Ketones Norrish Type 2 reactions

Norrish type reactions. Type I reaction involves a-cleavage giving rise to an acyl and an alkyl radical. It is generally observed in aliphatic ketones in the vapour state and at high temperatures. The acyl radical is essentially decarbonylated at high temperatures. 

Note that Norrish-type reactions are not only of importance in relation to various polymers containing ketonic impurities, but they also play a dominant role in the photolysis of all polymers containing carbonyl groups as constituent moieties, such as polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, poly (vinyl acetate), polyesters, and polyamides. 

When the polymers are exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the activated ketone functionahties can fragment by two different mechanisms, known as Norrish types I and II. The degradation of polymers with the carbonyl functionahty in the backbone of the polymer results in chain cleavage by both mechanisms, but when the carbonyl is in the polymer side chain, only Norrish type II degradation produces main-chain scission (37,49). A Norrish type I reaction for backbone carbonyl functionahty is shown by equation 5, and a Norrish type II reaction for backbone carbonyl functionahty is equation 6. 

As a side reaction, the Norrish type I reaction is often observed. The stability of the radical species formed by a-cleavage determines the Norrish type 1/Norrish type II ratio. For example aliphatic methyl ketones 10 react by a Norrish type II-mechanism, while aliphatic tcrt-butyl ketones 11 react preferentially by a Norrish type I-mechanism. 

Typical chemical reactions of photoexcited aldehydes and ketones are cleavage reactions, usually designated as Norrish Type I [equation (54)], II [equation (55)] and III [equation (56)], hydrogen abstraction [equation (57)] and cycloadditions, such as the Paterno-Buchi reaction [equation (58)]. Of these, Norrish Type II cleavage and the related... 

Two examples from ketone photochemistry that has been recently analyzed within the context of solid-to-solid transformations are the Norrish type and Nor-rish-Yang type Ip44,i45 tactions. In general terms, the type I reaction consists of a homolytic cleavage of bond a-to the carbonyl to generate an acyl-alkyl radical pair (RP-A) or an acyl-alkyl biradical (BR-A) when the ketone is cyclic (Scheme 7.15). 

Frequently B will also undergo a back hydrogen transfer which regenerates the parent ketone, as well as cyclization (in most cases a minor reaction) as a result of this competition the quantum yields of fragmentation are typically in the 0.1-0.5 range in non-polar media. When the Norrish Type II process takes place in a polymer it can result in the cleavage of the polymer backbone. Poly(phenyl vinyl ketone) has frequently been used as a model polymer in which this reaction is resonsible for its photodegradation, reaction 2. 

Another mechanism for alkanone-sensitized photodehydrochlorination comprises Norrish type I scission of the ketone, followed by ground-state reactions of radicals (19). However, the evidence for such a mechanism is based on experiments that were carried out in the vapor phase (19). Initiation of the photodegradation of PVC by hexachloroacetone has been suggested to involve the abstraction of hydrogen from the polymer by radicals resulting from the photolysis of the ketone s carbon-chlorine bonds (22). 

In some photochemical reactions both Si and T take part in the reaction. For example, both the Si and Tt states of aliphatic ketones, such as hexan-2-one, take part in Norrish type 2 reactions ... 

Supramolecular concepts involved in the size- and shape-selective aspects of the channels and cavities of zeolites are used to control the selectivity of reactions of species produced by photoexcitation of molecules encapsulated within zeolites. The photochemistry of ketones in zeolites has been extensively studied. Photoexcitation of ketones adsorbed on zeolites at room temperature produces radical species by the Norrish type 1 reaction. A geminate (born together) radical pair is initially produced by photolysis of the ketone, and the control of the reaction products of such radicals is determined by the initial supramolecular structure... 

In solution, the Norrish type 1 reaction of ketones results in the non-selective free-radical combination reactions to give products AA, AB and BB in the ratio of 1 2 1, whereas photolysis of ketones in zeolites produces ... 

Now aryl free radicals are extremely unstable, they are not stabilised by resonance. Since the stability of a product can act as a driving force for the reaction to proceed along that path then we can say that the more unstable the product is, the less likely that path will be followed. Hence Norrish type I process is energetically unfavourable for diaryl ketones. 

One possible explanation for the lack of correspondence between emitting and reacting states is reaction of the singlet. In the case of benzophenone, there is little question that the reaction involves only the triplet state, since triplet quenchers can effectively inhibit the reaction. This need not be the case with all carbonyl compounds. For example, it has been shown that both the n,ir singlet and triplet states can be involved in the Norrish type II cleavage of alkyl ketones (25-27). At high concentrations, piperylene quenches only that part of the 2-hexanone cleavage which arises from the triplet. The rate constants for... 

Photochemical C —H insertion of ketone 1 proceeds by initial photoexcitation to give an excited state that can be usefully considered as a 1,2-diradical. Intramolecular hydrogen atom abstraction then proceeds to give a 1,4- or 1,5-diradical, which can collapse to form the new bond. This approach has been used to construct both four- and ftve-membered rings12 11. Photochemical-ly mediated cyclobutanol formation is known as the Norrish Type II reaction. 

The photochemistry of cyclobutanone presents a special case since the Norrish type-I cleavage to give an acylalkyl diradical intermediate releases ring-strain energy. Thus the energy available for subsequent reactions is reduced correspondingly, compared to the energy retained in an acyl radical from an acychc ketone, or less strained cyclic ketones. 

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