Photoreduction of Azoalkanes by Direct Hydrogen Abstraction from 1,4-Cyclohexadiene, Alcohols, Stannanes, and Silanes

Effect of electron-donating substitution on the triplet state reactivities of 1-nitronaphthalene

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs), often found in polluted air, are carcinogenic and mutagenic. The nitro group increases the spin-orbit coupling and results in the lowest excited triplet (T₁) on the picosecond time scale with a high yield. The electron-donating substituents have a significant influence on the photophysics and photochemistry of nitro-PAHs. We used transient absorption spectroscopy and kinetic analysis to investigate the reactivities of the T₁ state 1-methoxy-4-nitronaphthalene (³MeO-NN) and 1-methyl-4-nitronaphthalene (³Me-NN). The results show that the methoxy and methyl substitutions have a minor effect on their hydrogen abstraction and electron accepting abilities. The main distinction is their reaction rates towards protons. The second order rate constant of ³MeO-NN towards protons is three orders of magnitude greater than that of ³Me-NN, indicating that ³MeO-NN has a stronger hydrogen bond accepting ability. The kinetic analysis reveals that the dimer of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol participates in the reaction with ³MeO-NN. These results suggest that the formation of the hydrogen-bonded complex is responsible for the unusually short lifetime of ³MeO-NN in methanol solution and the lack of hydrogen abstraction radicals during the decay of ³MeO-NN in methanol.

Recent Advances in the Chemistry of the Organotin Hydrides

Advances in the chemistry of the organotin hydrides during the last decade are reviewed.

Structure-reactivity relationships in the photoreduction of n,pi*-excited ketones and azoalkanes: the effect of reaction thermodynamics, excited-state electrophilicity, and antibonding character in the transition state

The reaction enthalpies for the photoreduction of n,pi*-excited states (acetone, benzophenone, 2.3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene, and a 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene derivative) by model hydrogen donors (methanol and dimethylamine) were calculated on the basis of a critically evaluated data set of bond dissociation energies for donors and reduced acceptors. These were compared with the observed photoreactivity, which can be assessed through quenching rate constants of the excited states by hydrogen donors. The intriguing observation of a preferential attack at electrophilic hydrogen atoms, i.e., N-H or O-H, by n,pi*-excited azoalkanes is rationalised on the basis of the calculated thermochemical data, differences in electrophilicity, and varying contributions of antibonding character in the transition state. Singlet-excited azoalkanes act as nucleophilic species, while excited ketones display an electrophilic reactivity. This is in line with the pictorial description of the electron distribution in these excited states.