Photochemistry of the phthalimide system. VII. Regioselective remote photocyclization. Examples of a photochemical macrocyclic synthesis with sulfide-containing phthalimides

Exploring the Photophysical and Photochemical Properties of N-(Thioalkyl)-saccharins as an Alternative Route to the Synthesis of Tricyclic Sultams

Photocyclization of N-(thioalkyl)-saccharin was carried out to obtain different polycyclic sultams in good yields. These photoreactions were efficient under inert atmosphere and acetone triplet-sensitized conditions indicating that the triplet excited state is directly involved in the formation of annulated products. The presence of molecular oxygen changes product distribution, and only photo-oxygenation products (sulfoxides and sulfones) were found. This result is especially valuable since, by simple changing from nitrogen- to oxygen-saturated solvent conditions, the reaction outcome can be tuned from cyclized to sulfur oxidation products. Additionally, steady-state photolysis, electrochemistry, and laser time-resolved spectroscopic studies confirmed that these reactions mainly proceeded by intramolecular electron transfer (ET) between the triplet excited saccharin moiety and sulfur atom.

Photochemistry of N-(selenoalkyl)-phthalimides. Formation of N, Se-heterocyclic systems

A number of selenium heterocyclic derivatives are obtained upon direct or acetone-sensitized irradiation of a variety ofN-(selenomethyl)alkyl-phthalimides. The reaction proceeds by photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer between the Se atom and the phthalimide moiety.

Direct and indirect single electron transfer (SET)-photochemical approaches for the preparation of novel phthalimide and naphthalimide-based lariat-type crown ethers

In this review, we describe direct and indirect photochemical approaches that have been developed for the preparation of phthalimide- and naphthalimide-based, lariat-type crown ethers. The direct route utilizes a strategy in which nitrogen-linked side chains containing polyethoxy-tethered phthalimides and naphthalimides, possessing terminal α-trialkylsilyl groups, are synthesized utilizing concise routes and UV-irradiation to form macrocyclic ring systems. In contrast, the indirect route developed for the synthesis of lariat-type crown ethers employs sequences in which SET-promoted macrocyclization reactions of α-trialkylsilyl-terminated, polyethoxy-tethered phthalimides and naphthalimides are followed by a side chain introduction through substitution reactions at the amidol centers in the macrocyclic ethers. The combined observations made in these investigations demonstrate the unique features of SET-promoted photocyclization reactions that make them well-suited for the use in the synthesis of functionalized crown ethers. In addition, while some limitations exist for the general use of SET-photochemical reactions in large-scale organic synthesis, important characteristics of the photoinduced macrocyclization reactions make them applicable to unique situations in which high temporal and spatial control is required.