Synthesis and Application of New Selanylfullerene Derivatives as Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy.

This study aims to describe the synthesis of a new class of selanylfullerene derivatives in a convergent strategy route, affording the desired products in a few steps and in good yields. C60 compounds were evaluated as photosensitizers to be used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) via the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2), using the chemical trapping method. The photooxidation of the chemical probe1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) sensitized by selanylfullerenes followed a first-order kinetic and the values of singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦΔ) are appropriate for its use in PDT. The electronic absorption spectra, and the intersystem crossing tax rates for the most prominent synthesized compounds were calculated using the density functional theory and the Marcus electron transfer theory, with the theoretical results confirming the experimental findings.

Ephedrine-based diselenide: a promiscuous catalyst suitable to mimic the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and to promote enantioselective C-C coupling reactions.

The ephedrine-based diselenide appears as a new promiscuous catalyst, able to generate optically active alcohols by addition of organozinc to aldehydes (up to 97% ee), and shows powerful GPx like activity, reducing H(2)O(2) to water in only 16.33 min (eleven times faster than PhSeSePh).

Synthesis of telluroamino acid derivatives with remarkable GPx like activity.

A series of modular telluroamino acid derivatives with remarkable GPx-like behavior was prepared in an efficient and short two-step synthesis.