Photoactivatable HNO-releasing compounds using the retro-Diels–Alder reaction

Abstract

We synthesized hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadducts from acyl nitroso derivatives and 9,10-dimethylanthracene, to be photo-inducible HNO-releasing agents and found that introduction of conjugated nitroaromatic groups effectively enhanced the responsiveness of HNO release to UV-A irradiation; we confirmed photoinduced HNO formation by EPR and GCMS analysis.