Photo electron transfer cycloaddition

The single-electron transfer from one excited component to the other component acceptor, as the critical step prior to cycloaddition of photo-induced Diels Alder reactions, has been demonstrated [43] for the reaction of anthracene with maleic anhydride and various maleimides carried out in chloroform under irradiation by a medium-pressure mercury lamp (500 W). The (singlet) excited anthracene ( AN ), generated by the actinic light, is quenched by dienophile... 

Acetylchloride is a trapping agent that allows the reaction to go completion, transforming the product into a less oxidizable compound.The results of other reactions between indole (57) and substituted cyclohexa-1,3-dienes show that the photo-induced Diels-Alder reaction is almost completely regioselective. In the absence of 59 the cycloaddition did not occur the presence of [2+2] adducts was never detected. Experimental data support the mechanism illustrated in Scheme 4.14. The intermediate 57a, originated from bond formation between the indole cation radical and 58, undergoes a back-electron transfer to form the adduct 60 trapped by acetyl chloride. 

The photo-induced single and double Diels-Alder reactions between [60]fullerene and 9-methylanthracene (212) which gave 213 and 214 were performed in the solid state by Mikami and colleagues (equation 60)141. The Diels-Alder reaction was considered to proceed following a photo-induced electron transfer from 9-methylanthracene to fullerene. The higher ionization potential of anthracene should explain its inreactivity toward the cycloaddition reaction with [60]fullerene. 

Olefins are also susceptible to cycloaddition reactions (Fig 105) (150). In particular, some olefin-containing APIs can dimerize with another molecule of API to form a 2+2 cycloaddition product under photo conditions (151). A classic example of such a 2+2 cycloaddition catalyzed by UV radiation is that of the nucleoside thymidine (Fig. 106) (152,153). These reactions are proposed to go through more than one mechanism concerted, diradical, electron transfer, and radical ion pairs. 

The electron transfer reaction of gem-diarylmethylenecyclopropanes (60) with singlet sensitizers results in the exchange of the exo-methylene and the secondary cyclopropane carbons [241], The chloranil photo-sensitized reaction generates two unusual cycloaddition products (61, 62) [242], whereas the tetracyanoethylene sensitized oxygenation produces the respective dioxolanes [238]. These reactions are compatible with a ring-opened radical cation, and CIDNP experiments have... 

Arguello, J.E., Perez-Ruiz, R., and Miranda, M.A. (2007) Novel [4 + 2] cycloaddition between thiobenzophenone and aryl-substituted alkenes via photo-induced electron transfer. Organic Letters, 9, 3587-3590. 

In an earlier report Mazzocchi and his coworkers reported that the photo-reaction of A) methylnaphthalimide (325) with phenyIcyclopropane involved the production of a radical cation/radical anion pair. The product from the reaction was the cyclic ether (326). - A study of the mechanism of this reaction using suitably deuteriated compounds has demonstrated that the reaction is not concerted and takes place via the biradical (327). - Other systems related to these have been studied. In the present paper the photoreactivity of the naphthalimide (328) with alkenes in methanol was examined. Thus, with 1-methylstyrene cycloaddition occurs to the naphthalene moiety to afford the adducts (329) and (330). The mechanism proposed for the addition involves an electron transfer process whereby the radical cation of the styrene is trapped by methanol as the radical (331). This adds to the radical anion (332) ultimately to afford the observed products. Several examples of the reaction were descr ibed. 

Electron Transfer Processes - A single electron-transfer mechanism is involved in the cycloaddition of alkenes, such as 2-methylpropene, to 1,2-dicyanonaphthalene. Reaction of the alkene radical cation with the radical anion of the sensitiser results in the products shown in the Scheme 1. Incorporation of solvent to give (55) occurs as one of the main products in addition to what are essentially photo-NOCAS products (56). 

Photoirradiation of benzene and its derivatives with alkenes give ortho-, meta-, para-cycloaddition products. In most cases, either meta- or orr/io-adducts are obtained as major products [5]. Bryce-Smith and Gilbert suggested a prefulvene type diradical intermediate mechanism (Path A) for the weta-adduct [6], whereas Morrison and Srinivasan groups [7, 8] proposed the exciplex mechanism (Path B) for the formation of these adducts (Scheme 9.1). The exciplex intermediates undergo photo-induced electron transfer processes between donor (D) and acceptor (A) to produce radical ion pairs as intermediates, stabilized by coulombic interactions to give adducts [9]. 

As many photochemists have pointed out, photocopolymerizations and photo-cycloadditions usually involve charge-transfer complexes as intermediates, either in the ground state or in the excited state. The charge-transfer complexes that are formed only in the electronically excited state of either donor or acceptor molecules are termed exciplexes, which are stable in the electronically excited state, but... 

---