Chalcogen Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications
Chapter 6: Chalcogen-containing and Chalcogen-functionalized Heterocycles
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Published:15 Feb 2023
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Special Collection: 2023 ebook collection
Filipe Penteado, Eduardo. E. Alberto, 2023. "Chalcogen-containing and Chalcogen-functionalized Heterocycles", Chalcogen Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications, Vito Lippolis, Claudio Santi, Eder J. Lenardão, Antonio L. Braga
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Heterocycles compose one of the most impressive classes of compounds, being widely found in an extensive range of organisms where they exhibit several biochemical functions.1,2 Remarkable examples are: (1) purine- and pyrimidine-based nitrogenous bases, building blocks for the construction of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA; (2) the amino acids proline, histidine, and tryptophan which are building blocks of proteins. Additionally, histidine is the bioprecursor of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates several mood functions in humans.2–5 Heterocycles play a particularly important role in the context of world public health, and they are found in the core of a wide range of worldwide commercialized drugs. It is estimated that in nearly 70% of the drugs used for the treatment of several pathologies, at least one heterocyclic unit is found in their structure. They are also important in the world food supply chain, particularly considering that since the 90s, around 70% of developed and commercialized agrochemicals are based on these compounds.6 Additionally, heterocyclic compounds have a pivotal role in the material science industry, mainly due to their photoactive properties.7