Photolysis of 2,6 di-tert-butyl-4-tert-butylperoxy-4-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadienone

The photolysis of a heptane solution of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-tert-butylperoxy-4-methyl- 2,5-cyclohexadienone (1) with light of 360–480 nm in the presence of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol or 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol gives rise to their corresponding phenoxyls in a reaction with the tert-butoxyl arising in the photolysis. Direct evidence of the formation of t-BuO^. by the photolysis of 1 was provided by the ESR characterization of spin-adducts of this radical with nitrosobenzene and nitrosodurene. Evidence of the photolysis of the peroxide bond in 1 is important for the mechanism of reaction of phenolic chain-breaking antioxidants.