Photo-oxidation of 5-acetyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones

A variety of Biginelli 5-acetyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones are efficiently oxidized to their corresponding pyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives upon UV irradiation under argon atmosphere in chloroform solution. The nature of the additional substituent on the phenyl ring located on C-4 of the heterocyclic ring influences the rate of reaction. An electron-transfer induced photoreaction is proposed based on the formation of HCl and CH₂Cl₂.