Open Access

Wolfram Schulze, Anne Zimmer, Jörg‐Martin Neudörfl, Florian M. Dato, Paul Sommerfeld, Markus Pietsch, Henrieta Derondeau, Florian Gaida, Eberhard Riedle, Axel G. Griesbeck

• AbstractThe triplet‐sensitized (by the solvent acetone) as well as the direct (λex=300–320 nm) photochemical decarboxylation of N‐phthaloylated γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives are versatile and high‐yielding routes to benzopyrrolizidines via intramolecular electron transfer initiated decarboxylation followed by radical coupling. The ß‐mono‐ and ß,ß'‐disubstituted N‐phthaloyl GABA derivatives 7 a–7 g, respectively, were applied as substrates. Decarboxylative photocyclization yielded hydroxy benzopyrrolizidines 8 a–8 g in high chemical yields and with moderate diastereoselectivities from the ß‐monosubstituted substrates. The analogous α‐substituted GABA derivatives 11 a–11 c were also applied as potential substrates for memory of chirality effects. The reaction quantum yields of the photodecarboxylation reactions for the parent GABA derivative 13 and for the new substrates 7 h and 11 a were determined by the quantum yield determination system (QYDS) and showed a remarkable concentration dependency indicating aggregation at higher substrate concentrations. Inhibition studies on the atherogenic human serine hydrolase cholesterol esterase showed derivatives 8 a and 8 d to exhibit a hyperbolic mode of inhibition with moderate IC50 values of about 60–80 μM.