Functionalization of the benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene skeleton via photocatalytic oxygenation of furan and benzofuran derivatives

Photocatalytic Oxygenation of Heterostilbenes—Batch versus Microflow Reactor

On the basis of earlier results with furan and thiophene derivatives of benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene, photocatalytic oxygenation of novel furo- and thieno heterostilbenes with water-soluble manganese(III) porphyrins offered suitable possibilities to study their reactivities and reaction pathways depending on the heteroatom and the catalyst charge. The experiments were carried out in two reactors types (batch and microflow) to investigate the geometric effects. NMR spectroscopy, GC, and UPLC/MS analyses were applied for identification and quantification of the products. As our results indicated, the 2-thienyl and the common p-tolyl groups in the starting compounds remained intact due to their stronger aromaticity. Hence, the thieno derivative underwent oxygenation only at the open-chain part of the molecule, and the rates of its reactions were much lower than those of the furyl analogue. The less stable furan ring was easily oxygenated, its products with highest ratios were 2-furanon derivatives. Epoxide formation occurred at the open-chain parts of both substrates preferably by the anionic catalyst. Nevertheless, the conversion rates of the substrates were higher with the cationic porphyrin, according to electrophilic attacks by photogenerated Mn(V)=O species. Additionally, the reactions were significantly faster in microflow reactors due to the more favorable circumstances of mass transfer, diffusion, and light penetration.

A simple and easy to perform synthetic route to functionalized thienyl bicyclo[3.2.1]octadienes

In order to prepare novel polycyclic derivatives of bicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene systems fused with a thiophene ring, photochemical cyclization and aldol condensation reactions were carried out. The starting substrates were easily obtained by a Vilsmeier–Haack reaction of bicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene thiophene derivatives with dimethylformamide. From the obtained carbaldehydes, novel methyl, methoxy, and cyano-substituted styryl thienobenzobicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene derivatives were synthesized through Wittig reactions and subjected to photochemical cyclization, in terms of obtaining the new annulated structures. As part of this study, the aldol reaction of the starting 2-substituted carbaldehyde with acetone was also performed, which produced the thieno-fused benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene compound with an extended conjugation.

New Functionalized Polycycles Obtained by Photocatalytic Oxygenation Using Mn(III) Porphyrins in Basic Media

According to our earlier observations, the products of photocatalytic oxygenations of furan and thiophene derivatives of benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene with anionic and cationic manganese(III) porphyrin at pH = 7 strongly depended on the type and position of the heteroatom in the aromatic ring, as well as the charge of the photocatalyst. Hence, a significant pH increase (to 10) in these systems offered a reasonable tool to affect the diversity and yields of the oxygenation products. They were quantitatively separated by TLC and identified with NMR analyses. The results clearly indicated that the increase of HO− concentration, in most cases, considerably changed the product yield, e.g., enhanced it to 70% for the hydroxy-furyl derivative. Accordingly, the selectivity of the oxygenation of the furan compound could be improved in this way. In the case of one thienyl compound, however, even an additional product appeared, while the yields of the products of the other thiophene derivative (with cationic catalyst) decreased to zero, suggesting the application of lower pH for preparative purposes. The pH effects indicate that oxygenation reactions in these systems involve more photochemically generated oxidative agents, e.g., •OH and (P)Mn(V)=O), the role of which is affected by the pH increase in various ways.