Photolysis of cyclic enol esters in the presence or absence of a single electron transfer photosensitizer

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)96217-9

The photochemistry of enol esters 1 is dominated by electrocyclic ring opening (1b → 3+4), 1,3-acyl migration (1c,d → 6c,d) and [2 + 2] dimerization (1d → 11). Photosensitization with triphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (TPT) enhances formation of oxidation products (1b → 5,1c,d → 9c,d + 10c,d), presumably through the intermediacy of radical cations 1b-d⁺.