Photolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-azidophenol in various solvents

The photolysis of ortho-azidophenol in water, ethanol, acetonitrile, chloroform, and benzene was studied by IR and electronic spectroscopy and thin-layer chromatography. It was found that an equilibrium between ortho-azidophenol and its quinonoid form occurred in benzene. In the photolysis of ortho-azidophenol in benzene, intramolecular hydrogen bonding facilitates the degradation of the azido group through the mechanism of formation of intermediate triazene structures. In the other solvents, which exclude intramolecular hydrogen bonding, the nitrene mechanism of photolysis yielding ortho-aminophenol, ortho-iminoquinone, and an azo compound is operative. The rate of formation of photolysis products depends on the nature of the solvent.