Peróxidos cíclicos de quatro membros são intermediários de alta energia importantes em diversas transformações quimi e bioluminescentes. Especificamente, a-peroxilactonas (1,2-dioxetanonas) têm sido consideradas sistemas modelo para a eficiente bioluminescência do vaga-lume. Contudo, a preparação deste tipo de compostos altamente instáveis é extremamente difícil e, por isso, apenas alguns poucos grupos de pesquisa puderam estudar as propriedades dessas substâncias. Neste trabalho, a síntese, purificação e caracterização de três 1,2-dioxetanonas são relatadas e é apresentado um procedimento detalhado para a preparação do peróxido de difenoíla, outro importante composto-modelo para a geração química de estados eletronicamente excitados. Para a maioria destes peróxidos, a caracterização espectroscópica completa é relatada pela primeira vez.Cyclic four-membered ring peroxides are important high-energy intermediates in a variety of chemi and bioluminescence transformations. Specifically, a-peroxylactones (1,2-dioxetanones) have been considered as model systems for efficient firefly bioluminescence. However, the preparation of such highly unstable compounds is extremely difficult and, therefore, only few research groups have been able to study the properties of these substances. In this study, the synthesis, purification and characterization of three 1,2-dioxetanones are reported and a detailed procedure for the known synthesis of diphenoyl peroxide, another important model compound for the chemical generation of electronically excited states, is provided. For most of these peroxides, the complete spectroscopic characterization is reported here for the first time.Keywords: organic peroxides, diphenoyl peroxide, 1,2-dioxetanones, a-peroxylactones, chemiluminescence
IntroductionThe light emission resulting from a chemical transformation is called chemiluminescence.1 Most chemiluminescent reactions 2-5 have four-membered cyclic organic peroxides as high-energy intermediates. These compounds are fundamental for the chemical generation of electronic excited states 1 and are assumed to take part also in bioluminescence reactions, such as the firefly luciferin/ luciferase system. 6,7 Many theoretical investigations have been performed, including recent studies, to contribute to the mechanistic elucidation of chemiluminescent and bioluminescent transformations. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Furthermore, some of these unstable cyclic peroxides with high energy content have been prepared, allowing the experimental mechanistic investigation of chemiluminescent reactions 8,[18][19][20] as well as the development of several applications, including the uphill energy conversion. 21 In 1969, Kopecky and Mumford 22 synthesized 3,3,4-trimethyl-1,2-dioxetane (Scheme 1, 1: R 1 = R 2 = R 3 = CH 3 , R 4 = H), the first 1,2-dioxetane (1) derivative, a compound formerly assumed to be too unstable to be isolated. Three years later, Adam and Liu 23 reported the synthesis of 3-tert-butyl-1,2-dioxetanone (Scheme 1, 2: R 1 = tert-butyl, ...