Ketone radical reactions excited state

The lowest excited state of most ketones has the (n, n ) electronic structure, which gives the carbonyl (C=0) double bond a 1,2-biradical character. Therefore, the electron-deficient oxygen atom of this moiety, obtained upon excitation, acquires a radical reactivity, similar to the alkoxy radical. This excited state property of ketones leads to intramolecular H-abstraction to form 1-hydroxy-l, x-biradicals. Depending upon the structure and reaction conditions of the carbonyl compound, two common competing reactions may follow ... 

The bicyclic product is formed by coupling of the two radical sites, while the alkene results from an intramolecular hydrogen-atom transfer. These reactions can be sensitized by aromatic ketones and quenched by typical triplet quenchers and are therefore believed to proceed via triplet excited states. 

A simple aliphatic ketone such as acetone, when promoted to its n,n excited state, undergoes a single unimolecular photochemical reaction in high quantum yield namely a-cleavage giving a methyl and acetyl radical which react further in secondary dark processes. In general, competition... 

As it pertains to the solid state photodecarbonylation reaction, the model assumes that most aliphatic ketones have similar excitation energies, that reactions are more likely along the longer-lived triplet excited state, and that each reaction step must be thermoneutral or exothermic to be viable in the solid state. " Using acetone and its decarbonylation intermediates as a reference reaction (dashed lines in Fig. 7.24), we can analyze the energetic requirements to predict the effects of substituents on the stability of the radical intermediates. The a-cleavage reaction of triplet acetone generates an acetyl-methyl radical pair in a process that is 3.5 kcal/mol endothermic and the further loss of CO from acetyl radical is endothermic by 11.0... 

Figure 3.2 Reactions of an excited state radical reactions of a ketone.

ECL emission has been also observed in the mixed ECL systems involving PAHs with reaction partners like aromatic amines or ketones forming radical cations D + or radical anions A-, respectively.114127 Such approach solves the problems caused by the instability of ECL reactants but lowers distinctly the free energy available for the formation of an excited state. Usually, the energy released in electron transfer between A- + D + ions is insufficient to populate emissive 11A or D states directly and the annihilation of the radical ions usually generates only nonemissive3 A or 3 D triplets that produce light via triplet-triplet annihilation. Consequently ECL efficiencies in the mixed ECL systems are usually very low. Only in some cases, when radiative electron transfer between A + D+ species is operative, relatively intense [A D + ] exciplex emission can be observed. 

The (n,n excited state of a ketone has electrophilic character, similar to that associated with alkoxy radicals, and it is not surprising that these excited states readily attack carbon-carbon multiple bonds. The overall reaction that normally ensues is a cycloaddition, giving a four-membered oxygen heterocycle—an oxetane from an alkene addend (4.62), or an oxete from an alkyne addend (4.63). Some oxetanes are of interest in their own right, but many are useful intermediates in the synthesis of other compounds. 

If the photochemical reaction is followed only by measuring the concentration of the light-absorbing ketone, it will indeed appear that the additive (acridine) acts as a quencher in reality it acts as a radical scavenger through a thermochemical reaction which is quite unrelated to the nature of the reactive excited state. 

Photoinitiators are generally aryl alkyl ketones or diaryl ketones (Table 2.19). For aryl alkyl ketones two free radicals are produced by homolytic scission of a C-C bond (Eq. (2.96)). Diaryl ketones are usually mixed with a tertiary amine the mechanism of production of free radicals involves H abstraction from the tertiary amine by the excited state PI, via a charge-transfer stabilized exciplex (Eq. (2.97)). The a-amino alkyl radical formed is very reactive and is in fact the true initiator because the cetyl radical disappears rapidly through a coupling reaction (formation of pinacol). 

The photochemical alkylation of olefins by nitriles and ketones is not straightforward, due mainly to the inefficient abstraction of hydrogen from an electron-withdrawing-substituted carbon by an electrophile such as the photocatalyst excited state. Nevertheless, various methyl ketones have been synthesized by the irradiation of a ketone/oleftn mixture dissolved in aqueous acetone. The mechanism of the reaction remains to be clarified, but a water-assisted C—C coupling between an acetonyl radical and the olefin has been postulated (Scheme 3.12). The reaction has several advantages, as it is cheap (an acetone/water mixture is used as the solvent) and occurs under mild metal-free conditions with no need for a photocatalyst [28],... 

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