On commutativity in point-reflection geometries

To any spatial point-reflection geometry there corresponds a determined commutative kinematic space.Dedicated to Professor Raphael Artzy on his 80^th birthday.Research supported by the NATO Scientific Affairs Division grant CRG 900103.     

New pi-extended water-soluble squaraines as singlet oxygen generators

[graph: see text] Condensation of squaric acid with a number of differently substituted 2-pyrrolyl derivatives afforded three new classes of squaraines. Their sharp and intense absorption bands in the biological window (700-900 nm), inherent singlet oxygen generation capabilities, together with proper functionalization allowing good water solubility make them suitable candidates as new non-porphyrinic singlet oxygen photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT).     

On the photochemical conversion of an alpha, beta-unsaturated gamma, delta-epoxy ketone: 3-oxo-6-alpha, 7-alpha-oxide-17-beta-acetoxy-Delta-androstane

The α,β-unsaturated γ,δ-epoxyketone 7 is isomerized almost exclusively to the δ-diketone 9 both upon irradiation in the n → π* absorption band with light of wavelengths above 310 nm (in anhydrous dioxane or benzene solutions) and upon triplet sensitization using acetophenone in benzene. The reaction may be formulated by the cleavage of the C_γ? O oxide bond and the shift of the δ-hydrogen to the γ-position, and thus bears a formal “double bond homology” to the photochemical α,β-epoxyketone rearrangement. Excitation in the π → π* absorption band of 7 with light of wavelength 253,7 nm (in anhydrous dioxane solution) leads to the formation of product 10 as well as to the triplet rearrangement to 9 . With this result a novel partial synthesis of O-acetyl-B-nortestosterone has been accomplished, which has the advantages of fewer steps and higher product yield ( 7 → 10 : ～30% yield) than previously published syntheses. On the basis of the presently available experiments, the mechanism of the transformation 7 → 10 , which constitutes one of the still few examples of enone photoreactions induced selectively from the π,π* excited singlet, remains unknown.     

On the photochemistry of alpha, beta-unsaturated gamma-aldehydoketones. I. The UVirradiation of 3, 19-dioxo-17-beta-acetoxy-delta-4-androstene

Irradiation of 3,19-dioxo-17β-acetoxy-Δ⁴-androstene ( 2 ) at room temperature in either of its two absorption bands centered at about 245 and 315 nm, respectively, led to products 21, 22 , and 23 (Chart 3). Compounds 21 and 22 result from rearrangements involving intramolecular formal 1,2- (→ 21 ) and 1,3-shifts (→ 22 ) of the angular formyl group, and the formation of compound 23 proceeds through the elimination of the formyl radical and the incorporation of a hydrogen from the medium. Evidence favors the latter process to be a secondary radical reaction rather than a primary photochemical step.     

The Synthesis of 4b, 5, 12, 12a-Tetrahydro-5, 12-ethano-13H-indeno[2,3-b]anthracenes, 4b, 5, 10, 10a - tetrahydro-5,10-ethano-11H-indeno[2,3-b]naphtalenes and 1,2,3,4,4a, 9a-Hexahydro-1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluorenes

The synthesis of endo- and exo-13-oxo-4b, 5, 12, 12a-tetrahydro-5, 12-ethanoindeno[2,3-b]anthracene ( 23 ; Schemes 1 and 2), exo- and endo-11-oxo-4b, 5, 10, 10a-tetrahydro-5, 10-ethano-indeno[2,3-b]naphthalene ( 31 ; Scheme 3), 1,2,3,4,4a,9a-hexahydro?1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluoren-9-one (36; Scheme 4), and the corresponding hydrocarbons of the stereoisomeric ketone pairs 23 and 36 , is described.     

Modeling and simulation of free radical polymerization of styrene under semibatch reactor conditions

The first part of this approach is concerned with the elaboration of a radical polymerization model of styrenne, based on a kinetic diagram that includes chemical and thermal initiation, propagation, termination by recombination and chain transfer to the monomer. Furthermore, volume contraction during polymerization is considered, as well as the gel and glass effects. The mathematical formalism that describes the model in terms of moments is explored in detail. The model was then used to predict the changes in monomer conversion and molecular weight after intermediate addition of initiator and monomer. The results of this operation are dependent on the conditions of the reaction mass, quantity, and moment of substance addition. Therefore, the simulations were performed at different times with respect to the gel effect; before, during and after this phenomenon, and also with respect to different temperatures and initiators. Increasing the initiator concentration before the gel effect leads to an earlier appearance of the phenomenon and to a decrease in molecular weight. The ratio reveals a polydispersity index smaller for the intermediate addition of initiator. No significant changes take place during or after the gel effect. If along with the initiator, unreacted monomver (used to dissolve the initiator) enters the reactor, a small dip in conversion is observed. The general conclusion of this paper reveals the intermediate addition of initiator as a method to control polymer properties and to prevent the “dead-end” polymerization of styrene.     

Lösungsmittel-sensibilisierte strahlungschemische Reaktionen II FRIES-Umlagerungen von Arylestern und Arylamiden [1]

In a series of screening experiments p-tolyl acetate ( 1a ), phenyl benzoate ( 1b ), p-tolyl benzoate ( 1c ), acetanilide ( 1d ), and 2-naphthyl acetate ( 5 ) have been subjected to γ-radiolysis in aromatic and saturated hydrocarbon solutions. Qualitatively, the products formed correspond to those observed also with the respective photo-FRIES reactions, i.e., hydroxy- and amino-aryl ketones due to rearrangements, and products due to homolytic fission into aryloxy and aniline radicals, respectively, were produced. The relatively high G values of conversion in dilute solutions indicate that energy transfer from the solvent is operative. E.g., 0,1 M p-tolyl acetate ( 1a ) in benzene has a G value of over 0.3 for ortho-rearrangement to 2a , and of 0.55 for cresol ( 4a ) formation. Kinetic evidence points to different energy requirements of the ortho-rearrangement and the phenol formation, and to more than one excited state of benzene acting as energy donor. The ratio of the observed rate constants of the energy transfer to self-quenching in benzene is about 80 1 · mole⁻¹ for the ortho-rearrangement to 2a . The over-all reaction is strongly quenched upon addition of p-terphenyl. A comparison of the quantitative data obtained in this work with available published data reveals differences between benzene-sensitized runs with γ radiation and photochemical experiments. Thus, the ratios of ortho vs. para and amphi rearrangement, and of homolytic fission vs. rearrangements are higher in the solvent-sensitized radiolyses.     

Photochemische Reaktionen. 68. Mitteilung. Die Photoisomerisierung von α,β-ungesättigten γ,δ-Epoxyketonen: 9α, 10α- und 9β, 10β-Oxido-3-oxo-17β-acetoxy-Δ4-östren

Irradiation in the n→π* absorption band of the α,β-unsaturated γ,δ-epoxyketone 5 in ethanol at ?65° exclusively afforded the rearranged ene-dione 13 , whereas at + 24° under otherwise unchanged reaction conditions or upon triplet sensitization with Michler's ketone and with acetophenone at + 24° essentially identical mixtures of 13 (major product), 14 , and 15 were obtained. Selective π→π* excitation of 5 at ?78° and + 24° led to similar product patterns. The 9β,10β-epimeric epoxyketone 7 selectively isomerized to 14 and 15 at + 24° and n → π* or π → π* excitation. Neither the epoxyketones 5 and 7 nor the photoproducts 13–15 were photochemically interconverted. In separate photolyses each of the latter gave the double bond isomers 16 , 18 , and 19 , respectively. Cleavage of 13 to the dienone aldehyde 17 competed with the double bond shift ( → 16 ) when photolyzed in alcoholic solvents instead of benzene. The selective transformations 5 → 13 (at ?65° and n → π* excitation) and 7 → 14 + 15 are attributed to stereoelectronic factors facilitating the skeletal rearrangements of the diradicals 53 and 55 , the likely primary photoproducts resulting from epoxide cleavage in the triplet-excited compounds 5 and 7 , via the transition states 54 , 56 , and 57 . The loss of selectivity in product formation from 5 at higher temperature and n → π* excitation or triplet sensitization is explicable in terms of radical dissociation into 58 and 59 increasingly participating at the secondary thermal transformations of 53 . The similar effect of π → π* excitation even at ?78° indicates that some of the π,π* singlet energy may become available as thermal activation energy. It is further suggested that the considerably lesser ring strain in 14 and 15 , as compared with 13 , is responsible that selectivity in product formation from 7 is maintained also at +24° and at π → π* excitation.     

The Photochemistry of 2-Cyclopentenyl Methyl Ketones

2-Cyclopentenyl and 3-phenyl-2-cyclopentenyl methyl ketones (15–18, 30, 31) undergo a 1,3-acetyl shift on direct irradiation, and the oxa-di-π-methane rearrangement to photochemically non-interconverting endo and exo bicyclo-[2.1.0]pentyl methyl ketones on triplet sensitization. Exceptions include the 2-methyl-3-phenyl-2-cyclopentenyl methyl ketone 32 and the 1-phenyl-2-cyclo-pentenyl methyl ketone 44 which are unreactive on direct irradiation and on triplet sensitization, respectively, and the 2-phenyl-2-cyclopentenyl methyl ketones 42 and 43 which do not react under either condition. The reactive triplet of the 3-phenyl-2-cyclopentenyl methyl ketone 30 has been identified as the localized styrene π,π*-state of E_T=59 kcal/mol by comparison of its phosphorescence at 77K in rigid glasses with that of 1-phenyl-cyclopentene, and by the independence of the quantum yield on sensitizer energy in the range of 61–74 kcal/mol.     

The Photochemical and Thermal Interconversion of Some Cyclopentadienone Dimers

In continuation of previous work on cyclopentadienone dimers [3], thermal and photochemical interconversions of the isomeric diketones 1, 3 , and 5 by skeletal rearrangements have been established to the extent summarized in schemes 2 and 3, and the intramolecular [2+2] cycloaddition 1 → 2 was found to be reversible photochemically.