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New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis
With the recent push toward green chemistry, photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful alternative for reactions that might otherwise need high temperatures, poor atom economy or harsh reactants to proceed. This thesis explores the use of visible-light mediated photocatalysis for the synthesis of bio...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Chemistry
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613457667325952 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Oddy, Meghan Jessica |
| author2 | Petersen, Wade |
| author_browse | Oddy, Meghan Jessica Petersen, Wade |
| author_facet | Petersen, Wade Oddy, Meghan Jessica |
| author_sort | Oddy, Meghan Jessica |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | With the recent push toward green chemistry, photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful alternative for reactions that might otherwise need high temperatures, poor atom economy or harsh reactants to proceed. This thesis explores the use of visible-light mediated photocatalysis for the synthesis of biologically important nitrogen containing heterocycles, investigating both single electron transfer and energy transfer methods. The results section of this thesis is presented in three chapters, each focusing on a different ring size, namely 4, 5 and 6 membered nitrogen heterocycles. Chapter two explores the use of photocatalysis to enable stereoselective access to 3,3-disubstitued oxindoles via newly developed N-acyl chiral auxiliaries, serving as chiral C1 radical synthons. These acyl radicals are generated under visible-light mediated single electron transfer to N-hydroxyphthalimido esters, which then undergo a radical addition–cyclisation sequence with N-phenyl acrylamides. A model 3,3-disubstitued oxindole is isolated as separable diastereomers in 81% yield with 2.2:1 dr. This advanced intermediate could be telescoped toward the formal synthesis of the natural cyclotryptamine alkaloid, physovenine. Chapter three describes an efficient thioxanthone-catalysed triplet energy transfer process for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones from N-acrylamides. This work features a rare example of a metal-free formal C(sp2)–H/C(sp3)–H arylation mediated by visible-light. Using 450 nm light with 2 chlorothioxanthone in 2,2,2-TFE:CHCl3, a selection of 23 substituted 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones are isolated in moderate to excellent yields (16–97%). The reaction is amenable to gram-scale synthesis, and the 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones obtained are easily oxidized to the corresponding quinolin-2-ones, ultimately producing facile access to two privileged bioactive scaffolds. The reaction mechanisms presented are supported by Stern-Volmer plots as well as deuterium labelling studies. Finally, chapter four explores the synthesis of 2-azetidinones (β-lactams) from simple acrylamide starting materials by visible-light-mediated energy transfer catalysis. The reaction features a C(sp3)−H functionalisation via a variation of the Norrish–Yang photocyclisation involving a rare carbon-to-carbon 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer. The proposed mechanism is supported by deuterium labelling and DFT calculations. The optimised reaction conditions use 2-chlorothioxanthone under irradiation with 405 nm light which enables the synthesis of 30 substrates in moderate to excellent yields (40–98%), mostly as 2 separable diastereomers (generally 1.5:1 dr). |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41221 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:27.552Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Chemistry |
| publisherStr | Department of Chemistry |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41221 New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis Oddy, Meghan Jessica Petersen, Wade chemistry With the recent push toward green chemistry, photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful alternative for reactions that might otherwise need high temperatures, poor atom economy or harsh reactants to proceed. This thesis explores the use of visible-light mediated photocatalysis for the synthesis of biologically important nitrogen containing heterocycles, investigating both single electron transfer and energy transfer methods. The results section of this thesis is presented in three chapters, each focusing on a different ring size, namely 4, 5 and 6 membered nitrogen heterocycles. Chapter two explores the use of photocatalysis to enable stereoselective access to 3,3-disubstitued oxindoles via newly developed N-acyl chiral auxiliaries, serving as chiral C1 radical synthons. These acyl radicals are generated under visible-light mediated single electron transfer to N-hydroxyphthalimido esters, which then undergo a radical addition–cyclisation sequence with N-phenyl acrylamides. A model 3,3-disubstitued oxindole is isolated as separable diastereomers in 81% yield with 2.2:1 dr. This advanced intermediate could be telescoped toward the formal synthesis of the natural cyclotryptamine alkaloid, physovenine. Chapter three describes an efficient thioxanthone-catalysed triplet energy transfer process for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones from N-acrylamides. This work features a rare example of a metal-free formal C(sp2)–H/C(sp3)–H arylation mediated by visible-light. Using 450 nm light with 2 chlorothioxanthone in 2,2,2-TFE:CHCl3, a selection of 23 substituted 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones are isolated in moderate to excellent yields (16–97%). The reaction is amenable to gram-scale synthesis, and the 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones obtained are easily oxidized to the corresponding quinolin-2-ones, ultimately producing facile access to two privileged bioactive scaffolds. The reaction mechanisms presented are supported by Stern-Volmer plots as well as deuterium labelling studies. Finally, chapter four explores the synthesis of 2-azetidinones (β-lactams) from simple acrylamide starting materials by visible-light-mediated energy transfer catalysis. The reaction features a C(sp3)−H functionalisation via a variation of the Norrish–Yang photocyclisation involving a rare carbon-to-carbon 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer. The proposed mechanism is supported by deuterium labelling and DFT calculations. The optimised reaction conditions use 2-chlorothioxanthone under irradiation with 405 nm light which enables the synthesis of 30 substrates in moderate to excellent yields (40–98%), mostly as 2 separable diastereomers (generally 1.5:1 dr). 2025-03-20T10:52:07Z 2025-03-20T10:52:07Z 2024 2025-03-20T10:47:34Z Thesis / Dissertation Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41221 en eng application/pdf Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | chemistry Oddy, Meghan Jessica New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| title_full | New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| title_fullStr | New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| title_short | New explorations in visible-light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| title_sort | new explorations in visible light mediated energy and single electron transfer for nitrogen heterocycle synthesis |
| topic | chemistry |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41221 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oddymeghanjessica newexplorationsinvisiblelightmediatedenergyandsingleelectrontransferfornitrogenheterocyclesynthesis |