Proton Transfers in the Electronic Excited State

PROTON TRANSFERS IN THE ELECTRONIC EXCITED STATE Photoacids... 

Ultrafast studies on tautomerism concentrate on compounds that can exhibit hydrogen transfer in the electronically excited state. Hydrogen transfer is a very typical reaction for the interconversion between different tautomeric forms. It converts enol to keto, amino to imino, imino to enamino, and lactim to lactam forms, to name some examples. For time-resolved experiments, excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) is particularly well suited since a short laser pulse in the visible or ultraviolet (UV) spectral region can trigger this process by promoting the molecule into the electronically excited state and initiating the transfer in this way [3]. The vast majority of experiments on tautomerism with ultrafast time resolution are therefore done on compounds exhibiting ESIPT. 

Acids are in equilibrium with their conjugate bases in protic solvents, where the relative concentrations depend on the pK value. The observed dynamics of an electronically excited photoacid, typically interpreted as the proton transfer rate to the (protic) solvent [77, 78], is thus governed by the equilibration dynamics to the new configuration - as long as the photoacid and conjugate photobase remain in the electronically excited state - as dictated by the new excited state pJ a value. Depending on the pFI of the solvent one can observe the reversible time-depen-dent geminate recombination of the photobase with the released proton [79-83], or even the reaction of the photobase with other protons present in solution. 

Proton transfer is a particularly important transport process. Beyond acid-base reactions, proton transfer may be coupled to electron transfer in redox reactions and to excited-state chemistry. It is of enormous significance in biochemical processes where it is an essential step in hydrolytic enzyme processes and redox reactions spanning respiration, and photosynthesis where proton motion is responsible for sustaining redox gradients. In relatively recent times, proton transfer in the excited state has undergone significant study, primarily fueled by advances in ultrafast spectroscopy. 

Radical cations of dihydropteridines are formed by the photoreduction of lumazine by benzyl alcohol derivatives in the presence of HC104 in acetonitrile, via photoinduced electron transfer to the triplet excited state of the protonated species (11) (Equation (1)) <89CL35>. The unstable photoreduced product has been characterized by its ESR spectrum. 

Products of addition to styrene double bonds can arise as a result of light induced electron transfer reactions. Lewis has studied the intramolecular reaction of l-phenyl-w-amino alkenes (422) 289,290 products arise from electron transfer from the amine nitrogen to the excited state of the styryl group followed by intramolecular proton transfer in the radical ion pair produced. The resultant biradical then couples to yield the isolated products (423) and (424). Sensitisation of the intermolecular analogue of this reaction by 1,4-dicyanobenzene has been reported and is proposed to occur by electron transfer from the styrene to the excited state of the sensitiser followed by attack of an amine on the styrene radical cation. This ultimately leads to the product of anti-Markovnikov addition of the amine across the double bond of the styrene. This is similar to the sequence long since established by... 

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