Visible-light mediated oxidative ring expansion of anellated cyclopropanes to fused endoperoxides with antimalarial activity

A visible light mediated ring expansion of readily available carbo- and heterocyclic anellated cyclopropanes by molecular oxygen at ambient pressure has been developed. Tolerating a variety of functional groups, the reaction yields fused 1,2-dioxolanes, which were tested for antimalarial activity given their close analogy to the active principle of approved drugs such as artemisinin.