Photochemische Reaktionen. 71. Mitteilung. Die Photoisomerisierung eines spirocyclischen α, β-Epoxyketons

On direct UV. irradiation and on triplet sensitization with acetophenone the spirocyclic epoxyketone (R)-(?)- 9 undergoes racemization (Φ^313/334 0.014, Φ^Sens 0.0060) and rearrangement to the enantiomeric spiro-β-diketones (R)-(+)- 14 (Φ^313/334 0.068, Φ^Sens 0.0037) and (S)-(?)- 14 (Φ^313/334 0.024, Φ^Sens 0.0023). The quantum yield data show that triplet reaction due to intersystem crossing is unimportant on direct irradiation, and they exclude that one common diradical intermediate of type d (Scheme 8) for the three reaction paths is involved in both the singlet and the triplet reaction. The postulate of photolytic Cα? O epoxide cleavage to intermediates of type d for the rearrangement requires that the rate of rearrangement is greater than the rate of rotation around the Cα? Cβ; bond in a given d , and that the rate difference is greater in singlet-generated d than in the triplet analogue. Reclosure of diradicals d and/or photolytic Cα? Cβ cleavage to diradical e and reclosure can account for the racemization of 9 . The optically active spiro-β-diketone 14 was found to racemize also on direct irradiation and on triplet sensitization. Furthermore, both 14 and the isomeric β-diketone 20 , which was obtained by UV. irradiation of the homocyclic epoxyketone 19 , photochemically isomerize to the enol lactones 23 and 21 , respectively.