No abstract

Explosive growth in the use of open shell reactivity, including neutral radicals and radical ions, in the field of synthetic organic chemistry has been observed in the past decade, particularly since the advent of ruthenium complexes in 2008. These complexes generally induce single-electron transfer (SET) processes via visible-light absorption. Additionally, recent significant advancements in organic electrochemistry involving SET processes to provide open shell reactivity offer a complementary method to traditional polarity-driven reactions described by two-electron transfer processes. In this Review, we highlight the importance of intramolecular SET processes in the field of synthetic organic chemistry, which seem to be more elusive than the intermolecular versions, since they are net redox-neutral and thus cannot simply be regarded as oxidations or reductions. Such intramolecular SET processes can rationally be understood in combination with concomitant bond formations and/or cleavages, and are regulated by a structural motif that we call a "redox tag." In order to describe modern radical-driven reactions involving SET processes, we focus on a classical formalism in which electrons are treated as particles rather than waves, which offers a practical yet powerful approach to explain and/or predict synthetic outcomes.

Electrocatalytic Diels–Alder reactions have been designed and demonstrated based on the aromatic “redox tag” concept.

Radical cation Diels–Alder reactions by titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis in lithium perchlorate/nitromethane solution are described. TiO2 photocatalysis promotes reactions between electron-rich dienes and dienophiles, which would otherwise be difficult to accomplish due to electronic mismatching. The reactions are triggered by hole oxidation of the dienophile and are completed by the excited electron reduction of the radical cation intermediate at the dispersed surface in the absence of any sacrificial substrate.

Fluorophores with emission wavelengths that shift depending on their hydrogen-bonding microenvironment in water would be fascinating tools for the study of biological events. Herein we describe the design and synthesis of a series of water-soluble solvatochromic fluorophores, 2,5-bis(oligoethylene glycol)oxybenzaldehydes (8-11) and 2,5-bis(oligoethylene glycol)oxy-1,4-dibenzaldehydes (14-17), based on a push-pull strategy. Unlike typical examples in this class of fluorophores, the fluorescence properties of these compounds are independent of solvent polarity and become fluorescent upon intermolecular hydrogen-bonding, exhibiting high quantum yields (up to ϕ = 0.55) and large Stokes shifts (up to 134 nm). Furthermore, their emission wavelengths change depending on their hydrogen-bonding environment. The described fluorophores provide a starting point for unprecedented applications in the fields of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.