One-Pot Lewis Acid Mediated Water-Promoted Transformation of Styrenes to α-Substituted Conjugated Enals.

We report herein an unusual one-pot preparation of α-benzyl-substituted conjugated enals via ZnCl2/LiCl/H2O-mediated transformation of styrenes. On the basis of experimental and computational studies, an underlying mechanism including electrophilic addition and hydride transfer with iminium cations has been proposed. The effect of the LiCl/ZnCl2/H2O combination on the reaction yield has been studied, demonstrating their participation in the activation and the key isomerization of an iminium electrophile.

Conjugates of Porphyrinoid-Based Photosensitizers with Cytotoxic Drugs: Current Progress and Future Directions toward Selective Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality where light-mediated activation of photosensitizers in a patient's body leads to the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), eliminating cancer cells. One direction that has been firmly established over past years is the conjugation of photosensitizers with various molecules that demonstrate their own cytotoxic activity. As a result, improved selectivity and treatment outcomes are observed compared to those of unconjugated drugs. The attractiveness of such an approach is due to the variability of cytotoxic warheads and specific linkers available for the construction of conjugates. In this review, we summarize and analyze data concerning these inventions with the ultimate goal to find a promising conjugation partner for a porphyrinoid-based photosensitizer. The current challenges toward successful conjugation are also outlined and discussed. We hope that this review will motivate researchers to pay closer attention to conjugates and possibilities hidden in these molecules for the PDT of cancer.