title: Photogeneration and reactivity of 1,n-diphenyl-1,n-azabiradicals.
abstract: The 1,5-diphenyl-1,5-azapentanediyl biradical Ia was generated by photolysis of 1,2-diphenylazacyclopentane (pyrrolidine 1a). Among the reaction pathways followed by Ia, C-N bond reformation with ring closure was found to be the predominating process, as determined by separate irradiation of either of the pure enantiomers of 1a. Disproportionation was a minor process and took place only via H abstraction by the C5 benzylic radical. Another minor pathway was C5-aryl coupling, with formation of 5-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-benzo[b]azepine (4a), which is equivalent to photo-Claisen rearrangement of 1a. Likewise, the 1,4-diphenyl-1,4-azabutanediyl biradical Ib was generated by photolysis of 1,2-diphenylazacyclobutane (azetidine 1b). This species underwent predominating C2-C3 cleavage, as indicated by the extensive styrene formation. Although N1-C4 bond reformation also took place, this is not the major pathway occurring from Ib. Besides, C4-aryl coupling to give 4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (4b) was also observed. All the possible reaction pathways were theoretically studied at the UB3LYP/6-31G computational level; the results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química-Instituto de Tecnología Química UPV-CSIC, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Edgar A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: Luis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tormos