A simple, catalytic H2-hydrogenation method for the synthesis of fine chemicals; hydrogenation of protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester

The Red Color of Life Transformed - Synthetic Advances and Emerging Applications of Protoporphyrin IX in Chemical Biology

Protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) is the porphyrin scaffold of heme b, a ubiquitous prosthetic group of proteins responsible for oxygen binding (hemoglobin, myoglobin), electron transfer (cytochrome c) and catalysis (cytochrome P450, catalases, peroxidases). PPIX and its metallated derivatives frequently find application as therapeutic agents, imaging tools, catalysts, sensors and in light harvesting. The vast toolkit of accessible porphyrin functionalization reactions enables easy synthetic modification of PPIX to meet the requirements for its multiple uses. In the past few years, particular interest has arisen in exploiting the interaction of PPIX and its synthetic derivatives with biomolecules such as DNA and heme-binding proteins to evolve molecular devices with new functions as well as to uncover potential therapeutic toeholds. This review strives to shine a light on the most recent developments in the synthetic chemistry of PPIX and its uses in selected fields of chemical biology.

Chemoselective reduction of aldehydes by ruthenium trichloride and resin-bound formates

A simple, chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of aryl aldehydes with the aid of Amberlite^® resin formate (ARF), a stable H-donor, in the presence of catalytic ruthenium trichloride is described. Aromatic aldehydes and 1,2-diketones are reduced efficiently and selectively, while aryl ketones remain unchanged. Several other potentially reducible groups attached to the aromatic moiety are unaffected.