyclic Heterocycles.

Atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) reactions are crucial for the dual functionalization of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Radical generation, pivotal in ATRA, has seen advancements from thermal to photochemical methods. Recent focus on halogen-bonding-based radical generation, including our group's innovative photochemical approach, offers cost-effective alternatives to transition-metal-dependent photocatalysts.

[Development of Molecular Transformation Reactions Using Visible Light and Main Group Elements].

Owing to their ability to induce excitation of specific molecular orbitals or initiate chemical reactions, photochemical reactions have the potential to be more effective at selectively activating target molecules than thermal reactions. The thermal reactions transfer thermal energy to activate molecules, which often leads to the activation of multiple molecular species, including undesired ones, resulting in non-selectivity. This nonselectivity may result in undesirable side reactions or decrease reaction efficiency.

Halogen-Bonding-Promoted Photoinduced C-X Borylation of Aryl Halide Using Phenol Derivatives.

This study investigates the photoinduced C-X borylation reaction of aryl halides by forming a halogen-bonding (XB) complex using 2-naphthol as an XB acceptor. The method is chemoselective and broadly functional group tolerant and provides concise access to corresponding boronate esters. Mechanistic studies reveal that forming the XB complex between aryl halide and naphthol acts as an electron donor-acceptor complex to furnish aryl radicals through photoinduced electron transfer.

Visible-Light-Induced Regioselective Functionalization of α-Olefin: Development of One-Pot Photo-Synthesis of C-Substituted Dihydrobenzofurans.

A method for the catalytic regioselective synthesis of C-substituted dihydrobenzofurans (DHBs) via [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of alkene and -benzoquinone is developed. This method realizes the rapid synthesis of DHBs with readily available substrates and simple reaction conditions by using Lewis acid B(CF) and Lewis base P(-tol) as a catalyst in combination with the classical Paternò-Büchi reaction.

Regulation of adipogenesis through retinoid X receptor and/or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor by designed lignans based on natural products in 3T3-L1 cells.

We previously synthesized two retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonists, 4'-hydroxy-3'-propyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-propanoic acid ethyl ester (4'OHE) and 6-hydroxy-3'-propyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-propanoic acid ethyl ester (6OHE), based on the structure of magnaldehyde B, a natural product obtained from Magnolia obovata. 4'OHE and 6OHE exhibited different selectivities for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)/RXR heterodimers. To examine the regulatory effects of these compounds in adipogenesis, 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes were treated with a differentiation cocktail with or without test compounds to induce differentiation, and subsequently treated with test compounds in insulin-containing medium every alternate day.

Antiandrogenic Effects of a Polyphenol in through Inhibition of Androgen Synthetic Pathway and Downregulation of Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.

Prostate cancer (PC) represents the most common cancer disease in men. Since high levels of androgens increase the risk of PC, androgen deprivation therapy is the primary treatment; however this leads to castration-resistant PC (CRPC) with a poor prognosis. The progression to CRPC involves ectopic androgen production in the adrenal glands and abnormal activation of androgen signaling due to mutations and/or amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) as well as activation of androgen-independent proliferative pathways.

Selenonium ylides: synthesis, characterization, and applications to photo-induced cyclopropanation reactions.

Carbenes are important and highly reactive intermediates for the synthesis of various complex molecules. They are now an indispensable chemical species in organic chemistry and are used frequently to synthesize complex compounds in drug discovery chemistry. In general, carbenes are synthesized by a combination of transition metal catalysts and diazo compounds or by the decomposition reactions of diazo compounds.

Photoinduced Atom Transfer Radical Addition Reaction of Olefins with α-Bromo Carbonyls.

The irradiation of halogen-bonded complexes with light leads to the homolysis of carbon-halogen bonds and the formation of the corresponding carbon radical species. However, the only methodology reported for these halogen-bonding complexes is using CBr as the halogen-bond donor and its applicability is of great interest. In this study, the atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) reaction of olefins using bromomalonates as halogen-bonding donors was developed.

Three-Component Iminolactonization Reaction via Bifunctionalization of Olefins Using Molecular Iodine and Visible Light.

A novel three-component γ-iminolactonization reaction was developed, which relied on the C-C/C-O bond-forming bifunctionalization of olefins using molecular iodine and visible light. This strategy did not require any (heavy) metal reagents for double-bond activation because molecular iodine acted as a rare-metal-alternative reagent through visible light irradiation. In addition, the preactivation of amines and other substrates is not required.

The Novel -Dihydroperoxide 12AC3O Suppresses High Phosphate-Induced Calcification via Antioxidant Effects in p53LMAco1 Smooth Muscle Cells.

The excessive intake of phosphate (Pi), or chronic kidney disease (CKD), can cause hyperphosphatemia and eventually lead to ectopic calcification, resulting in cerebrovascular diseases. It has been reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS), induced by high concentrations of Pi loading, play a key role in vascular calcification. Therefore, ROS suppression may be a useful treatment strategy for vascular calcification.

Discovery and SAR of Natural-Product-Inspired RXR Agonists with Heterodimer Selectivity to PPARδ-RXR.

A known natural product, magnaldehyde B, was identified as an agonist of retinoid X receptor (RXR) α. Magnaldehyde B was isolated from (Magnoliaceae) and synthesized along with more potent analogs for screening of their RXRα agonistic activities. Structural optimization of magnaldehyde B resulted in the development of a candidate molecule that displayed a 440-fold increase in potency.

Inhibitory effects of 4-hydroperoxy-2-decenoic acid ethyl ester on phorbol ester- and TGF-β1-induced MMPs expression.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc-containing proteinases, play a critical role in tumour progression by degrading extracellular matrix components. MMP2 and MMP9 are secreted from tumour-associated macrophages as well as tumour cells and have been implicated in the formation of the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, the inhibition of these MMPs may suppress tumour progression and metastasis.

-Diastereoselective Syntheses of γ-Lactones by Visible Light-Iodine-Mediated Carboesterification of Alkenes.

This study aims to develop an intermolecular lactonization reaction of alkenes with carbonyls mediated by visible light and molecular iodine. The one-step reaction involved the carboesterification of alkenes to produce the corresponding lactones in moderate to good yield. It was also revealed that it is possible to control the diastereoselectivity of the reaction by altering the base used and the reaction conditions.

Visible Light/Molecular-Iodine-Mediated Intermolecular Spirolactonization Reaction of Olefins with Cyclic Ketones.

In this study, intermolecular spirolactonization via an iodine/visible-light-mediated C-C/C-O bond formation reaction was developed. The developed reaction proceeded to form quaternary carbon centers via carboesterification between cyclic β-keto esters and olefins, affording spirolactone derivatives in a single step. In addition, the mechanistic investigation revealed that the generation of iodine radicals from molecular iodine driven by visible-light irradiation is a crucial step.

Induction of Human-Lung-Cancer-A549-Cell Apoptosis by 4-Hydroperoxy-2-decenoic Acid Ethyl Ester through Intracellular ROS Accumulation and the Induction of Proapoptotic CHOP Expression.

Royal jelly, a natural product secreted by honeybees, contains several fatty acids, such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (DE), and shows anti- and pro-apoptotic properties. 4-Hydroperoxy-2-decenoic acid ethyl ester (HPO-DAEE), a DE derivative, exhibits potent antioxidative activity; however, it currently remains unclear whether HPO-DAEE induces cancer-cell death. In the present study, treatment with HPO-DAEE induced human-lung-cancer-A549-cell death (52.

Olefin Bifunctionalization: A Visible-light Photoredox-catalyzed Aryl Alkoxylation of Olefins.

Olefin bifunctionalization is a facile route to obtain complex molecules from abundant and commercially available olefin feedstocks. Visible light together with a catalytic amount of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium salt catalyzes the aryl alkoxylation of styrenes with aryl diazonium salts in alcohol solvents via a photoredox process. The scope of this proposed reaction with respect to various aryl diazonium salts and styrenes has been investigated.

Effects of gem-dihydroperoxides against mutant copper‑zinc superoxide dismutase-mediated neurotoxicity.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, and death. Although its neuropathology is well investigated, currently, effective treatments are unavailable. The mechanism of ALS involves the aggregation and accumulation of several mutant proteins, including mutant copper‑zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), TAR DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS) proteins.

Visible-Light-Mediated Iminyl Radical Generation from Benzyl Oxime Ether: Synthesis of Pyrroline via Hydroimination Cyclization.

The treatment of an  O-(4-methoxybenzyl) oxime ether bearing an olefin substituent and 1-chloroanthraquinone (1-Cl-AQN) catalyst in 2-butanone under visible-light irradiation affords pyrroline via an iminyl radical intramolecular hydroimination. Mechanistic studies indicate that iminyl radical generation mainly proceeds by hydrogen abstraction of the photocatalyst from the benzyl position of the oxime. Moreover, the hydrogen atom was identified in circulation from the benzylic position of the substrates between AQN and 2-butanone to quench the carbon radical without requiring any additional reagents.

Organic dye-catalyzed radical ring expansion reaction.

Herein, we reported an attractive method for synthesizing medium-sized rings that are catalyzed by erythrosine B under fluorescent light irradiation. This synthetic approach featured mild conditions, a facile procedure, a broad substrate scope, and moderate-to-good yields.

Photoinduced Generation of Acyl Radicals from Simple Aldehydes, Access to 3-Acyl-4-arylcoumarin Derivatives, and Evaluation of Their Antiandrogenic Activities.

A novel photocatalysis to construct the 3-acyl-4-arylcoumarin framework from simple aldehyde with ynoate is described. The reaction proceeded through an acyl radical intermediate generated by hydrogen atom abstraction from aldehyde, followed by reaction with ynoate and then cyclization to afford coumarins. This valuable radical cyclization reaction gave over 20 coumarin derivatives in moderate to good yields with inexpensive 2-Bu-anthraquinone as a catalyst.

Aerobic Photooxidative Synthesis of β-Alkoxy Monohydroperoxides Using an Organo Photoredox Catalyst Controlled by a Base.

Transition-metal-free synthesis of β-alkoxy monohydroperoxides via aerobic photooxidation using an acridinium photocatalyst was developed. This method enables the synthesis of some novel hydroperoxides. The peroxide source is molecular oxygen, which is cost-effective and atomically efficient.

4-Hydroperoxy-2-decenoic acid ethyl ester protects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cell death via activation of Nrf2-ARE and eIF2α-ATF4 pathways.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Oxidative stress has been reported to be closely related to the pathogenesis and worsening of symptoms of PD. One therapeutic strategy is to alleviate neuronal injuries caused by oxidative stress.

Photo-oxidative Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling-Type Reaction of Thiophenes with α-Position of Carbonyls Using a Catalytic Amount of Molecular Iodine.

A metal-free photo-oxidative intermolecular C-H/C-H coupling reaction of thiophenes is demonstrated with carbonyls using a catalytic amount of molecular iodine. In this system, molecular oxygen in the air acted as a terminal oxidant to regenerate molecular iodine. A mechanistic study was also performed.