Excited-state reactions rearrangements

Typical reactions of excited states include rearrangement, abstraction, addition, and cleavage reactions. 

The trans isomer is more reactive than the cis isomer ia 1,2-addition reactions (5). The cis and trans isomers also undergo ben2yne, C H, cycloaddition (6). The isomers dimerize to tetrachlorobutene ia the presence of organic peroxides. Photolysis of each isomer produces a different excited state (7,8). Oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethylene ia the presence of a free-radical iaitiator or concentrated sulfuric acid produces the corresponding epoxide [60336-63-2] which then rearranges to form chloroacetyl chloride [79-04-9] (9). 

For a review of this reaction, see D. I. Schuster, in Rearrangements in Ground and Excited States, Vol. 3, R de Mayo, ed.. Academic Press. New York, 1980, Chapter 17. 

Fig. 8.9 Possible mechanisms of the bioluminescence reaction of dinoflagellate luciferin, based on the results of the model study (Stojanovic and Kishi, 1994b Stojanovic, 1995). The luciferin might react with molecular oxygen to form the luciferin radical cation and superoxide radical anion (A), and the latter deproto-nates the radical cation at C.132 to form (B). The collapse of the radical pair might yield the excited state of the peroxide (C). Alternatively, luciferin might be directly oxygenated to give C, and C rearranges to give the excited state of the hydrate (D) by the CIEEL mechanism. Both C and D can be the light emitter.

A simple example serves to illnstrate the similarities between a reaction mechanism with a conventional intermediate and a reaction mechanism with a conical intersection. Consider Scheme 9.2 for the photochemical di-tt-methane rearrangement. Chemical intnition snggests two possible key intermediate structures, II and III. Computations conhrm that, for the singlet photochemical di-Jt-methane rearrangement, structure III is a conical intersection that divides the excited-state branch of the reaction coordinate from the ground state branch. In contrast, structure II is a conventional biradical intermediate for the triplet reaction. 

Photolysis reactions often are associated with oxidation because the latter category of reactions frequently can be initiated by light. The photooxidation of phenothiazines with the formation of N- and S-oxides is typical. But photolysis reactions are not restricted to oxidation. In the case of sodium nitroprusside, it is believed that degradation results from loss of the nitro-ligand from the molecule, followed by electronic rearrangement and hydration. Photo-induced reactions are common in steroids [36] an example is the formation of 2-benzoylcholestan-3-one following irradiation of cholest-2-en-3-ol benzoate. Photoadditions of water and of alcohols to the electronically excited state of steroids have also been observed [37],... 

While this scheme is useful in helping to predict products from di-rr-methane rearrangements, all evidence indicates that the structures drawn are not intermediates in the reaction. That is, they do not represent energy minima on the potential energy surface leading from the excited state of the reactant to the ground state of the product. 

The second intermediate s identity has been debated since the mid-1980s. In 1984, Liu and Tomioka suggested that it was a carbene-alkenc complex (CAC).17 Similar complexes had been previously postulated to rationalize the negative activation energies observed in certain carbene-alkene addition reactions.11,30 A second intermediate is not limited to the CAC, however. In fact any other intermediate, in addition to the carbene, will satisfy the kinetic observations i.e., that a correlation of addn/rearr vs. [alkene] is curved, whereas the double reciprocal plot is linear.31 Proposed second intermediates include the CAC,17 an excited carbene,31 a diazo compound,23 or an excited diazirine.22,26 We will consider the last three proposals collectively below as rearrangements in the excited state (RIES). 

In acetonitrile-dichloromethane 1 1 v/v solution, their absorption spectra are dominated by naphthalene absorption bands and they exhibit three types of emission bands, assigned to naphthyl localized excited states (/Wx = 337 nm), naphthyl excimers (Amax ca. 390 nm), and naphthyl-amine exciplexes (/lmax = 480 nm) (solid lines in Fig. 3). The tetraamine cyclam core undergoes only two protonation reactions, which not only prevent exciplex formation for electronic reasons but also cause strong nuclear rearrangements in the cyclam structure which affect excimer formation between the peripheral naphthyl units of the dendrimers. 

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