One of the most important properties of the a,� unsaturaed acetophenone derivatives is photoisomerization of trans and cis isomers. We have shown that p-methylacetophenone derivatives (1a) and (1b) undergo trans-cis isomerism in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light. When irradiated, both 1a and 1b isomers form their singlet excited states which intersystem cross to give their triplet ketones. The triplet ketones rearrange to give a 1,2 biradical (1c). The lifetime of 1,2 biradical (1c) is of the order of several microseconds and the biradical decays to its corresponding cis (1b) and trans (1a) isomers. The mechanism for the trans-cis isomerization of p-methylacetophenone derivatives was studied using transient spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. 

Comparison of trans-cis isomerization of p-methylacetophenyl derivatives

245th National Meeting (2013)

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