| Abstract: | Consideration of chemiluminescent and bioluminescent processes invariably brings to mind the four-membered ring peroxides, 1,2-dioxetanes and α-peroxylactones. Nevertheless, while chemiluminescence and bioluminescence are well established fields of scientific study, isolable and characterized “high-energy” molecules such as the 1,2-dioxetanes and α-peroxylactones are of relatively recent vintage, about a decade. These intriguing compounds produce electronically excited products which manifest themselves by light emission during their thermal decay; more importantly, these transformations are involved in luminescent as well as dark enzymatic processes. It is not our intention to present a comprehensive overview in this progress report, but rather to focus on those aspects which require further study. |
