Divergence in photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions: a useful strategy towards identifying route-selectivity in mixed ketones

The work utilized photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions to identify the preferred photoreaction route in molecules having juxtaposed α,β and β,γ-enones. Such process directly converted 2-hydroxyimino derivatives of 5-benzoylbicyclo2.2.2]octenones to the corresponding bicyclo3.2.1]octane derivatives. First evidence of Type B rearrangement in α,β-enones having acyl substitution at Cγ-position has been depicted in this work. In rigid mixed enones, this has been found to be generally the preferred photoreaction route.