Contact radical ion pairs

Oxidation reactions that originate with the singlet excited state of the anthraquinone (AQ 1) generate a contact radical ion pair in an overall singlet... 

In the ensuing discussion, the energy dependence of the rate constants for proton transfer within a variety of substituted benzophenone-lV, /V-dimethylaniline contact radical ion pairs is examined only the data for the nitrile solvents are discussed. This functional relationship is examined within the context of theories for non-adiabatic proton transfer. Finally, these results are viewed from the perspective of other proton-transfer studies that examine the energy dependence of the rate constants. 

The enthalpy changes associated with proton transfer in the various 4, -substituted benzophenone contact radical ion pairs as a function of solvent have been estimated by employing a variety of thermochemical data [20]. The effect of substituents upon the stability of the radical IP were derived from the study of Arnold and co-workers [55] of the reduction potentials for a variety of 4,4 -substituted benzophenones. The effect of substituents upon the stability of the ketyl radical were estimated from the kinetic data obtained by Creary for the thermal rearrangement of 2-aryl-3,3-dimethylmethylenecyclopropanes, where the mechanism for the isomerization assumes a biradical intermediate [56]. The solvent dependence for the energetics of proton transfer were based upon the studies of Gould et al. [38]. The details of the analysis can be found in the original literature [20] and only the results are herein given in Table 2.2. 

In summary, although the BH model predicts an inverted region for the kinetics of proton in the nonadiabatic regime, the BH model is only in qualitative accord with the data derived from the proton transfer within the benzophenone-N, A -dimethylaniline contact radical ion pairs. The failure of the model lies in its ID nature as it does not take into account the degrees of freedom for the vibrations associated with the proton-transfer mode. By incorporating these vibrations into the BH model, the LH model provides an excellent account of the parameters serving to control the kinetics of nonadiabatic proton transfer. A more rigorous test for the LH model will come when the kinetic deuterium isotope effects for benzophenone-A, A -dimethylaniline contact radical ions are examined as well as the temperature dependence of these processes are measured. 

The competition between the various reactions depends on many factors, including the distance between the ions. Radical ion pairs generated by PET can be contact radical ion pairs (CRIP) or solvent separated radical ion pairs (SSRIP ... 

The observation of decreased exciplex fluorescence intensity and increased adduct formation with increasing solvent polarity (Fig. 10) led to the proposal that adduct formation proceeds via initial one-electron transfer to yield a radical ion pair, followed by proton transfer to yield a 1,2-diphenylethyl and a-di-alkylaminoalkyl radical pair, which subsequently combines to yield 63, disproportionates or diffuses apart (114). Subsequent investigation of this reaction led to the proposal that proton transfer occurs only from the initially formed exciplex or contact radical ion pair prior to solvation to yield a solvent separated radical ion pair. The detailed mechanism for reaction of It with tertiary amines in acetonitrile solution is summarized in Fig. 11 (116c). 

The reactive species generated by the photoexcitation of organic molecules in the electron-donor-acceptor systems are well established in last three decades as shown in Scheme 1. The reactivity of an exciplex and radical ion species is discussed in the following sections. The structure-reactivity relationship for the exciplexes, which possess infinite lifetimes and often emit their own fluorescence, has been shown in some selected regioselective and stereoselective photocycloadditions. However, the exciplex emission is often absent or too weak to be identified although the exciplexes are postulated in many photocycloadditions [11,12], The different reactivities among the contact radical ion pairs (polar exciplexes), solvent-separated radical ion pairs, and free-radical ions as ionic species... 

The dynamics of proton transfer within a variety of substituted benzophenone-iV-methylacridan contact radical ion pairs [e.g. (53)] in benzene have been examined.156 Correlation of the rate constants for proton transfer with the thermodynamic driving force has revealed both normal and inverted regions for proton transfer in benzene. 

Any reduction initiated by electron transfer might be completed by either H - or H+/e-transfer. In one case at least, it has been shown that the H+/e sequence would be followed. Photochemical reaction of fluorenone with NMAH (Peters et al., 1982) involves initial electron transfer from NMAH to singlet fluorenone yielding a contact radical ion pair, presumably identical to that expected from a hypothetical ground state reaction with initial electron transfer. Fast time-resolved spectroscopy shows that this decays to the ketyl-NMA radical pair by proton transfer. 

Halofuran and halothiophene derivatives undergo photochemical reactions with arylalkenes and arylalkynes and with benzo[6]furan513,514. With the arylalkenes and aryl-alkynes, heteroarylation takes place at the terminal alkene or alkyne carbon atom, while benzo[6]furan is substituted at position 2. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of solvent-separated or contact radical ion pairs. Iodothiophene and iodofuran derivatives can also be used to synthesize derivatives of benzimidazole by means of photochemical coupling515. The reaction of 5-iodothiophene-2-carboxaldehyde (157) with benzimidazole (158) giving the coupling product 159 is illustrated in equation 131. 

Phys., 176, 439 (1993). Radiative and Nonradiative Electron Transfer in Contact Radical-Ion Pairs. 

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