Photochemistry synthesis. Part 1: Syntheses of xanthine derivatives by photolysis of 1-(5′-oxohexyl)-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione (pentoxifylline): an ambident chromophore

We investigated the use of photochemistry to make novel derivatives of pentoxifylline. Under conditions that favour singlet excited states, we obtained 1-allyl-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione, (R∗,R∗)-(±)-1-{[2-hydroxy-2-methylcyclobutyl]methyl}-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione and 1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione. Naphthalene or molecular oxygen increases the yields and triplet sensitisers (acetophenone, benzophenone and acetone) decrease the yields. Efficient intramolecular triplet energy transfer from the carbonyl to the xanthine moiety allows the carbonyl moiety to react from a singlet excited state only. In solvents with an α-hydroxyalkyl hydrogen under conditions that favour triplet excited states, we obtained 8-substituted pentoxifylline derivatives: 8-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in isopropanol, 8-(1-hydroxymethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxo-hexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in methanol and 8-(1-hydroxyethyl)-3,7-dimethyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione in ethanol. The xanthine moiety reacts from a triplet state via a radical mechanism and yields are considerably improved by the addition of catalytic amounts of di-tert-butyl peroxide.