Near-UV Absorption Spectrum of the Phenoxyl Radical and Kinetics of Its Reaction with CH3

Rotational Spectrum of the Phenoxy Radical

We report the hyperfine-resolved rotational spectrum of the gas-phase phenoxy radical in the 8-25 GHz frequency range using cavity Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. A complete assignment of its complex but well-resolved fine and hyperfine splittings yielded a precisely determined set of rotational constants, spin-rotation parameters, and nuclear hyperfine coupling constants. These results are interpreted with support from high-level quantum chemical calculations to gain detailed insight into the distribution of the unpaired π electron in this prototypical resonance-stabilized radical. The accurate laboratory rest frequencies enable studies of the chemistry of phenoxy in both the laboratory and space. The prospects of extending the present experimental and theoretical techniques to investigate the rotational spectra of isotopic variants and structural isomers of phenoxy and other important gas-phase radical intermediates that are yet undetected at radio wavelengths are discussed.

Local Hydrogen Bonding Determines Branching Pathways in Intermolecular Heptazine Photochemistry

Heptazine is the molecular core of the widely studied photocatalyst carbon nitride. By analyzing the excited-state intermolecular proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) reaction between a heptazine derivative and a hydrogen-atom donor substrate, we are able to spectroscopically identify the resultant heptazinyl reactive radical species on a picosecond time scale. We provide detailed spectroscopic characterization of the tri-anisole heptazine:4-methoxyphenol hydrogen-bonded intermolecular complex (TAHz:MeOPhOH), using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and global analysis, to reveal distinct product absorption signatures at ∼520, 1250, and 1600 nm. We assign these product peaks to the hydrogenated TAHz radical (TAHzH^•) based on control experiments utilizing 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (DMB), which initiates electron transfer without concomitant proton transfer, i.e., no excited-state PCET. Additional control experiments with radical quenchers, protonation agents, and UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry also corroborate our product peak assignments. These spectral assignments allowed us to monitor the influence of the local hydrogen-bonding environment on the resulting evolution of photochemical products from excited-state PCET of heptazines. We observe that the preassociation of heptazine with the substrate in solution is extremely sensitive to the hydrogen-bond-accepting character of the solvent. This sensitivity directly influences which product signatures we detect with time-resolved spectroscopy. The spectral signature of the TAHzH^• radical assigned in this work will facilitate future in-depth analysis of heptazine and carbon nitride photochemistry. Our results may also be utilized for designing improved PCET-based photochemical systems that will require precise control over local molecular environments. Examples include applications such as preparative synthesis involving organic photoredox catalysis, on-site solar water purification, as well as photocatalytic water splitting and artificial photosynthesis.

Fast beam photofragment translational spectroscopy of the phenoxy radical at 225 nm, 290 nm, and 533 nm

Photodissociation of the phenoxy radical (C6H5O) is investigated using fast beam photofragment translational spectroscopy. Phenoxy radicals are generated through photodetachment of phenoxide anions (C6H5O-) at 532 nm. Following photoexcitation of the radicals at 225 nm (5.51 eV), 290 nm (4.27 eV), or 533 nm (2.33 eV), photofragments are collected in coincidence to determine their masses, translational energy, and scattering angle for each dissociation event. Two-body dissociation yields exclusively CO + C5H5, and three-body dissociation to CO + C2H2 + C3H3 and CO + C5H4 + H is also seen at the two higher energies. The translational energy distributions for two-body dissociation suggest that dissociation occurs via internal conversion to the ground electronic state followed by statistical dissociation. The absorption of an additional 532 nm photon in the photodetachment region provides some C6H5O radicals with an additional 2.33 eV of energy, leading to much of the two-body dissociation observed at 533 nm and the three-body dissociation at the two higher excitation energies.

Quinone methide generation via photoinduced electron transfer

Photochemical activation of water-soluble 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives (NIs) as alkylating agents has been achieved by irradiation at 310 and 355 nm in aqueous acetonitrile. Reactivity in aqueous and neat acetonitrile has been extensively investigated by laser flash photolysis (LFP) at 355 nm, as well as by steady-state preparative irradiation at 310 nm in the presence of water, amines, thiols, and ethyl vinyl ether. Product distribution analysis revealed fairly efficient benzylation of the amines, hydration reaction, and 2-ethoxychromane generation, in the presence of ethyl vinyl ether, resulting from a [4 + 2] cycloaddition onto a transient quinone methide. Remarkably, we found that the reactivity was dramatically suppressed under the presence of oxygen and radical scavengers, such as thiols, which was usually associated with side product formation. In order to unravel the mechanism responsible for the photoreactivity of these NI-based molecules, a detailed LFP study has been carried out with the aim to characterize the transient species involved. LFP data suggest a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) involving the NI triplet excited state (λ(max) 470 nm) of the NI core and the tethered quinone methide precursor (QMP) generating a radical ions pair NI(•-) (λ(max) 410 nm) and QMP(•+). The latter underwent fast deprotonation to generate a detectable phenoxyl radical (λ(max) 390 and 700 nm), which was efficiently reduced by the radical anion NI(•-), generating detectable QM. The mechanism proposed has been validated through a LFP investigation at 355 nm exploiting an intermolecular reaction between the photo-oxidant N-pentylnaphthalimide (NI-P) and a quaternary ammonium salt of a Mannich base as QMP (2a), in both neat and aqueous acetonitrile. Remarkably, these experiments revealed the generation of the model o-QM (λ(max) 400 nm) as a long living transient mediated by the same reactivity pathway. Negligible QM generation has been observed under the very same conditions by irradiation of the QMP in the absence of the NI. Owing to the NIs redox and recognition properties, these results represent the first step toward new molecular devices capable of both biological target recognition and photoreleasing of QMs as alkylating species, under physiological conditions.

Up to four phenoxyl radicals coordinated to two metal ions in copper and zinc complexes?

Neutral copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of the mono- and dinucleating Schiff base ligands (2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-({2-[(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-benzylidene)-amino]-phenylimino}-methyl)-phenol) and (2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-({2,4,5-tri-[(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-benzylidene)-amino]-phenylimino}-methyl)-phenol) respectively were synthesized and characterized. The monometallic complex can be oxidized into a mono and a dication, while oxidation of the dimetallic one affords up to a tetracation. Whatever the ligand and metal are, oxidation takes place at the phenolate moieties, which were oxidized into coordinated phenoxyl radicals, i.e. the oxidation locus is not correlated to the ligand nuclearity. These results could be rationalized with previous ones by considering the hybridization of the coordinating nitrogens and the nature of the O-donor groups.

Ultrafast Electron Diffraction: Structural Dynamics of Molecular Rearrangement in the NO Release from Nitrobenzene

Nitro compounds release NO, NO2, and other species, but neither the structures during the reactions nor the time scales are known. Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) allowed the study of the NO release from nitrobenzene, and the molecular pathways and the structures of the transient species were identified. It was observed, in contrast to previous inferences, that nitric oxide and phenoxyl radicals are formed dominantly and that the time scale of formation is 8.8+/-2.2 ps. The structure of the phenoxyl radical was determined for the first time, and found to be quinoid-like. The mechanism proposed involves a repulsive triplet state, following intramolecular rearrangement. This efficient generation of NO may have important implications for the control of by-products in drug delivery and other applications.