Hea Jung Park

Nature and kinetic analysis of carbon-carbon bond fragmentation reactions of cation radicals derived from SET-oxidation of lignin model compounds.

Features of the oxidative cleavage reactions of diastereomers of dimeric lignin model compounds, which are models of the major types of structural units found in the lignin backbone, were examined. Cation radicals of these substances were generated by using SET-sensitized photochemical and Ce(IV) and lignin peroxidase promoted oxidative processes, and the nature and kinetics of their C-C bond cleavage reactions were determined. The results show that significant differences exist between the rates of cation radical C1-C2 bond cleavage reactions of 1,2-diaryl-(β-1) and 1-aryl-2-aryloxy-(β-O-4) propan-1,3-diol structural units found in lignins. Specifically, under all conditions C1-C2 bond cleavage reactions of cation radicals of the β-1 models take place more rapidly than those of the β-O-4 counterparts. The results of DFT calculations on cation radicals of the model compounds show that the C1-C2 bond dissociation energies of the β-1 lignin model compounds are significantly lower than those of the β-O-4 models, providing clear evidence for the source of the rate differences.

Photoaddition Reactions of 1,2-Diketones with Silyl Ketene Acetals. Formation of β-Hydroxy-γ-ketoesters

Photochemical reactions taking place between 1,2-diketones and silyl ketene acetals and their excited state reaction mechanisms have been explored. Irradiation of benzene, acetone, or acetonitrile solutions containing 1,2-diketones and silyl ketene acetals is observed to promote formation of 1,4-dioxenes, resulting from [4 + 2]-cycloaddition, oxetanes, arising by Paterno-Buchi processes, and beta-hydroxy-gamma-ketoesters, generated by SET-promoted Claisen-type condensation. These competitive pathways leading from the excited states of the 1,2-diketones to these products are influenced by solvent polarity and the nature of the silyl ketene acetal and 1,2-diketone. The Claisen-type condensation process, following an SET desilylation pathway and predominating when the photoreactions are carried out in the polar solvent acetonitrile, represents an efficient method to prepare a variety of diversely substituted beta-hydoxy-gamma-ketoesters.

Regioselectivity of enzymatic and photochemical single electron transfer promoted carbon-carbon bond fragmentation reactions of tetrameric lignin model compounds.

New types of tetrameric lignin model compounds, which contain the common β-O-4 and β-1 structural subunits found in natural lignins, have been prepared and carbon-carbon bond fragmentation reactions of their cation radicals, formed by photochemical (9,10-dicyanoanthracene) and enzymatic (lignin peroxidase) SET-promoted methods, have been explored. The results show that cation radical intermediates generated from the tetrameric model compounds undergo highly regioselective C-C bond cleavage in their β-1 subunits. The outcomes of these processes suggest that, independent of positive charge and odd-electron distributions, cation radicals of lignins formed by SET to excited states of sensitizers or heme-iron centers in enzymes degrade selectively through bond cleavage reactions in β-1 vs β-O-4 moieties. In addition, the findings made in the enzymatic studies demonstrate that the sterically large tetrameric lignin model compounds undergo lignin peroxidase-catalyzed cleavage via a mechanism involving preliminary formation of an enzyme-substrate complex.

Photoaddition Reactions of Acetylpyridines with Silyl Ketene Acetals: SET vs [2 + 2]-Cycloaddition Pathways

Photoaddition reactions of silyl ketene acetals with 2-, 3- and 4-acetylpyridine have been explored. The results show that the acetylpyridines react with an electron rich, dimethyl-substituted silyl ketene acetal via a pathway in which excited state single electron transfer (SET) takes place to produce β-hydroxyesters in high yields. In contrast, photochemical reactions of the acetylpyridines with an electron deficient, nonmethyl-substituted silyl ketene acetal generate oxetanes as major products, which arise via a route involving excited state [2 + 2]-cycloaddition. In addition, an increase in solvent polarity significantly enhances the relative efficiencies of the SET processes versus [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions. Importantly, the carbonyl groups rather than the pyridine moieties in the acetylpyridine substrates participate in both types of addition reactions. Finally, the results demonstrate that photoinduced electron transfer (PET)-promoted chemical reactions between acetylpyridines and electron rich silyl ketene acetals in polar solvent serve as useful methods to promote β-hydroxyester forming, Claisen or Mukaiyama condensation reactions under mild conditions.

Exploration of photochemical reactions of N-trimethylsilylmethyl-substituted uracil, pyridone, and pyrrolidone derivatives

Photochemical reactions of N-trimethylsilylmethyl-substituted uracil, pyridone and pyrrolidone derivatives were carried out to determine if silicone containing substituents have an impact on excited state reaction profiles. The results show that ultraviolet irradiation of N-trimethylsilylmethyl substituted uracils in the presence of substituted alkenes leads to efficient formation of both dimeric and cross [2+2]-cycloaddition products. Qualitatively similar observations were made in a study of the photochemistry of N-trimethylsilylmethyl-2-pyridone. The combined results demonstrate that [2+2]-photocycloaddition is a more efficient excited state reaction pathway for the uracil and pyridone substrates as compared to other processes, such as ylide-forming trimethylsilyl group C-to-O migration. Finally, photoreactions of N-trimethylsilylmethyl-2-pyrrolidone in solutions containing dipolarophiles, such as methyl acrylate, lead to the formation of the desilylation product, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone by way of a simple, non-ylide generating, protodesilylation process. In addition, observations were made which show that orbital symmetry allowed photocycloreversion reactions of dimeric uracil derivatives, involving cyclobutane ring splitting, to take place. These processes, which lead to the formation of monomeric uracils, appear to be stimulated by the presence of electron donor groups on the cyclobutane ring, a likely result of a new SET promoted cyclobutane ring cleavage pathway. In the cases of N-trimethylsilylmethyl-substituted cyclobutane derivatives that possess phthalimide groups, highly efficient excited state cleavage of the cyclobutane moiety occurs to produce uracil derivatives and corresponding vinyl phthalimide.

Synthesis and Properties of Fluorinated Styrene Copolymers as Antibiofouling Coatings

A series of polystyrene (PS) copolymers containing 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene units with different monomer ratios were prepared for antifouling applications. PS, poly(styrene-co-pentafluorostyrene) (poly(S-co-FS)), and poly(pentafluorostyrene) (PFS) were synthesized by free-radical polymerization and characterized by 1H NMR, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The surface energy of the polymer films decreased with increasing content of fluorinated styrene. Protein adsorption experiments were carried out on the synthesized polymer films using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin as a fluorescent protein. The photo-luminescence intensity of the protein-adsorbed polymer films decreased dramatically as the content of hydrophobic fluorinated styrene increased, suggesting that poly(S-co-FS) copolymers and PFS could be used as potential antibiofouling coatings.

A strategy for the preparation of cyclic polyarenes based on single electron transfer-promoted photocyclization reactions

Single electron transfer (SET)-promoted photocyclization reactions of substrates comprised of benzylsilane tethered to phthalimides were subjected to an exploratory study in order to probe a new approach for the preparation of cyclic polyarenes. The results show that UV irradiation of the substrates leads to efficient photochemical reactions that are initiated by SET from benzylsilane moieties to the excited phthalimide acceptor. Ensuing desilylation reactions of the benzylsilane cation radical moieties in the intermediate zwitterionic biradicals and proton transfer gives biradical precursors of the cyclic polyarene products. The observations made in this effort suggests that SET photochemical methods, which have been employed earlier to generate cyclic poly-ethers, -thioethers and -amides, serve as a useful method to access potentially interesting macrocyclic targets.

Photoaddition Reactions of 1,2-Diketone

Photoaddition reactions between 1,2- dicarbonyl compounds and silyl enol ethers in acetonitrile and benzene were explored. Irradiation of acetonitrile or benzene solutions containing 1,2-diketone, acenaphthalquinone, phenanthrene-quinone and silyl enol ethers is observed to promote the production of 1,4- dioxenes, oxetanes, and β -hydroxyketone by the (4+2)- cycloadditon, Paterno-Buchi processes, and SET promoted Claisen-type condensation. Among these competitive pathways leading to the generation of each types of products, SET promoted 1,4-dioxene and β -hydroxyketone formation are more favored regardless of solvent polarity. In recent studies, we explored photochemical reactions of 1,2-diketone and silyl ketene acetals and showed that versatile C-C or C-O bond forming processes take place. On the basis of an analysis of the protoproducts presented previous study 1 , ground state/ excited state redox properties of 1,2-diketone electron acceptor 2-3 and silyl ketene acetal electron donor 4,5 , and results of photoreactions of monoketone analogs