作者:Peter J. Wagner、Bong-Ser Park、Martin Sobczak、Joseph Frey、Zvi Rappoport
DOI:10.1021/ja00134a006
日期:1995.7
Three of the title compounds-the hexamethyl-, hexaethyl-, and hexaisopropylbenzils-all photocyclize both in solution and as solids to 5,7-dialkyl-2-(2',4',6'-trialkylphenyl)-2-hyudroxy-1-indanones. At wavelengths <370 nm these primary photoproducts undergo secondary photocleavage to ketoaldehydes. The hexaethylbenzil produces only the (Z)-hydroxyindanone in the solid but a 2/1 Z/E ratio at low conversion in solution. The solid-state reactivity and the preference for formation of the (Z)-hydroxyindanone from the hexaethylbenzil suggest that much of the reaction involves delta-hydrogen abstraction followed by coupling of the 1,5-biradical. The formation of (E)-hydroxyindanones from o-ethylphenyl diketones had been attributed to stereospecific rearrangement of a photodienol formed by gamma-hydrogen abstraction. However, none of the H/D exchange of benzylic hydrogens expected of a photodienol occurs in methanol-d(4). Moreover, AM1-level semiempirical calculations suggest that a simple exothermic hydrogen transfer can convert the 1,4-biradical tripler dienol to the same 1,5-biradical formed by delta-hydrogen abstraction. The 1,5-biradical has two major conformations, one leading to Z product and an internally OH-O=C hydrogen bonded one leading to E product. The AM1 computations suggest that the two conformations are of comparable energy and thus implicate 1,5-biradicals as the major precursors to hydroxyindanone products. Stem-Volmer quenching studies indicate a triplet decay rate of 5 x 10(6) s(-1) for the hexaisopropylbenzil. The known behavior of structurally similar monoketones predicts such a rate for delta-hydrogen abstraction but a much slower rate for gamma-hydrogen abstraction. However, relative quantum efficiencies parallel those for benzocyclobutenol formation from 2,4,6-trialkylbenzophenones (iPr and Et similar to 0.3, Me similar to 0.03). The hexa-tert-butylbenzil undergoes very low quantum yield formation of 3,3-dimethyl-5,7-di-tert-butyl-1-indanone and 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylbenzaldehyde, presumably by delta-hydrogen abstraction and highly efficient radical cleavage of the resulting 1-aroyl-1-indanol.