Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are metabolized in vivo resulting in the
formation a range of oxidized products – metabolites. The metabolites generated are
more water soluable and therefore easier to excrete from the system, but these
compounds are also more toxic for the organism. A range of PAH metabolites have
been synthesized and used in order to study their toxicity and further faith in vivo.
Different synthetic strategies have been used in order to prepare the metabolites.
Herein, the synthetic strategies utilized for the formation of environmental relevant
metabolites of naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorine, phenanthrene, and chrysene, the
PAHs found with the highest concentration in crude oil, are described in detail.
Keywords: Acenaphthene, Chrysene, Diols, Fluorine, Naphthalene, Oxidation,
Phenanthrene, Phenols.
