Electron transfer reaction between arene diazonium salts and short-lived Patterno-Büchi biradicals derived from methylmethacrylate

Thioxanthone: a powerful photocatalyst for organic reactions

Photoorganocatalysis has been recognised by the organic chemistry community as an important part of photochemistry and catalysis. In general, aromatic ketones constitute key players in this type of catalysis as they are involved in a plethora of examples in the literature. Among the various aromatic ketones, thioxanthone (TX) seems to play a unique role in photochemistry. In comparison with other aromatic ketones, TX has a high triplet energy and a relatively long triplet lifetime, while it has the ability to participate successfully in merger reactions with metal complexes. In this review, we will discuss the photophysical properties of this small organic molecule, as well as the numerous examples of photochemical reactions, where it is employed as a mediator and more specifically in polymerisation reactions, and organic transformations.

Stereodifferentiation in the Decay of Triplets and Biradicals Involved in Intramolecular Hydrogen Transfer from Phenols or Indoles to π,π* Aromatic Ketones

Laser flash photolysis studies on (R,S) and (S,S) diastereoisomers of the bichromophoric compounds 1-6 have been used to investigate the possible chiral discrimination in the quenching of triplet excited ketones, resulting in formal hydrogen abstraction. Deuterium isotopic effects show that triplet deactivation in these bichromophores is dominated by hydrogen atom transfer. A remarkable stereodifferentiation is found in the intramolecular quenching of the ketone triplets of 1-3 and 5 by the phenolic or indolic moieties, either in methanol or acetonitrile as solvents. This indicates the existence of specific structural requirements for hydrogen transfer. On the other hand, the lifetimes of the generated biradicals show large solvent dependence; solvation appears to slow their reversion to the starting ketone. The considerable stereodifferentiation observed for the biradical lifetimes suggests that the kinetics of biradical decay is faster when the approach of the two radical termini becomes easier.

Photoreaction between 2-benzoylthiophene and phenol or indole

Laser flash photolysis, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and product studies have been performed to understand the mechanism of photoreduction of 2-benzoylthiophene (BT) in the presence of phenol or indole. Time-resolved experiments showed that BT ketyl (BTH) and phenoxy (PhO) or indolyl (In) radicals are generated with high rate constants and quantum yields close to 1. However, low conversions (specially in the case of indole) of the starting reagents are obtained upon prolonged lamp irradiation, indicating that recombination within the radical pairs must occur to a large extent, regenerating the starting materials. The solvent-dependence of the quenching rate constants, together with DFT theoretical studies, indicate fundamental differences between the mechanisms of the reaction of BT triplet with phenol and indole. Thus, data for phenol agree with the involvement of a hydrogen-bonded exciplex BT(.)HOPh, where concerted electron and proton transfer leads to the BTH(.)OPh radical pair. However, in the case of indole, electron transfer at the BT(.)HIn stage precedes proton transfer. Finally, C-C cross-coupling products have been isolated and characterized in the preparative irradiation of BT in the presence of phenol and indole. The structures of the products have been confirmed by alternative synthesis.