Linear and Cyclic N-Acetyl-α-aryl-glycines: Synthesis and Chemiluminescence Studies

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/BF00807797

A series of N-acetyl-α-arylglycines (IIa, IIb) was prepared by acid-induced electrophilic α-amidoalkylation reactions; compounds of type IIb were transformed into the corresponding 3-acetylaminobenzo[b]furan-2(3H)ones (III)by treatment with acetic anhydride. It was found that most of these new compounds (lactones as well as open chain derivatives) undergo base induced oxidation in the presence of oxygen with the emission of visible light. Preliminary structure-activity relationships for these novel chemiluminescence class are proposed.