Mark G. Steinmetz

Bio: Mark G. Steinmetz is an academic researcher from Marquette University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Excited state & Leaving group. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 51 publications receiving 648 citations.

Photoactivation of amino-substituted 1,4-benzoquinones for release of carboxylate and phenolate leaving groups using visible light.

Abstract: Upon exposure to visible light, 2-pyrrolidino-substituted 3,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinones photocyclize to give benzoxazolines with quantum yields of 0.07−0.10 in CH2Cl2, 0.02−0.04 in CH3CN, and <0.01 in 30% aq CH3CN. With carboxylate or phenolate leaving groups incorporated via coupling to a 5-hydroxymethyl group of the quinones, the photocyclizations give benzoxazolines that eliminate the leaving groups in a dark reaction. Lifetimes for elimination of 4-YC6H4OH in 30% phosphate buffer in CD3CN (pD 7) at 17 °C are 13.1, 0.54, and 0.13 h for Y = H, CF3, and CN, respectively, and the linear equation log k (h-1) = 0.998(−pKa) + 8.80 gives a best fit to the data. Carboxylate leaving groups are rapidly eliminated upon photolysis of the quinones in aq CH3CN to produce an o-quinone methide intermediate that is trapped by 4 + 2 cycloaddition with unreacted starting material or with added 3-(dimethylamino)-5,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one. The ortho-quinone methide is observed at 339 and 455 nm by conventional absor...

Photolysis of γ-(α-Carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl)-l-glutamic Acid Investigated in the Microsecond Time Scale by Time-Resolved FTIR

Abstract: The photolytic release of substrates from caged substrates has proven to be an excellent method to generate concentration jumps for kinetic measurements in the microsecond time scale. In this report we use time-resolved FTIR in the step-scan mode to probe the photolysis mechanism of one such caged compound, namely γ-(α-carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl)glutamate, and to obtain a direct measure of the rate of photorelease of the substrate glutamate. The time-resolved difference FTIR spectra exhibit specific signals that can be assigned to the reactant caged glutamate, photolytically released product glutamate, as well as to the aci-nitro intermediate, the key intermediate of the photolysis reaction. Therefore these signals allow the characterization of the kinetics of formation and decay of the intermediate and products. This is the first such report that provides a direct determination of the rate of formation of the photolysis product from a caged compound in the microsecond time scale. Furthermore, the results pres...

Photochemical Elimination of Leaving Groups from Zwitterionic Intermediates Generated via Electrocyclic Ring Closure of α,β-Unsaturated Anilides

Abstract: Methacrylanilides, ArN(CH3)COC(CH2LG)═CH2, with allylic leaving groups (LG− = BocAla, PhCO2−, PhCH2CO2−, PhO−) undergo photochemical electrocyclic ring closure to produce a zwitterionic intermediate. Further reaction of the intermediate results in expulsion of the leaving group to give an α-methylene lactam as the major product. In addition, a lactam product that retains the leaving group is formed via a 1,5-H shift in the intermediate. Elimination of the leaving group is generally preferred, even for LG− = PhO−, although in benzene as the solvent the lactam retaining the phenolate group becomes the sole photoproduct. The electrocyclic ring closure occurs in the singlet excited-state for the para-COPh-substituted anilide derivative and is not quenched by 0.15 M piperylene or 0.01 M sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2-NPS) as triplet quenchers. Comparable concentrations of 2-NPS strongly quench the transient absorption of the triplet excited state observed at 450−700 nm according to laser flash photolysis exp...

Photoremovable Protecting Groups in Chemistry and Biology: Reaction Mechanisms and Efficacy

Abstract: The review covers the knowledge on photoremovable protecting groups and includes all relevant chromophores studied in the time period of 2000–2012; the most relevant earlier works are also discussed.

Photochemical Reactions as Key Steps in Organic Synthesis

Abstract: 2.3. [4 + 4] Cycloadditions 1058 2.4. Photocycloadditions of Aromatic Compounds 1058 2.4.1. Benzene Derivatives 1058 2.4.2. Condensed Aromatic Compounds 1060 3. Photochemical Rearrangements 1061 4. Cyclizations 1064 4.1. Pericyclizations 1064 4.2. Norrish−Yang Reaction 1066 5. Photochemical Extrusion of Small Molecules 1067 6. Photochemical Electron Transfer 1068 6.1. Photochemical Electron-Transfer Reactions with a Catalytic Sensitizer 1068

Biologically active molecules with a "light switch".

Abstract: Biologically active compounds which are light-responsive offer experimental possibilities which are otherwise very difficult to achieve. Since light can be manipulated very precisely, for example, with lasers and microscopes rapid jumps in concentration of the active form of molecules are possible with exact control of the area, time, and dosage. The development of such strategies started in the 1970s. This review summarizes new developments of the last five years and deals with "small molecules", proteins, and nucleic acids which can either be irreversibly activated with light (these compounds are referred to as "caged compounds") or reversibly switched between an active and an inactive state.

Rigidifying Fluorescent Linkers by Metal–Organic Framework Formation for Fluorescence Blue Shift and Quantum Yield Enhancement

Abstract: We demonstrate that rigidifying the structure of fluorescent linkers by structurally constraining them in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to control their conformation effectively tunes the fluorescence energy and enhances the quantum yield. Thus, a new tetraphenylethylene-based zirconium MOF exhibits a deep-blue fluorescent emission at 470 nm with a unity quantum yield (99.9 ± 0.5%) under Ar, representing ca. 3600 cm–1 blue shift and doubled radiative decay efficiency vs the linker precursor. An anomalous increase in the fluorescence lifetime and relative intensity takes place upon heating the solid MOF from cryogenic to ambient temperatures. The origin of these unusual photoluminescence properties is attributed to twisted linker conformation, intramolecular hindrance, and framework rigidity.