Ashfold MNR, Bain M, Hansen CS, Ingle RA, Karsili TNV, Marchetti B, Murdock D. Exploring the Dynamics of the Photoinduced Ring-Opening of Heterocyclic Molecules.
J Phys Chem Lett 2017;
8:3440-3451. [PMID:
28661140 DOI:
10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b01219]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Excited states formed by electron promotion to an antibonding σ* orbital are now recognized as key to understanding the photofragmentation dynamics of a broad range of heteroatom containing small molecules: alcohols, thiols, amines, and many of their aromatic analogues. Such excited states may be populated by direct photoexcitation, or indirectly by nonadiabatic transfer of population from some other optically excited state (e.g., a ππ* state). This Perspective explores the extent to which the fast-growing literature pertaining to such (n/π)σ*-state mediated bond fissions can inform and enhance our mechanistic understanding of photoinduced ring-opening in heterocyclic molecules.
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