Two pairs of enantiomerically pure cis-fused cyclopenteno-l,2,4-trioxanes (7, en!-7 and 8, ent-8) are prepared (Schemes 1-3). Their identities are established by dye-sensitized photo-oxygenation of ent-7 and 8 to the allylic hydroperoxides, reduction to the corresponding alcohols, and conversion to the (1s)-camphanoates (Scheme 4 ) , the structures of which are determined by X-ray analysis. The dynamic properties of em-7 are investigated by NMR spectroscopy and PM3 calculations. Evidence for an easily accessible twist-boat conformation is obtained. The in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities of 7 , ent-7, 8, and ent-8 as well as those of the racemic mixtures are evaluated against Plasmodium faleiparum, P . berghei, and P . yoelii. No correlation is observed between configuration and activity. Racemates and pure enantiomers have commensurate activities. The mode of action on the intraerythrocytic parasite is rationalized in terms of close docking by the twist-boat conformer of the trioxane on the surface of a molecule of heme, single-electron transfer to the 0-0 u* orbital, and scission to the acetal radical which then irreversibly isomerizes to a C-centered radical, the ultimate lethal agent (Scheme 5 ) .

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An unprecedentedly thermo‐ and air‐stable Pd0 complex from readily available electron‐poor trifluoromethylated phosphine was serendipitously discovered. As detailed and comparative DFT calculations indicate, the stability of the complex is associated with unusually strong ligand–ligand noncovalent interactions. The unique stability and the presence of hydrophobic structural elements of the complex offer several practical advantages, which were exploited in catalytic Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions.

Several o-(trimethylsilyl)aryl imidazolylsulfonates were synthesized in a simple process and successfully applied in cycloadditions involving benzyne intermediates. The precursor offers an efficient alternative for generating benzynes compared to widely used ortho TMS triflates under similar reaction conditions. With the utilization of this new precursor, the formation of potentially genotoxic trifluoromethanesulfonate side product is eliminated. The applicability of the new benzyne precursor was demonstrated in different types of cycloaddition reactions to prepare heterocyclic molecules.

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The photophysics of some newly prepared N-arylphenanthridinone derivatives have been investigated. It has been demonstrated how the luminescence properties are influenced by the size of the aromatic ring system. It has been shown that the replacement of the phenyl group in N-phenyphenanthridinone (PP) by an alpha-naphthyl or beta-naphthyl group (alphaNP and betaNP, respectively), influences the fluorescence spectra very differently. For alphaNP, the long-wavelength (LW) emission, which is well observable in case of PP, disappears, while for betaNP, the intensity of LW emission increases compared to the short-wavelength (SW) fluorescence. The rotation of the alpha-naphthyl group to the coplanar geometry, which is a requirement of the formation of the LW state, is strongly hindered, resulting in the lack of LW emission. In respect of steric hindrance, the beta-napthyl group is similar to phenyl, however, it decreases the energy of the LW state more as a consequence of its better electron donating character and the more extended conjugation of the coplanar system. This causes the increase of the LW/SW fluorescence ratio. The benzo-fusing on the phenanthridinone moiety results in a 6-7 kcal mol(-1) decrease in the SW singlet energy, however, surprisingly the LW state energy also decreases in almost the same manner. The phenomenon shows that the entire benzo-phenanthridinone group is strongly involved in both transitions. As a consequence, the benzo-fused N-aryl derivatives also show dual luminescence. The dipole moments of the LW state of betaNP and betaNBiP (6-naphthalen-2-yl-6H-benzo[i]phenanthridin-5-one) proved to be bigger by 30 and 50%, than that of the SW state, respectively. MO calculation indicates that in the SW --> LW reaction not only the size but the direction of the excited state dipole also changes significantly. In apolar solvents, the dominant deactivation process of the examined molecules is intersystem crossing. In polar solvents, where the LW emission energy is smaller, internal conversion becomes more significant than the other processes, resulting in low fluorescence yield.

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