The photochemistry of the 4-cyanobenzoic acid esters of trans- and cis-2-phenylcyclohexanol

Irradiation of trans-2-phenylcyclohexyl 4-cyanobenzoate (4) in methanol results in formation of the 1-phenylcyclohexene and 4-cyanobenzoic acid as the major products. The mechanism proposed for this example of the Norrish Type II-like reaction, normally inefficient for the π,π* state of esters, begins with intramolecular electron transfer in the excited singlet state. The next step, intramolecular proton transfer, is highly exergonic as a result of the increased acidity of the benzylic hydrogen of the radical cation and the increased basicity of the carbonyl oxygen of the radical anion. The final step is cleavage of the 1,4-biradical. This mechanism is proposed on the basis of product studies, absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, oxidation and reduction potentials, and nanosecond laser flash photolysis spectra. The stereochemical requirements for the process have also been examined using solution NMR, the X-ray structure, and MM3 calculations. The stereoisomer, cis-2-phenylcyclohexyl 4-cyanobenzoate (5), undergoes cis to trans isomerization before photofragmentation. Photolysis of the cis isomer in methanol-OD demonstrated that the cis to trans isomerization occurred by inversion at C1.Key words : Norrish Type II, aromatic esters, intramolecular electron transfer.