Total Synthesis of Polysubstituted (pro)RedOx-cyclers

      A platform of new synthetic exploratory and innovative routes of polysubstituted-1,4-NQ is now well established in our laboratory. These new methodologies are aimed at introducing any functionality at a specific position on the phenyl ring of menadione to prevent human cytP450 attack, or other groups on demand to improve the solubility of the whole series. This "Chimie fine" always involves methodologies applied in large scale by inexpensive "green chemistry" process; Dr. Don Antoine Lanfranchi is supervising this platform since 2009. Two main strategies – naphthol and Diels-Alder – are currently developed.