Generation of ketenes by photolysis of naphtho[1,8-de]-1,3- dichalcogeninylidene 1-oxides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(99)00940-5

The photolysis of naphtho[1,8-de]-1,3-dichalcogeninylidene 1-oxide derivatives (4 and 5) at >290 nm generates ketenes together with naphtho[1,8- cd]-1,2-dichalcogenole, which were confirmed by the trapping experiments and the direct observation using IR spectroscopy. The generation of ketenes from the selenium compounds 5 is more effective than that from the sulfur analogs 4.