Abstract
Firefly oxyluciferin (I) has been suggested as the emitter in the firefly bioluminescence and also in the chemiluminescence of firefly luciferin in DMSO (1). However attempted isolation or synthesis of the expected product (I) had been unsuccessful (2). Attempted condensation of ethyl thioglycolate and the appropriate nitrile under the usual condition, i.e. in ca 50% McOH at pH 8 for a few hrs at r.t., did not give the desired compound (I), but a different compound, dioxyluciferin (II), containing one more oxygen atom in the molecule than the expected molecular formula. Its structure was assigned as II.
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Goto, T., Kubota, I., Suzuki, N., Kishi, Y., Inoue, S. (1973). Aspects of the Mechanism of Bioluminescence. In: Cormier, M.J., Hercules, D.M., Lee, J. (eds) Chemiluminescence and Bioluminescence. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0638-3_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0638-3_23
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