Spin-correlated radical pair polarization mechanisms

A subset of electron-hole radical pairs exhibits features of Spin Correlated Radical Pair (CRRP) electron spin polarization mechanism [101] which can be observed at somewhat longer times via light/field modulated (LFM) EPR measurements. This technique is only sensitive to the light dependent part of the EPR spectrum on the time scale of the light modulation frequency (millisecond regime, insert Fig. 1.15). Using LFM EPR it was observed that both the transitions of the holes localized on the surface modifier and electrons localized on the Ti02... 

Extensive studies of the sensitizer dependence and the solvent dependence of the polarization patterns led to the identihcation of two parallel pathways of that deprotonation. One is a proton transfer within the spin-correlated radical pairs, with the radical anion A acting as the base. The other is a deprotonation of free radicals, in which case the proton is taken up by surplus starting amine DH. Furthermore, evidence was obtained from these experiments that even in those situations where the polarization pattern suggests a direct hydrogen abstraction according to Equation 9.6 these reactions proceed as two-step processes, electron transfer (Eq. 9.7) followed by deprotonation of the radical cation by either of the described two routes. The whole mechanism is summarized by Chart 9.3 for triethylamine as the substrate. Best suited for an analysis is the product V. 

A detailed description of CIDEP mechanisms is outside the scope of this chapter. Several monographs and reviews are available that describe the spin physics and chemistry. Briefly, the radical pair mechanism (RPM) arises from singlet-triplet electron spin wave function evolution during the first few nanoseconds of the diffusive radical pair lifetime. For excited-state triplet precursors, the phase of the resulting TREPR spectrum is low-field E, high-field A. The triplet mechanism (TM) is a net polarization arising from anisotropic intersystem crossing in the molecular excited states. For the polymers under study here, the TM is net E in all cases, which is unusual for aliphatic carbonyls and will be discussed in more detail in a later section. Other CIDEP mechanisms, such as the radical-triplet pair mechanism and spin-correlated radical pair mechanism, are excluded from this discussion, as they do not appear in any of the systems presented here. 

The EPR spectra of both 2-TAPD -ZP-2-NQ and 2-TAPD -ZP-l-NQ can be attributed to 2 radicals, TAPD with a broad linewidth at lower g-factor and NQ with a narrow linewidth at higher g-factor. Spin-polarization is observed on a millisecond time scale because the spin-lattice relaxation times of the radicals are long at 5 K. Spin polarization in these radical pairs can result from two mechanisms. The first mechanism is the usual radical pair mechanism, RPM, of CIDEP.[35] S-Tq mixing in TAPD-ZP" -NQ is followed by polarization transfer to a non-interacting radical pair TAPD -ZP-NQ, i.e. = 0. The second mechanism assumes that TAPD -ZP-NQ is itself an interacting spin correlated radical pair, i.e. 2J 0.1 -10 G and D 1 - 5 G.[36-38] In this case S-Tq mixing in TAPD -ZP-NQ can also produce polarized spectra. 

By a detailed CIDNP investigation [117a] of the Patemo-Biichi reactions of anetholes 31 with quinones 30 in polar medium earlier mechanistic hypotheses were disproved. Stationary and time-resolved experiments showed the mechanism to have the following novel features (cf. Chart XIV) Spin-correlated radical ion pairs (i.e., 30 31,+) are key intermediates for cycloadduct formation free radical ions do not play a significant role. In the singlet state, these pairs undergo back electron transfer geminate reaction of triplet pairs leads to triplet biradicals, which are the precursors to the photoproducts. 

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