Radical ions in photochemistry. 21. The photosensitized (electron transfer) tautomerization of alkenes; the phenyl alkene system

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Arnold ◽  
Shelley A. Mines

Alkenes, conjugated with a phenyl group, can be converted to nonconjugated tautomers by sensitized (electron transfer) irradiation. For example, irradiation of an acetonitrile solution of the conjugated alkene 1-phenylpropene, the electron accepting photosensitizer 1,4-dicyanobenzene, the cosensitizer biphenyl, and the base 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine gave the nonconjugated tautomer 3-phenylpropene in good yield. Similarly, 2-methyl-1-phenylpropene gave 2-methyl-3-phenylpropene, and 1-phenyl-1-butene gaveE- and Z-1-phenyl-2-butene. The reaction also works well with cyclic alkenes. For example, 1-phenylcyclohexene gave 3-phenylcyclohexene, and 1-(phenylmethylene)cyclohexane gave 1-(phenylmethyl)cyclohexene. The proposed mechanism involves the initial formation of the alkene radical cation and the sensitizer radical anion, induced by irradiation of the sensitizer and mediated by the cosensitizer. Deprotonation of the radical cation assisted by the base gives the ambident radical, which is then reduced to the anion by the sensitizer radical anion. Protonation of the ambident anion at the benzylic position completes the sequence. Reprotonation at the original position is an energy wasting step. Tautomerization is driven toward the isomer with the higher oxidation potential, which is, in the cases studied, the less thermodynamically stable isomer. The regioselectivity of the deprotonation step is dependent upon the conformation of the allylic carbon–hydrogen bond. The tautomerization of 2-methyl- 1-phenylbutene gave both 2-phenylmethyl-1-butène and 2-methyl-1-phenyl-2-butene (E and Z isomers), while 2,3-dimethyl- 1-phenylbutene gave only 3-methyl-2-phenylmethyl-1 -butene. In the latter case, steric interaction of the methyls on the isopropyl group prevents effective overlap of the tertiary carbon–hydrogen bond with the singly occupied molecular orbital, thus inhibiting deprotonation from this site. Keywords: photosensitized, electron transfer, alkene, tautomerization, radical cation.

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 2312-2314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Arnold ◽  
Shelley A. Mines

The photosensitized (electron transfer) irradiation of several conjugated 1,1-diphenyl alkenes, in acetonitrile with 1,4-dicyanobenzene or 1-cyanonapthalene as electron accepting sensitizer and 2,6-lutidine as base, leads essentially quantitatively to tautomerization to the less stable unconjugated isomer(s). The proposed mechanism for this reaction involves formation of the alkene radical cation and sensitizer radical anion followed by deprotonation of the radical cation, reduction of the resulting radical to the ambident anion by back electron transfer from the radical anion, and reprotonation. There are several steps in this mechanism that could control the ratio of isomers. Evidence is provided that, at least in some cases, it is the relative rate of deprotonation from the isomeric radical cations that is the determining factor. This rate is influenced by the conformation of the radical cation; the carbon–hydrogen bond involved in the deprotonation step must overlap with the singly occupied molecular orbital.


ChemInform ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. H. MAZZOCCHI ◽  
C. SOMICH ◽  
M. EDWARDS ◽  
T. MORGAN ◽  
H. L. AMMON

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Arnold ◽  
Kimberly A. McManus ◽  
Xinyao Du

Irradiation, through Pyrex, of an acetonitrile–methanol (3:1) solution of 1,4-dicyanobenzene (1) and 1,5-hexadiene (9) leads to formation of ortho and meta cyclic adducts (13–16) arising from the intermediate exciplex. There was no evidence for interaction between the two double bonds of this nonconjugated diene. The oxidation potential of 9 is high enough (> 3 V vs. sce) to preclude single electron transfer (SET); no photo-NOCAS products are formed. Similar irradiation of acetonitrile–methanol solutions of 1 and 2-methyl-1,5-hexadiene (10) does yield a photo-NOCAS product (17); reaction occurs only on the more heavily substituted double bond. The additional substitution on the double bond lowers the oxidation potential (2.70 V vs. sce) of this diene to the point where SET from 10 to the excited singlet state of 1 can occur. In this case, no cycloaddition products are formed; the exciplex is quenched by electron transfer. There was no evidence for interaction between the two double bonds of the initially formed radical cation 10+•, or between the terminal double bond and the β-alkoxyalkyl radical of the intermediate leading to the photo-NOCAS product. The photo-NOCAS product (19) was also formed when 2,5-dimethyl-1,5-hexadiene (11) was subjected to these reaction conditions. In this case, when biphenyl (4) was added as a codonor, in addition to the photo-NOCAS product, products (21cis and trans) resulting from cyclization of the initially formed acyclic radical cation 11+• to give the 1,4-dimethylcyclohexane-1,4-diyl radical cation were also observed. This 1,6-endo, endo cyclization of 11+• must be rapid enough to compete with reaction with methanol. There was no evidence for cyclization (neither 1,4-exo nor 1,5-endo) of the intermediate β-alkoxyalkyl radical. When the radical cation of 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-hexadiene (12+•) is generated under these reaction conditions, photo-NOCAS products 22 and 23 are formed at the more heavily substituted double bond, along with the conjugated tautomer 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene (24). The mechanisms for these transformations are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 235-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose F. Martinez ◽  
Nathan T. La Porte ◽  
Catherine M. Mauck ◽  
Michael R. Wasielewski

The naphthalene-1,4:5,8-bis(dicarboximide) radical anion (NDI−˙), which is easily produced by mild chemical or electrochemical reduction (−0.5 V vs. SCE), can be photoexcited at wavelengths as long as 785 nm, and has an excited state (NDI−˙*) oxidation potential of −2.1 V vs. SCE, making it a very attractive choice for artificial photosynthetic systems that require powerful photoreductants, such as CO2 reduction catalysts. However, once an electron is transferred from NDI−˙* to an acceptor directly bound to it, a combination of strong electronic coupling and favorable free energy change frequently make the back electron transfer rapid. To mitigate this effect, we have designed a molecular triad system comprising an NDI−˙ chromophoric donor, a 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) intermediate acceptor, and a Re(dmb)(CO)3 carbon dioxide reduction catalyst, where dmb is 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine, as the terminal acceptor. Photoexcitation of NDI−˙ to NDI−˙* is followed by ultrafast reduction of DPA to DPA−˙, which then rapidly reduces the metal complex. The overall time constant for the forward electron transfer to reduce the metal complex is τ = 20.8 ps, while the time constant for back-electron transfer is six orders of magnitude longer, τ = 43.4 μs. Achieving long-lived, highly reduced states of these metal complexes is a necessary condition for their use as catalysts. The extremely long lifetime of the reduced metal complex is attributed to careful tuning of the redox potentials of the chromophore and intermediate acceptor. The NDI−˙–DPA fragment presents many attractive features for incorporation into other photoinduced electron transfer assemblies directed at the long-lived photosensitization of difficult-to-reduce catalytic centers.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (21) ◽  
pp. 6828-6829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Mazzocchi ◽  
Cathleen. Somich ◽  
Michael. Edwards ◽  
Tina. Morgan ◽  
Herman L. Ammon

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 1238-1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R Arnold ◽  
Kimberly A McManus

The photochemical nucleophile-olefin combination, aromatic substitution (photo-NOCAS) reaction of methanol, 7-methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadiene ( β-myrcene, 1), and 1,4-dicyanobenzene yields five 1:1:1 adducts:cis-2-(4-cyanophenyl)-4-(1-methoxy-1-methylethyl)-1-methylenecyclohexane (15), trans-2-(4-cyanophenyl)-4-(1-methoxy-1-methylethyl)-1-methylenecyclohexane (16), 1-(4-cyanophenylmethyl)-4-(1-methoxy-1-methylethyl)cyclohexene (17), 4-[4-methoxy-3,3-dimethylcyclohex-(E)-1-ylidenyl]methylbenzonitrile (18), and 4-(1-vinyl-4-trans-methoxy-3,3-dimethylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile (19). All of these adducts are cyclic; variation in the product ratio as a function of methanol concentration indicates cyclization is occurring, 1,6-endo, with both the initially formed radical cation and with the intermediate β-alkoxyalkyl radicals. Evidence based upon comparison of the ionization and oxidation potential of β-myrcene with model alkenes and with conjugated dienes indicates the initial electron transfer involves the trisubstituted mono alkene moiety; the diene moiety, mono-substituted at a nodal position, has a higher oxidation potential. High-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations (MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G*) provide useful information regarding the nature (relative energies and charge and spin distribution) of the intermediate radical cations, which supports the proposed reaction mechanism. Key words: photoinduced electron transfer, radicals, radical cations, β-myrcene, cyclization.


1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 1795-1809 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.J.P. de Lijser ◽  
T. Stanley Cameron ◽  
Donald R. Arnold

The reactivity of methylenecyclopropane (MCP, 1) and its radical cation (1+•) have been studied in the presence and absence of a nucleophile (methanol). Photochemical reactions of 1 in the presence of an electron-acceptor (1,4-dicyanobenzene, 6) and a codonor (biphenyl, 7) in acetonitrile (with and without methanol present) or chloroform lead to cycloadditions (ortho, meta, and para; products 12–17) rather than products from photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Based on the measured (cyclic voltammetry, CV) oxidation potential, using the Weller equation, electron transfer (ET) was predicted to occur. It was shown that the measured oxidation potential of 1 represents the adiabatic ionization potential. For PET processes the value for the vertical ionization potential must be used. Electrochemical (EC) generation of 1+• without a nucleophile present results in the formation of one major product: tert-butyl acetamide (25). A series of rearrangements leading to the tert-butyl cation is proposed. Addition of a nucleophile (methanol) to the mixture leads to the formation of 3-methoxy-2-(methoxymethyl)-1-propene (26). This product may arise from trapping of the initially formed ring-opened (trimethylenemethane) radical cation (1a+•), which undergoes a second oxidation and nucleophilic addition (ECE). Keywords: methylenecyclopropane, radical cation, photochemistry, electrochemistry, photocycloaddition.


2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 575-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
HJ Peter de Lijser ◽  
Jason S Kim ◽  
Suzanne M McGrorty ◽  
Erin M Ulloa

A variety of ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted (-H, -F, -Cl, -CF3, -CN (meta and para only), -CH3, -OCH3, and -NO2) acetophenone oximes were synthesized and studied using laser flash photolysis (LFP) and steady-state photolysis experiments in acetonitrile with chloranil as the photosensitizer. In addition, semi-empirical (AM1) calculations were performed on the neutral species, the radical cations, and the corresponding iminoxyl radicals. The data was analyzed in terms of the electrochemical peak potentials of the oximes, the quenching rates of triplet chloranil (LFP), the calculated ionization potentials, and the measured conversions of the oximes in the steady-state photolysis experiments. Photolysis of the oximes in the presence of chloranil results in the formation of the chloranil radical anion, which reacts rapidly with the oxime radical cation to form the semiquinone radical and an iminoxyl radical. Evidence for the formation of the chloranil radical anion and the semiquinone radical was obtained from LFP studies. The measured quenching rates from the LFP studies represent the rates of electron transfer from the oximes to triplet chloranil. This data was correlated to various radical and polar substituent constants. The Hammett studies suggest that steric, polar, and radical effects are important for ortho-substituted acetophenone oximes, polar effects are important for para-substituted oximes, and radical stabilization is more important than polar effects for the meta-substituted substrates. The calculated ionization potentials of the oximes show an excellent correlation with the measured quenching rates supporting the electron transfer pathway. On the basis of calculated charge densities, we conclude that the measured substituent effects are transition state effects rather than ground state effects. At this point all of the available data suggests that the conversion of the oximes is controlled by two energetically opposing reactions, namely oxidation of the neutral oxime, which is favorable for oximes with electron-donating substituents, and deprotonation of the oxime radical cation, which is favorable for oximes with electron-withdrawing substituents. The overall result is a reaction with little selectivity as far as substituent effects are concerned.Key words: oxime, radical cation, iminoxyl radical, electron transfer, substituent effect.


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