The photochemical chemistry also is successful when alpha alkoxy groups are present in the aldehyde. The product of the reaction, an alkoxyacetophenone, is a key intermediate of a synthesis of halenaquinone. It was demonstrated that the acyl radicals react regioselectively with the acyl quinones. This result is in contrast to earlier published work that proposed a meta relationship for the acyl groups. The structure for one product was determined by x-ray diffraction.
Preliminary results indicate that the isoflavone structure has been formed.
Isoflavones constitute a large group of natural products, many of which exhibit useful biological activity. Objective 2 involved the study of the decarbonylation of acyl radicals. It was intended to provide a useful route to alkyl radicals. As part of an effort to find alternative pathways for decarbonylation, they examined the persulfate-catalyzed reaction. Surprisingly, no decarbonylation occurred, but this does represent a convenient, inexpensive, and benign alternative to the photochemical generation of acyl radicals.