Photodynamic therapy (PDT) employing exogenous photosensitizes is currently being approved for treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Bowen's disease. 2-phenyl-benzothiazoles (6), a group of chromophoric structure, absorb light in the UVA (315-400 nm) whereupon it becomes phototoxic through the prereduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this presentation, we report a synthesis of 6 from phenylthiobenzamides (4) mediated by oxidative reagents1,2. Whhile reaction of 4 with DDQ formed bis[benzylidene-benzenamine]-l-disulfides (7) in high yields. The biological activities of compound 6 and 7 will also be reported3.
