Photooxygenation of 1,1-diarylethylenes via addition of oxygen to the 1,4-dimer radical cations, catalyzed by 10-methylacridinium ion

Photooxygenation of 1,1-diarylethylene occurs efficiently using 10-methylacridinium ion as a photocatalyst to yield the 1,2-dioxane and/or the diaryl ketone depending on the substituents on the aryl groups. The reaction mechanism is revealed based on the dependence of the quantum yields on the concentrations of the alkene and oxygen, the fluorescence quenching of 10-methylacridinium ion by the alkene, and the direct detection of reactive intermediates by applying laser flash spectroscopy as well as pulse radiolysis. The photooxygenation proceeds via photoinduced electron transfer from the alkene to the singlet excited state of 10-methylacridinium ion. The alkene radical cation formed by the photoinduced electron transfer reacts with alkene to give the 1,4-dimer radical cation, which then reacts with oxygen to produce the oxygenated 1,6-radical cation. The subsequent one-electron reduction of the 1,6-radical cation results in formation of the 1,6-biradical which cyclizes to yield 1,2-dioxane derivative or fragmentates to yield diaryl ketone. When the 1,6-biradical is reduced by the alkene itself, the alkene radical cation is regenerated to repeat the radical chain process.