title: Photocatalytic oxygenation of anthracenes and olefins with dioxygen via selective radical coupling using 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium ion as an effective electron-transfer photocatalyst.
abstract: Visible light irradiation of the absorption band of 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium ion (Acr+-Mes) in an O2-saturated acetonitrile (MeCN) solution containing 9,10-dimethylanthracene results in formation of oxygenation product, i.e., dimethylepidioxyanthracene (Me2An-O2). Anthracene and 9-methylanthracene also undergo photocatalytic oxygenation with Acr+-Mes to afford the corresponding epidioxyanthracenes under the photoirradiation. In the case of anthracene, the further photoirradiation results in formation of anthraquinone as the final six-electron oxidation product, via 10-hydroxyanthrone, accompanied by generation of H2O2. When anthracene is replaced by olefins (tetraphenylethylene and tetramethylethylene), the photocatalytic oxygenation of olefins affords the corresponding dioxetane, in which the O-O bond is cleaved to yield the corresponding ketones. The photocatalytic oxygenation of anthracenes and olefins is initiated by photoexcitation of Acr+-Mes, which results in formation of the electron-transfer state: Acr*-Mes*+, followed by electron transfer from anthracenes and olefins to the Mes*+ moiety together with electron transfer from the Acr* moiety to O2. The resulting anthracene and olefin radical cations undergo the radical coupling reactions with O2*- to produce the epidioxyanthracene (An-O2) and dioxetane, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Material and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuzumi