Photochemical and thermal rearrangements of 2-arylamino-1-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)-9,10-anthraquinones

Photochemical transformations of 2-arylamino-1-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)-9,10-anthraquinones involve migration of the tert-butylphenyl group either to the peri-located carbonyl oxygen to give 2-arylamino-9-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)-1,10-anthraquinones or to the nitrogen atom to give 2-aryl(4-tert-butylphenyl)amino-1-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinones (typical products of the Smiles rearrangement).