Abstract | 2,4,6-Triisopropylbenzophenone (3), 2,4,6–trimethylbenzophenone (4), and 2,4,6-trimethylacetophenone (5) have been examined by laser flash photolysis. Relatively long-lived triplets compared to similar mono-alkyl substituted ketones have been observed for each (280 ns, >2 μs and 220 ns in acetronitrile for 3, 4 and 5, respectively). Photoenol intermediates with λmax 360 nm and 380 nm were also observed from ketones 3 and 5, respectively. Ketone 3 yielded a mixture of approximately equal amounts of Z and E enols in hexane. The Z enol had a lifetime of ~4 μs while the E enol did not decay appreciably during 100 μs. Biradical intermediates were not observed from any of the three ketones. Quenching rate constants for several energy transfer and hydrogen donor substrates are reported. For example, ketones 3 and 4 react with 1,4-cyclohexadiene with rate constants of 2.8 × 107 and 3.7 × 107 M−1 s−1, respectively, to yield ketyl radicals with λmax ~480 nm. Keywords: photoenolization, trialkyl phenyl ketone, flash photolysis, triplets. |
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