Uracil derivatives, photodimerization

The intramolecular photodimerization and [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition in DNA involves thymine or cytosine as the chromophore. This chemistry has been intensively investigated with regards to DNA damage and repair [131]. Despite the fact that the area is of continuous interest [132], the synthetic applications are limited and are not covered here in detail. However, some preparative aspects of 4-pyrimidinone photocycloaddition chemistry will be addressed. Aitken et al. have prepared a plethora of constrained cyclobutane P-amino acids by intra- or intermolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition to uracil and its derivatives [133, 134]. In a chiral adaptation of this method, the uracil-derived enone 140 was employed to prepare the diastereomeric cyclobutanes 141 in very good yield (Scheme 6.49). The compounds are easily separated and were - despite the relatively low auxiliary-induced diastereoselectivity - well suited to prepare the as-2-aminocyclobutanecarboxylic acids 142 in enantiomerically pure form. Enantioselective access to the corresponding trans-products was feasible by epimerization in a-position to the carboxyl group [135],... 

An excellent review on organic photochemistry in organized media, including aqueous solvent, has been reported.178 The quantum efficiency for photodimerization of thymine, uracil, and their derivatives increased considerably in water compared with other organic solvents. The increased quantum efficiency is attributed to the preassociation of the reactants at the ground state. 

Also, water-soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) was modified by thymine derivatives. This yielded a material that reversibly photodimerizes upon UV irradiation. Photocrosslinking experiments of this polymer were carried out in the film state on quartz plates by irradiation with light at 280 nm. The poly(vinyl alcohol) containing thymine units were found to be more light sensitive than uracil units in a similar polymer. In addition, photodimerization reaction of an ester derivative of the thymene substituted poly(vinyl alcohol) was found to be faster than that of an acetal derivatives, but the sensitivity was lower, because... 

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