The following regioselective additions have been achieved. These results show 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. Ph was determined by x-ray diffraction. We recently prepared the aldehyde shown below and are irradiating it in the presence of benzoquinone and benzophenone.
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. A goal of Objective 3 is to evaluate supercritical solvents for our photochemically mediated additions of aldehydes to quinones. Results from Dr. Tanko's laboratory follow. In addition to probing the mechanism of the reaction, they were hoping to decrease reaction times significantly. The reaction between 1,4-benzoquinone and benzaldehyde in benzene of the free in the presence radicals initiators Benzo quinone Molar conc.