Synthesis and antimalarial activity of dihydroperoxides and tetraoxanes conjugated with bis(benzyl)acetone derivatives.

Dihydroperoxides and tetraoxanes derived from symmetrically substituted bis(arylmethyl)acetones were synthesized in modest to good yields using several methods. Three of these compounds exhibit an important in vitro antimalarial activity (1.0 µm ≤ IC(50) ≤ 5.0 µm) against blood forms of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.