Structural Effects in Photoepoxidation Sensitized by α-Diketones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00156a020

A series of α-diketones and benzils were examined for their effectiveness as sensitizers in the photoepoxidation reaction.The reduction potentials of these α-diketones were also determined at a hanging-mercury-drop electrode.The reduction potentials of the p,p'-disubstituted-benzils were successfully correlated to the sum of the Hammett ? values.No evidence could be found that electron transfer plays an important role in the epoxidation mechanism.The mechanistic possibilities are briefly discussed.Studies of the photoepoxidation reaction in a variety of solvents have also shown that the reaction is very insensitive to solvent effects.