The photochemistry of 4-azidopyridine-1-oxide

Laser flash photolysis of 4-azidopyridine-1-oxide at 266 or 308 nm yields triplet 4-nitrenopyridine-1-oxide as the dominant reactive intermediate species, with k(ISC) of approximately 2 x 10(7) s(-1). No evidence of products arising from the singlet nitrene was observed, indicating a slow rate of cyclization to the benzazirine and didehydroazepine species. The slow rate of cyclization is postulated to be due to the aminoxyl-like electronic configuration of this species, which withdraws spin density from sites for potential cyclization.